What are your scope yardage settings?

[ninepointer]

Picking up from a vertical bow post I saw on another forum; what yardages do folks here set their crosshairs & chevrons at?

I've always set mine for 20, 30, 40, but I know some people say there is less worry in just setting their crosshairs for 25 yards. What do you like?

[deerhunter0430]

i set mine at 20,30,40 ect. but a few of my buddy set at 25 and on...

[j.krug]

I have mine set the same as yours 20, 30, 40. Works good for me.

[wabi]

I use a single reticule scope (Leupold 2-7) and zero at 25 yards.

I can use the top & bottom "posts" of the duplex reticule as aiming points for 15 & 35 yards by adjusting the magnification (about 2.5x for my Phoenix), but for most hunting shots I simply limit my shot distance to 30 yards and use a "center of the kill zone" hold. The arrow will be +/- 3" (actually a max of only about 2" high up close) out to 30 yards, and in the excitement of an actual hunting situation the K.I.S.S. (keep it simple) methods work best for me.
I have missed deer in the past by using the wrong yardage mark.
Since I switched to the single reticule and limit shots to 30 yards I've kept blood trails short and the success ratio at 100%.

[MarkMarine]

I basically use Wabi's approach (except I use open sights). While I think the scoped yardage indicators are an ingenious invention and serve well in an open setting where you have the luxury of time on target before squeezing off the bolt. However, I find that to toy with more variables in a limited field of view for an often very limited time risks shot and/or shot placement. Sometimes milliseconds make all the difference in the world.

"Kentucky Windage" is the simplest thing: Knowing the ballistics of your projectile and adjusting your aim accordingly. I use the green dot on the front sight as my only fixed reference; as the black plastic post above and below are too hard to distinguish in low light to depend on. I am sighted in at 25 yards. I know the impact elevation for a closer shot. I know the declination for a more distant shot...but so long as I am under 35 yards, it does not really play into the equation.

[ninepointer]

Thanks for the responses so far. The reason I ask is because this will be Queenbee's first season and I'm thinking that a single 25 yard dial-in on her Vixen II will cover all her needs and reduce the margin for error. Heck, I just must might set mine the same way!

[TPM]

I use the standard 20, 30, 40 set-up as my bow gets used for 3D as much as hunting and in 3D "close" doesn't count. I've done enough shooting like this that now that it really is instictive. I have no worries about choosing the wrong chevron in the field.
Wabi, I understand your set-up for a hunting bow and it does make a lot of sense. I like the idea of simple and uncluttered but it is difficult to find a rifle scope (other than rimfire scopes) that have parallax settings for less than 50 yards. Most fixed ones are set at 100 yards +.

[MarkMarine]

TPM, I understand your parallax concerns. Of course, companies like Burris and Leupold will adjust the scopes for the 50 yard parallax if you return them to them. I am uncertain if all charge a small fee or not. It seems some did in the amount of 10 or 20 dollars a few years back.

[Vormax]

I use the standard 20, 30, 40 set-up as my bow gets used for 3D as much as hunting and in 3D "close" doesn't count. I've done enough shooting like this that now that it really is instictive. I have no worries about choosing the wrong chevron in the field.
Wabi, I understand your set-up for a hunting bow and it does make a lot of sense. I like the idea of simple and uncluttered but it is difficult to find a rifle scope (other than rimfire scopes) that have parallax settings for less than 50 yards. Most fixed ones are set at 100 yards +.

How about air rifle scopes ?
Put a fixed recoil proof RWS 4x32 air rifle scope on instead of factory sights. Do not know what the parallax is, but would suspect less than 50 yards. Shot same hole 6 times in a row at 25 yards with same arrow. Was happy and put the setup away for October. Scope was/is on sale for 24.99. KISS for hunting.

.

[wabi]

Wabi, I understand your set-up for a hunting bow and it does make a lot of sense. I like the idea of simple and uncluttered but it is difficult to find a rifle scope (other than rimfire scopes) that have parallax settings for less than 50 yards. Most fixed ones are set at 100 yards +.

TPM - I actually have a shotgun scope I bought from Danny Miller on it. The parallax is set for less distance than a rifle scope (75 yards I believe), and at 25 yards it amounted to less than 1" of parallax when I checked it. Not enough to worry about, or bothering to send it to Leupold to have it adjusted IMO.

[vixenmaster]

I have a Bushnell Elite 1.5x6x42, #4 German recticle & i have it on at 20 & 30 yds