Curious.... excluding crossbow users... at what ranges and target sizes would you recommend for deer hunting practice? what would an average deer kill safe distance shot be considered? i shoot sightless longbow but just bought a recurve n might consider putting a reflex type sight on it and maybe hunt w it down the line...obviously its skilled base but looking for rough generics as i have no base to go for. ie."for a pistol shot at a human the average shooter could manage a 25 yard still target shot, twice that for more ept average joe" type of answer

 

40 was always my absolute max at deer...ethical choice. I practiced further. You can get good at farther distance, sure but Problem is movement after release. They can duck it. Had a misplaced shot due to that, once. I no longer bow hunt. All boils down to what you are willing to accept.

 

I am an avid 3d shooter with a compound and am able to shoot 4-6 inch groups at 50 yards consistently. The longest shot I have ever tried in a hunting situation was 42 yards and the deer ran about 25 yards before dropping.

That being said my average shot over 30 years of bowhunting is about 12 yards. Those that I know who shoot recurves and long bows rarely ever shoot beyond 20 yards and prefer to be about what my average shot has been over the years.

I see that your in Long Branch. I am from Highlands and would recommend that you check out the Traditional Bowhunters of NJ. Also Black Knights Bowbenders in Jackson. Hope this helps.

 

Cool thanks for the info! my back yard has a natural backstop going into a hill but from the deck its probably at most 10-12 yards. Long ways at the back of my yard I could probably almost get a good 20 yards but theres no backstop, and those safty net things they sell are insanly overpriced! think i'm going to look around the neighborhood next gargbage day for a 50" tv box or similiar, stuff it with newspaper and magazines and see how that works to prevent arrows from going into the woods behing there lol