"Ethical" range of a bow

[virginiashadow]

I do not use a range finder as well. I do not need a range finder when I am shooting at deer at 25 yards or less. Part of the rush of bowhunting to me is estimating the shot distance. I have been around estimating yardage for a long time, so I am rarely off more than 2-3 yards at any distance up to around 30 yards. I could see guys using a range finder out past 35 yards or so, but for close range shots, come on.

[Zap]

I do not use a range finder as well. I do not need a range finder when I am shooting at deer at 25 yards or less. Part of the rush of bowhunting to me is estimating the shot distance. I have been around estimating yardage for a long time, so I am rarely off more than 2-3 yards at any distance up to around 30 yards. I could see guys using a range finder out past 35 yards or so, but for close range shots, come on.

At shorter distances I can see your point.
But I always like to range my surroundings.
Stand or blind, I want to know what the range is to certain objects.
I have also found terrain/lighting/elevation change's/open areas vs timbered areas have all effected my range estimation ability.
I am not that good at it.
So I rely on my electronic laser rangefinder.

I also range as I still hunt, say out to 80 yards, then count my paces. Never know when something will step out, and I want an idea what the distance is.

But in the end it's "what works for you" that counts.
Not what works for someone else.

marty

[BigRed]

For me personally like a few have said, my shots will rarely be more than 30 yards because the areas we hunt are thick. I like to practice out to 40-50, but those shots are very rare. Concerning range finders, i dont like to range the deer, because i dont like to be messin around when im getting ready for a possible shot. The less movement the better, because i've been busted doing this. I like to range landmarks around me when i get set up so i know ahead of time.

[dan]

Andrae watched the footage and gave me a little lecture on long shots and told me he personally won't shoot more than 20 yards and seldom shoots farther than 15... I found that pretty surprising.

Why do you find this surprising?

I know you use traditional equipment and thats a whole different situation... Andrae is a great shooter, the fact that he will, and has let Boone and Crocket deer walk past because he won't take a shot well within his effective range is quite surprising to me. I would say more than 1/3 of the bucks I have on the wall from bowhunting were shot at greater distances than 15 yards. Maybe closer to 1/2.

[muddy]

My personal range is 40 yards and under. I try to purposefully set up where I can't get tempted into a longer shot because I'm not sure I could hold off on a 60 yard poke if something gigantic walked out. That being said the longest shot I've taken on a whitetail is 39 yards and I greased the buck. My average shot over the years has probably been around 20 yards.

[dan]

What is interesting to me, is the number of people who think its unethical to shoot a whitetail at 50 yards standing, but it is ok to launch 70 yards at an elk. Or its ok to take running or long shots at coyotes... Coyotes are just as much an animal ( that can suffer ) as a whitetail...
I really believe its your own personal beliefs and ethics that you have to decide for yourself, but find it interesting that it varies with species.

[Zap]

Andrae watched the footage and gave me a little lecture on long shots and told me he personally won't shoot more than 20 yards and seldom shoots farther than 15... I found that pretty surprising.

Why do you find this surprising?

I know you use traditional equipment and thats a whole different situation... Andrae is a great shooter, the fact that he will, and has let Boone and Crocket deer walk past because he won't take a shot well within his effective range is quite surprising to me. I would say more than 1/3 of the bucks I have on the wall from bowhunting were shot at greater distances than 15 yards. Maybe closer to 1/2.

I would think it's alot easier to get close to unpressured deer.......
But maybe not.


marty

[dan]

I would think it's alot easier to get close to unpressured deer.......
But maybe not.

So would I Zap, but really Andrae was hunting pressured deer for the majority of his hunting career. It was not until about 5 or 6 years ago that he started getting into large leases and purchased property with the exception of his Wisconsin land that does get a lot of pressure due to the adjacent public land and neighboring hunters ( his is only 22 acres )
His 1st P/Y buck came from hunting the public north woods. He don't, and has not hunted a lot of public land, but most of the farms he hunted that he shot his big bucks off of allow many other people to hunt also.

[Zap]

I would think it's alot easier to get close to unpressured deer.......
But maybe not.

So would I Zap, but really Andrae was hunting pressured deer for the majority of his hunting career. It was not until about 5 or 6 years ago that he started getting into large leases and purchased property with the exception of his Wisconsin land that does get a lot of pressure due to the adjacent public land and neighboring hunters ( his is only 22 acres )
His 1st P/Y buck came from hunting the public north woods. He don't, and has not hunted a lot of public land, but most of the farms he hunted that he shot his big bucks off of allow many other people to hunt also.

I was not trying to put Andre down....
He is one of the few TV hunters I would like to spend time with....
Another one owns this site..

Fred Abbas also on the list....

marty

[dan]

I was not trying to put Andre down....
He is one of the few TV hunters I would like to spend time with....
Another one owns this site..

I know you were not trying to put him down... I just don't think many people know a lot about his history. He did not even start hunting till he was in his late twentys, and he cut his teeth learning to hunt mature bucks in the public north woods near Antigo Wisconsin. Later he got more into hunting suburban bucks around South Eastern Wisconsin and as his goals increased he started searching for bucks that would meet his minimums anywhere they might be found... The land he purchased is meant to be his retirement.

[Rutnstrut]

I practice up to 90yds that's all I can get out of my range. I am not gonna bs you all and say I am shooting a 2 inch group at 90. It's decent but far from perfect, but once I move up to 70 it's almost a chip shot. I know you have all heard the point that if you practice at longer ranges it makes the intermediate ranges easier. I really can't stress too much that this is true. I would not hesitate to take a 70 yd shot given that things were "perfect"

[Zap]

I practice up to 90yds that's all I can get out of my range. I am not gonna bs you all and say I am shooting a 2 inch group at 90. It's decent but far from perfect, but once I move up to 70 it's almost a chip shot. I know you have all heard the point that if you practice at longer ranges it makes the intermediate ranges easier. I really can't stress too much that this is true. I would not hesitate to take a 70 yd shot given that things were "perfect"

You shooting a single pin slider?

Good luck this season.

marty

[Schultzy]

What is interesting to me, is the number of people who think its unethical to shoot a whitetail at 50 yards standing, but it is ok to launch 70 yards at an elk. Or its ok to take running or long shots at coyotes... Coyotes are just as much an animal ( that can suffer ) as a whitetail...
I really believe its your own personal beliefs and ethics that you have to decide for yourself, but find it interesting that it varies with species.

For the most part I'm a fairly good shot out to 25 yards. It don't matter the big game species I'm hunting. My max range never changes. It's tough letting an elk or a dandy buck walk by at 20 to 25 yards because I'd rather have him 20 and under. It takes a ton of will power but I've done It on some elk, a couple P&Y bear, a good handful of P&Y bucks (130 to 140 Inch range) through out the years. That's bowhunting though and the way I choose to do It. Chances are I probably would've gotten allot of these animals I passed but I don't like pushing the envelope. To each his/her own though.

I've never shot at a coyote and this Is probably going to sound bad and kinda proves Dan's point but I'll be honest here and say I'd more then likely launch an arrow at a coyote that was out of my preferred range just because It's a coyote. I hold big game animals on a pedestal, not varmints and rodents.

[AC Rider]

I too practice every day at 60 yards, and am pretty good at it too. That being said, I know we all have to double the size of our groups when doing it for real and shooting at real deer. I would shoot at 60 yards though if the deer was acting just right, I could use good form and I was CALM.

[Rutnstrut]

I practice up to 90yds that's all I can get out of my range. I am not gonna bs you all and say I am shooting a 2 inch group at 90. It's decent but far from perfect, but once I move up to 70 it's almost a chip shot. I know you have all heard the point that if you practice at longer ranges it makes the intermediate ranges easier. I really can't stress too much that this is true. I would not hesitate to take a 70 yd shot given that things were "perfect"

You shooting a single pin slider?

Good luck this season.

marty

Marty, I am shooting a Montana Black Gold Redzone 5 pin fixed. I have used HHA sliders in the past and really like them. But this sight fits my shooting style a bit better.