+75 yard shots... Unethical any way you look at it
 

Sorry, gonna rant here. I heard of a new guide down here bragging up his client took a mulie, which they shot at 117 yards..... Yes witha bow.
Then I read about a guy who took a pronghorn.... With a 78 yard shot !

Sorry , but I've been shooting for over 20 years, and I absolutely cannot see anyone claiming they can make a reliable shot at those distances. I don't care what kind of archery gear your packing, it's a hail Mary shot and your a poor hunter.... Period!!

Oooooh I'm steAmed!!


Rant done,.... Thanx.

Rant is done...but I'm guessin that this thread is FAR from over.....:sHa_sarcasticlol:

If your still shooting the same bow as 20 years ago I can see how you would think so. How close do you have to be to be to be a good hunter? Do you feel the same way on long distence rifle shots?

I have never heard or seen a shot from a bow of over 100 yards.
I would not think that you would all that accurate at 100 yards to many variables

Just how far is too far?
An arrow at 117 yards is going how fast?
I know out of my flat bow it sure isn't fast!!:sHa_sarcasticlol:
If an arrow leaves the bow at 300FPS it must be moving pretty slow at 100 yards i would imagine.

Cat

I've had pass thrus on deer at 80 yards and I don't know how fast an arrow is traveling at 100 but it sinks into a target as good as a 20 year old bow will at fifty yards.
I'm not saying everyone should start throwing arrows at ranges not practiced but to start saying I'm a poor hunter because I can shoot an animal at 80 yards makes me laugh. It's like saying because I shoot a 30-30 no one should shoot over 150 yards with a rifle.

I don't see where bessiedog said he is shooting the same bow for 20 years. In fact I couldn't even find where he said he was shooting a bow.

I guess I missed that part.

I just watched them guys on outdoor obsession take numerous shots at a beaver @ 70 yards and miss........I hear they consistently take shots at those ranges. Just proves that producing a show is more important than ethics and the critters, cause defiantly proved they can't make that shot consistently. :sign0176:

In archery , tell me harvested your critter at 5 yards , I'll be impressed. Tell me you shot your animal at 80 yards, and you don't want to know what I think.

80 yards is very do able in competition shooting, but in hunting , I don't know anyone that can do it, ethically and consistently, especially in hunting conditions.

Those are some far distances for sure, but some guys are doing some really long shots successfully, apparently. Me and my buddies practice for fun to 100 yards and the arrows seem to hit hard - nothing magical, just practice. Some guys use their stabilizer rested on a standing or kneeling length field bipod to get them steady. But for sure wind and even minor errors in form at those distances makes it out of my league or interest for hunting.

The problem isn't really how fast , but actually how long it takes the arrow to get there!
The slowest deer in the world is faster than the fastest bow.

Cat

That is the main issue for sure.

Yup... I shoot old bows
 

Old PSE... Pins, two cams.... Yadayada.
I can shoot very very well out to 40.
I'll never do 40 in the field... That's just my call. What I shoots got nothing to do ith it. The variAbles are just too greAt past ... I'm gonna say 70.
It's not a bullet your sending out there....
I'll visit this thread tomorrow as it's the boys birthday, and the daughter wants to take an elk tomorrow morning.

Cmon no ones gonna seriously dispute this! Really??

Have faith man, of course someone will debate it.
There are lots of mall ninja's about these days.

As your rant started, I agree with you 100%. Not much of a guide for sure. Everyones abililties are of course different, but ethically a deer only would have to turn a bit to have a heart shot turn into an a??shot. Bow hunting is a challenge of your skill against the animals, not Best of the West. I feel that long range shooting is a joke also! Anyone can pull a trigger but get some of those guys 500 yds. closer and you may have accomplished something. My son just arrowed a good buck at 3 yards, now I think that took some skill and also a bit of luck. Just my opinion!:argue2:

There are guys who can do it. They shoot long range every day and have the equipment to do the job. Im not one of them unfortunatley but it can be done by A FEW. That being said, the vast majority of us are 50 yard max hunters, lots can be accurate to 60 too. If a guy can do it and make it count, all the power to him. However if you dont shoot long constantly and are just flingin an arrow in desperation, thats wrong. My 2 cents.

Last year i was hitting 4 inch groups out to 70 yards i practised all year to accomplish that... This year only had 2 months of shooting and 50 yards is my max

A 75 yard shot is beyond my skill and thus is unethical for me.I cannot speak for others.

Its OK to shoot 1000yrds with a rifle but 80 yrds with a bow is unethical?

I shoot out to 50 and beyond on most of my practice sessions! I'm confident to 50 yards on deer! I shot my buck at 52 yards this year! He was a bit downhill and if he hadn't jumped the string, the arrow would have gone right under him!

At 100 yards it'll take you arrow a full second to get there if the average velocity is 300 ft/sec (not likely). Even if you make the perfect shot you'd still have to get lucky to have the game in the exact same position for over a second. Its not even close to a high percentage shot even under ideal conditions.

Targets don't bleed...... you may be able to hit a target at 80 yards but a animal at 80 is a different story...

Byron Fergusson shoots balloons at 100 yards with a LongBow instinctively for kicks lol!!

117 yards with a bow, wow!! I have a hard time hitting them out that far with my gun LOL:lol::lol: (kidding of course). 117 yards. Ethical or not, that's a heck of a shot. Not one I'd personally try, or even consider, that's for sure.

Interesting debate
 

I have to look at this question like this. If I am flinging arrows at game at distances above 75 yards am I doing it because I lack the skill to close the distance into a more effective bow range, or am I doing this because I like the challenge of a long shot and I've practiced this shot to adnosium.

I am a longbow hunter so 20 yards is my max distance and I am okay with that because I possess the skill to consitantly be within 20 yards of game during the open seasons.

I guess if you practice all year in preparation of an expected shot over 70 yards then more power to you. But I don't like hearing that guides are coaching clients to shoot at distances like this. This usually is a scenario that has some potential for major screw ups.

No if the scenario is like the second above where arrows are being flung like a hail mary because the hunters couldn't close the distance I have issues with that. I have the same issues with Rifle hunters that do this too.

Anyway just my thoughts.

Big difference between this shooting and guns
 

I truly believe that the equipment, by it's nature, no matter how new your gear, is just not designed to be used like this. Many have already mentioned this... But factors such as arrow speed, visibility, and the massive suseptibility to wind just kills any argument that one could make an ethical shot and not call it a hail mAry shot.
I've taken three hunting shots past 30... About 35-40 and I cashed in on one. I really believe a big part of hunting with sharp sticks is the skill of the hunter to get in close. Itsa a hell of a skill that I think is lost on most hunters (and I'm still trying to get the hang of every season).

Yes.. I'm bitter cause my shoulder isn't healing well.. Yes I'm pouting!
Yes... Still ranting... I'll be done soon.

Please don't feed me the "I'm good to 70 cause I Practice out to there" garbage unless you also are good with the ole Jedi mind tricks and can keep the critter still for 1-3 seconds and have majic wind control powers...

X2 on the first part!! Practicing on a 3d target, does not make you proficient on a living animal

Bessie , You make me..lol. But I agree with you totally.

The worse part is that producing shows that show all this long distance shooting for rifles and especially archery, are only fueling people to try it. If your in the field long enough, you see the outcome. How many takes do you suppose it takes to get it right........

I mean it's only animals being wounded out there, who cares right......

The farther away the animal is, the less the sound of the release "spooks" them.

20 years ago, I watched a friends son hit the bullseye on a life-size target 19 out of 20 times....in a stiff breeze! No BS ! And another(RIP Harv) friend lost $100 in the deal......

There is only one reason for long shots with any bow, and that is in a bad situation, ie: wounded animal that you cant get in on. That is fact, not opinion, and any archer will tell you it. Anyone who argues different isnt even worth the time to listen to. You turn your back to them and walk away. I practice long for one reason and one reason only,,, because Im not perfect, and mistakes can and will happen, even when doing it properly and at close ranges. Anyone taking long shots, airing out arrows should have thier bows taken away, cut in half, and given back to them in 2 pieces.

And I agree with you, ph, we fooled around at the long ranges, but most hunting shots were 30 yards.

The real problem is not how far people shoot....... It is that most dont practice at all at any range.I have seen more people walk in to a local shop and ask for a bow package cause they are going bow hunting in the am.... Heck a freind of mine was in a shop and a guy cam in and was wondering if he could rent a bow so he could go hunting.... So was as bow hunters get painted with this brush. Most are gun hunters or just newbies that have no idea how to shoot a 30 yards let alone 75-100.... I think there should be a test to prove you can even use a bow out to certain rages to even be able to hunt with any weapon. When it comes to bows every pin you have should have that on your hunting lisence. If you have more then you have proven to bigg fines per pin. This would solve most of these issues.