82 yards with a Bow?

wiley_p

wiley_p

Climbing Up
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Messages
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Location
West Coast
I read an article in the back of the Northwest Sportsman, which sadly is not even close to the quality of Fishing and Hunting News which it replaced. Anyway, the article talked about how this pair of hunters had ranged an Elk at 82 yards and took the shot. They claimed they practiced at this range all the time. They missed the shot went low under the animal.

I have only been bowhunting for 4 years now. Gone 3 for 4, passed up on several shots because I feel that a near perfect shot is mandated due to the fact that the animal has to bleed to death, and an arrow comes no where near to transmitting as much energy as a well placed rifle round.

I think these guys are idiots, and the magazine was out of their minds publishing the story. So... what do you fellas with a lot more experience say? I wont take a shot past 40 yards, My Deer have all been inside of 25.
 
Not knowing the bowhunting thing well, it does seem odd that they would publish/glorify a article on taking a shot like that. They should be promoting taking shots which guarantee a humane kill, instead of as it would seem encouraging people to see how far out they can go. I don't see the purpose in that.
 
I wouldnt say I have anymore experience than you, but totally agree with you. I wont take a shot unless it is perfect. Id consider a 40 yard shot only if conditions were PERFECT for it. Id prefer 20-25 yards.
82 yards is asinine! You'd be more likely to injure and NOT kill at that range, and with a bow, you are a complete dumbass to release an arrow at something when there is only a small chance of even coming close to hitting it.

I also think a publication that would promote such a thing is no publication Id care to read. I actually consider writing the editor and asking them WTF are they thinking publishing such drivel.
 
I would not consider taking a shot beyond 50 yards, and that would be stretching it. 80 is ludicrous.
 
I'm considering taking up bow hunting, as getting a rifle license would be nearly impossible for me...seven year wait once a shotgun permit has been issued, and not wanting to study so that the written tests wouldn't be beyond my language capability. If you don't mind a lame question, what is the procedure for getting so close to a deer that a bow shot is humane? My experience with them is that they are very skitterish and it's hard to get close. Boars all over the place here as well.
 
You have to be smarter than the deer. The key is scent. They will smell you long before you ever see them unless you use the wind to your favor.
 
Deer around here are everywhere. So much so that they're not hard at all to hunt. While horseback riding I routinely startle them at very close counters, and probably about once a week I'll see one on the road and I only live minutes out of town.
 
It always amazes me how scarce they become when you have a weapon with you. Next close encounter you have consider the wind direction, had they gotten a whiff of you, you didnt startle them, I guarantee.
Do you hunt Justin? I think you'd find they are not as easy to hunt as you think even in heavily populated areas,especially with a bow.
 
I haven't hunted since I was a kid/youth. They are so numerous here that they're having open doe season this year. If I hunted and just wanted meat I know numerous people/places where I could drive to sit on my tailgate and take my pick of bucks. I do hear what you're saying about the big boys staying scarce, it's almost like they know when the season opens. Around here it's about who ya know, if you have permission for the good spots there's no real sport/challenge to it.
 
wiley_p said:
It seems insane to me.
Click to expand...

It is. Not that you can see much past 50 yards around here, anyways; 15-20 yards are common shot ranges. i wouldn't roll the dice ona shitty shot at near a hundred with a bow.

They're idiots.
 
82 yards is quite irresponsible. I am also surprised a magazine would publish an article like that in a positive light. I was considered an above average shot when I shot regularly. 6 arrow groups the size of a 50 cent piece at 20 to thirty yards. I don't hunt but I would not take a shot past 45 yards.
 
I practice at 40 - 45 yards, but don't like shooting past 30. I have a video of a guy who shoots instinctive, (no sights, no release), and on the video he shoots about 70 yards and connects on a mule deer. It shows him shooting a couple on the run. I'm not about to try a running shot....with a bow.
 
I never shoot more than 20 yds. while hunting. Must of the time I'm in thick woods and can't really see all that far anyway. Shooting 82 yds. is retarded and that magazine needs to more responsible about what they publish so that more slob hunters don't get the idea of trying such nonsense. Ethical hunting seems to be a thing of the past.
 
One of my buds here at work bow hunts. He said that this year they stumbled upon 2 "hunters" that were lobbing arrows at 4 cow elk at almost 100 yards. My buddy's dad walked right up to them and asked them what the hell they were doing. They said they were just trying to hit one so they could track it, and then hopefully kill it. The guy then asked my buddy's pop why he was asking... because its the way everybody he knew "bowhunted" for elk.

What a farce... sucks that there are dipshits in the woods with that mentality.

Gary
 
Taking an 82 yard shot with a bow isn't crazy.

Taking a shot at a range beyond your level of proficiency is. If they practice at that range, there is little viable reason they should have missed the target completely. I'd agree with writing a letter to the editor, if you are interested.

Tangentially, I hate hunting/shooting for accuracy with someone else's gun that I have not had time with, and thus I'll rarely take the shot.
 
I practice out to 60 yards helps my short range accuracy. I would take a 50 yard shot in ideal situation
 
Obviously a different target, but olympic archery competition is at about 76 yards....70 meters. Apparently some folks have good accuracy at that distance, so would another six yards make much difference for a top notch shooter?
 
I would imagine the biggest factors at that distance are an accurate range and reading the wind.

I have taken a few deer with 40-45 yard pistol (Glock) shots in "my day." 80 yards is irresponsible for those hunters, but for others it would comfortably be in their skill set.
 
woodworkingboy said:
Obviously a different target, but olympic archery competition is at about 76 yards....70 meters. Apparently some folks have good accuracy at that distance, so would another six yards make much difference for a top notch shooter?
Click to expand...

The difference is that one target is a fixed, inanimate target, and the other is a live target that may or may not move between the time of release and the time the arrow arrives.
 
Would it be true that at a greater distance the game would be less likely to duck the shot/react to the sound?
 
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