Your Longest Archery Big Game Kill

[etisll40]

80 yards with a bow is about equal to 1000 yard rifle shot. 100 yard shot equal to about 2000 yards. It takes more skill to shoot a bow past 80 yards then a rifle at 1000. At 2000 or 100 yards both are target shooting with hopes of a kill shot.

 

[Archery1973]

62 yards on November 18, 2009. It was the first deer I killed with a bow since being paralyzed from the sternum down in a motorcycle accident on May 1, 2008.

 

[etisll40]

That is one nice deer. Congratulations on the awesome shot. You could probably almost see it hit. How did the deer react when hit?

 

[etisll40]

Awesome shots guys, I don't know if I'll ever be good enough to try but I will practice.

 

[inline6power]

here is a buck i killed in 2010 on my place in idaho. shot was at 73 yards but i regularly shoot out to 120 with my buddies for practice almost every night so i was comfy taking a shot at that distance. i can put 10 arrows in a pie plate at 100yds so i am almost better with my bow than a gun lol. was hard quarting away and put the shot right where i wanted it to. missed the guts and had a perfect x through the hart and exited the offside shoulder. i am shooting a bowtech invasion now but killed the deer with my old destroyer at 74lbs shooting 125 grain slick tricks. if you look at the first picture, i am in the middle left of the screen on the hillside and the buck is skyline bedded down on the upper right. i have killed much bigger but the spot and stalk on this was just to good to pass up. hope you guys enjoy.

 

[Broken arrow]

I routinely practice out to 140 yards and I'm working on extending that range to perhaps 200+ if my little project pans out. Does that mean I shoot animals that far (hell NO!). There are BS'rs then there are BS'rs. I can easily hit where I aim at 100 but hold my shots to around 80 because I've noticed a tremendous drop off in penetration after 80+ yards which to me is reason to hold my shot. How far have I successfully taken a deer?? Let's just say you wouldn't believe it. No sense trying to convince anyone so I won't try.

 

[PrunedaleMike]

83 yards ground squirrel, pure luck!
PM

 

[toddc]

83 yards ground squirrel, pure luck!
PM

Yeah Im sure he couldnt normally hit a large barn from the interior and then center punches a rat at 83. I know I tire of people calling bs on bowshots. I notice they are mostly from TREESTANDLANDIA and feel that 40 is a long poke. It is a long poke on a dragonfly. I decide what is ethical for my shooting abilities and I alone. I know I would rather have a lot of guys from the eastern US shoot at me at 40 than have one of my friends shoot at me at 200. I guided long enough to know. Every shot is a unique event with unique factors. Sometimes my max range is 0 yds. Ie no shot no matter the range. Other times it could be a lot further. I like others, will not say how far so I wont be deafened by the whining of those who wont put in the practice and perform the equipment tweaking needed and instead love to wallow in thier own mediocrity while decrying the efforts of the truly dedicated.

 

[PrunedaleMike]

Yeah Im sure he couldnt normally hit a large barn from the interior and then center punches a rat at 83. I know I tire of people calling bs on bowshots. I notice they are mostly from TREESTANDLANDIA and feel that 40 is a long poke. It is a long poke on a dragonfly. I decide what is ethical for my shooting abilities and I alone. I know I would rather have a lot of guys from the eastern US shoot at me at 40 than have one of my friends shoot at me at 200. I guided long enough to know. Every shot is a unique event with unique factors. Sometimes my max range is 0 yds. Ie no shot no matter the range. Other times it could be a lot further. I like others, will not say how far so I wont be deafened by the whining of those who wont put in the practice and perform the equipment tweaking needed and instead love to wallow in thier own mediocrity while decrying the efforts of the truly dedicated.

I put in quite a lot of time practicing. I love the tune-up of small game hunting prior to deer season here in California. Ground squirrels make perfect targets as you taste blood and they are small( aim small miss small). If necessary , I could put a finisher in a blacktail in excess of 100 yards as I do practice at that range not only with my hunting gear but my target bow. Personally I preferr 35 -40 yard shots on big game as I can "feel" the impact of the slicing broadhead as it punches through the lungs.

Your right on the need for some folks to to slam those long shots which I consider to be 60 yards and out, just because every television hunting show shows treestand shots at 15 yards. Maybe that's the way they get to hunting in their neck of the woods , but in California those shots are few and far between unless you're shooting "rose-eaters".

PM

 

[toddc]

I put in quite a lot of time practicing. I love the tune-up of small game hunting prior to deer season here in California. Ground squirrels make perfect targets as you taste blood and they are small( aim small miss small). If necessary , I could put a finisher in a blacktail in excess of 100 yards as I do practice at that range not only with my hunting gear but my target bow. Personally I preferr 35 -40 yard shots on big game as I can "feel" the impact of the slicing broadhead as it punches through the lungs.

Your right on the need for some folks to to slam those long shots which I consider to be 60 yards and out, just because every television hunting show shows treestand shots at 15 yards. Maybe that's the way they get to hunting in their neck of the woods , but in California those shots are few and far between unless you're shooting "rose-eaters".

PM

40 is my PREFFERED distance also. No string jump and yet you can pik out which hair you cut. And I also consider 60+ to be out there.
I know on most bow sites its ridiculous the "distance nazis". TOOOOOOOO FAR....Thats what I was told when telling about a 43 yd shot. Also called a SLOB, LIAR and IDIOT. And that was the NICE RESPONDERS! Amazingly people try to place thier own limitations on others. Funny part is I cant shoot all twisted around in a treestand either and these treestanders arent sharp enuf to realize the reason they wound game is called "lack of form due to stand leaning, hunter leaning, running elbow into trunk of tree,leaning around objects etc". I would rather shoot 60 on my feet on the ground than 20 out of a tree. I would also rather these treestanders would try it our way sometime and quit calling me names, I guess we just need to build a good group here and **** on AT anyway.

 

[bigmo101]

The worst part about it is that every site that people talk about bowhunting has the same attitude. I've learned to keep my fingers from typing about distance on those other sites. I see some people content with a paper plate size group. Things can be tightened up so much.

First of all is the draw length. People usually shoot too long of a draw, me included for a while.

Second is your draw weight, has to be comfortable. Having the correct draw and proper weight will let your form be spot on.

Arrow tuning and making sure the weight is the same across the board helps out on the long shots.

Most people that talk about too far don't set up their own bow or make their own arrows. They don't experiment to see what works better. I used to see pros be able to make some amazing shots, I figured why can't I do the same thing. I'm not saying I'm a pro, but I have extended my range quite a bit from when I first started.

Just like with shooting rifles at long range, there is a lot of prep work for shooting archery long range.

 

[PrunedaleMike]

The worst part about it is that every site that people talk about bowhunting has the same attitude. I've learned to keep my fingers from typing about distance on those other sites. I see some people content with a paper plate size group. Things can be tightened up so much.

First of all is the draw length. People usually shoot too long of a draw, me included for a while.

Second is your draw weight, has to be comfortable. Having the correct draw and proper weight will let your form be spot on.

Arrow tuning and making sure the weight is the same across the board helps out on the long shots.

Most people that talk about too far don't set up their own bow or make their own arrows. They don't experiment to see what works better. I used to see pros be able to make some amazing shots, I figured why can't I do the same thing. I'm not saying I'm a pro, but I have extended my range quite a bit from when I first started.

Just like with shooting rifles at long range, there is a lot of prep work for shooting archery long range.

I total agree with what you are saying. All the factors are put together that ends in how prepared one is for his or hers effective range.

I have found that bare shaft tuning is a remarkable procedure that incorporates the 3 procedures you stated. A well tuned bow will transfer the energy in the most effective way, a straight line, at the time of nock /string separation. This insures good broadhead flight for hunting and over-all a more forgiving bow for target. Unfortunately most folks don't take the time to bare-shaft tune, relying on the work of the local "pro" shop and unless one is really lucky, the shop can only get the bow to a certain point. Each shooter should then should tune the bow to his or hers own unique shooting style. Followed by practice, practice , practice.

 

[jaybirdjtski]

Don't use a compound. I'm not comfortable at anything over 35 yards max with a 55# Browning Wasp.

Longest deer to date is 29 yards.

I'm glad deer are plentiful around here and fairly easy to hunt but I just won't take a chance over 35 yards and that would be for a perfect setup only. 25 yards and less is more comfortable. I don't mind NOT taking a shot with either a bow or a rifle.

 

[MontanaGuide]

I took my 2010 Montana Archery Antelope spot-n-stalk style at 62 yards. That was the shoot-to range given the decline. He bolted 10 yards and piled up. Using a 70# PSE with 125 grain Shuttle T broadheads.
I practice to 75 yards and was completely confident with the shot. The best part was that my 2 year-old son got to trapse through the sagebrush and cactus with mommy to come see the kill. He thought it was awesome!
The horns were 14 and 7/8ths tall for those who are wondering.