effective hunting range for crossbow

[deadon]

I had a parker terminator. 150lb pull ,325fps. The longest distance I ever killed a deer was 37 yrds. It was 2" low at 20yrds ,deadon at 30, 4" low at 40, but it dropped 19" at 50 yrds. I also noticed a definate time laps between trigger pull and sound of impact. What crossbow do you shoot? What is your longest range kill? At what speed do I need to push an arrow to be able to hunt at 60 yrds? What is the best Bolt for this and the best broad head? Thanks to all in the know, Rusty

[Harley]

Rusty, if you're serious about crossbow shooting, do yourself a favor and PM SW (look him up under Members). Nobody has done more recent and extensive research.

Tell him I sent you.

Harley

[deadon]

Thanks Harley, I PMed him after you posted something about his shooting at 100 yrds and he responded. I just didn't want to bother him again.

[Harley]

Rusty, you won't bother him; he's a wealth of information and he is always glad to respond.

Did you see his brief post on '2" vanes....'?

Harley

[deadon]

Yes Sir and I knew the 20" arrow was a bolt. I'll PM him right now and thanks.

[sw]

Like many on the smokeless board, I like to see what the capabilities are of each of my hunting weapons. I've shot my compound to 100yds and x-bow to 120 yds. I just want to see what their accuracy potential and trajectories are. I am not advocating hunting at these maximum tgt ranges; however, practicing at long ranges can extend our effective hunting ranges some. Time of flight, range estimation accuracy, animal movement, and trajectory increases with longer ranges all are serious factors that limit hunting ranges to a significantly less range than tgt ranges. That said, my "personal" hunting range varies with conditions and is "personal" just as each hunter's "personal" range is.

[deadeye]

sw-that last line was well put very correct

[huntingmike]

Jun 6, 2010 17:05:32 GMT -5 deadon said:

I had a parker terminator. 150lb pull ,325fps. The longest distance I ever killed a deer was 37 yrds. It was 2" low at 20yrds ,deadon at 30, 4" low at 40, but it dropped 19" at 50 yrds. I also noticed a definate time laps between trigger pull and sound of impact. What crossbow do you shoot? What is your longest range kill? At what speed do I need to push an arrow to be able to hunt at 60 yrds? What is the best Bolt for this and the best broad head? Thanks to all in the know, Rusty

A guy I work with killed a doe at 82 yards. It was standing in a field. The arrow completely passed through. He used an Excalibur Exomax. I have one and the bolt speed is about 350' off the bow. I took an eight point last year at 38 yards and the bolt was hanging by the vanes on the off shoulder. It ran maybe 70 yards.

Hunting Mike

[sw]

For maximizing trajectory, try the following: sight in at various ranges(20,25,30,35,40,etc) and then see what the impacts are for each of the other ranges. Often sighting in at 35,or 40 will have minimum hold unders from 15 yds out to the sight in range and then lesser drops for 45,50,etc. It's like throwing the ball upwards a little more. All that said, a dial-a-range device like the HHA Optimizer takes ALL the guess work out of the equation. The new Parker(Hawke) scope is supposed to do the same internally. And, of course, the multi-reticled x-bow scopes do the same. For faster x-bows, sometimes if the 20 yd x-hair is used at 30 or 40 yds, then the other lines will get pretty close to 10 yd increments beyond the first yardage set. To me, an excellent rifle scope with the HHA Optimizer and a lazer range finder is the prefered way to go. I have the Optimizer, a WCE 50MM scope on my Strykeforce x-bow and have marked my tape out to beyond 120 yds(Red Hot arrows and 125g Thunderheads/Spitfires). Remember, I am not advocating hunting at these extreme ranges.

[dougedwards]

Whatever range restrictions that you put on yourself today will be extended by the equiptment of tomorrow. I took my compound bow and target to my sisters farm and was practicing shooting at 70 yards to the back of a field. My brother in law asked me if I would really shoot a deer at that range. My response was that if I was able to put the Leica on the deer and if the deer was stationary for some time and if there was very little wind I would consider it. That would have never been a passing consideration five years ago. I can remember, and it was not very long ago at all, that any shot over 30 yards was considered unethical. It isn't the archers that are becoming more proficient it is the advancing technology of the equiptment.

[sw]

Jun 13, 2010 22:22:04 GMT -5 dougedwards said:

That would have never been a passing consideration five years ago. I can remember, and it was not very long ago at all, that any shot over 30 yards was considered unethical. It isn't the archers that are becoming more proficient it is the advancing technology of the equiptment.

I think a major factor might be actually believing that extended range is possible. Appx 25 years ago, I discovered compounds(hard to let go of the recurve), got a Spectrum 500 rangefinder and very seriously worked at long range shooting, starting with 48" compounds and then going to the "very short" 40-44" versions(Oregon Valiant Crusaider, Pearson Flame,etc). I shot these to 100 yds. I shot a significant # of deer at well over 50 yds with these compounds and have lost only 5 deer(none shot at over 45 yds) with over 100 kills( 1 a doe at 37 yds with a x-bow this year - scapula). I wasn't having any problem killing deer when they had their head turned the other way and were stationary or otherwise preoccupied. Then I found out that these ranges weren't sporting or ethical . No rifle season here and only 4 days then of MLing(2 on Sunday), so bow/x-bow is the primary hunting instrument. Now, as stated previously in another post, my personal hunting range is just that, personal. If a person is hunting in a manner that has a consistently high success rate, and is legal, then the hunting, seems to me, to be ethical. I think a Strykeforce, HHA Optimizer, well matched arrows, lazer range finder, a Weaver Classic Extreme 50 mm scope and a whole lot of practice will have over a 40 yd maximum ethical range as some advocate. This is under ideal conditions. In some situations there is no ethical range due to the alert state of the deer,brush, movement,etc.
Just some thoughts.

[Harley]

Steve, I STILL have an Oregon Valiant Crusader; left hand and 80# draw weight.

Harley

[deadon]

Looks like I caused another fracus and I am sorry. I get all these questions bouncing around in my head and often I just screw up. Again, I am sorry, Rusty

[Harley]

Deadon, I've just gone over all the posts on this thread; I can't see where you've caused anything or have anything to apologize for. It's been a good thread; thanks for starting it.

Harley

[sw]

Jun 14, 2010 22:34:51 GMT -5 Harley said:

Deadon, I've just gone over all the posts on this thread; I can't see where you've caused anything or have anything to apologize for. It's been a good thread; thanks for starting it.

Harley

I agree.
Steve

[sw]

Jun 14, 2010 20:38:52 GMT -5 Harley said:

Steve, I STILL have an Oregon Valiant Crusader; left hand and 80# draw weight.

Harley

I had a limb crack after 8 years of usage and many 1,000s of shots. 60# though.

[dougedwards]

a 48" compound bow? Did the thing have wheels? ;D

Doug

[Harley]

Doug, I just measured my Oregon Valiant Crusader: It's 44", left hand and 85# draw weight. I guess I used to be stronger than I am, now. Right now I'm struggling with 60#.

Harley

[sw]

Jun 15, 2010 7:36:02 GMT -5 dougedwards said:

a 48" compound bow? Did the thing have wheels? ;D

Doug

48" was standard and 44" was a "short" bow, and 42" and 40" were just plain "ridiculous". Still, my favorite bow is my Palmer White Tail Classic which I shoot a lot. 48# recurve built by Mike Palmer.
Lloyd, I started hunting with a bow early(1957) when I was 10 years old. I shot a 55# Black Widow until the early 80s(and started blending in compounds), then went to 49# Black Widow limbs, and in the 90s went to a #48 Palmer. I can shoot it all day. It is about 10-15'/sec faster than the 55# Black Widow. My recurve is a Hoyt Razortec - 57#. By keeping the poundage low, thru out life, allows easier shooting as time goes on. I've always feared damaging my ligaments, etc. 8gs/lb will get the same speed regardless of draw wt. I shot 2213s and 75-100g points with my compounds. They were pretty fast. I shoot appx 2.3gs/lb out of my x-bow(Strykeforce). It's pretty fast too .

[Harley]

Steve, we've both been at it a long time, and have had similar bows. I started about 1950 with wooden longbows, then fibreglass longbows, then custom recurves. Wooden arrows, fibreglass arrows with huge diameter shafts, aluminum arrows and so on. My first compound was a Black Widow, which still hangs by my Oregon bow.

It's only been in the last several years that I started thinking about what I was doing, though. I guess it began with a switch to High Country bows in the 1980's and the beginning transition to carbon from aluminum arrows. I finally took the plunge with the Mathews Outback, the Switchback XT, and now the Z7. I just wish I'd taken better care of myself along the way.

BTW, I finally found all the references for your Strykeforce, today; even located one to handle at BassPro. $1099 for the package. Not a toy.

Lloyd

[sw]

Lloyd,
You won't believe it. I shot a 161 5/8" (personal best, 1991) WT with a High Country (Sniper?) with Ballistic Mirage cams 57#, 28" draw length,2213s,75g Wasp 33yds on a dead run- lead it one body length. 265'/sec. My daughter shot her 1st deer with a High Country also. Parallel paths.

[Harley]

Parallel paths, indeed; kind of scary.

We wouldn't have similar MLII paths, though, if you had not taught me just about all I know about the Savage.

Lloyd