Bowsite.com

1) What is the longest shot you have taken (hit or miss)?

2) What is the longest shot you have made (kill)?

3) What is your average shot distance?

I suspect there will be some differences between the East vs. West bowhunters, but maybe not.

I'll go first:

1) 27 yards

2) 27 yards

3) 16 yards

1) 35 yds. 2) 35 yds. 3) 17 yds.

2) 45 yards the one time

3) 22 yards

midwest

2) 31 yards

3) 22 yards

Midwest

I have tried yo move stands to get deer out to the 20 to 30 yard shot instead of inside 20.

35 yds

25 yds

20(-) yds

The one at 35 was recovered at a later date, but not by me.

Midwest

25

12

On one of the old Deer Hunter video games I had the arrowcam option turned on. I kept flinging arrows in the woods until I saw a deer, then kept adjusting the windage and trajectory until I hit one. They don't spook from the bow going off at that distance either.

I'm much more proud of my closest kill at 4 yards on the ground.

I agree with Brotsky on the close shots being more exciting. In 08 I shot a doe at 5 yards on the ground standing behind a tree. A week later I shot a buck at 3 yards standing on the ground behind a tree.

I'm with Brotsky, 4 yards, or a hair less, on the ground is my favorite.

I like it when I say "I put my pin on him"...and I nearly did just that. :-)

Now I hunt in HEAVY brush usually and oak stands when possible.

The Rock

Same shot.

Low 20s

Closest - 10

I hope you don't mind me using that :)

Longest kill shot is probably about 25 to 30.

Average is probably around 15. I Dont range or try long shots any more so hard to say. When I set up stands I try to find a shooting lane to 30 yards each direction, and call it good. Not shooting any farther any way. Lots of them might only have half of that.

If I can't get within 30 yards they are safe. I've come to the conclusion I'm not Randy Ulmer.

This is in Iowa. If I was out west I'd have to work hard at extending my effective range.

maybe 25 yards - maybe

2) What is the longest shot you have made (kill)?

same

3) What is your average shot distance?

15 yards I imagine, maybe 17?

But I hunted with a recurve & longbow for several years, it teaches you to set stands better, hunt closer .... so that's not pure compound stats

31

12

Kentucky

2.) 40

3.) 17-22

~50

~15 (from ground and tree)

GR, Heads Up Decoy

2) 28 yards

3) 9 yards

HIRPD?

I have only shot past 40 yard on deer 3 times in 25+ years.

Average compound is 25-28 yards

Average traditional before I switched was 15-20

I prefer the extra distance to help with scent during wind lulls,bow/clothing noise on drawing,skylighting,shot angle and string jump.

Right on man. I like your thinking. I try with a compound to set up a little further out.

I think the average deer kill with a compound bow in the latest study was 18-22 yards. Those deer are awful quick and twitchy if they hear noise up close that's for sure. I have seen more deer twitch or almost jump my string in 3 years since switching to a compound than I did in any 10 year period when I used a recurve. Compounds are loud IMO compared to my revurve.

I have filmed hunts where the arrow did its job but in slow mo you see the deer move while arrow was in flight and the arrow did not hit exactly where the shooter was aiming. It seems at that 25 to 30 range it is not as noticeable.. Once I saw that many times with compounds I made a mental note and made sure I set up just a bit further out when I made the switch.

;o)

My average shot is probably 14 yards if I added them all up, seems even a 20 yard shot is mostly uncommon for me anymore.

So I will say -

40 / 40 / 14 is my final answer...

TBM - it's posts like these that make me wonder what is really going on between your ears. I root for ya, for the most part, but man - you make it damn tough sometimes...

"I know hunters who have swarn off 25 to 35 yard shots but don't hesitate to take a 50 to 70 yard shot. Some claim never to have missed from 50 to 70 and can't remember ever taking one at mid range."

I call BUNK on that. Who? Name names of anyone you know that anyone else here knows that swears off 25-35 yard shots! In fact it can be someone you know that knows someone here even. Just one example rather than more than one like you claim. lmao....

I know a few guys who would take a 50 or maybe even a 60 yarder and if I tried really hard I might even be able to find someone dumb enough to fling an arrow out to 70 yard on a "Whitetail deer" but I know of no one who swears off a 25-35 yard shots! Think about what you are saying and realize how ridiculously preposterous it is! It overtakes the BS meter.

Any hunter who says they cant remember a mid range shot lives in la la land and is an imaginary friend of yours! I know 100's of hunters and have never even had one even hint at the bunk you are slinging here. Not even the guys who are bored hunters say that.

Glad to see you won the distance contest though with only one pin shooting instinctive out to 70. You the man! You should remove your pin since you don't need it. lol

lmao ;o)

Bowhunters from out west will probably have a longer average distance. However, the average is probably still less than 50-70 yards.

That's just mean man.

Medicineman,

Defiantly in the minority for sure.

I think even the new bow hunters who might see this thread would know better and the experienced defiantly know better. Can you imagine a new bow hunter reading that and then trying to apply it. lol.

It could have been in jest just as my reply could have but with TBM you never know what to expect and whether he is playing or serious. Not sure if he even knows whether he is or not half the time because most times from what I read he doesn't let you know he is messing about.

70 yards instinctive defiantly is teasing but not so sure about the other post.

Cool. Thanks man

I don't think it is an energy issue as much as an accuracy issue. You get past 50-55 yards and a lot can happen in the time it takes the arrow to get there. This is especially true out of a slow bow. My unethical 60 yard doe kill with a slow bow is a prime example of those outside forces that can impact a long shot. Luckily I recovered the deer. Biggest blood trail I ever had and she didn't go far though she did go in several circles from the blind death staggers. I accidentally hit her in the neck because she darn near got out of the way of the arrow. A split second quicker and she would have.

Good one.

9 yards= kill 15 yards = kill

23 yrds= no kill not even close deer was gone before arrow arrived.

32 yards = kill once in a lifetime shot Here in the East I hund hardwoods almost impossible to get an open shot over 20 yards.

2. 41 yards

3. 12.8 yd average after 75 total kills.

**** 10 deer killed at less than 5 yards****