Personally, I can stack arrows into an 8-inch circle all day long at a precisely measured 60 yards. But
my maximum range for hunting really isn't an issue of shooting skills --- more an issue of hunting skills and my opinion of what constitutes an ethical shot.
I usually set myself up where it's highly unlikely I could even consider a shot beyond 35 yards, and I'm anticipating a shot at about 15 to 20 yards with most of my bow set-ups. In the most ideal of circumstances, I will usually limit my bow shots to about 40 yards, although most of my set-ups limit them to less than 30 yards.
bobthebowhunter said:
Another IMO 60 yard shot at a deer is rediculous. Sorry ream me if you want, but it aint foam it can move.
I guess there
CAN be a rare exception to almost anything,
but generally speaking, I totally agree with Bob.
Unlike shooting at targets at precisely measured distances, real hunting seldom allows us to measure with such precision
AND the live target often
MOVES between the time the arrow is released and before it hits. Ever had a deer
"jump" your string noise (or limb movement) upon release? Once we get somewhere beyond 40 yards, a deer can move not a matter of inches, but a matter of feet between the time of release and the arrow hitting something. Add a little wind and we have a great recipe for a wounded deer --- not because of a lack of shooting skills, but rather because shooting live targets is very different than shooting paper targets on a measured range.
No question, at a precisely measured 60 to 75 yards, any skilled archer could often hit a feeding deer's vitals. But most skilled hunters understand that taking this shot often results in an unrecovered wounded deer.
