10, 20, & 30 I can do 35yds in a pinch, but have never really practiced over 30. If I can't get them that close I guess I need to move my stand, or change my deodorant.I flung an arrow at a bruiser in Richloam 1 year at 50 yards. Suprisingly the arrow was spot on, but I watched the deer jump out of the way of the approaching arrow. For most archers I would say stay inside 30.
40 is about it for me
I used to compete in a lot of International field rounds and I'd love to see the average bowhunter on these ranges. Known yardages out to sixty-five yards and varied in five yard increments to ten yards. It's funny how few bowhunters will step out onto the competitive target range, but I used to compete (and quite competitively) with my hunting rigs, exactly as I'd take it to the woods. I used to love 3-d shooting and always shot the "open" class with my hunting rig, I'd never step up to the short stakes, giving me unknown yardages out to forty-five!
#-D was great practice, but I benefitted most from the International rounds out to sixty-five yards. Practicing regularly out to sixty-five yards will make a thirty yards shot a no-brainer! Plus the extra excercise will always pay off by the time you get to the woods!
In my opinion one inch on the range is about four inches in the woods. If you go into it with the mentality that you have have three inches to play with and then you add in adrenaline and buck fever coupled with awkward shooting positions you can make that group five or six inches which is the difference between an ethically killed deer or a miss or worse yet a wounded animal. I have a sixty yard pin on my bow and practice with it but would never shoot at a living thing that far.
The longest I practice at is 40 yds, but in actual settings, I don't usually shoot over 30 yds. It's just my personal limit to (hopefully) insure an ethical kill.
