Thats right you do you, im confident in my abilities and know my anatomy, 20 yards and under its a dead deer every time for me. A heart shot is a heart shot no matter which angle it goes through it.
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Front on shot with crossbow
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Another thing to consider is deer ducking the arrow. I would guess 40% of all the deer I shot with my Matthews ducked the string to some extent, especially when I "meh" to get them to stop.
Since my shoulder surgery and switch to Xbow, I would say 90% of the deer duck the string to some amount. That Xbow is MUCH faster than my old Matthews but its also a LOT louder. At deer camp there are a couple guys who believe that the Xbow is so fast the deer don't have time to duck the string. WAY too many slow motion videos of deer ducking the string not to believe it. My personal experience is that my entrance/exit is almost always a little off from how the deer was standing when the trigger is pulled. When you figure out the change in impact and or exit, the obvious answer is that the deer moved, usually down and twisted away from the noise.
This is another CON of shooting front on with an Xbow. They might not jump the string much, but it doesn't take much to go from a dead on kill shot to a long tracking job and or lost deer.
Since my shoulder surgery and switch to Xbow, I would say 90% of the deer duck the string to some amount. That Xbow is MUCH faster than my old Matthews but its also a LOT louder. At deer camp there are a couple guys who believe that the Xbow is so fast the deer don't have time to duck the string. WAY too many slow motion videos of deer ducking the string not to believe it. My personal experience is that my entrance/exit is almost always a little off from how the deer was standing when the trigger is pulled. When you figure out the change in impact and or exit, the obvious answer is that the deer moved, usually down and twisted away from the noise.
This is another CON of shooting front on with an Xbow. They might not jump the string much, but it doesn't take much to go from a dead on kill shot to a long tracking job and or lost deer.
mike243
Well-Known Member
Last time I shot a deer was at 10y with my xbow, it was on alert. it jumped the string, gut shot, lost it, put the xbow on a nail in the basement, any time I look at it I remember my bad judgement, it would have been different had it not known I was there, but my fault 100% and that's been 10 years or so, Lost a couple with a bow so stopped using that years before this, gave the bow to a guy on here who had his stolen. good dam riddance to anything that twangs 
I'll continue to take this shot, short blood trails and dead deer don't argue. If I lose one I may have second thoughts but I've seen many broadside deer lost due to poor hits. Practice, Practice, Practice and be confident in your shooting ability. Disclaimer- I only take archery shots 30 yards or closer.
DoubleRidge
Well-Known Member
Sure...front on can be done....but each hunter has to decide ethically what risk they are willing to take....little to no room for error.
Personally I prefer a lower risk broadside killzone.
Personally I prefer a lower risk broadside killzone.
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Yea, it's a tough one to pull off, you've got about a golfball size hole you've gotta center to do it, maybe you could hit that spot at short range if the deer stood perfectly still but they don't 99 times outta 100.
Madbowh
Well-Known Member
Broadside or slightly quartering either way. I won't shoot past 30 and quartering shots are under 20. Not counting my first 5 years of bow hunting I've heard all but one I killed crash. Bow hunting is all discipline, patience and practice.
The one I shot in October this year I could've taken this shot and waited he got to 15yds quartering and I let it go he died 40yds away.
I didn't even pick up a rifle for hunting until I was almost 30.i went from shotgun to bow then occasionally rifle. I save the rifle for out west
The one I shot in October this year I could've taken this shot and waited he got to 15yds quartering and I let it go he died 40yds away.
I didn't even pick up a rifle for hunting until I was almost 30.i went from shotgun to bow then occasionally rifle. I save the rifle for out west
fairchaser
Well-Known Member
I made the same mistake on a doe. I tracked her for 400 yds and she went into a thicket and probably died there. I never recovered her either. I also made a similar shot but through the throat on a deer and they only went 50 yards. Shot placement on a frontal is everything. But after that experience with the doe I lost, I will not take a frontal shot. It's too risky for me. It happens to most of us who archery hunt. Don't let it get to you.
