Ethical Shooting Distance
Myths abound about how far archers should shoot at game. You hear then in almost any Pro Shop just a month or so before the season... Some bowhunters are opposed to shots beyond 30 to 40 yards. In reality, ethical shooting distance must be an individual choice -- not a rigid, mandated matter that you must or have to follow. Practice distance shooting (40, 45 and 65 yards+) and if you can place it, penetration on light skinned animals like SE Deer are an easy kill even out to 70-80 yards with a properly tuned bow and capable speed and good choice of broadhead and arrow shafts.
On average, a beginning bowhunter cannot hit a deer's vital eight-inch chest zone beyond 20-25 yards. Most of your intermediate and advanced bowhunters can hit an eight-inch target out to 40 yards easily.
I have always had a simple rule, 10-15 yards < yards =" ok">
A few bowhunters believe that longer shots increase the chance that target animals will move and take non-vital hits, however, studies indicate that closer animals are more intimately threatened by danger and thus likely to jump the string or duck under, or wheel at the sound of your bowstring. For this reason, there is no ethical objection to shooting at 50-yard or 80-yard deer, provided these animals are calm, and provided you are certain you can hit the mark on your quarry.
Broadhead Accuracy
Broadheads are prone to veer off target unless a bow is perfectly tuned, for this reason, many archers believe that broadheads and field points never hit the same place downrange. The truth is, a perfectly adjusted bow shoots all types of arrowheads in the same place. The key is using heads that weigh exactly the same. If your field points, blunts, and broadheads all weigh 125 grains, for example, your setup will theoretically produce identical point of impact. 2 Blade broadheads typically have a high flight path vs. a 3-blade and the more blades = more drag.
The real trick is practice and tune your bow for the intended arrow shafts and broadheads... Unfortunately, many bowhunters and even archery store owners do not offer this assistance, so you are on your own. The result is erratic point of impact and the reinforced notion that consistent accuracy is impossible. You need to clearly identify your three "touch-points" and repeat this always regardless of your stance.
By learning solid bow-hunting basics and learning your facial touch points or anchor point and in obtaining arrowheads of identical weight matched to the correct arrow shaft and fletching you can vastly improve your groups.
Forget speed, shoot for accuracy first then up your speed!
Corey B. James
a.k.a. the "Original" Weatherbyman - CBJ
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