41 replies to this topic

[Tazewell]

I'm new to xbows...when I used to use a bow, I was taught to aim lower on the deer since on arrow release, they tend to drop down before springing up to run.   Should I do the same thing using a crossbow?  Or, does the higher speed of the bolt compensate?

Any help would be great.

Tazewell

[Terminal-operator]

To answer the question, yes deer can still jump the string on a crossbow. There are a number of factors that can change the outcome. How far away, how on edge are they, etc etc. On a 30 yard shot with just about any make of crossbow, aim for the boiler room and you'll be good. Vertical bow knowledge is good to have. Xbows are still a stick and a string. A little faster a little more accurate. Basically the same rules apply though.

[Buck_Slayer]

Terminal-operator, on 25 January 2012 - 07:28 PM, said:

To answer the question, yes deer can still jump the string on a crossbow. There are a number of factors that can change the outcome. How far away, how on edge are they, etc etc. On a 30 yard shot with just about any make of crossbow, aim for the boiler room and you'll be good. Vertical bow knowledge is good to have. Xbows are still a stick and a string. A little faster a little more accurate. Basically the same rules apply though.

Agreed. Aim for the heart. If they do dip down you'll still hit vitals.

[Corky]

As Xbows are noisey and sometimes the nocks are lighted, I'd bet that the further away you are from the deer the more likely they'd jump the string...this is my first year with a Xbow and I'm limiting myself to 30 yds... more likely, 25 yd shots. I don't feel at these distances deer can react fast enough... correct me if I'm wrong.

shooting Barnett Wildcat C5. 320 FPS, just under 100 lbs of KE...

I watched Ted Nugent on You Tube speaking at the 2012 show, he said his wife downs everything with a 38 lb. bow. Yes she's close, yes she's accurate and yes she's much better to look at than Ted!

Corky

[Aimo]

I remember one time i calculate the time you need to hit a deer from 30 yards with speed of 300+ FPS and it was about 1/3 secound .. not much time for the deer !!!

[deerboy]

can't remember where I saw the formula for figuring out how much reaction time a deer has... but I thought I'd heard that anything over 250fps and at 20 yards deer don't have time to get out of the way -- assuming the shot was headed precisely for center of vitals. Something about Gravity not allowing the deer to fall fast enough.

Most Xbows are easily 300fps and most common and cheap models are 320-340fps.  THIS is plenty of speed and power... really "overkill" if you ask me for what turns out to be 10, 15 and 20 yard shots.  The chase for speed is pure marketing ... and really just guys and gals having fun IMO.  Of course some folks will try and convince you that it's all about "flatter trajectory" and "distance estimation" is less prone to error...blah blah blah. It's just an excuse to buy another xbow.  Xbow companies are making Hefty profits and me, you and the rest of us keep buying.    The smarter thing to do would be to buy stock and use the profits to buy more xbows   my 2 cents

Edited by deerboy, 25 January 2012 - 11:48 PM.

[irish1169]

I watched 6 deer killed by a horton summit 150, 260fps 61 ke, 2 were long range and 4 were close, under 30 yards. Not a single one of them flinched until hit as far as the naked eye could see.

[gahunter]

i've never had that problem with my crossbow,i did with a compound one reason for the switch,i.ve shot deer at 40yds(food plot shot)and yeah they went down,straight down!my bow shoots about 330 fps.

[edge]

I have seen hunting shows where deer drop 1 full body height in 1/10 second.

I have mainly found that under 10 yards and over 30 yards to be pretty safe.
In between seems to where they might hear the bow and react.
Under 10 I don't think they have time and over 30 the sound seems to be dampened by the surroundings.

Your mileage may vary

edge.

[briarpatch]

the speed of sound is roughly 1125 fps.....unless your crossbow can outshoot that, jumping the string is always a possibility.  The sound of the arrow being released will always reach the deer before the arrow does.

[robertyb]

I have been bow hunting over 45 years and have seen many a deer jump the string. I do not think I have ever seen a relaxed deer do so though. Every one I have witnessed was at least on partial alert that something was not right first.

[Aimo]

edge, on 26 January 2012 - 12:33 PM, said:

I have seen hunting shows where deer drop 1 full body height in 1/10 second.


edge.

NO WAY !! Thats faster than bullet !!!

[Aimo]

robertyb, on 26 January 2012 - 04:27 PM, said:

I have been bow hunting over 45 years and have seen many a deer jump the string. I do not think I have ever seen a relaxed deer do so though. Every one I have witnessed was at least on partial alert that something was not right first.

Thats more believable..

[FuzzyFultz]

I pulled a greenhorn shot on a respectful 8 point buck in Ohio this year. I had hunted all week and saw a few smaller bucks and this was the last day. I have bowhunted for 30 years, but the excitement still gets to me once in a while.

I was hunting with my vert bow (Mathews MQ1 info below in signature), this deer caught me sitting in my stand. He came from behind me and I never heard him coming. So he got past me and I finally was able to stand and turn. To late, he was already past my shooting lane and leaving. Then all of a sudden someone shot a shotgun at one of the nearby homes. This startled the buck and he did a two step back in my direction and then started the slow step and look, frigidity move and I drew as he passed my stand. He stopped after I grunted and at the 25 yard shot I saw him drop down at least 18 inches. The arrow still caught him behind the shoulder area in a downward angle, I was at least 25 feet up. But the shot was higher than I like, for I did not hold low. I held dead center behind the shoulder.

The arrow went in at least 10 inches and broke off. The deer went right passed my hunting buddy Jerry. He passed Jerry and his Horton Summit at 12 yards. Jerry saw that I had shot this deer and new it was me from the direction the deer had come. Jerry decided not to shoot for he thought that from what he saw the deer was going to fall over dead any time. The deer went out of his sight and we looked for that deer all the rest of morning. We never found it.

A rooky shot I know, I should have held lower knowing the circumstances and what the deer would do. So my story should be a lesson. Although I was using a vert bow and I do not know the speed of the bow. You should always shoot for the boiler room as close to the heart as possible with crossbow or vert bow in my opinion. The vert bow is 63 lb,using a Scott caliper release, the arrow was a carbon Easton Epic 29 1/2" , the broadhead is 100 grain.

I can not help but to think that if I had my Parker Cyclone he would have been taking a drag behind my four wheeler and then a ride in my little trailer attached to my Rav 4. But really I do not know that for sure. As someone else already said, the speed of sound is so fast that the circumstances would probably been the same. I know from experience that deer can and will jump the string.....

Edited by FuzzyFultz, 26 January 2012 - 09:31 PM.

[Terminal-operator]

briarpatch, on 26 January 2012 - 03:29 PM, said:

the speed of sound is roughly 1125 fps.....unless your crossbow can outshoot that, jumping the string is always a possibility.  The sound of the arrow being released will always reach the deer before the arrow does.

With enough prodding I hope Lightfoot will come through with this!!! 1125 fps should be no problem for him!!

[edge]

aimo61, on 26 January 2012 - 08:35 PM, said:

NO WAY !! Thats faster than bullet !!!

On what planet?

Let's do the math,1 full body height = about 16 inches SO 16 inches in 1/10 second = 160 inches in a full second = 160 inches in a second  = 13.3 feet per second.

Now that you mention it, if you DROP a bullet it will FALL about 16 feet in that first second due to gravity

edge.

Edited by edge, 27 January 2012 - 02:48 AM.

[Tazewell]

Thanks for all the responses.   I guess to sum this all up.....if a Doe is relaxed and feeding (or a Buck is in rut and sniffing that Does butt, and I'm within 10-20 yards, I should aim at the heart lung area.  Or - if they are edgy, nervous, and the same distance, I should aim right at the heart.  Does this sound right?


Tazewell

[edge]

If you are on the ground and they are looking at you, or they know you are there but can't quite figure out what you are then an arrow is much too slow to hit them at more that a few yards!
If you are lucky you will have a complete miss but most often you will wound them!

Remember if you can see one of their eyes they may catch your movement, that of your bow, or even the arrow.
IIRC they have about 160 degree of vision and mainly zero in on movement.

edge.

[robertyb]

Tazewell, on 27 January 2012 - 07:23 AM, said:

Thanks for all the responses.   I guess to sum this all up.....if a Doe is relaxed and feeding (or a Buck is in rut and sniffing that Does butt, and I'm within 10-20 yards, I should aim at the heart lung area.  Or - if they are edgy, nervous, and the same distance, I should aim right at the heart.  Does this sound right?


Tazewell

Bingo, I think you got it.

[schneep]

Last deer of the season last year, 36 yards, very high alert, looking right at me.  It didn't move until after the arrow had gone through completely.  
Did I say I love my Tac 15i.