What is your max range?

[Jcjohnson]

What distance do you feel you can make an ethical shot with traditional archery gear?

[Drycreek3189]

When I shot my Red Wing Hunter…….I was deadly at 10/12 yards. After that……uh……not so much.

[Jcjohnson]

15 yards is my max right now. Just wondering if I can expect my range to increase over time. Been practicing consistently for about a year and a half now.

[Sika]

I've killed 2 javelina at 20 yards but deer move and duck too fast , so 15 yards deer.

[Draco]

It has gotten progressively shorter as I've gotten older. Under the right circumstances I would still shoot one at 30 yards but out of almost any stand, it's no more than 20.

[SJP51]

15yards is about it for me.

[muddydog]

Under an ideal scenario with a calm animal. 12-15 steps. I feel to find your personal limits,Shoot only 1 arrow, that first cold shot is the only one that counts. Groups after you've warmed up, dont matter in hunting and even at close range, reaction from the animal can turn a perfect shot to a bad one.

[Onski316]

15 to 18ish on deer depending on the situation.

[DRT]

I'll quote a guy who's shooting and hunting prowess far surpasses most of us.

Set your target in front of the radiator of your wife's car. The furthest t.distance you feel like you can hit that spot every single time will be your maximum distance.

We all ask that question in the beginning. But in time you'll realize that that is the wrong question for a traditional bowhunter to ask.
The question we should ask is, how close can I get them.

I made a 20 yard shot on a rabbit the other evening. Reality is I can easily make 25 yard shots. But deer tend to be quick to jump, duck, twist and bolt. It doesn't matter how accurate your shooting is if the animal has moved by the time the arrow arrives. I kill most of my animals under 15 yards.
Now an elk at 30 would be realistic for me under the right circumstances but, I'd rather it was at 15.

Bowhunting out west or on the tundra is a different situation but those animals are different than whitetail as well. Personally I've gotten plenty of dead deer and pigs on shots of 15 yards or less.

YMMV

[Briar Friar]

I missed on a turkey at 27. I reckon 26 is max.

[Trumpkin]

Depends how well I'm shooting... but I don't like to think about shooting whitetail more than 20 or so. That said, in the peak of my target panic days I killed a bull elk at 27 yards. Looking back I think I shot well past what was then my "MAX", but because of the sapling that blocked my initial sight picture I had to settle down and adjust my bow before dumping the string. It worked out well.

Max game range vs max training range is a weird thing. If I do everything right, I expect to hit what I'm shooting at consistently out to 30 yards. Past that I just don't practice enough. But "doing everything right" when the adrenaline dump hits is the challenge.

[Trumpkin]

I will add this... that after a couple seasons having ducked shots by whitetail deer with compounds and trad bows both, I agree with Gary. I want to get them as close as possible.

[CRM_95]

I'll quote a guy who's shooting and hunting prowess far surpasses most of us.

Set your target in front of the radiator of your wife's car. The furthest t.distance you feel like you can hit that spot every single time will be your maximum distance.

We all ask that question in the beginning. But in time you'll realize that that is the wrong question for a traditional bowhunter to ask.
The question we should ask is, how close can I get them.

I made a 20 yard shot on a rabbit the other evening. Reality is I can easily make 25 yard shots. But deer tend to be quick to jump, duck, twist and bolt. It doesn't matter how accurate your shooting is if the animal has moved by the time the arrow arrives. I kill most of my animals under 15 yards.
Now an elk at 30 would be realistic for me under the right circumstances but, I'd rather it was at 15.

Bowhunting out west or on the tundra is a different situation but those animals are different than whitetail as well. Personally I've gotten plenty of dead deer and pigs on shots of 15 yards or less.

YMMV

LOL!! Yep, and that's pretty solid. I like to set up for 12 yards. No further than 15 at a deer. If I see a pig I'm letting one fly regardless.

[Hagen]

I practice out to 40yds but hunting nothing past 20

[Drycreek3189]

After reading this, I wish I had kept my Wing recurve. I thought most of y’all were killing stuff farther than that. Even with a compound I’ve killed more stuff less than twenty than more. I did prong a pronghorn at 47 yards and a hog at 45 but everything else was much closer. Much respect to the trad guys that can shoot 30 yards and hit their spot !