# Bow set at 90 yds



## slicker2011 (Oct 10, 2007)

Alright i have a friend thats got his bow set at 90 yds but will only shoot if they come within 70. personally i think its stupid i only shoot mine if they r within 35. What do u guys think?


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## huntingdude16 (Jul 17, 2007)

Ask to go along next time he practices. If he can consistantly make kill shots from different angles at that range, more power to him.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

in the time it takes an arrow to go 90 yards a deer can easily move and make a kill a gut shot, bad Idea.


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## settles8 (Aug 19, 2007)

very true, that deer could be a full deer length or more further along by the time an arrow went that far. it might be that good to practice at that range because it will make closer shots easier but on a deer no way, maybe a moose. same for me slicker, 30-35 or in and even then I try to stop a walking deer.


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## carp_killer (Nov 24, 2006)

i would love to see him shoot 90 yards accurately and consistently there is a difference between shooting one arrow 90 yards and getting lucky with shooting several arrows at that yardage consistently. i prefer 25 yards and under but will shoot to 35


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## Jungda99 (Nov 17, 2006)

Well shooting a bow @ 90 yds accuratley really isn't that big of deal... I have watched many-o-guys put 6-8 arrows in a cool-whip container @ 90 yds. That is with competition bows 3' stabilizers and the whole nine yards. Can I do it...heck no.

It would be absoulutly rediculous to shoot at a deer with a bow @ 90 yds. First of all how in the world would you get a clear enough shot? Sometimes its hard to find and opening in the woods to shoot them with a gun at that range.
Second the delay from release to impact is way too long. I don' know about you but I hate wounding deer or any animal for that matter!
Third if you are forced to make 90 yd shots you need to move your stand to a better location. I.E. move your stand so it is only 30yds from the trail you have been seing deer on.

90yds in the woods... REDICULOUS!!


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## nmubowyer (Sep 11, 2007)

im not for it but howard hill did kill a moose at 188 yds, saxton pope and art young thought nothing of 80yd shots at whitetails, way too far for mortals such as myself to shoot


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

Everyone has an opinion... but with todays bows there is no problem ethically taking a 75 yard shot with a bow. My elk came at 55 yards this year and I would say that our average shots are atleast 55 yards... pushing 75 yards. I hit my mule deer at 65 yards this weekend and it went 50 yards before it bled out.

My group practices and practices and paratices those shots all year long though... be careful not to judge rather than to observe people. I would strongly diagree with people stating that you should not take a shot at a deer over 35 yards... how much experience do you have making shots beyond 35 yards? So you practice shots past 35 yards?

I know that this is probably not the distance an average person takes but with the right equipment and the right amount of practive there is nothing unethical about taking a 75 yard shot... nothing more unethical than a beginning bowhunter taking any shot. I would think that the total number of animals that are not hit "cleanly" is higher with beginner hunters than with hunters taking a 90 yard shot... wouldn't the forum agree??


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Confidence is a big factor. One way to detrmine if your friend really has enough confidence to effectively shoot that far is to get a piece of steel with a 10" hole in it, set it out 90 yards and see if he will shoot at/through it. If he won't (many guys won't risk an arrow if they are not confident of their skills) then he is full of hot air and shouldn't be shooting at live targets at that range. If he is willing and can consitently put an arrow through the more power to him though it is still a risky shot.

We used to have a "steel" deer at our archery range. It separated the men from the boys and was a source of embarasment to more than a few so called, long range shooters.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

northdakotakid said:


> Everyone has an opinion... but with todays bows there is no problem ethically taking a 75 yard shot with a bow. My elk came at 55 yards this year and I would say that our average shots are atleast 55 yards... pushing 75 yards. I hit my mule deer at 65 yards this weekend and it went 50 yards before it bled out.
> 
> My group practices and practices and paratices those shots all year long though... be careful not to judge rather than to observe people. I would strongly diagree with people stating that you should not take a shot at a deer over 35 yards... how much experience do you have making shots beyond 35 yards? So you practice shots past 35 yards?
> 
> I know that this is probably not the distance an average person takes but with the right equipment and the right amount of practive there is nothing unethical about taking a 75 yard shot... nothing more unethical than a beginning bowhunter taking any shot. I would think that the total number of animals that are not hit "cleanly" is higher with beginner hunters than with hunters taking a 90 yard shot... wouldn't the forum agree??


BS,
I dont care if you can put 10 arrows in one inch at 90 yards, its unethical. unless you have some magic way of keeing the animal from taking a step or two between the release and the impact.

No responsible bow hunter will do so.


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## Jungda99 (Nov 17, 2006)

Bobm said:


> northdakotakid said:
> 
> 
> > Everyone has an opinion... but with todays bows there is no problem ethically taking a 75 yard shot with a bow. My elk came at 55 yards this year and I would say that our average shots are atleast 55 yards... pushing 75 yards. I hit my mule deer at 65 yards this weekend and it went 50 yards before it bled out.
> ...


I second That Bob!!


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## walkswithwhispers (Sep 18, 2007)

I practiced at 90 yards before the the opening weekend this year. I have a 70 yard pin. Took a broadside shot at a buck standing still at 80 yards opening weekend (in the badlands). He took 2 steps before the arrow hit him in the *** and my bow shoots a 400 grain arrow at around 285 fps (though it's rated for 330). Last time I'll make that mistake. However, antelope just stand there and stare at you when you're at that distance. I wouldn't count the shot out entirely but they'd better be some damn good circumstances. Basically, practicing at 90 yards makes you a more effective shooter at 50 yards. It's also a whole lot of fun to take really long shots at the range. In the field, I'll keep it under 50. :sniper:


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## huntingdude16 (Jul 17, 2007)

> unless you have some magic way of keeing the animal from taking a step or two between the release and the impact.


A pile of corn doesnt seem to magical. :lol:


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

Have any of yuou had a buck jump the string at 30 yards? I have...

I understand you concern and I believe your points are fair... but I personally do not think for ME that it is unethical to take a shot at the distances that we are talking. I agree that there is a chance that the deer could move... just as much as there is a chance they can move at chorter distances.

I can tell you that this weekend a beginning bowhunter that was hunting with me... that I personally took out to get him a deer... first missed a buck at 20 yards... then hit one back and high at 35ish... the reason I know how far the deer were is because we use rangefinders to get our distances to target. It takes time and even sometimes takes too much time to get a shot off but it tells me exactly where to aim and what pin to use. I use the same rangefinder when I am setting my pins... it takes the guess work out of both...

Can I ask the forum how many of you use a ranging device for bowhunting? If not I would consider that unethical because you are guessing the distance and what pin to use... I do not mean this to be any sort of personal attack but it is a moot point about deer moving from the shot... that can happen at any range.

I would love to dicsuss this further as long as we keep it fact based and learn something here...


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## Turner (Oct 7, 2005)

What some are saying, at 20-40yrds there are less factors that could contribute to a miss. Sure close deer are missed, and bad shot placements are made. If you could find 100 hunters who would be honest and say how many deer they missed or placed a bad shot on, I bet the number would be a lot lower on the shorter ranges. How many archers truly practice year round, let alone practice shots over 60 yards on a normal basis. I know most statistics are made up, but I will say a good portion of bow hunters shoot a few arrows right before the season and call it good. (same goes with rifle hunters). 
Just take smart shots, you owe it to the animal and to yourself.


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

Here is some math

@40 degrees the speed of sound is 1095.51 ft/sec

my bow shoots 315 ft sec - it was measured at the last tune up

sound bow diff in time from sound to impact
35 yd .095 sec .330 sec .235 sec
55 yd .150 sec .523 sec .373 sec
75 yd .205 sec .714 sec .509 sec

I understand your arguement... but with the right equipment, the right skill level... it is more ethical to take this shot than it is to send a new bowhunter into the field untrained. If there is something to come out of this conversation I would hope at the very least we would agree that North dkaota should ahve a bowhunters education class requirement like most other states.

This would provide:
- more safety
- more ethical taking of game
- a better understanding of the tools they are using
- did I say safety??


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## Buxster (Oct 13, 2007)

If you have to use a rangefinder, the target is too far - eyes need to be checked out for glasses. 
With a typical shot from 20-40yds you only need to judge between 60 and 120 ft. If that can't be done safely without a rangefinder the person shouldn't be hunting.

Just as with guns, the velocity of your arrow drops with distance. Not to mention the other variables with distance shooting.

If anyone I ever hunt with took a long range shot and wounded an animal because of his/her EGO I would make sure was remembered as painfully as the animal.

Respect for game is as important as the hunt.


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## sotaman (Apr 6, 2004)

Buxster

That is rediculious saying that about a range finder you talk about being able to make an ethical shot I can't think of a better way then knowing exactly how for your tagret is away if your off by five yeards you just wounded that deer the same as you did by that animal taking a step. Kind of hypicritacal if you ask me. Maybe you should rethink about the benifit of a range finder and the eze of making a mistake. I agree with your ethical ideals of making the best shot possible and a range finder is a very vailubale tool


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

northdakotakid said:


> Here is some math
> 
> @40 degrees the speed of sound is 1095.51 ft/sec
> 
> ...


1)equivocating takeing long range shots at game animals with a novice unskilled hunters mistakes is nonsense, both are bad, just because one thing is bad doesn't mean another bad thing is acceptable.

2) your math example is meaningless I assume you mean the arrow will be there before the sound , so what, the deer may take a step just to grab abite of the next thing in front of him and you will end up with a gut shot.

75 yards shots are fun but only at non living targets, its inexcuseable to take them on live animals


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

I would have to disagree about the ability to judge 20 yards and 40 yards... if you have ever hunted in the wide openness of the mountains or the badlands... compared to the woods of Mn or Canada.

Being ethical is mitigating factors that can cause a bad shot...

months of practice
top of the line equipment
ranging
years of expereince in the field

I guess if that makes me an unethical hunter than I am willing to accept that label.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

So, what is the longest shot you would ever take at a whitetail deer under ideal conditions. 
I would like them to be 30 yards, possible 35 to 40. I would never even attempt a shot beyond that at whitetails. Antelopes, maybe, but never with whitetails. Bear in mind that all the land I hunt is river bottom stuff anyway. Rarely even see an animal beyond that distance.


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

The math shows you the speed at which the arrow is traveling in relation to time ... also in relation to when the sound of a shot

Bob,

You have many posts out here that are very thought through and inteligent. I will agree with you that THE AVERAGE bowhunter should not take shots beyond 35 yards(shorter in many cases)... but the ethical implications of someone that has bowhunted for 15 years in the field, top of the line equipment, ranges his shots... now you are throwing stones... how can you compare the level of ethics you express to those of someone with these skills... just because you assume an animal can move?

The amount of time between when an animal can move compared at those two distances is less than .5 seconds...

Again... I guess I am an unethical hunter by your definition. But no less than the beginning bowhunter buying his tag at scheels after buying his first bow... COME ON... this is a moot point...

I AM NOT CONDONING ANY ONE TO SHOOT BEYOND 35 Yds BUT I AM TELLING YOU THAT IT CAN BE DONE ETHICALLY BY SOMEONE WHO HAS THE EXPERIENCE, EQUIPMENT AND ABILITY...


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

When I started out it was hard to hit anything close to 35 yds... 
15 seasons worth of experience later ---> a lot further than that...
As many have said... let the steel deer do the talking...

It matters on 
1) Expereience/Skill 
2) Conditions - weather, animal, type of shot (1/4ing, broadside, alert)
3) Equipment - ranged the target, bow speed & arrow weight, broadheads

All of these factors contribute to at what range I would take a shot... on somedays a 25 yrd broadside shot is unethical...


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

I was born at night but not last night.

I made my first biggame bow kill in 1966 before compounds and tree stands were even invented and have taken over 150 deer (all but about 20 with traditional equipment) since, so I know a thing or two about what can happen.

So if experience is the factor I have almost three times as much as you do, but the reality is experience does not matter. Even with all mine I cannot know when a deer is going to take a couple steps and neither can you, only the deer knows that.

IT is unethical to take shots that have a high percentage likelyhood of crippling a big game animal. I've passed up some real nice ones over the years for that reason and will continue to do so.

I have only one unrecovered deer in that last 40 years and I am proud of that clean record. The one haunted me for years, still does if I think about it. The reason I lost it is I took a low percentage shot, i vowed never to do so again.

I could understand your position if you were starving and hunting for subsistance, no other reason is ethical.

And quit talking about stupid things some other people do as if that somehow excuses what you are advocating. It doesnt.

Why dont you get on bowsite login their forum and tell them about your 75 yard shots and see what the opinion is?

And bowhunting is supposed to be a challenge of your stalking skills, stick to rifles if 75-90 yard shots are what you want.


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

Boy Bob... I think we have BOTH taken this topic way off target (literally) and I do apologize to the forum. In no way was I trying to use someones poor decision to take a 90 yard shot as my justification nor was I trying to put myself on a pedistal by claiming long yardage shots... those are some dirty things to say Bob and way off base. I can respect your expreience and even your passion but my opinon of you and the great comments that you have provided this forum prior most certainly has changed.

So to bury the hatchet and move on to better discussion... Bob you are right... now lets get over it...


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## johnrotten (Aug 6, 2007)

all i can is how often is he gonna make a 90 yd shot in the woods to me 90 yds is a waste of time but it also in the same sense it is impressive but i would shoot 90 yds in a stand or on the ground 30-40 yds is my max


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## sotaman (Apr 6, 2004)

Guys I practice a lot at eighty yards I enjoy that during the off season. Would I shoot at a critter that far away. Heck ya I would if it was a follow up shoot. I set up all of my stands or blinds that the kill zone be a slam dunk 20 yard shoot. I have had to shoot at sixty plus yards in the past. Last year my buck was shot at fifteen yards went forty stood there and I put another one in him. He laid town after walking ten yards. After ten minutes he got up and started walking away. So outta of the blind I go and he was in the river walking I come over the bank range him 65 yards not a problem draw back drill him. Still not going down so I hit him again. A bit excessive I know and I will tell you why.

I had lost two deer last year because I practiced wrong. I shot a lot of 3D targets in minot at the club and I aimed high on the target and hit high so I practice not picking a good spot. And You play how your practice so I had hit a couple deer in the void area above the vitals and below the spin.

Guys lets not get into a pissing match on whats right and wrong. I don't approve of a 90 yard shot just the same as I don't approve of a sniper with a rifle I don't see the fun in it. My only concern with any spprtsman is are the killing the animal in a quick and humman mannor and with in the legal laws set before us. If they are who are we to judge.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

northdakotakid said:


> Boy Bob... I think we have BOTH taken this topic way off target (literally) and I do apologize to the forum. In no way was I trying to use someones poor decision to take a 90 yard shot as my justification nor was I trying to put myself on a pedistal by claiming long yardage shots... those are some dirty things to say Bob and way off base. I can respect your expreience and even your passion but my opinon of you and the great comments that you have provided this forum prior most certainly has changed.
> 
> So to bury the hatchet and move on to better discussion... Bob you are right... now lets get over it...


Im genuininely sorry you feel that way, I tried not to make it personal. 
I did not attack you I attacked your position on this issue and stated mine.
I am passionate about the sport and believe archers should be the ethically elite of big game hunters. People start taking 75-90 yard shots and there will be animals running around gutshot and that does nothing good for the bowhunting image with the public. Bowhunting isn't even legal in many countries because of fear of excessive wounding.

And how is disagreeing with someone that is advocating taking long range shots with a bow taking the topic off base when thats the subject of the thread??

You know how I feel and I know how you do, so why dont you go onto the bowsite forum register start athread on the ethics of 90 yard shots and get the opinion of other expeienced bowhunters maybe that will give you a reason to reconsider your position.

Do that and then provide a link to the thread, I would like to read it.
I'll have no further comment on this issue.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

I can tell you that the best ND bowhunting land I have access to was available because the last people that hunted it had a few deer running around with arrows sticking out of them. The landowners didn't appreciate that and they didn't have any hunters there for three years because of it. I am not saying that they were takling 90 yard shots, I am agreeing with Bob that we must only take shots we are sure of and will take the deer down NOW!!!! One of my stands is about 100 yards from their house and I certainly don't want a deer running by their picture window after he is hit so I won't even use that one until they are down in AZ.
We do have to be as cautious as we possibly can.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

Heres the unbiased opinion of three states of bowhunters on bowsite

http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/regional/thread.cfm?threadid=14084&state=KY#101021

http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/regional/thread.cfm?threadid=81075&state=PA#708269

http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/regional/thread.cfm?threadid=103528&state=OH#965038


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## brodash (Oct 24, 2007)

well from what i have read so far on this post northdakotakid is that you have all this experience, well with all of this experience why in the world would you have to take a 60 to 90yd shot anyway, you should be able to figure out how to get the animals in closer. also with all of your experience you should be able to judge yardage from 0 to 30 yds pretty easy, if not i say you need more practice. with the bow i shoot right now anything 20 yds and under gets the 20yd pin, while aiming at a 20yd yard target my thirty yd pin is right at the brisket, if i ever have any doubt its over 20yds just aim a little higher with my 20 yd pin which moves up my 30 both in the kill zone. this is just how mine is set up, idon't know maybe i'm way off but it works for me


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## neb_bo (Feb 3, 2007)

i dont know if anyone said this yet, but your tables dont prove ****. if your going to use math, use it correctly. according to your tables, your arrow is still going 315 fps at 75 yds. huh, you must be hunting in space where there is no atmosphere. i dont even know how to calculate loss of speed, and physical science is not my strongpoint, but i do know youve got some flaws in your system, not to mention youre decision making skills if you are willing to shoot at animals that far.


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

70 yard shots on deer......thats just stupid right there. Dont care who I personaly attack. This is the kind of guy that will probably brag about crippling 3-4 deer a year. The kind of guys the anti's love.

Isnt the whole idea of bowhunting to get close to the animal? If you need it that bad why not just use a rifle?


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## carp_killer (Nov 24, 2006)

brodash said:


> well from what i have read so far on this post northdakotakid is that you have all this experience, well with all of this experience why in the world would you have to take a 60 to 90yd shot anyway, you should be able to figure out how to get the animals in closer. also with all of your experience you should be able to judge yardage from 0 to 30 yds pretty easy, if not i say you need more practice. with the bow i shoot right now anything 20 yds and under gets the 20yd pin, while aiming at a 20yd yard target my thirty yd pin is right at the brisket, if i ever have any doubt its over 20yds just aim a little higher with my 20 yd pin which moves up my 30 both in the kill zone. this is just how mine is set up, idon't know maybe i'm way off but it works for me


i have honestly got to say this is one of the best posts i have read from someone new to the sight and i agree with you 110% bowhunting is about getting close not using fancy equiptment to shoot 90 yrds


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## Colt (Oct 25, 2007)

I can't imagine flinging an arrow at an animal 90 yards away. Sounds like the definition of unethical, to me. I think the ones who do that aren't hunting or concerned about the journey of the hunt, they just want the kill, and cripples don't bother them. :******:


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