Contributors to this thread:
If at full draw and within your imposed range. 15 yards for me.
He’s also at a slight angle so slightly off to his right side.
in the crease behind the shoulder. Just old school I guess.
in the crease behind the shoulder. Just old school I guess.
I'm thinking about here, if he's standing still
Frontal just like Altitude’s.
Frontal just like Altitude’s.
The frontal just like Altitude’s, the side shot a little lower
On the broadside shot, if you are shooting an old Mathews, ya may want to stop him first otherwise it’ll turn into a gut shot :)
What's old?
Asking for a friend
Not much room for error, even within the circle. You better be good!
Not much room for error, even within the circle. You better be good!
A nice big margin of error.
A nice big margin of error.
Bone blocking the vitals within the circle is never good.
Bone blocking the vitals within the circle is never good.
Since we don’t always hit where we want, every aiming spot should have a margin of error, a circle around your spot. Hit the outside edge of these circles and you are in trouble.
On the frontal the bull’s head is a little too low for me. The neck muscle will alter your shot if you’re the least bit high. Wait for him to raise his head or get level then shoot for the base of the dark mane a couple inches above the sternum. Under 20, calm and collected, and good energy and it’s a dead bull.
Mike, I like your circles outside of the spot, shows the margin of error for sure. After last year’s bull I shot head on, 25 yds and under, I’d take that shot again for sure.
IMO, the margin of error circles don’t accurately represent the actual. For starters, they shouldn’t be circles. On that broadside shot you have several more inches back and up from the where the circle is. And hit that bull on the frontal and he falls within site. Incredible shot.
I agree with Curt. I'd be waiting for that bull to raise his head or to turn broadside.
That frontal circle might squeak in but likely brisket IMO.
For a frontal you basically want to be center of mass. On that pic, being above the bull you'd need to shoot through his bottom lip.
Why is the bull blue on his side?
I’m with those who don’t like the elevation.
AZBUGLER, why would the margin of error for your shot not generally be a circle? I’m saying that if you are aiming at a specific spot you could be high, low, left or right in a circle around your intended point of impact. For some hunters at 15 yds it could be a one inch circle, for others it might a one foot circle. Aiming close to a wounding spot like solid bone on an elk is not smart. Go for the greatest margin of error and for many, if not most bowhunters, the margin of error for a frontal shot is unethical, maybe it isn’t for you? And many bowhunters are not even aiming on the correct spot in an adrenaline fueled hunting situation making the chance for a wound even greater.
Yeah, I don’t get the margin of error not being a circle either. Unless of course your regular misses are high left by 8”, low right by 2”, high right by 12”…. Well you get my point….
Although I like hitting 3” above the elbow and taking out both lungs and the major arteries at the top of the I do like giving myself a margin of error by aiming a little higher and further back. Aiming tight cost me an AZ bison in 2016 so I’m over that.
I think you guys are mixing up kill zone and margin of error. Margin of error is most definitely a circle. Kill zone is not a circle.
What Greg said… but as a rule… especially when you don’t or can’t measure the range, most folks with a decent aiming system are going to have a “margin of error zone” which is taller and narrower, rather than a circle.
And a fair number of decent “instinctive” shooters (within their preferred distances) have a “margin of error zone” that’s a bit wider than it is tall, which actually works out pretty OK on a broadside shot.
YMMV
Very true GF! Most of us bowhunters have a tendency to miss in a high/low or left/right fashion. I have a tendency to make all the shooting mistakes possible and miss in a equal sized circle!
Yes Greg Simon you are correct. What I meant to say is the kill zone is not a perfect circle most of the time. If you take an off shaped oblong target like the lungs, it’s difficult to place a circle on it statin that this circle is your margin for error necessarily. I get the point and think we’re just splitting hairs :-). There will always be those who will never feel comfortable with the frontal shot. But…. It is greatly exaggerated how small of a target that is. And the shape of the that target is closer to the shape of a football. Actually a very similar size too.