How Many Pins and Max Hunting Shot Distance

[greybark]

This year while Elk hunting I encountered several bowhunters with sight pins out to 80 yds . Each of them indicated they were good enough and would take a hunting shot at that distance .
Do you agree and what is your maximun distance ?

REMEMBER -- Keep Your Fingertab On --

[Rainwater]

Boy your really gonna open up the can of worms here Gbark. No pins on my recurve but when I shot wheels 40 yards was a maximum. I understand the new bows are really fast but does speed relate to penetration or does weight relate to penetration. I just hope the guys with the 80 yard pins aren't the same guys shooting Lazeroni rifles at deer at 6 and 700 yards. They really never became bowhunters did they!

[NEEHAMA]

80 yards! i can barley shoot my rifle that far. let alone the hole robin hood thing. i think the rule for big game is no more than 40? is this not right?

[4blade]

20,30, 40, anything after that for 3d only ,i,m sure those guys are great out to eighty but what if the animal moves ,ethically too risky a shot ,too much of a margin for error for me .

[5/10/85]

I would have no doubt that with a range finder, low to no wind, the reality that the animal is not aware of your presence, being a very, very good shot (as well as having a clean shot), with a 70+ lb bow and NO buck fever, an 80+ yard shot would be quite possible (and even a good shot). That being said, those are a LOT of things that need to go exactly right. My general rule is anything over 40+ yards is a no-no, but then again, I don't carry a range finder and most of the spots I hunt a 40+ yard shot is unlikely to present itself anyhow.

I guess if you've been hunting an area for a long time and never got a shot at a big bull at less than 80 yards, you might figure out how to get all these things right and bring yourself home a real big trophy. I just hope that these guys weren't trying to shoot their first animal with a bow at 80 yards.

[Ddog]

i have been bowhunting for quite a number of years now and i have taken close to 50 big game animals down, i have never taken a shot over 30 yards, however, i have 25, 35, and 45 yard pins on my bow and i will take the longer shot at an animal if all condintions are perfect and to date there has always been one condition not right for the big trophy animal.
after reading many books and seeing lots of pics of huge animals taken down by the bow i think that alot of people are looking for the longer shots. I have a book with at least 10 world class animals shot by bowhunters and not 1 of those animals has been less than 55 yards, the farthest animal being 85 yards. I do practice the far shots but thats just to improve my aim at the closer shots. so that being said my farthest shot that i would take is 40 yards, if i get a draw on an animal at that distance or closer i smile from ear to ear knowing it will be coming home with me.
(maybe..lol)
ddog

[p&p]

do 60 max and try to get it down to 30 / 40

[Bow Walker]

I agree with Ddog - I regularly practice out to 50 + yds but I don't think that I am comfortable shooting beyond 40 yds.

That being said, If (and that's a huge IF) all conditions were absolutely right, I would be sorely tempted to send a shaft on its way to 55 yds.

Those conditions would include negligible or no wind, animal feeding contentedly and totally oblivious, flat field shot, and plenty of time to draw and set up the shot. Almost impossible to all come together, but I keep hoping.

[dave_fras]

ill shoot up to 60 yards..... i shoot all year long tho.... gophers all summer long.... rabbits.... grouse.... yotes in the winter....i dont believe in a 80 yard shot tho.... too muhc can go wrong

[bsa30-06]

My pins are set at 20,30,40 yards and prefer to shoot under 30 yards.I'm still practicing at 40 i can do it but my comfort zone would be out to 30 yards.I'm sure there will be alot of guys on this site that can shoot outside of 40 yards and probably very accuratley but i'm a beginner and will stay in my comfort zone till i'm ready to take the next step.