Yeah 50 yards, Umm... No!

[Fox]

You do have to consider the speed of the arrow though, or in this case bolt. I was given a ton of crap for a measured 42 yard shot on a doe a couple years back, my bolt actually ticked off a sabling right in front of the doe or deflected off a rib on entrance but took out 1 lung and the liver and was down in no time.

The bow I used was an Excalibur Exomax at 350fps, this range is about the limit for me with this speed.

The thing that you have to consider is that 30 yards has been the "limit" when people talk about bow hunting for a very long time, that "limit" was there when arrows only traveled 250-275fps. The time for the bolt to reach the deer with an older 150lb bow at 250fps is about the same as my Exomax at 350fps. 50 yards is really getting out there and they do jump but to consider a "limit" for range must be determined by the equipment and not the number as well.

[Jeff Kavanagh]

my bolt actually ticked off a sabling right in front of the doe

Respectfully I'm going to have to disagree with you here, one of the reasons being what you wrote above.
There are just so many different variables involved at taking longer shots. Keeping that range to around 30 or less just helps control that a bit more, especially for newer, more inexperienced hunters.
One of the most important factors an inexperienced hunter has to learn when bow hunting is "when to take the shot".
If I had a dollar for every time I let one walk just because the timing wasn't right. What frame of mind was the deer in at the time? Was it tense, relaxed, etc? Those factors have everything to do with being successful or not and are factors which an inexperienced hunter will not understand until they get out there.
Personally, my favorite distance is around twenty yards. I do all my hunting on the ground and I find the closer I am, the more difficult it is for me to make that big action of drawing my bow to shoot without getting busted.
I watch hunting shows and videos and watch as people "Mhea" at the deer to stop it before they shoot. I disagree with that. I'd much rather take a deer at a slow relaxed walk than, stop it and alert it like that where it goes all tense.
Also, I'm talking mostly about deer here as they have the insane ability to avoid an arrow which most other animals don't.

[JMatthews]

I agree that long shots are just too unreliable. Use a range finder and know that your deer is within 30 yards and is presenting you with a kill shot.

[Fox]

Respectfully I'm going to have to disagree with you here, one of the reasons being what you wrote above.
There are just so many different variables involved at taking longer shots. Keeping that range to around 30 or less just helps control that a bit more, especially for newer, more inexperienced hunters.
One of the most important factors an inexperienced hunter has to learn when bow hunting is "when to take the shot".
If I had a dollar for every time I let one walk just because the timing wasn't right. What frame of mind was the deer in at the time? Was it tense, relaxed, etc? Those factors have everything to do with being successful or not and are factors which an inexperienced hunter will not understand until they get out there.
Personally, my favorite distance is around twenty yards. I do all my hunting on the ground and I find the closer I am, the more difficult it is for me to make that big action of drawing my bow to shoot without getting busted.
I watch hunting shows and videos and watch as people "Mhea" at the deer to stop it before they shoot. I disagree with that. I'd much rather take a deer at a slow relaxed walk than, stop it and alert it like that where it goes all tense.
Also, I'm talking mostly about deer here as they have the insane ability to avoid an arrow which most other animals don't.

41.5 yards was open field, she stepped out of the edge of the field and I did not see the saplings within a foot or two of her, this was not something of longer range. The bolt entered just behind the front leg, as I had aimed but exited back after taking out the liver. I am assuming it clipped one of those twigs but it could have been a rib on entry.

That same situation could easily have occurred with your shot at 20 yards, there was nothing but a bean field for the first 41.5 yards or more of the shot.

She walked out to the edge and looked right at us, was not spooked, tail down, just looked at us before coming out into the field and I took a 100% ethical shot and got my deer. I will take that shot 100% of the time. With my long bow I would not take that shot, with my old crossbow (Crissbow Cheetah) I have passed up shots closer than that. Equipment does have an impact on things.

If your arrow takes 0.3 seconds to get to the target at 20 yards and at 40 yards the 40 yard shot will not allow the deer any more time to jump the string than that of the 20 yard shot.

[Jeff Kavanagh]

41.5 yards was open field, she stepped out of the edge of the field and I did not see the saplings within a foot or two of her, this was not something of longer range. The bolt entered just behind the front leg, as I had aimed but exited back after taking out the liver. I am assuming it clipped one of those twigs but it could have been a rib on entry.

That same situation could easily have occurred with your shot at 20 yards, there was nothing but a bean field for the first 41.5 yards or more of the shot.

She walked out to the edge and looked right at us, was not spooked, tail down, just looked at us before coming out into the field and I took a 100% ethical shot and got my deer. I will take that shot 100% of the time. With my long bow I would not take that shot, with my old crossbow (Crissbow Cheetah) I have passed up shots closer than that. Equipment does have an impact on things.

If your arrow takes 3 seconds to get to the target at 20 yards and at 40 yards the 40 yard shot will not allow the deer any more time to jump the string than that of the 20 yard shot.

This post is more so directed at new hunters, and what I am trying to convey is the importance of keeping those shooting distances within range. We all know that every hunting situation is different. The new hunter though, with all the hype which is out there are being taught that those longer shot, 40 yards, 50 yards, 60 yards, etc., are good shots to take. They are not, especially on an animal like a deer.
Just say'n.

[Jeff Kavanagh]

41.5 yards was open field, she stepped out of the edge of the field and I did not see the saplings within a foot or two of her, this was not something of longer range. The bolt entered just behind the front leg, as I had aimed but exited back after taking out the liver. I am assuming it clipped one of those twigs but it could have been a rib on entry.

That same situation could easily have occurred with your shot at 20 yards, there was nothing but a bean field for the first 41.5 yards or more of the shot.

She walked out to the edge and looked right at us, was not spooked, tail down, just looked at us before coming out into the field and I took a 100% ethical shot and got my deer. I will take that shot 100% of the time. With my long bow I would not take that shot, with my old crossbow (Crissbow Cheetah) I have passed up shots closer than that. Equipment does have an impact on things.

If your arrow takes 3 seconds to get to the target at 20 yards and at 40 yards the 40 yard shot will not allow the deer any more time to jump the string than that of the 20 yard shot.

Also, I have to disagree again. At the chrono the arrow is flying faster but we don't know the speed at 20 yards or 30 yards. It has slown down considerably by that point. That bolt isn't going 350 anymore.

[Fox]

Also, I have to disagree again. At the chrono the arrow is flying faster but we don't know the speed at 20 yards or 30 yards. It has slown down considerably by that point. That bolt isn't going 350 anymore.

No it is now, but the one starting out at 250fps is not going that speed either at 20 or 30 yards.

The picture you sent was probably shot at a deer on the move and starting to turn when the guy shot. That was a poor shot opportunity and possibly from someone who had their head into a gun shot rather than an arrow.

You see so many people shooting 5 shots or less to make sure their gun is on and nothing more through a season, this is bow, rifle, shotgun, etc. These people are the ones taking bad shots, I hope they all miss rather than take out a leg or a gut shot that takes days to die.

[canadaman30]

The performance of your equipment determines it's capabilities

[GW11]

No it is now, but the one starting out at 250fps is not going that speed either at 20 or 30 yards.

The picture you sent was probably shot at a deer on the move and starting to turn when the guy shot. That was a poor shot opportunity and possibly from someone who had their head into a gun shot rather than an arrow.

You see so many people shooting 5 shots or less to make sure their gun is on and nothing more through a season, this is bow, rifle, shotgun, etc. These people are the ones taking bad shots, I hope they all miss rather than take out a leg or a gut shot that takes days to die.

Or maybe the deer in the picture was stationary and shot at 50 yards because the shooter believed his crossbow to be so fast that a deer couldn't possibly jump the string.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

[Fox]

Or maybe the deer in the picture was stationary and shot at 50 yards because the shooter believed his crossbow to be so fast that a deer couldn't possibly jump the string.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

Possible, but the crossbow used would be a question. I do not think that a high end high speed crossbow would allow for much string jump but a slower crossbow it would be possible.