# Crossbow range.



## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

I have a 175lb draw Horton Legend SL crossbow that has a multi range scope. I have it dialed in at 20,30 and 40yrs. I have 50yrd mark as well in the crosshairs. 

My question is that with a horton carbon strike mx bolt and a 100gr spitfile 3 blade mechanical head, if i can accurately shoot it at 50yrs on target, what penetration will it have on a deer? WIll it pass thru or only go part way in?


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## nick99 (Mar 8, 2010)

if you have good shot placement it will go threw.


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

At 50yrs, id have to be amin for the heart/lung area so thru the initial rib cage thur the other side, unless anyone has any other ideas.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

TomC said:


> At 50yrs, id have to be amin for the heart/lung area so thru the initial rib cage thur the other side, unless anyone has any other ideas.


I can see no reason to aim at any other target on the deer but the heart/lung vitals area. Anything else would just be asking for trouble.

As far as whether it would go through I would say yes as long as you hit your target accurately enough. It will definitely not have as much energy at the point of impact but should still get adequate penetration on a properly placed shot.

A 50 yard shot with a bow is a long shot and a lot can happen from the time that arrow leaves the bow. I have a crossbow that my boys use and I personally would not shoot at a deer beyond about 35 yards because of the drop of the arrow and the loss of accuracy. I can not speak specifically about your bow. I have heard others mention that they shoot that far but I have never witnessed it firsthand.

I assume you are shooting your broadheads at that distance when target practicing? Any difference in the field tip to the broadhead will make a difference in accuracy. Even the slightest difference in weight between the two will be magnified at that distance.


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

Ive shot the braodheads at 20,30 and 40. There does not seem to much of a difference from the field points to the broadheads in accuracy. I know at 40yrds im in a 4" group with both. I dont know if this is good or not.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

i hunted strictly with my compound bow this year. but i still bust out the good old horton hunter 150 and do target shoot to keep in tune. i use thunderhead 125's and have a single pin set at 25 yards (same with my comp bow) i will shoot at targets out to 40 , but 30 would be my limit on deer in most instances ( just like a bow). too much can go wrong. anyone who tells you its ok to take 50 yard shots in ohio woods at a live animal is giving you bad advise IMO. at 40 yards im getting better than 4" groups, but i still probably wont take that far of a shot, i didnt say wouldnt, because conditions matter. the bottom line is... practice and become comfortable with your equiptment and your ability.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Just my opinion

If it is worth taking the shot it is worth ensuring a high probability of a well placed shot and a quick clean kill.

The problem with shooting a deer versus a target is the deer does not just stand and wait on the arrow to arrive.

At 300 FPS it will take the arrow 1/2 second of flight time for 50 yds

Speed of sound is 3-1/2 times faster than your arrow.

Sound reaches the deer at 50 yds in approx .13 seconds

Deer reaction time is around .08 seconds

A deer walking at a SLOW pace of 3 ft per second (2 MPH) will have moved 1-1/2 ft during the arrow flight time.


Closer is always better, extended range shots raises the likelihood of a bad result by many factors.

High speed bows can not a bowhunter make.

Kim


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## pj4wd (Dec 9, 2009)

A well placed shot at 50 yards should pass thru a deer with the set up you have. I practice 50 yard shots but never attempted one while hunting. 35 yards and closer I'm comfortable with. Conditions permitting I might take a 50 yarder but it has'nt happened yet.


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## Jigging Jim (Apr 3, 2010)

Lundy said:


> Just my opinion
> 
> If it is worth taking the shot it is worth ensuring a high probability of a well placed shot and a quick clean kill.
> 
> ...


I have to agree with Lundy on this one. Is it really worth the risk of a botched shot and a wounded deer escaping, just to have that 50 yard shot? It's okay to limit your distance for taking shots. Vertical Bowhunters do it all the time.


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## Huntinbull (Apr 10, 2004)

i am of the same mindset as Lundy and Jim. I limit my Horton crossbow to 40 yards under ideal conditions. Standing calm deer, Little or no wind, and steady rest for my elbow/crossbow. Otherwise (if these conditions are not met) I limit my shots to 30 yds or less. I have seen deer "jump the string" or flinch at the sound of the release, and move their vitals several inches vertically as well as horizontally. A bad hit is a terrible thing. Deer feel pain, maybe not the same as we do as humans, but they feel it. Just my .02 cents.


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## LEfriend (Jun 14, 2009)

I have a Parker Buckbuster 150# with scope, that will definitely group them and packs a punch. I have no drop out to 25 yards and one pin (about 1" drop) difference at 35 yards. My third pin will put in a 2-3 inch group at 40-45 yards, if I have the yardage figured exact that is. Normally I won't take a shot at anything over about 30 yards for that reason... I want a good kill or not at all.

A year ago I had a buck standing nice, still, and broadside one evening in the open field outside the woods in fading light. I was on ground and took what I thought was about a 30 - 35 yard shot. I hit the deer and it ran 50 yards and dropped for good. When I got to him, the arrow had gone clean through both back quarters and the arrow was laying in one piece back where I had hit him. It had sliced the femoral artery and he bled right out.

I could tell right where he was when I hit him from the blood and dirt kicked up where he bolted. So I stepped the distance off back to where I had stood when I shot...do that in my day work so I am fairly accurate. Holy cow...I had misjudged badly the distance in the diminishing light and open field - it paced off at a 45 yard shot! Had I known that I likely never would have taken the shot.

Point is the arrow still had the punch to go clean through both quarters at that distance. But I was lucky I hit that artery, or it would have been a shot I badly wanted back . My elevation was right but most likely I hit back on the animal because he moved that much during arrow flight.

Like said below, the farther out you get, the more the odds of a clean kill go down. Every little thing off is magnified. Doing it at the target is not the same as doing it in the woods. I agree with Huntinbull, I would never knowingly try a 50, and anything over 35 has to be a perfect setup.

And oh by the way, Santa left a lasar range finder under my tree on Saturday. Gonna make a world of difference! And I do like that Parker bow!


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## Snook (Aug 19, 2008)

A 50yd shot is out there with that xbow. My guess is that you would not get a pass through with the Spitfire mechanical head. You would have enough energy/penetration to kill a deer though.


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

Just wanted to let everyone know that a 50yrd shot is possible with this bow. I took one yesterday. The does were holding at 50yrds in the middle of a trail. I used the range finder and it showed exactly 50yrs. I drew up the primos shooting stick and held steady. I lined the bottom cross hair up and pulled the trigger. The deer let out a groan and bucked and ran off. I got up went to the spot where the deer was and found the arrow covered with fur and blood. The deer went 20yrds and dropped. When i cleaned the deer I found that I had hit her perfectly in the heart. So yes its possible and very doable. I was shooting from the ground so there was not much of a wind factor.


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## kprice (May 23, 2009)

Tough to put an arrow through the heart with a bow, especially from 50 yards. Especially when the arrow exits the other side. I always thought the heart was behind the shoulder. Do you have any pics?


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## pj4wd (Dec 9, 2009)

Sounds like you made a great shot TomC. Congrats. Got any pics?


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

TomC said:


> Just wanted to let everyone know that a 50yrd shot is possible with this bow. I took one yesterday. The does were holding at 50yrds in the middle of a trail. I used the range finder and it showed exactly 50yrs. I drew up the primos shooting stick and held steady. I lined the bottom cross hair up and pulled the trigger. The deer let out a groan and bucked and ran off. I got up went to the spot where the deer was and found the arrow covered with fur and blood. The deer went 20yrds and dropped. When i cleaned the deer I found that I had hit her perfectly in the heart. So yes its possible and very doable. I was shooting from the ground so there was not much of a wind factor.


what broadhead did you make this shot with?


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

kprice said:


> Tough to put an arrow through the heart with a bow, especially from 50 yards. Especially when the arrow exits the other side. I always thought the heart was behind the shoulder. Do you have any pics?


Front part of heart would be difficult to find on pass-through without catching shoulder blade on one side or the other. But on a broadside shot there is enough heart exposed to make it through.

That is a fine shot Tom. I certainly would not advise everyone to take 50 yard shots at deer but it sounds as if you did a good deal of practicing from that distance and had a good range finder to verify. Any of a number of things could prevent you from coming up golden on that shot but it sounds like you did everything right. Great job!


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

I'm glad it worked out for you TomC - congrats!

I'm not afraid to say I strongly oppose taking a 50yd+ shot with an X-bow. 50 yards is a long way and certainly can be made - just look out west when they hunt pronghorn and muleys. However, based on pure physics, an X-bow is not suited for a shot this distance. An arrow from an X-bow loses kinetic energy past 30 yards at a much greater rate than an arrow from a vertical bow. You take a standard 175lb X-bow shooting 300-325 FPS with a X2219 bolt with a 100 grain head and at 40 yards it is entering the danger zone as far as kinetic energy is concerned. You are taking a risk that you don't have enough energy to kill that deer. At 50 yards you darn sure better hit it just right because that arrow flat out doesn't have the energy for any margin of error. Not to mention the other factors involved here.

Before I get jumped on - this has NOTHING to do with X-bow vs Vertical bow. I shoot both/have killed deer with both and firmly believe if a weapon is legal it is fine to hunt with by any hunter regardless of age or physical abilities. This is entirely based on physics. Look at the physics and you'll see an X-bow is by design a weapon that should be used inside 115 feet.


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## Snook (Aug 19, 2008)

First...kudos for still being out there hunting. Secondly...sounds like you made a great shot. Curious as to whether you had a complete pass through with a Spitfire or did the arrow work it's way back out the entrance hole?

I have the Barnett Buck Commander xbow. Wow does it scream and it is accurate! At 50 yds I can shoot a 2-3in group with my Rage 125gr practice blades. And the arrows are burried and very difficult to get out of the target. Chronogragh at 370fps! That's with a 22in bolt and 125gr head. I helped Barnett sell at least 5 of these xbows to my friends because they were skeptical then immediately impressed. 50yds under the right conditions is definitely no problem with this xbow


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

I wish I had pics. We processed it right after the kill. Your are correct the heart is behind the shoulder. I aimed just to the right of where i would usually aim due to wind. One of the blades hit right at the joint of the front right leg and passed thru the joint. The arrow then went into the cavity and hit the heart and started going thru the other shoulder. I found the broadhead with about 2 inches of the arrow in the left shoulder bone. If i would have aimed in my normal area Im sure that there would have had a straight pass thru.

The boradhead i use is the 100gr Spitfire 3 blade. The broad head didnt loose any blades nor were any broke or beat up, it only needs cleaned to be used again. It wasnt a complete pass thru, but with the boradhead hitting the heart and going to another shoulder, all right.

Ive been out on weds and thursdays since gun week. Im dedicated and cant seeing wasting a $24.00 tag. Plus with my high stress job it like the relaxation and quiet time. Nothing beats getting alot of sleep time with mother nature.


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## Snook (Aug 19, 2008)

Great report! Thank's for sharing that info and good luck on future hunts.


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## Huntinbull (Apr 10, 2004)

Tomc,
Did you find the arrow at the site of the shot or in the off shoulder. Confused about the events. First post said you found the arrow at the site of the hit. Last one says you found the broadhead in the off shoulder.
Signed
"baffled"

PS you should probably sharpen that broadhead before you use it again. Only guessing that the edge has taken some wear on the way through.


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## ohiogary (Dec 14, 2006)

Huntinbull,
I think we are both in the same boat on this one.....confused.....


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

TomC said:


> I was shooting from the ground so there was not much of a wind factor.


ok, no wind here......


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

TomC said:


> I aimed just to the right of where i would usually aim due to wind.


now we got wind

im starting to become confused as others are...


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Found the arrow, no wind, broadhead stuck in shoulder bone and no damage, aimed to adjust for wind..............???????


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## catfishnut (Dec 23, 2010)

ezbite said:


> now we got wind
> 
> im starting to become confused as others are...


I know what you mean ezbite something smells fishy here!!! The guys would have a field day with this tread on the BHO site!!!! site!!!LOL


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

There was not much wind in the woods. Outside em there was a 10-15mph breeze blowing from the north. I adjusted to be safe but i didnt need to if i would have shot as i should have it woould have hit the vitals. The arrow was found sticking in the ground at the site, yes not sure how it got that way. the broadhead and 2" or so of the arrow was inside the cavity sticking in the oposite shoulder. Next year if this happens, ill be sure to take pics. 

I do have the broadhead with the arrow piece on it. Here it is. also how do make ths pics smaller?


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

On the deer you see the red spot. Thats where it went thru the joint passing thru it into the cavity. The other pics are of the braodhead showing the arrow piece and no damage to the blades of the head. The dates on the pics are not right due to going thru multiple cheap raovac batteries to get these pics!


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

oh why im thinkin about it, how would you or what would you use to sharpen the blades?


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## Huntinbull (Apr 10, 2004)

I have a small carbon steel "V" broadhead sharpener. You can pick them up at any sporting good store. Mine has a green plastic handle with a built in finger guard. only costs a few bucks.


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