My reason for bow hunting is I love the challenge of getting close. I have killed only one doe with a recurve bow. It took almost the whole season. Got her at 6 yards. was a little more challenging than I cared for. I finished the season with my compound bow.
Over the past 40 years I have taken well over 100 deer with my compound bows and one was at 30 yards. Most were less than 20 yards.
My Scorpyd and my Hickory Creek mini are both capable of taking much longer shots. To me longer shots are for gun hunters who can’t get close.

 

I'm with you. I recently bought a 6.5 creedmoor and said I need to bloody the thing.

shot a pretty decent buck with it.

I'm like - ehh.

Not the same adrenaline rush when you get in close enough to see then whiskers, and shoot em with your crossbow.

Next deer I was back to the stick and string for me....

Now - if I had the property where I could stretch out the gun hunting for some long range shooting - maybe.... that would crank me up. Don't know.

 

To me, I hunt for the challenge of getting close regardless of weapon. When I want to shoot far and I like to do that, I shoot targets. Occasionally, I do miss, don't want to hurt the animal.

 

I like 30yds and under. Has nothing to do with my ability or the crossbow I'm using. Its the environment in which I hunt. Twigs and smaller obstacles are harder to see even with magnification. Dawn and dusk it's even more difficult. I hunt public land exclusively and if you're not hunting the thick stuff, you're just birdwatching.

 

I shoot a 360TD and practice at 60 yards consistently.On an unalerted relaxed deer that would be my limit.

 

Just curious what you would consider an un alert deer. I consider a deer with its head down feeding as an un alerted deer. An alert deer has its head up and looking. Did you know a deer with its head down, uses the weight of the head and neck to load the legs to run, therefore goes down quicker and further than gravity.

 

Depends on the shot. And definitely depends on your confidence.

 

I practice at 75-80 yards and last night 45 yards in the open Oak hardwoods. GearHead Cross bow with Rage broad-head that little meat buck took two steps dropped over stone dead. Yes if you are practicing and capable 40 yards is chip shot. I am in Wisconsin in the open hardwoods you can see out to 200 yards in some spots furthest shot I took on a deer was 53 yards that arrow dropped right into the boiler room. I ranged him with a range finder picked my pin and arrows away.

 

40 is too far. I keep mine within 25. Even if the deer is totally relaxed the sound of a crossbow going "Thunk" and you'll have a bad hit. Just not worth it. Work harder to get them closer and save the hail Marys for basketball

 

That entirely depends on you. If you have practiced shooting at 40 yards and the crossbow is shooting at that range accurately you are good to go. I cannot stress enough how important the practice is. Shooting accurately at any range depends a lot on your ability to do it. So, practice and then practice some more.

I've killed deer at 40 yards with an Excalibur Exomax crossbow shooting at less speed than yours. Got pass throughs and short recoveries.

Bill

 

Bill it certainly can be done. We have more than enough power and our great equipment. Off a bench grouping 6” at 60 yards is doable. In a treestand, shooting off hand it’s a crap shoot. Just not willing to take a chance on wounding a deer because I couldn’t’ get it closer. If we can’t get him closer we get to play again another day. Jmoymmv 😁

 

When I started shooting a 400 fps crossbow I uped my max shooting distance to 45, it has worked well for me. The deer has to be broadside. I know my exact distance before I shoot. I do shoot out of a Summit Viper treestand which has a rail. I would never off hand shoot at deer at that distance. With most of the 400 fps crossbows shooting at 45 off a rest is easy. You could hand a crossbow to a nonshooter tell them where to aim and most would shoot well enough to harvest deer off a rest at 45 it is not that hard.

 

ya im assuming many were referencing offhand hunters
otherwise im confused how many imply crossbow range is limited by skill. every new person i handed a scoped crossbow and a rest hit fine at 40. with rest i only worry about accuracy in the sense it will cause overconfidence and push into ducking range.