# Your Effective Range?



## UltimateOutdoorsman

At what distance would you be confident taking a deer? I know a lot of guys (me included) practice a lot further out than they'd actually take a shot on a live animal. 

For me, I'm 100% confident out to 30 yards. How about you?


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## football12

Crossbow, 40 yards with confidence. I have shot it at 60 yards with a tight, tight group. To me the loss of Kinetic energy beyond 40 yards makes this a bad idea. I have no doubt People have and will take longer shots with a crossbow.

Medium Velocity; 275 - 325 feet per second arrow speed crossbows.
30 Yards - Maximum Point Blank Hunting Range.
37 Yards - Maximum Effective Hunting Range.
Arrow flight time till impact at 37 yards, approximately 4/10 of a second.

http://www.crossbowmen.com/index.htm.energy.html


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## UltimateOutdoorsman

football12 said:


> Crossbow, 40 yards with confidence.


Good point. Please designate what you're shooting! I'm a compound guy.


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## Sam22

agreed football. I am accurate with my crossbow out to 80-90 yards, but the noise it makes prohibit a shot at that distance on a deer. I have a fast one, so I will push it a little past 40 yards, almost 50 in the right conditions.


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## cr85rider953

I will not take a shot further than 30 yards with my compound bow. 20 yards is the ideal for me but I can shoot 30 yards accurately.


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## dman11

I hunt with a compound, I'm confident taking a shot at 30yds give or take 1 or 2yds, 40yds if I have my crossbow, crossbows are so much easier to shoot, but I prefer compound.


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## Mightymouse

I shoot a compound and am confident in my ability to put one in the boiler room out to 40yds.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## varminthunter

compound 35 yards. i chose 40 on the poll.


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## Joe Archer

I shoot a compound and selected 20 yards because I have never taken a deer over that range. However, I am confident out to 25 yards, but that wasn't a choice. 
In the back yard I can stack broadhead arrows in a 4 inch circle from 50 yards. I'd have no reservations of a 50 yard shot at an elk or caribou. Deer just react to fast for me to feel comfortable shooting much over 25 yards. 
I may not have killed everything that I have shot at in my life, but I can tell you for sure that I have never, and will never ask - "should I have taken that shot". 
<----<<<


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## 454casull

50 yards but EVERYTHING has to be right and that is my call that I have to live with. I practice at these distances and my equipment is tuned to the 9's. I prefer 30 and under but let the situation dictate. As Eastern/Woods bowhunters the guys out West would have a good chuckle at this discussion. Their 40 yard shots are our 20's! Let's see how close we get when you have nothing in front of you to hide behind but a tumble weed!


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## protectionisamust

I shoot a regular bow (mathews switchback) and feel comfortable shooting out to 40 yards but in 21 years - have only shot I would say 2 deer around 30 - 35 yards. The rest have been within 5-25 yards.

Voted 30 yards


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## FishKilla419

I've shot one deer at 40. I practice out to 80 yards. Their is just too much going on in the treestand for me to feel comfortable shooting farther than that. Most my spots are setup for 25 or less. Most my killz are made under 20 yards. The 40 yard shot was on a stalk on the ground.


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## Kelly Johnson

I didn't vote.

Initial shot? 30-35 depending on conditions.

2nd shot or follow up on a wounded animal is another story.

I made a 68yard follow up once and hit what I aimed at.

My sight only goes to 75 yards before my arrow hits the scope though:lol:


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## FireFox23

I put 30 yards, but the farthest I would take a shot in the field is 30-35 comfortably. But so far I've never taken a deer past 20. I use a compound. 

I couldn't agree more with Joe Archer's statement of never wanting to ask "Should I have taken that shot". I just put a little spin on it and say that I never want to say "I shouldn't have taken that shot".


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## B1g daddy of 3

I hunt from the ground on a bucket. My size has kept me out of trees, thats something I have been working on. My max deer range is 40 yards. I need to be able to shoot a little farther. I have yet to shoot a deer under 25 yards.


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## trs

454casull said:


> 50 yards but EVERYTHING has to be right and that is my call that I have to live with. I practice at these distances and my equipment is tuned to the 9's. I prefer 30 and under but let the situation dictate. As Eastern/Woods bowhunters the guys out West would have a good chuckle at this discussion. Their 40 yard shots are our 20's! Let's see how close we get when you have nothing in front of you to hide behind but a tumble weed!


You have that right! Rarely do you see a hunter out here with a pin set below 40 yds. I never practiced beyond 40 yds until I moved out west and now it's my warm up distance. I'm comfortable with my accuracy to 65 yds but I would not take anything over 50 with my current setup. 

I will tell you that I'm looking forward to sitting in a treestand in the UP ready to take a 20 yd shot in a couple of weeks.


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## dewy6068

I am comfortable taking a shot out to 40-45 yds if everything is right! When I say everything I mean that! If I am not 100% confident that I can make the shot under the current conditions I do not shoot! However, my longest shot to date is 35 yds and the vast majority of my kills are 25 yds or less. 


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## dewy6068

dewy6068 said:


> I am comfortable taking a shot out to 40-45 yds if everything is right! When I say everything I mean that! If I am not 100% confident that I can make the shot under the current conditions I do not shoot! However, my longest shot to date is 35 yds and the vast majority of my kills are 25 yds or less.
> 
> I shoot a compound...Mathews Switchback XT
> 
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## Mr hardwater

I have 20,30,40,50 and 60 yrd pins, I practice EVERY DAY with all of them. I would not hesitate at 40.


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## TreeJ

I got my first and only deer so far at about 35 yards. I wouldn't want to go any farther. That was with a compound also.

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## cornfed

I agree with the "everything must be perfect" statement. I know that I can shoot out to 50 and 60 yards. I shoot an old Mathews Fethermax set at 72 lbs. I much prefer a shot at 20-25 and try to set up for that. My longest shot was 43 yards and shortest was about 10 feet. Like it was said, there is to much going on in the woods. I see the argument some will make for a crossbow. I shot a friends a couple of days ago for the first time ever. Within 3 arrows I had no problem getting 5 into an apple size group out to 60 and 70 yards every time. But the energy lost past 40 is just like a compound. There is to much lost. Now if you are of the old school train of thought and you shoot logs at slower speeds to get that energy....can you say "I shouldn't take that shot?"
Up to you. Must be perfect past 40 or NO SHOT!


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## swampbuck

I group at 70 with my x-bow. On a live animal 30 or less ideally, But 40 is the max, if the deer is completely relaxed.

The factor I am most concerned with is the deer jumping or ducking the string causing a bad hit. That is the #1 limiting factor


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## BigD78

I chose 20 because I want the least amount of distance for stuff to go wrong just because we have all that that what just happened moment. I have shot deer at 40 yards with both my crossbow and vertical bow but as stated before its gotta be near perfect conditions. Most of my bow kills have been under 15 yards though.


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## sbooy42

30 yards anytime

If things are perfect and it feels good..40-50 ..has yet to happen


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## Joe Archer

Does anyone know of any studies that look at kinetic energy vs distance for varying projectile weights? That is a concern I would have with crossbows or compounds shooting light arrows with expandable heads at long distances.
<----<<<


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## brushbuster

I sure do like them 20 yard shots. It seems more things can go wrong out past that. I have taken a few deer up to 35 yards, but i sure do like those 20 yard and under shots for my compound. When im shooting trad gear nothing past 20 yards.


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## Steve

20 yards or less for me. I use fixed blade heads. My bow is tuned and they hit the same place as field points, but over 20 yards, all bets are off.

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## 454casull

Joe Archer said:


> Does anyone know of any studies that look at kinetic energy vs distance for varying projectile weights? That is a concern I would have with crossbows or compounds shooting light arrows with expandable heads at long distances.
> <----<<<


Real easy to do if you don't mind ventilating a chronograph. I'm sure it's been done but even at 50 yards you would still have more KE than the traditional bows have at the "muzzle". With crossbows its the shorter push that can cause the downrange decay of speed to accelerate. Bottom line with this entire poll is what YOU the individual is comfortable with. I must applaud everyone who replied and kept it civil and didn't try to force "their" comfort range on everyone else, then again this isn't AT! lol!!!!


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## KalamazooKid

Ability to hit a 6" pie plate: 60 yards

Maximum comfortable range on a deer: 30 yards


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## Kelly Johnson

Joe Archer said:


> Does anyone know of any studies that look at kinetic energy vs distance for varying projectile weights? That is a concern I would have with crossbows or compounds shooting light arrows with expandable heads at long distances.
> <----<<<


There are a couple of archery programs that calculate the drop, KE, momentum etc at any distance you wan to input.

TAP (The archery program) as well as OT2 (On Target 2) will both do it.

Don't have them loaded anymore or I could tell you exactly with given info.


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## itchn2fish

Voted 20 yards. Most kills about 10 yards.


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## swampbuck

Joe Archer said:


> Does anyone know of any studies that look at kinetic energy vs distance for varying projectile weights? That is a concern I would have with crossbows or compounds shooting light arrows with expandable heads at long distances.
> <----<<<


Most crossbows dont shoot light arrows well because of the violent launch due to the short stroke. My 175lb X-bow recommends a minimum total weight of 425 gr. I shoot aluminum 2219's with 125gr muzzys. Rated 350fps.


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## 1fife

my bow-30

crossbow-40

still havent shot a deer with my crossbow

longest i have shot a deer with my bow-20


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## bbutler

40 yards bow. 60 with my Horton Fury. The fury is splitting arrows off a bipod at 60 yds.


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## football12

Just an FYI if you have an absolute screamer FPS! *Arrow Velocity - 400 Feet Per Second. average drop*
Range, 5 Yards = .50 Inches High.
Range, 10 Yards = Zero.
Range, 15 Yards = .90 Inch Arrow Drop.
Range, 20 Yards = 2.20 Inch Arrow Drop.
Range, 25 Yards = 4.10 Inch Arrow Drop.
Range, 30 Yards = 6.50 Inch Arrow Drop.
Range, 35 Yards = 9.50 Inch Arrow Drop.
Range, 40 Yards = 13.00 Inch Arrow Drop.
Range, 45 Yards = 17.10 Inch Arrow Drop.
Range, 50 Yards = 22.00 Inch Arrow Drop.


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## outfishin_

Most of my kills are at 12-15 yds....My longest was at 33 yds. Compound bow. I feel confident out to 35 yds.


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## fishineveryminuteofit

30. my max shot to date was 27yds paced. I keep it under the 30yd mark.


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## 454casull

football12 said:


> Just an FYI if you have an absolute screamer FPS! *Arrow Velocity - 400 Feet Per Second. average drop*
> Range, 5 Yards = .50 Inches High.
> Range, 10 Yards = Zero.
> Range, 15 Yards = .90 Inch Arrow Drop.
> Range, 20 Yards = 2.20 Inch Arrow Drop.
> Range, 25 Yards = 4.10 Inch Arrow Drop.
> Range, 30 Yards = 6.50 Inch Arrow Drop.
> Range, 35 Yards = 9.50 Inch Arrow Drop.
> Range, 40 Yards = 13.00 Inch Arrow Drop.
> Range, 45 Yards = 17.10 Inch Arrow Drop.
> Range, 50 Yards = 22.00 Inch Arrow Drop.


Gives a little perspective but that's all. Based upon this they using the 10 yard pin for every yardage...pretty much what could be expected. Has zero to do with your effective range. The best that you could figure out here is that your 10 yard pin would allow you to maybe hold center mass on a large bodied deer at 30 yards and still kill it cleanly.


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## RippinLipp

90% of my kills are 20 or less.. I am very confident out to 40 but I wont go no more than 30.. On thing to remember is that the average bow kill is 18yards or less..

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## riverdawg54

My vote was 60 yards but I will shoot out to 70 yards with a bow on feeding deer and 80 yards on feeding deer with my crossbow.

I have pins all the way out to 80 yards on my bow site and I have an 80 yard hash mark in the cross bow scope.


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