Your Longest Archery Big Game Kill

[Axtell3]

Silly me, I thought bow hunting was about being close to the game.
I draw and suffer through it. low draw wieght though.

[sydleier]

Wow I just saw this and it's awesome. I've never seen a long range bow hunting thread before. I grew up shooting with pins out to a hundred yards, but it was only a few friends and myself that would shoot this far together an we never really talked about it with other bow hunters, because you would be looked down on for it. While I would never try and take an Elk at more than 40 or 50 yrds, we've taken lots of speed goats at 80 + yards with the longest being my buddy Ryan shooting one at 97 yards about 8 yrs ago. A know most bow hunters look down on this, but hunting antelope in eastern Montana your really not going to be able to get that close alot of the time. Unless you sit in a blind in front of a dugout and really is that anymore ethical?

[devins]

I started shooting traditional 39 years ago this Christmas. Started bowhunting 30 years ago. I have not bow hunted or shot a bow nearly as long as most of you, I am sure. I have shot competitively with a bow and shotgun. I have beaten a lot of shooters that people knew them and not me, that is fun, especially with your hunting rig to their target rig. Longest kill shot was 53 yards on a mid 330's bull. I routinely practice to 70 yards and I feel I could hunt further if I practiced further. In those years I have forgotten how many good shots I made, I quit counting at 35 many years ago. I remember 4 shots though. 2, I caught that branch mentioned earlier and had clean misses. Both at under 15 yards. The 53 yard bull would have been a one shot kill if I had done like the guys on tv and said I am going to back out and give him some time. The fixed blade sailed on me in the wind and hit back farther than I wanted. When I was able to work up on the down bull and place an arrow in the perfect spot he was out almost immediately. But I remember that one and one buck that was close and the arrow deflected off of the shoulder instead of into it. Bad judgement on my part. But he was only 5 yards from the tree. The point is, I have had more problems over the years on close shots that long. I think about the long shots a lot more though just like most of you have said. You think about the wind the games attitude and position. Practice, practice, practice and just be honest with yourself. If you can live with your decision, that is really all that counts.

[Gary22-250]

35 yards is limit i wont shot at an animal over that . i do have a 40 - 60 - 80 yard marks on my sight and can put them in a paper plate at 80 but would not even think of shooting a animal that far . i guess i figure to much could happen between the release and impact .

[Grouseman]

Originally Posted by Varmint Hunter

For those guys who answerd "over 100 yards" - I'd be interested in hearing you biggest fish story too.

Just to let you know this is no fish story and I would gladly prove it to you. Cow elk at 102 yards arrow entered in front of back leg quartering forward through her stomach lodging in her front shoulder Two other hunters were on the other side of the clear cut to witness this. As a matter of fact I have taken other elk from 15 yards to 75 yards. The hundred yard shot was to prove people wrong about arrow penetration at longer yards. Hey maybe you should ask the boys at myth busters huh!

[ScottB]

Originally Posted by Grouseman

Just to let you know this is no fish story and I would gladly prove it to you. Cow elk at 102 yards arrow entered in front of back leg quartering forward through her stomach lodging in her front shoulder Two other hunters were on the other side of the clear cut to witness this. As a matter of fact I have taken other elk from 15 yards to 75 yards. The hundred yard shot was to prove people wrong about arrow penetration at longer yards. Hey maybe you should ask the boys at myth busters huh!

Not sure how someone would go about proving this? Maybe do it again with a video camera....but please don't.
Personally, I'd pass on the long range, maybe the shot will hit the mark, hail mary, the animal will suffer if the shot doesn't hit the mark, or any number of other things that would go wrong. And I'd certainly never shoot an animal throught the rear end to get to the vitals. I shoot some targets from the roof of the house to 75+ yards in the backyard, but those don't move and they certainly don't suffer if the shot was blown by a gust of wind.
Most arrows fired from even some of the fastest bows would fail to penetrate even half the distance needed to get vitals under perfect conditions. Never mind what happens if a gust, say 15mph kicks in at full value and the arrow hits heavy bone!

But I guess since this was just a cow elk, it didn't real matter if the shot went wrong?



Scott

[Scot E]

Interesting thread. I have no qualms about shooting long range because I spend a ton of time practicing and shoot to my comfort zone. However, bow hunting is a different beast IMO. With rifles the projectile gets to the animal before the sound, not with archery. That makes for a very different outcome in many instances. In addition it is much more difficult and takes much more practice to shoot well at long range with a bow than it does with a gun.

I have heard some interesting tidbits shared on this thread some of which makes me wonder how many guys actually have much if any experience killing big game with a bow. Numerous guys mentioned their preference of shooting pronghorns or deer over elk at long range but almost everything about those statements defy logic and reality.

An elks vitals are 3 times the size of a deer or antelope which actually makes long range shooting on elk much easier. In addition, speed goats and deer are notorious string jumpers even when perfectly calm at the shot. Elk very seldom jump the string and even if they try they don't move as fast as deer or pronghorns. I have never seen an elk in person or in film completely jump the arrow. I have seen many, many deer and antelope cause complete misses on correctly aimed shots.

Equipment is very capable of extreme ranges today. I practice out to 85 yards with my heavy arrow hunting setup and can put them all in an antelopes kill zone even when shooting in the wind. I guess ethics aren't to be discuses here but it does seem prudent for those potential newbies to archery to read with a bit of caution and realize the great amount of practice and setup that has to take place to attempt things like this. It is MUCH,MUCH more than what must go into long range rifle shooting. Not saying some of the stuff posted here can't be done, it can. But it does seem unlikely that a guy that spends his time on a long range rifle shooting forum also has enough time to practice archery to the extent that he can be efficient in both long range pursuits.

I don't know maybe I am just cranky and skeptical tonight!