I am getting into bowhunting, after making my way through rifles and handguns, and I am debating between traditional and compound bows. What distance is your typical shot at game in open country?

I live and hunt in the Western United States, plains, deserts, etc., and I expect the shots will be a little longer than the thick woods of the East, and I am trying to determine if a traditional bow (recurve or longbow) will suffice.

Thanks Gents!

Jesse

If you live in the western U.S., you'll find that the average shot distance will be much longer than in the east. And by longer, I mean by as much as twice or more distance.

That's not to say that you can't get closer (i.e. 20 yards or less), but your chances of that happening become much less.

If you're looking into traditional equipment, remember that your maximum distance will be likely 40 yards or less.

And with a decent, modern compound, you can extend that range to about 60 yards, with sufficient practice shooting and range estimation.

I love traditional equipment, but for hunting, prefer to use a compound bow. But that's just me....

Those long shots with trad equipment just don't work. My longest kill with the longbow is 30 yards and there was a bit of luck involved. There are ways to get close to game in more open areas but it's still not easy.

Get a good rangefinder to go with that compound. Your biggest enemy in long range shots is not knowing the exact distance. A difference of three yards can mean a few inches in elevation.