How far?

Addicting

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2017
Messages
7,774
Location
SW Michigan
Dusting off the bow for a elk hunt this fall after a few years away from archery hunting. Traditionally I am a tree stand archery hunter so my comfort zone has never needed to exceed 25 yards.

When talking with the folks over at Blackgold today a question came up that I hadn’t thought about much. Spot and stalk is very different, with good equipment and practice, how far is too far? I understand this is a personal question with each persons ability and ethics. Just looking to see what average distance people feel comfortable at when hunting and what distance they feel comfortable practicing at.
 
Last edited:
I currently feel really good out to 40yds hunting and practice out to 80 regularly. Shooting out to distances really makes you focus on your form because inconsistencies are magnified. Like you said, it's different for every person.
 
confident to 40. Practice to 60....er, I hit the target at 60. Don't have a desire to shoot much further really. Rather get closer than shoot farther.
 
I shoot a lot at 60yds. Killed a bull at 63 yds. I would say you need to at least be proficient out to 40.

I didn't think you were elk hunting this year?
 
Rep at 50/60 out to around 100, but hunt at 40 or less. Practicing at longer distances helps me personally with my follow-through and trusting my bow. Minor imperfections in your shot are brought out in longer distance shooting.
 
I shoot a lot at 60yds. Killed a bull at 63 yds. I would say you need to at least be proficient out to 40.

I didn't think you were elk hunting this year?

It looks like we are not getting deployed as they tagged half of our group on a State side mission for the next 3 years. My group was not part of it, so my schedule opened up. Wife said she is going to Disney so I’m taking Cushman to Wyoming to chase some cow elk in the end of September. Should be a fun time!
 
I'm comfortable with my 50 yard pin and closer, no further for me though. I do practice out to 60 but I wouldn't say I'm comfortable.
 
I have property and a nice archery target set up that I can shoot out to 100+ yards. I usually shoot at least a dozen arrows a day at various distances, usually mixing it up through the shots. I have shot antelope at 73 and 64 yards because I know I can do it and the conditions were dead perfect. I suggest the long distance practice even if you limit yourself to 40 or whatever because you never know when you're going to get a chance at a second shot, that might be at longer distance, but it's nice to know you can make the shot. It also has a lot to do with your equipment too and how well you know it.
 
I'm very confident at 40yds. I think most people can get proficient at that distance with decent equipment and some practice. In fact I prefer shots between 30 and 40 yards because I find the animal is less likely to jump the string. My longest shot was an elk at 54 yards.
 
Spot and stalk is very different, with good equipment and practice, how far is too far? I understand this is a personal question with each persons ability and ethics.

It is a very personal question. Your max effective range should not be influenced by anyone else's. If you can't shoot well enough out to a certain distance, does it really matter how far I can shoot?

Part of practicing, for me, is to learn what my max distances are in as many scenarios as possible. I might fling arrows at ranges some consider extreme, but I do it to know whether or not I can do it with regularity. If I can't shoot X-yardage well enough in practice, I cannot expect to make it happen in the heat of the moment when I'm hunting, therefore I won't take the shot.

When my friends ask me this same question, my response is this, "Practice as far as you can shoot, but only shoot an animal as far as you can hit it with 100% confidence."
 
It is a very personal question. Your max effective range should not be influenced by anyone else's. If you can't shoot well enough out to a certain distance, does it really matter how far I can shoot?

Part of practicing, for me, is to learn what my max distances are in as many scenarios as possible. I might fling arrows at ranges some consider extreme, but I do it to know whether or not I can do it with regularity. If I can't shoot X-yardage well enough in practice, I cannot expect to make it happen in the heat of the moment when I'm hunting, therefore I won't take the shot.

When my friends ask me this same question, my response is this, "Practice as far as you can shoot, but only shoot an animal as far as you can hit it with 100% confidence."

Knowing a larger pool of people’s comfort zone does help, it helps define a base line of realistic expectations to use as a goal. Also, I am ordering a new sight and if the average is only 40 then I really only need to order a 3 pin verses if the average is 50 then I should probably get a 4 pin. So when they asked how far I wanted to shoot I didn’t really know. In my original post I said I have never had to shoot any further than 25 yards. Most of my shots were less than 10 yards from a tree stand. Which really didn’t give me those base of knowledge I needed in setting up a bow for Western spot and stalk.
 
IMO, being comfortable taking 40 yard (or longer) shots while elk hunting is important. We all want to get closer, but one must understand that getting within 40-50 yards of an elk on public land is difficult.
I've made good, clean shots on elk at: 50, 51, 34, and 62 yards. Also made clean misses on elk at: 50, 55, 42, and 45 yards. I dream of the day I shoot an elk at 20 yards or less.
I practice daily at 50 - 65 yards and always try to get lots closer to a live elk before releasing the arrow.
 
Knowing a larger pool of people’s comfort zone does help, it helps define a base line of realistic expectations to use as a goal. Also, I am ordering a new sight and if the average is only 40 then I really only need to order a 3 pin verses if the average is 50 then I should probably get a 4 pin. So when they asked how far I wanted to shoot I didn’t really know. In my original post I said I have never had to shoot any further than 25 yards. Most of my shots were less than 10 yards from a tree stand. Which really didn’t give me those base of knowledge I needed in setting up a bow for Western spot and stalk.
Or get a movable site pin and go down to one! :D Think of it as an archery CDS!
 
Most of my treestand shots are 15-25yds like you. I do shoot a lot of field archery (out to 80 yds) and marked distance 3-D out to 70yds. Most of my practice is between 40-70yds
 
There are a myriad of factors involved in longer range (over 40 yards) archery shots. Wind drift, animal movement, form flaws, clothes, bino pouches, and a host of other things can affect your accuracy. I've shot BH at 70-80 yards, and feel very comfortable with a foam target. Having had an elk jump the string on a 30 yard shot, which resulted in an unrecovered animal, my thoughts on maximum range are probably different than most.

Good luck on your hunt.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hem
Or get a movable site pin and go down to one! :D Think of it as an archery CDS!

I used to have one of these quite a while ago. I found over the years I didn’t care for it. I would forget to adjust it, or had gloves on and couldn’t loosen the lock nut. So, then I went with a G5 5 pin and found it to be too bulky and the Micro adjusts were crappy. So, now with all of the input, I am looking at replacing it with a Black gold Widow Maker in a 4 .19 pin. Seems a lot cleaner and adjusts better.
 
Coming from the northeast my first five years of bowhunting all of my kills were less than 20 yards. I sometimes practiced out to 30 as thats all my yard allowed for but was not comfortable at all and my groups were terrible. Oh well I'm dead on at 20 and that's all I need so I never practiced or thought I'd get better.

After moving to new Mexico and having the space and desire to practice further I am now regularly shooting 60-70 yards. Had a 50yrd 5" group this morning. I ended up getting a 7 pin just so I can extend my range. Also after shooting 60-70, the 40-50 yards shots will feel like layups. I rarely shoot 30 or closer anymore beside just an arrow or two or if I shoot at all different targets because of ruining fletchings and knocks.

I would reccomend this, practice practice practice with your current set up and get comfortable get a consistent grip and form, know what poundage you want to shoot and go get a new string if it's been a while and the correct arrows for your poundage, speed, tip weight setup/needs. Having properly tuned gear will help in every aspect. I have learned so much and been humbled the last few months that I realized after shooting archery for over 6 yrs I knew absolutely nothing. I now feel like I know a smidge.
 
As far as hunting goes now, I would feel comfortable at 40 and my max would be 60. No archery tag for me out west this year though. Maybe some coyotes
 
I regularly practice to 120 yards. And I know guys who have taken elk at 80yards. I try to limit myself to 60 or less but conditions always determine if I let it fly or not. If you have any reason to doubt the shot or if you can do it just respect the animal and let it walk
 

Forum statistics

Threads
110,805
Messages
1,935,069
Members
34,883
Latest member
clamwc
Back
Top