Bow range?

S

sojourner65

New member
Mar 24, 2014
122
I was wondering at what distance(s) you have shot at elk with your bow. I hear stories of 60 -70 yd shots being normal, which is unheard of
back here in the eastern deer woods.
 
I saw Waddell kill an elk at 80yds on his show with a bow. Farther than i\'d take with a muzzleloader.
 
I saw my hunting buddy drill a nice 6 point bull at about 60 yds. We had a buddy calling for us, and the bull was within a few yards of winding the caller, so he took the shot.

He made a big circle to try to get the caller\'s wind when he came in, so we were set up way too far over (we thought he\'d come in direct)



My longest shot on elk, which also resulted in a kill, was 45 yds. I would probably not attempt more than 50, and that would be \"situational\".
 
ive only shot one, it was at 30yds. but I would take a 60yrd shot without any issues if all was calm and quite. I practice out to 90yds on a regular basis. it makes 50-60yds seem like chip shots.
 
I have shot 6 within 30 yards. I shot a cow at 56 yards. Only reason I took the shot was she was calm drinking from a wallow and I ranged her twice before I took the shot.
 
My farthest shot was 52 yards. My average is under 30. I think that if you are averaging 70-80 yarders, you\'re not doing it right. JMO
 
My average is right at 30yds.
Furthest is 48

I dont hunt very open country so that limits the shot range
 
My longest is 45 yards quite a few years ago with an older bow. These newer bows are like night and day, I also practice daily at 60-80 yards. Hope to never shoot for real that far but for that once in lifetime opportunity in the right situation/conditions I want to be 100% confident in my abilities.
 
I made a great shot on a beautiful 6x at 180yds. :clap: the rest of the story... The great western shoot out. A 3d shoot we used to have here in Colorado at Winter Park ski area. This was a long distance shoot at an elk with the funds generated going to some cause that I can\'t remember. Who all remembers it?

On a live elk my shortest shot has been around 15yds & the longest mabe 30 with my average around 25. I did hit one in the shoulder at 60 & it still haunts me. :( lesson learned.
 
all depends on the situation and animal behavior and if I\'m feeling it that day. that said if your averaging 70 yrd shots you might better work on stalking or set up skills. cause I\'d venture a guess my average is probably upper 20 to low 30\'s never really figued it out but most seem to fall in that catagory.
 
I\'m glad to hear those 30 yd shots are pretty much the norm. I\'m not knocking those who have shot 60-70 yds, but that\'s not for me. I think
part of the skill is getting close. Back home I only hunt on the ground and all my shots at deer have been under 30 yds. That said, it appears an elk vital
area is about twice the size of a whitetail, so I understand those longer shots.
 
The farthest I have killed elk with my bow is 40 yards. I understand that my bow has the power to kill at longer distances. A great shooter has no control on the animal and it takes the elk just 1/2 a step to turn a great shot into a tragedy.
 
Avg. 25 Longest 35. I\'d shoot with confidence out to 60 or so under the right circumstances and assuming I couldn\'t possibly get any closer.
 
my first EVER bow hunt for a deer. mulie.

my buddy justine\'s dad got us permission on a property. august california. it was hot and dry. we hiked up this huge mountain. i was dying. i wore stupid perforated pants that was snagging every burr. it was awful.

we find a DEER!!! my buddy whispers..cliff, shoot it. it is at 53 yards.
i reply. \"too far for me, let me try to get closer\"

i move around and get to about 30 yards only to find a big wall of bushes between me and the deer. the deer hears me, stands up. i hear the wizz of a montec arrow..the deer drops before my eyes.

while i was happy for justin, i was sad for myself. i never practice that far. NEVER AGAIN. i am now VERY proficient at 60 yards. i shoot better at 60 than 50..weird i know.

i wont hesitate at 60..

i practice 80 all the time. i shoot 6-8\" groups. if the animal was calm..no wind, last day...wizz!
 
Reminds me of the first night ever elk hunting. My partner and I were climbing a ridge to get some elevation to glass when we hear something above us. We look up and there is a bull peering down at us. I grab my range finder and he nocks an arrow. As I am ranging him and my partner is drawing back the bull turns away and disappears. \"I was going to shoot,\" he says excitedly. I say \"it was 89 yards.\" Flatly, he says, \"I was going to shoot low.\" :? (thought it was more like 50)
 
\"Still Hunter\" said:
Instead of practicing longer shots. You could work on the skills to get closer. ;)
Click to expand...

practicing long shots make a 30-40yrd shot feel like a 20yrd shot. ive seen this in my wife and son. there 40yrd groups where averaging 6\" once they stated to shoot out to 60-70yds they moved back up to 40 and had -2\" groups which improved the more they shot the longer distances. shooting long distance shows your form and shooting issues.

but I do agree that getting in close is way better than trying long shots.
 
\"JJ OVERKILL\" said:
\"Still Hunter\" said:
Instead of practicing longer shots. You could work on the skills to get closer. ;)
Click to expand...

practicing long shots make a 30-40yrd shot feel like a 20yrd shot. ive seen this in my wife and son. there 40yrd groups where averaging 6\" once they stated to shoot out to 60-70yds they moved back up to 40 and had -2\" groups which improved the more they shot the longer distances. shooting long distance shows your form and shooting issues.

but I do agree that getting in close is way better than trying long shots.
Click to expand...

100 percent correct.

at my bowrange, i always start off at the 80 target. it makes 60 seem like a chip shot.

beside being fun as hell, the long shots really illuminate problems in form and gear. i love it.

but i also agree that the close shot really is the cat\'s meow. i have a few friends that are shooting fools. GREAT shooters. they talk about their long shots with pride. cool..i get it.

but the shots that impress me are..\"yea, i shot it at 15 yards\"..that is truly the more impressive shot, IMHO.
 
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