range for bow kills

[bamaranger]

What is the avg range for your bow kills on whitetails? My records show an average of 15 yds, my hunting style is from treestands exclusively.

[shortwave]

I`d say, for me, 15-20 yds would be about average also.

[Brian Pfleuger]

My longest was 25 yards. My shortest was just this last Thursday, about 15 feet. Several others at less that 10 yards.

My average has got to be between 10 and 15 yards. Closer to 10 I think.

[Rembrandt]

From a tree stand average is about 25-30 yards. Hunted out west where you stalked through brush.....about 40-60 yards.

[Tomas204]

35-50 yds ,I don`t use a tree stand and I hunt Black tails they are not patterned as easy as a white tail

[bowtekhunter]

out here the closest shot i ahd ever had is only 30yrds my avrage is about 50 to 70 for elk and mule deer but i know people that have cleanly taken animals out to 125 yards with a bow consistiantly, i have a 100 yard pin on my bow and probably "could" hit somthing at that far...not that id ever try, might as well use a rifle

[rantingredneck]

My longest (and coincidentally biggest) bow kill was 35 yds. My shortest (and coincidentally 2nd biggest) bow kill was almost literally straight down. Average for me is around 10-15 yds. I tend to hunt funnels where I can get them in nice and close.

[Old Grump]

Practice at 40 but won't shoot more than 30 yards, 20 or less is better. I use a crossbow.

[camper4lyfe]

I'm not comfortable shooting over 20 yds. I can't hit accurately farther than that.

[James R. Burke]

I dont bow hunt, but know alot of folks that do. Sounds like you all have good common sense. Thats what gives bow hunting a good name in my feelings. The bow hunters I know take it very serious, practice alot, and limit there shots. Way to hard for myself so I wont even try. Leave it to you pro's, and more power to ya.

[trooper3385]

I practice out to 50 and I'm confident in my shot at that distance, but I try to keep everything under 30. I haven't shot a deer with my bow yet, but I've shot a few hogs. My longest shot was 28 yds and my shortest was 10 yds.

[stevelyn]

My longest was two caribou at about 45 paces, but that was on open tundra.

[UniversalFrost]

come on over to bowcountry forums if want to talk bow hunting.

oh and by the way my average is 15 yards ish. We (the other forum) did a poll and the concensus was between 12 and 17 yards. I do have pins set out to 60 yards on my bow and can hit a pie plate at that range repeatedy, but have never shot a deer past 30 yds.

[bamaranger]

Thanks for all the responses. My experience seems to be matching up w/ most other whitetail hunters.

Got my first shot of the year this evening....and missed! Mature doe, quartering away at 18 paces. She was amped, and I think jumped the string, I believe I shot over her.

On my bows w/ multiple aiming points, I keep pins/points to 30 yds. I have used the 30 yd point 3 times in nearly 30 years of bowhunting (two misses and a kill)

Wiht my "fast" bow, I have one tritium pin at 20 yds, which is what I missed w/ this afternoon.

[telemark]

My kills average about 40 yds, kills ranging from 50 yds to 15 yds, mostly stalking game.

[wpcexpert]

If I had to average, I would say between 15-17 yds.

Longest shot taken at 42 yds (kill)
Closest shot taken at 1-2 yds (kill)

I keep a 60yd pin and practice at that distance, but probably would never take that kind of shot. Unless I had time to put a range finder on it...if I had a range finder. The drop at that range is too drastic to be off by more than 2-3yds. Plus, I don't usually have that long of a shot.

[Deerhunter]

i know people that have cleanly taken animals out to 125 yards with a bow consistiantly, i have a 100 yard pin on my bow and probably "could" hit somthing at that far

100 yards you don't say, so your aiming 10 feet over the deer's back, at least?

I have my top pin set for 10 yards, I can shoot that pin out to 20 yards, not enough drop to matter. Then I shoot the next pin from 20-30 yards and the 3rd pin from 30-40 yards. I have only shot one deer with that pin. I would say I average about between 15-20 yards. Shot a decent 8 pointer at 17 yards in October.

I just have a hard time beleiving that anyone is shooting any animal consistantly with a bow at 50+ yards. I am not buying people shooting them at over 100 yards with a bow.

[Brian Pfleuger]

I just have a hard time beleiving that anyone is shooting any animal consistantly with a bow at 50+ yards. I am not buying people shooting them at over 100 yards with a bow.

There are plenty of people who can shoot accurately enough to kill a whitetail deer at 100 yards with a bow.

However, I know of no one who would try.

There are too many variables, deer don't stand still like paper targets do. However, I've known a number of people who have taken elk out to ranges of 60 yards or so, and I've seen 75 on TV.


On a matter of pure accuracy though, 100 yards is within the range of a well tuned bow, and there are plenty of shooters who could do it. Not most, not average, but plenty of guys can.

[ZeroJunk]

I shot quite a bit at 100 yards just messing around. I normally do most of my practicing at 50 yards.

I actually shot at a deer 60 yards away when I was young and more stupid than I am now.

Problem was that upon hearing the bow release the buck decided he didn't like it and was several feet away by the time the arrow got there.

[Daryl]

I've practiced out to 60 yards, and can hit targets pretty well at that range, but one of the longest shots I can remember taking at anything larger than a rabbit was on this bobcat some years ago.

22 yard shot, Thunderhead broadhead, PSE Mach Flight IV set at 70 lbs; it was a heart shot on the cat. This cat was actually stalked, rather than called in. I still use the same bow, and the cat is in the form of a rug in my den.

[ZeroJunk]

I have a friend that killed an elk at 70 yards. If I was sure of the range I think I could be effective at 60 yards, and I had a 60 yard pin for elk hunting.

I have probably been within 75 to 100 yards on a dozen 6X6 or better herd bulls over the years and it never occurred to me to try a shot.

At least they are not likely to jump the shot, so you are limited to your shooting ability and whether whatever you are using still has enough energy.

Point is that even though an elk is bigger you can make a longer shot because they are not so agile as a deer.

[shortwave]

Average would 15-20 yds. longest around 30.

[bullspotter]

for deer my avarge is pry 20ish from a stand, longest was 53 on a buck from the ground. On elk, my far one was 73, this year my elk was 12 yards and last year my elk was 53, The 73 and 53 yard shots were slam dunks, This year i didnt shoot my bow near as much and made 50 my absoult max for elk, Had several great 330+ ish bulls in the 65-70 range that i had to let walk do to the range..... ended up with a cow, upclose and personal but was not happy with that, I had to take her or maybe go with out this year. I will be shooting alot getting ready for 2010, those big bulls better watch out next year...... O and by the way anything past 40 or if im not sure I hit with the range finder so theirs no judgment errors.

[wpcexpert]

100 yards you don't say, so your aiming 10 feet over the deer's back, at least?

Ummm, probably not. He has a 100yd pin. A buddy of mine in AK keeps 2 different sights for his bow. One with normal distances and one with the first pin starting at 60yds. So no, you wouldn't be aiming over it's back, you would be aiming behind the shoulder...where your 100yd pin should be.

[bowtekhunter]

long range bow kills arent an unherd of thing where im from, i killed my buck this year at 65 yards and have killed elk past 75..and friends that CLEANLY kill animals with a bow out to 100yds and past, my bow shoots at 352 fps so that helps too