Just Curious.

I do understand that vertical guys shoot way over the ability of the bow that they use, so thats why the poll shows 30 on both sides.

Lever,
when I could I hunted with a PSE Omen (vertical) and have taken a few deer at 45 to 48 yards most being at the 35 yard mark. Now with my 3 years of hunting with a crossbow I have shot deer from 8 yards to 26 yards being my farthest go figure I do things backwards.

My farthest shot on a deer has been 45 yards. Everything was PERFECT and the deer went practically nowhere. That's the exception though as I try holding ALL my shots at 35 yards or closer. I wont hesitate taking a 35 yard shot as a feeding deer will be shot thru and thru before he knows it that close up. IMO not much difference at all between 25 and 35 yard shots when it comes to reaction times. Alert deer are different though.

This is a bit more complex.

Parkland hunting for sure the longest shot I've taken has been 28-32 yards. Go out west and that is a different calculation for open prairie shots. A 50 yard shot feels like a 35 yard shot. After returning from out west and looking at a 40 yard shot feels like a 75 yard distance sitting high in a tree. I have to range several times to confirm the distance. It's a strange phenomenon. I can't explain it.

Just adding color to the canvas before I vote.

26 to 30 yrds tops,,Too much can go wrong out there, plus my eyes are not what they used to be!

Distance wise, I hunt exactly the same way with my crossbow as I did with my compound bow. Except this year I came down out of the trees and hunted out of a ground blind.. I set up for a twenty yard shot. I killed two deer and a hog. Shots were from 18 to 22 yards....

TomOnTheRun said:

This is a bit more complex.

Parkland hunting for sure the longest shot I've taken has been 28-32 yards. Go out west and that is a different calculation for open prairie shots. A 50 yard shot feels like a 35 yard shot. After returning from out west and looking at a 40 yard shot feels like a 75 yard distance sitting high in a tree. I have to range several times to confirm the distance. It's a strange phenomenon. I can't explain it.

Just adding color to the canvas before I vote.

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You are correct. If you hunt out west and keep all shots under 35 you are sitting water or you wont be taking any shots. Baiting is illegal.

HunterB said:

You are correct. If you hunt out west and keep all shots under 35 you are sitting water or you wont be taking any shots. Baiting is illegal.

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I dont know about that. Seen lots of videos of guys stalking to within a few yards of everything other than antelope

The thrill of the hunt, for me, is getting close.

27 bucks with a crossbow; 24 taken at 20 yards or less.....

From treestand or blind I always set up for a close shot -- it is just in my nature.

Horns

Lever Action said:

I do understand that vertical guys shoot way over the ability of the bow that they use, so thats why the poll shows 30 on both sides.

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I feel it's the tv shows that have glamorized the longer shots, not showing the bad hits and wounded deer. I will hunt with my crossbow the same way I hunt with my compound. It's all I know.

I am quite confident to consistently hit the kill zone of a deer within 30..35 yards.
I regularly shoot at (rubber) deer at 50 yards, and I know it is a challenge. About one quarter of the shots miss the kill zone. Pretty sure a moving live animal and buck fever would not make it easier.
As said, crossbows are not allowed at my club's parcours.

wb_hunter said:

I am quite confident to consistently hit the kill zone of a deer within 30..35 yards.
I regularly shoot at (rubber) deer at 50 yards, and I know it is a challenge. About one quarter of the shots miss the kill zone. Pretty sure a moving live animal and buck fever would not make it easier.
As said, crossbows are not allowed at my club's parcours.

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It's fun to target shoot at the longer distances, but 30 yard is my max for hunting.

For me, it's not a matter of distance but of style. I don't prefer to hunt on the ground with a vertical bow. Too much motion necessary for the draw and aim, the safety harness to deal with, and I like to stand to shoot, so there's that. With the crossbow, I just brush myself in on the ground a bit and sit next to a log. Much more comfortable. I can shoot from sitting or stand if I feel like it. I can move around, access stuff easy.... I just like it better.

I live in Wyoming. Shots here are distance shots. I have used a PSE compound for years. I got a crossbow because I wanted to be able to shoot further than I can with my compound. I haven't hunted with it yet because I want to be 100% comfortable, and I just got it. I hope to shoot over 50 yards. I am still not sure if the fps at that distance will be lethal.

Djfan said:

I live in Wyoming. Shots here are distance shots. I have used a PSE compound for years. I got a crossbow because I wanted to be able to shoot further than I can with my compound. I haven't hunted with it yet because I want to be 100% comfortable, and I just got it. I hope to shoot over 50 yards. I am still not sure if the fps at that distance will be lethal.

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For most crossbows and arrow weights, appx 25% of KE is lost from 0 to 100 yards. If energy is a problem at any conceivable hunting range, there wasn’t enough energy to start with.

HunterB said:

You are correct. If you hunt out west and keep all shots under 35 you are sitting water or you wont be taking any shots. Baiting is illegal.

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Absolutely agree with your post.

Lever Action said:

I dont know about that. Seen lots of videos of guys stalking to within a few yards of everything other than antelope

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I don't know about that. Try getting close to a pronghorn with 8 power vision and 270° peripheral vision on DIY hunts with no baiting. I've gone three times and son in law 7 times (he's very good) the closest shot from everyone in my group has been 50 yards on a stalk and the goat was asleep at the time. Monster goat too.

Might depend on location, Water, yes like Hunter B stated but stalking that is another level of hunting beyond my skills but I always try. It's crazy action though when the stalk begins. Exhaustion and excitement at the same time. Roller coaster ride for sure.

I do hunt with a crossbow the same way that I did with a compound. I've killed 6 so far with the crossbow in the last 3 years. I took my longest & closest crossbow shots this year (30 & 10 yards). The 10 yard shot resulted in much more drama than either 30 yard shot. My longest with a compound was 40 yards and I'd say that I am more confident with my crossbow at 50 yards than I was with a compound at 40 yards.