What’s Your Max Bow Range for Elk?

[Deadfall]

That might be......if "they're coming to you". Most of the time hunting solo, I'm going to them.....and they absolutely know I'm there. At that point, there's generally lots of eyes, ears, and noses tuned in to my approach and really short ranges generally aren't the norm. Every shot I've taken past 40, that was "as close" as I was going to be able to get.

I always go solo when at it for myself. Early on I had the same situations as you describe. In those days all I had was recurve. With that thing I had no alternative except try different things. Getting outside my box and trying absurb tactics really changed the game for me.
When I started guiding that threw a entirely different set of shenanigans into the fold. Trying to get guys with no idea what's going on, set and bring game to them so they don't have to move. Near as I can tell there's about 7 million ways to screw it up and a handful of ways to pull it off. With all the experience (@#$%ery) I've obtained, it still usually takes 3 or 4 encounters before we can get it done.

Whether a guy takes a step at last moment and snaps something noisy, instead of leaning. Maybe he's kneeling instead of standing or vice versus. Maybe wind swirls. Maybe he's on backside of funnel obstacle. Maybe multiple bulls come in and hang up and he gets impatient and moves getting spotted by the silent one coming in from blind spot. The list is endless.

Point is, the struggle is where it's at for me. There is nothing in this world I've found to be more fulfilling than guiding. Especially when it's been a struggle, my hunters are exhausted, frustrated/mad at me and everything else. We just keep after it day in day out. When it finally comes together and a bull gets into 30ish mark, hunter makes the shot. Walk up to him and he's lost all faculties. That the pay off for me.
I've not had one of those guys ever regret waiting.

How everybody else rolls is thier business. No judgements from me. Lord knows I've messed up plenty.

Hats off to anyone who can get it done outside the 40 mark.

 

[pilgrim7]

Longbow with heavy arrows - inside 30 for me.
I've passed up several decent elk that would have probably been a chip shot for most guys
proficient with a compound. But that is the path I've chosen, no regrets.
Check this one out - no range finder required - Skip to about the 7 minute mark if you
don't want to watch the full thing.

Wow!

 

[roosiebull]

Despite having better equipment now my max range has decreased. My eyes aren't what they used to be, my shoulders and arms don’t have the same strength so my max range is 40-50

And you have wisdom through experience as well… experience has told me it takes less to mess up a shot as the distance increases… on both ends… shooter flaws are exaggerated, animal movements are exaggerated…

I will say, as far as killing quick and efficient, I would rather have a bull at 30yds than 3yds… I don’t care about that in the moment and getting as close as possible is obviously the goal.

I know those “too close” shots are as difficult as the far shots to place an arrow with precision for multiple reasons… I know at 3 yds I’m almost 4”low with my 20yd pin (hard to make that mental adjustment with a bull 6yds and closing)

You (I) take the close range for granted, and when they are sub 10yds, it’s always mental chaos, it’s rushed whether you want it to be or not…. I will always try to create that chaos, but it really is a hard shot, I have messed up and seen a lot of mess ups on elk inside 10yds… as high of a rate as 40+

 

[Kpdaniels]

Anything inside of 30 yards I am pretty comfortable with. I am shooting a longbow so I don’t like pushing my limits too much farther than that.

 

[Elk97]

40-50 yds depending on situation. I shoot further than that regularly but on a live animal I'm not going to risk a bad shot and not recovering it.

 

[Jwknutson17]

Furthest shot I've taken successfully on any game was 63 yards on a turkey last year. And I've messed up shots inside 15 yards on whitetail back in the day. I practice to 70 from kneeling, on rocks, terrible footing, etc. My last few bulls have been from terrible positions and it really cuts your affective range down. I used to just practice on flat ground and it wasn't until I started really putting myself in those weird positions did my confidence and effective range in the field went up.

Last year my bull was 38.5 yards and I had a small window between some trees with the shot ever so slightly quartering to. I was calm, relaxed, and made the shot easily because of my confidence shooting from awkward positions and practice shooting in tight spots in the timber.

70 is my furthest pin and I am confident in that shot if the elk is broadside and feeding, unaware of me. I won't take that 70 shot if conditions aren't perfect. I would prefer that 40 yards and in range.

 

[SEIdaho Hunter]

I feel confident with most shots 40 yards or closer. If the conditions are good and the bull is broadside, I would be ok with 50. I would really hesitate shooting anything further than that.

 

[SEIdaho Hunter]

Top pin, I can't even begin to tell you how many elk I've passed at longer ranges. I'm not even getting excited until they are under 30 yds. I've said it before, I'll say it again, short range elk, are short range recoveries. Long range elk are long rang recoveries in my experience being around "people who can shoot"

When they are 20 and in, they are dead, no iffs ands or buts.

I completely agree. Tracking a wounded elk that isn't dying is miserable stuff.

 

[nphunter]

I've never shot a elk at 40 yards. my experience; 60 yards is the tipping point. Once a bull is inside 60 they comin all the way. All my elk have been from 5-30 yards. It's a intimacy game/chess match in my mind. I've also been guiding for almost 2 decades and not once had a hunter shoot at 60. In my mind anything over 40 is a rifle shot. Odds are stacked in the elks favor. I've seen a pile of hunters roll into camp and claim 60 or 80 yards is in their effective range. Can count on one hand the number of guys that can consistently be accurate and pull enough to get it done at that range (under pressure).

My ideas and opinions are secluded to my experience. With todays technology a guy could probably get it done at 150..Why anyone would want to, escapes me. Long range bow hunting has never been my thing. Hats off to anyone skilled enough to get it done at that distance.

It really depends on the area ones hunting, I totally agree when hunting thick timber which I prefer to hunt.

Hunting spots like this it’s very difficult to get an elk closer that 60 since they can see another elk coming for a mile.

 

[5MilesBack]

Near as I can tell there's about 7 million ways to screw it up and a handful of ways to pull it off.

Yep. In 2018 I was chasing a really nice bull......huge top end......and he WAS coming. I was in the middle of thick beetlekill pines when he came through. He was right around 30 yards and stopped behind two trees. I was at full draw and ready to shoot when he stepped forward. Right as he stepped forward, a large piece of bark fell off the tree next to me and hit the ground. He was gone. Milliseconds.......sometimes it's just not meant to be.

 

[Deadfall]

Yep. In 2018 I was chasing a really nice bull......huge top end......and he WAS coming. I was in the middle of thick beetlekill pines when he came through. He was right around 30 yards and stopped behind two trees. I was at full draw and ready to shoot when he stepped forward. Right as he stepped forward, a large piece of bark fell off the tree next to me and hit the ground. He was gone. Milliseconds.......sometimes it's just not meant to be.

...so frustrating. Big fella sure seems to love the animals

 

[TradLife406]

40 with a trad bow. It'd depend too where your hunting. In dark timber the shots are closer.


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[Tracker0721]

Trad bow and my point on is in the 35-40 with both my bows so I’d take that shot. With my compound I’d say 60. But i’d prefer under 20 with both!

 

[PghInfamous]

I practice out to 100 with my compound daily. In the field, 60 is typically my max. Depending on conditions.

 

[ReaptheHeat]

60 yards in good conditions...

Had some elk at 80 yards that I refused to take a shot at on opening day.

I also run into people every season that claim they nail softball size groups at 100 yards and will shoot at that range or further.

 

[Buffalo0922]

Hit mine at 66 yards this year. Complete broadside, slightly downhill, good footing, almost zero wind. Bull made it about 150 yards and toppled over.

Shot was right on the vitals and didn’t get a shoulder. Very surprised I didn’t get a complete pass through. Pulling 75lbs on Mathew’s v3.

Shows how much energy you start to lose.

 

[Coveyleader]

My Colorado season went like this.

Cow 15 yds or so never found that arrow dang near shot lengthwise through her.

Bull about 18 yds, complete pass through.

Bear 18ish yds, complete pass through, about shot through it lengthwise as well.

 

[skeptic]

25 yards with my recurve. I have killed quite a few bulls with my compound bow between 50 and 60. That seems to be the magic range for me. I practice out to 100 with my compound and feel very comfortable with shot in the field at about 50. For whatever reason, I hate 40 yard shots. I have no idea why, it is like a mental block. I think it may be my pin color or something, I just don't feel as good at 40 as I do at 50, go figure.

 

[grossklw]

60 if they’re calm and the situation presents. Would much rather have them at 45-50. Whitetail at 40 is plenty far with how twitchy they are and even at 40 if I had to stop them I probably wouldn’t shoot. First elk I killed was at 49 and he didn’t go 20, perfect V and I couldn’t walk it over there any better. Came back to WI and blew a gimme on a nice buck at 8 yards the same year. Riddle me that (ended up killing him 200 yards away 2 weeks later so it ended happy).

 

[gaggiffin]

I would absolutely use My 60 yard pin on any large game animal. That said I also comfortably target shoot out to 100. One of the biggest reasons I would shoot at a game animal past 60 is flight time of the arrow, I feel there is to much time for the animal to move or duck the string. Also Not gonna lye, I tend to "yank" an occasional shot. At 60 even if I yank i am still in the vitals every time. Past that if I yank it could be questionable