Not long ago, I had occasion to spend a few hours with the owners of one of the largest arrow broadhead companies in today’s hunting industry. I’d been tasked with driving them from the Bangor International Airport to a northern Maine outfitter for a September moose hunt, and naturally, the conversation turned to archery hunting.
Over the next two hours or so, we talked about everything from product engineering to sales and testimonials, the most notable of which was an archery hunting celebrity who they claimed had killed a big game animal at 100 yards with one of their broadheads.
As the discussion continued, we dove deep into the matter of maximum effective archery hunting ranges — the distance from which a hunter can kill an animal. Somewhat embarrassingly, I revealed that mine were nearly half the distances they were referencing. It was understandable, though, since they were both extremely proficient archers who’d spent decades honing their shooting and hunting skills as part of their profession.
I’ve reflected on our conversation often over the last year or so, and despite their much-appreciated perspectives, tips and tricks, my maximum effective range has yet to extend by even a single yard.
Through the years, my affinity for archery hunting has waxed and waned. In my teens and early 20s, I preferred it over all else, proudly identifying as a dedicated bow hunter. But after leaving college and joining the workforce, I sold my bow to pay for a set of truck tires and stepped away from the sport for several years. Then, a half dozen or so years ago, I saved up enough money to buy a decent compound and climbed back in the saddle, albeit slightly less enthused.
This year though, for some reason I’ve found myself more excited than ever for the regular archery deer season. And as any responsible archery hunter should do, I’ve spent countless hours practicing in the back yard with my equipment, which now includes a middle of the road crossbow, working on proper form, estimating distances and developing what most refer to as a “maximum effective range”.
In other words, the farthest distance at which one feels they can effectively, efficiently and with confidence make a clean, ethical shot on an animal.
One of archery hunting’s most appealing aspects is the practice involved, which becomes a recreation itself. Plain and simple, slinging arrows at targets in the back yard is a ton of fun.
As with any other shooting activity, the main goal becomes replication of tight groups in the bullseye. As the groups tighten, we tend to back up farther and farther from the target until the game becomes how far accurate shots can be made.
With all the technological advancements in archery equipment these days, those ranges can be impressive and it’s not uncommon to see great groups beyond 50, 60 or even 70 yards for the average archer.
And while that may be a fun challenge, there’s a tendency to get caught up in the confidence a back yard provides. Shooting a foam deer target at 60 yards in shorts and a T-shirt with all the time in the world on a beautiful August evening is far different than most real-world hunting scenarios.
A lot can happen between the time an arrow leaves the string and reaches its intended target. Regardless of how confident one might be in their shooting abilities, we can never control all the variables. Heart Rates increase, adrenaline courses, winds blow and the game animal moves. Every yard brings with it more opportunity for failure in the form of a miss or even worse, a wounded animal.
As hunters, we owe it to the game we pursue to deliver clean, well-placed, ethical shots resulting in a quick kill and easy recovery. Imagine the relaxed conditions under which that perfect 60-yard group was accomplished while practicing with dozens or hundreds of arrows and where failure had no consequence.
Now imagine having one shot at the buck of a lifetime while he feeds slowly at 60 yards as you struggle to catch your breath, calm your nerves and settle your pin. You’ve made the shot before off the back deck. You even boastfully posted pictures of it on social media. There’s the shot, should you take it?
I enjoy shooting my compound bow and crossbow as much as the next person and at times, I test the limits of my equipment as an entertaining challenge. But that’s where it ends for me. My equipment is much more capable than my abilities and no manner of gadgetry can overcome unexpected real-world hunting circumstances.
For that reason, I set very humble maximum effective hunting ranges for myself and believe more people should as well. I’m comfortable inside 25 yards with my compound and out to 35 yards with my crossbow.
I genuinely enjoyed my time and conversation with those fellows from the archery company. They were clearly passionate about the outdoors, hunting and their industry. As for the 100-yard shot made by their sponsored hunting celebrity? In my mind it’s hard to justify glorifying, condoning or encouraging such an act, but that’s a multifaceted conversation for another time and place.
A couple weeks later, a package arrived on my porch. It was two sets of the company’s tried and true flagship mechanical crossbow broadheads, compliments of the owners. They seem like an excellent product and I’m excited to send one toward a deer this October, provided he’s within 35 yards.
