Be Careful When It Comes To Long-Range Target Practice

This is both a blessing and a curse.

The ability to hit a small target with an arrow from a football field away is evidence of good form, plenty of practice, and a flawless bow setup. All of those things should be aspirational goals for all archery hunters. Yet, the skill and gear needed to make that shot after several rounds of practice and during ideal conditions is one thing. Making it on something with a heartbeat out there in Mother Nature’s realm is a different story.

All of those videos you can go find on social platforms don’t exactly demonstrate this because you’ve been hand-fed the highlight reels. No one is going to post a video of themselves taking a 90-yard shot and then burying an arrow into a deer’s guts or an elk’s shoulder. Keep in mind that no one is going to post a video of themselves missing by three feet on a shot like that, either.

Just Because You Can…

We all know the benefits of target practice at longer ranges, which for most bowhunters probably means shooting beyond 40 or 50 yards. If you can keep it together on those shots, the closer shots you’re likely to encounter in the woods should be a breeze. You’re also going to get a crash course on your shooting form and shot execution with those longer pokes. Lastly, any flaws in your setup will only be illuminated by trying to make more difficult shots while watching your arrow travel greater distances through the air.

The downside comes from the false confidence of being a decently competent long-range foam shooter. Hitting a 3D target in the vitals at 70 yards in the middle of a practice session is one thing. It’s another to do it on a real deer while wearing your hunting clothing, and after sitting in the elements for hours. Factor in the inevitable adrenalin, the cold muscles, and the randomness of another animal’s movements, and the whole thing is ripe for failure.

Somewhere in this is a compromise, it’s just hard to hold ourselves to it.

Know Your Actual Limits

I used to practice a lot and at a lot of long ranges. I was good, too. I took that confidence out west with me and even proved my abilities on a few antelope and mule deer. I got downright cocky. This bit me right in the ass eventually because it’s hard to pass up an opportunity on a game animal that you’re fully capable of killing.

It took me a couple of extremely frustrating and fruitless bloodtrails to face the reality that I’d talked myself into believing I was an exceptional shot. I wasn’t. I was good enough to hit targets that were far by archery standards, but that didn’t transcend into the woods on actual critters with enough consistency to make me feel ethical. I pushed a few shots I shouldn’t have because I thought I could make them. I could have made them, too, but I didn’t. And that was irresponsible.

This is a tale that not only highlights how much of a dumbass I can be but is something cautionary for anyone else who is enamored with long-range practice sessions. You absolutely should shoot distances at the range that are farther than you would shoot at real animals in the field. You’ll be a better shot for it, and you’ll have more fun in the off-season when you’re prepping for the fall.

But, it’s also possible you’ll convince yourself that what you can do while standing flat-footed in ideal summer conditions is what you can do in the November woods when you haven’t practiced in a week. That’s danger zone territory. While it might break your way to reach out and try to touch a buck on the other end of the field, it’s pretty likely it won’t.

In an ideal world, we’d all be able to practice long range shots all summer long, but not even be tempted to take those shots in the field. We don’t live in an ideal world. We live in a world where we have to condition ourselves to shoot for the most favorable outcome.

For most of us, that probably means having fun on the range while telling ourselves that it’s going to be 40 yards and in all season long. While you might miss out on a few shot opportunities this way, you’re far more likely to regret the questionable shots you take versus the ones you pass on.

For more summertime shooting info, check out these articles: To Fill More Tags, Keep Your Whitetail Bow As Simple As Possible, Archery Tuning Basics Every Bowhunter Should Know, and How Target Practice Can Make You A Bad Shot.