How far is too far?

[Flecha]

Get yourself a light folding 'camping seat' (look for Crazy Creek) too. Super comfortable, provides back support, and easy to tote. Somewhere years ago I found one in camo.

[SEW]

I believe an ethical shot is one that can be made with a high degree of confidence that a clean kill can be made. There are too many variables to come up with exact ranges.

[agingcrossbower]

For me after 40 yards your going to have to judge whether the deer is going to move or wait for your arrow to get there. I won't take that chance. Did when I was younger but not anymore. IMHO>

[vixenmaster]

When its all said/shot n done you have to think & ponder over it. Many many on here wouldn't think of shootin a tick toter past 30 yds, some 40 yds others 50 yds n those whom are confident in their equipment n skill. Personally don't let things in my mind to distract me while i practice out to 75 yds. I may or maynot shoot a deer or a hog or Pronghorn or what ever game i am after at that range. If'en i do then its all goin to be jus right or the arrow don't leave my crossbow. I have 120 days to hunt so i let many walk by as i don't like the shot that was presented. I mostly meat hunt any deer thats got a big rack is a bonus but i ain't shootin/killin anything i don't like the shot given to me thats not in my favor!

[paulaboutform]

I believe an ethical shot is one that can be made with a high degree of confidence that a clean kill can be made. There are too many variables to come up with exact ranges.

Perfectly spoken and I agree with this statement 100%! .....nothing to add...perfect!

Paul

[nchunterkw]

I believe an ethical shot is one that can be made with a high degree of confidence that a clean kill can be made. There are too many variables to come up with exact ranges.

Perfectly spoken and I agree with this statement 100%! .....nothing to add...perfect!

Paul

Yup!! Each shot is different.

[GRUNDY]

One thing I've not heard mentioned is the amount of energy your arrow has left after traveling 80 yards.

I'd say much past 40 yards and you are lacking in the energy department to have good confidence of an arrow penetrating a deer consistently.

Remember, crossbow speeds are a bit faster than Vert bows, but crossbow arrows are relatively light.

Just because you can hit a bullseye at 80 yards doesn't mean you can kill something at 80 yards. This mentality is the biggest factor in the bad opinion some have of crossbows.

Regards,

B

[halfbreed]

72 yards on a mule deer in October. Bolt passed through and when another 10 to 15 feet and stuck in the dirt. Plenty of power at long range. ...Now that being said... 1. That far on a jumpy whitetail better be under perfect conditions. 2. What is the power of what your shooting? 3. What is the weight of you bolt? Ect... but probably most important is your confidence level and that affects decision making.. i had a 10 point whitetail at 70 yards last saturday and was confident i could make the shot but was not confident bolt would arc under the one big tree limb in my shot lane.. didnt take the shot. No branch... would have sent it down range on a CALM 10 point buck. Just my experience and opinion. ...but if not confident and aware of all factors error on the side of caution.

[SEW]

One thing I've not heard mentioned is the amount of energy your arrow has left after traveling 80 yards.

I'd say much past 40 yards and you are lacking in the energy department to have good confidence of an arrow penetrating a deer consistently.

Remember, crossbow speeds are a bit faster than Vert bows, but crossbow arrows are relatively light.

Just because you can hit a bullseye at 80 yards doesn't mean you can kill something at 80 yards. This mentality is the biggest factor in the bad opinion some have of crossbows.

Regards,

B

Here's the answer to that concern. Hopefully, the energy factor can be laid to rest by reviewing the ballistics. We'll use my xbow(405) and my arrows (398g Zombies) as an example. My initial speed is 383'/sec, avg arrow speed loss per 10 yds is 3.7'/sec. Velocity lost by 100 yds is appx 37'/sec leaving 346'/sec and over 100# -lbs of energy. Less that 10% velocity loss on a worst case situation: fast arrow(higher bleed off of energy) and light arrow(same).
Trajectory is the problem, not energy.

[agingcrossbower]

Anything over 40 yards brings deer moving into play also. Targets are stationary, but deer are not. There is also a reason that a lot of bench shooters taking 100 yard shots have a wind sock by their target too. Unseen obstructions like twigs become a factor. instead of compensating for bad stand placement with buying the latest and greatest equipment why not improve the hunting skills instead of moving the goal posts. Isn't that what bowhunting is all about? I mean if you want to reach out there why not just take a gun and be done with it. That would at least be more humane to the deer.
Yes,yes and yes there are people that practice long distances all the time and can hit constantly at long distances but nobody can predict if a deer is going to take a step, lay down or roll over or if the wind is going to gust for that matter.. And, taking a close range sport and altering it by doubling the distance really is not what bowhunting is all about. Bowhunting is suppose to be hard. It must be today's world of instant gratification.
I am sorry if I stepped on some toes here but it is just not how I see bowhunting at all.

[halfbreed]

I agree with all of what you said. ...but we can argue on this touchy subject all day and get no where. SEW said it best in an earlier post. So to each is own. I just dont buy it when i all you hear is "ethical" shot distance talk cuz some people on TV and the magazines tell everyone 'this distance is ok but over that and you are horrible hunter and person' when more animals are wounded at close range cuz of nerves and poor choices. Ive been 5 yards from animals and long range and each encounter have its own unique challenges. Would love to go on a rant all day about opinions and how they are like a certain bodily opening but i'll get off the soap box now cuz i would rather get ready to go hunting. Lol.

[agingcrossbower]

I agree with all of what you said. ...but we can argue on this touchy subject all day and get no where. SEW said it best in an earlier post. So to each is own. I just dont buy it when i all you hear is "ethical" shot distance talk cuz some people on TV and the magazines tell everyone 'this distance is ok but over that and you are horrible hunter and person' when more animals are wounded at close range cuz of nerves and poor choices. Ive been 5 yards from animals and long range and each encounter have its own unique challenges. Would love to go on a rant all day about opinions and how they are like a certain bodily opening but i'll get off the soap box now cuz i would rather get ready to go hunting. Lol.

I totally agree. This is a cabin fever time topic for sure. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

[vixenmaster]

Holey Moley, this is gettin to be a long Thread Its all up to the shooter on each n every shot. Can you live wid the poor shot n hit or great shot n hit. My self have 3 Aces in the Hole in case i mess up n get a bad hit. My puggle will trail them til the Cows come Home blood or not. She gets on ones scent its recovered if'en it dies while were trailin it!

[GRUNDY]

Here's the answer to that concern. Hopefully, the energy factor can be laid to rest by reviewing the ballistics. We'll use my xbow(405) and my arrows (398g Zombies) as an example. My initial speed is 383'/sec, avg arrow speed loss per 10 yds is 3.7'/sec. Velocity lost by 100 yds is appx 37'/sec leaving 346'/sec and over 100# -lbs of energy. Less that 10% velocity loss on a worst case situation: fast arrow(higher bleed off of energy) and light arrow(same).
Trajectory is the problem, not energy.

I never ran the numbers before. Pardon my ignorance, but I stand corrected.

Vixen is probably the most "correct" when he mentions being able to live with the shot.

I guess I've had enough strange things happen even in close where I just don't like to add more variables by stretching the yardage. Its just what I can live with...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Regards,

Brian

[SEW]

Brian,
While energy loss isn't a problem normally, trajectory is a problem, even for very fast xbows. While arrow ballistic charts are helpful for calculating energy remaining(lots), they present a problem if they only measure drop from launch. What I do is to use a given range, example 60yds and see how much it's off at 50 and 70. I do this normally for every range from 20-100. At 100 yds, 2 yds ranging error is a miss. Not just a poor hit; rather, a miss. For each xbow, with its speed, the drag (BC) of the arrow(a lot of differences exist). By doing this, I believe we can see just how much range error can affect our shot at each range. It quickly becomes readily apparent how critical accurate ranging becomes as range increases. Eventually, our crossbows become mortars without an explosive charge. Mortars wouldn't exist if anti-personnel shrapnel/explosive charge weren't available. A broadhead isn't a mortar type tip.
This is why only in very exceptional cases can a stationary deer be hit where desired. Rarely is a deer predictably stationary unless it's just lowering its head to eat, or is standing staring at something or trying to be undetected(its on alert though), is asleep or dead.