Extended Range Bowhunting

[Bowhunter57]

This thread is somewhat about personal abilities as an archer, as much as it is about hunting too. I got this idea from a mix of western bow hunting and the Trophy Ridge's "Smart Pin Technology".
http://www.trophyridge.com/technology/smart-pin-technology

I'd like to extend my hunting yardages to take advantage of open shots of deer that are unaware of my presence.

This would consist of being in good physical condition to accomplish good accuracy, plenty of practice at the extended yardages intended on hunting and quality well tuned hunting equipment. I believe the technology is here in modern archery equipment to accomplish this goal.

What are your thoughts on Extended Range Bowhunting?

Thank you, Bowhunter57

[mrbb]

I think this is a topic that gets heated very fast
I personally got into archery for the challange of getting close to game, to see if I could get close, beat there sense's of sorts, a challange
to me once you start shooting deer with archery gear at long range, to me that is past 50 yards
I don't feel its the same game, its now more about shooting than it is about hunting
and that said, I like to shoot long range, but I don't do it anymore on live targets
where a small opp's causes the animal to maybe suffer, or never be recovered
just so I can ?? Say I can shoot it from a far
the point of archery hunting , the challange of beating my game animal at its game, is lost when we shoot far, be it with a bow, x bow, rifle, shotgun, what ever
we start loosing hunting skills, and gain shooting skills only
where did the challange go??

[nomad_archer]

Personally for me I keep it under 50 yards and at that distance deer start looking very small especially when you add in sometimes difficult lighting in the woods and more so at the beginning and end of the day long distances get tough. The technology is there to have enough KE at say 60 yards sometimes more but that is when everything goes right and there more opportunity for things to go wrong with a bow at extended yardages.

Dont get me wrong I got into field archery years ago to challenge myself with 80 yard shots that are part of that game. I enjoyed shooting that distance but it takes a long long time for the arrow to make it to the target. If it is something you choose to do go for it.

The smart pin technology sounds cool but I would never never trust a pin set for a distance that I didnt shoot. It may be close but it isn't going to be right on. Plus practice at those yardages is important as well. Good thing is I still believe that 60 yards under the right circumstances is will within range with todays equipment and a practiced archer plus the sight limits you to that with the pins on the sight so its all good.

[Strother23]

Sure.. Hunting at extended range is very possible. It just becomes very tricky, the percentage of a successful shot drops fast the further away you get. I have a 50yd pin on my bow and I shoot 50yds quite often when I practice. I plan on changing my sight over the summer so I can shoot further. Doesn't mean I would attempt a shot at 60 or 70yds on a deer. The furthest I've shot a deer is about 35yds. A target is one thing. Deer can move, jump the string, or wind can be a factor or even branches in the way you didn't notice, to many variables have to be just right. No one likes to take a bad shot or track a deer for 500yds. We have all watched tv shows and seen people out west shot an animal at 70yds. Just extremely tricky. Not worth the risk for me. I like my 20yd shots to much lol

[Bowhunter57]

There are so many considerations to making a longer range shot on a live animal. I'm not speaking of ethics, but the hundreds of other elements of the shot and/or hunt.

* The equipment: K.E. of the bow, bow poundage (for good K.E. and increased range), total arrow weight, bow speed (chronographed), type of broadhead used, etc.
* The archer's ability to shoot the bow at a given long range yardage.
This requires honesty of an individual to say, "I'm good out to 60 yards, but comfortable out to 40 yards." or "On paper I can be consistent out to 80 yards, but when it comes to hunting, I'm better off inside 30 yards."
* Other things that we can NOT control, but have to be aware of...because it can/will effect the shot is the weather and physical elements, like shot angles up/down. Not to mention the animals angle, which gets more critical at longer ranges, due to the lack of room for error.

All of the above elements require self control. If the "planets are not aligned" the shot can not be taken.

The considerations to MOA could be set at 2" at 20 yards, 3" at 30 yards, etc. If this could be obtained as the yardage increased, in theory, an 8" group could be possible at 80 yards. Could be, is the critical part of that statement.

Bowhunter57