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Acceptable hunting accuracy

cecil30-30

cecil30-30

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What would you guys consider acceptable hunting accuracy with your bows? I know it should be,the best you can shoot,but I guess I would consider acceptable,by being able to put all arrows on a paper plate at any distance you plan to take a shot at a deer,everytime.
 
To put all arrows in a plate and then be able to pull them out with one hand as a group!Thats what I look for. If you shoot big group like a plate...you can leave room for error. If you are already 4 inches off and you pull a shot 4 inches...now you are eight.Dead on would mean 4 inches off.Remember Aim small...miss small!
 
Velocity kills said:
To put all arrows in a plate and then be able to pull them out with one hand as a group!Thats what I look for. If you shoot big group like a plate...you can leave room for error. If you are already 4 inches off and you pull a shot 4 inches...now you are eight.Dead on would mean 4 inches off.Remember Aim small...miss small!
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I shoot 4-arrow groups...If I can get my hand around all 4 and pull them out, I am satisfied..

Occasionally I get a flyer that really screws with my confidence..
 
Acceptable? If you know the area of the kill zone and you can hit that area from different angles in different weather from max to min distance regularly...that's acceptable. Do you ever hunt in the rain and snow? Do you practice in the rain and snow? I think to be accurate you gotta practice in conditions that are comparable to the way you hunt...When hunting, I sit, kneel and stand so that's how I practice. I hunt in snow and rain so I follow suit with practicing. If you put your foot against the tree or platform and lean out away from the tree with only your harness holding you to shoot a deer (yup, it's happened) then practice that too. And if you can do all that and hit the kill zone regularly...it's acceptable. I also have learned from some of Radar's posts, you younger shooters can learn by reading and trying what he says...
 
Coach said:
Acceptable? If you know the area of the kill zone and you can hit that area from different angles in different weather from max to min distance regularly...that's acceptable. Do you ever hunt in the rain and snow? Do you practice in the rain and snow? I think to be accurate you gotta practice in conditions that are comparable to the way you hunt...When hunting, I sit, kneel and stand so that's how I practice. I hunt in snow and rain so I follow suit with practicing. If you put your foot against the tree or platform and lean out away from the tree with only your harness holding you to shoot a deer (yup, it's happened) then practice that too. And if you can do all that and hit the kill zone regularly...it's acceptable. I also have learned from some of Radar's posts, you younger shooters can learn by reading and trying what he says...
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I agree with Coach and Radar, EXCEPT-- Whatever maximum distance you can keep those arrows in the Kill Zone-- Cut the distance in half. That is a good maximum shooting range on a live animal in a real hunting scenario. This will make room for rush of adrenaline that your body receives when your quarry is near.

So if I can keep my shots in the kill zone at 60 yards them 30 yards is my maximum hunting range. 70 yards at the range gives me 35 yards while hunting.
 
Cecil, you have some good answers here already. To find what is acceptable really depends on you, and your hunting ethics.
If you are comfortable and confident out to 25 yards...that should be your range. If you practice with your hunting clothes on, in different shooting situations and conditions, and can maintain the same accuracy at a certain yardage point..then that should be your range.

Being able to shoot tight groups standing on the same turf, day in day out to me isnt practice. Practice every situation you can... practice from a tree stand, with your harness on, from the ground... shooting up hill,shooting down hill, steep angling shots down hill, quartering away, severe quarting away. Anything! Any cenario you can think may happen, practice it. If you dont practice everyway thinkable... that will be the shot the deer gives you while hunting him/her.
 
Hoss said:
Coach said:
Acceptable? If you know the area of the kill zone and you can hit that area from different angles in different weather from max to min distance regularly...that's acceptable. Do you ever hunt in the rain and snow? Do you practice in the rain and snow? I think to be accurate you gotta practice in conditions that are comparable to the way you hunt...When hunting, I sit, kneel and stand so that's how I practice. I hunt in snow and rain so I follow suit with practicing. If you put your foot against the tree or platform and lean out away from the tree with only your harness holding you to shoot a deer (yup, it's happened) then practice that too. And if you can do all that and hit the kill zone regularly...it's acceptable. I also have learned from some of Radar's posts, you younger shooters can learn by reading and trying what he says...
Click to expand...

I agree with Coach and Radar, EXCEPT-- Whatever maximum distance you can keep those arrows in the Kill Zone-- Cut the distance in half. That is a good maximum shooting range on a live animal in a real hunting scenario. This will make room for rush of adrenaline that your body receives when your quarry is near.

So if I can keep my shots in the kill zone at 60 yards them 30 yards is my maximum hunting range. 70 yards at the range gives me 35 yards while hunting.
Click to expand...

I appreciate you agreeing with me Hoss..unfortunately, as good as it sounds it isn't what I would subscribe to experienced archers...but, right on for the younger archers. Later, after shooting for years in varied situations the longer shot is equally as appropriate in a hunting situation as a practice scenario. Over thinking it will cause more misses than distance if you have put your time in...Cut it loose and trust your instincts and your time put in practicing. You aren't going to get something for nothing so put your time in and bust 'em where you know you can...
 
I don't shoot groups.I could care less how they group it's my first shot that counts.If my first shot is on the kill zone on my target that's all I care about.I shoot before I go hunting if I'm good I go hunting if not I adjust and shoot again.
 
To put a quantitative answer to this, I define acceptable for hunting as a 3-4 inch group at a given range. THe kill zone is about 8 inches so this allows for a 100% increase and still in that range.
 
To me acceptable hunting accuracy is not about group size . Deer won't stand still for a good group or warmup shots . It is about placing one arrow in the exact spot you are aiming from an unknown distance at various shot angles from awkward shooting positions .
 

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