Bow hunting?

[deonh]

Guys, what do mean when you refer to "margin of error"? Perhaps we're talking about different (but the same) things?! IMO a poor hunter with a rifle is just that, a poor hunter. And a poor hunter with a bow is precisely the same. Both suffer the vagaries of error equally through their own undoing and not the bow or rifle.

[Geoff Carter]

A bad craftsman will always blame his tools for a job poorly done. ;)

[Corné]

My reference to "margin of error" is that with a bow you need to be "more sure" of your shot thanwith a rifle. I am not saying that you do not need to be sure about your shot with a rifle but with a rifle a slightly 'less than perfect shot' may have a better change of doing the job, compared to a bow with a 'less than perfect shot'.

Do not get me wrong...a bow is deadly and you can easily stuff up with a rifle and the shot taken can be a disaster.

Say at 200 meters with a rifle you make a movement that is detected by your target, it might not alarm it enough to run but the same movement detected while you are at 20 meters will most properly have the buck run like mad and ruin a good shot.

[deonh]

I have done it once with a bow that was not setup for me and as I have not done it before, on a short distance and it was very 'addictive'. I took about nine shots at a target (in three strings of three shots) and the results was very good. I did not hit the bull of the target but the bow was not setup for me nor have I done it before, but the grouping was pretty good for those circumstances. After getting in my vehicle and driving away, I was actually nauseous from the adrenalin dump that I encountered from this.

Corné, this is SO true!  During some downtime at a hunt some time ago we were plinking etc. and a fellow-hunter brought out his compound bow and let me a have a go with it.  Like in your example the bow was FAR from set-up for me as he's much taller and stronger than I am with a draw length of a good few inches longer than mine and a heavy draw weight.  But sure as shit, and even-though I thought I was going to lose a few of his mucho dinnero arrows in the bushes, it was: "dup-thhhhhhhwAT!, dup-thhhhhwAT!, dup-thhhhhwAT!" it was surprisingly easy to hit the target (more or less where I was aiming) with relatively consistent groupings.  Addictive... oh yeah!  Adrenalin... ohhhhhh yeah!  Expensive... oooooooooooohhhhhh yeah!

[Corné]

Addictive... oh yeah! Adrenalin... ohhhhhh yeah! Expensive... oooooooooooohhhhhh yeah!

hpy180

The bow I handled was something like R8,000 to R10,000......not some loose change you kick around just to have some fun with.

Yes a decent rifle and scope can easily far exceed this but from my personal perspective and situation....expensive.....but yes I want one......

And the adrenalin dump was o so sweet!!!!

[Quintin1/]

I STARTED HUNTING AS A YOUNG BOY WITH A RIFLE BUT DUE TO THE LONG GUN LICENCE SYSTEM I GOT INTO BOW HUNTING, BUYING A BOW AND WAS ABLE TO PRACTICE AND GO AND GET MY FIRST KILL WITH MY BOW THAT SAME YEAR. NOW I DO BOTH, THERE IS SOMTHING ABOUT HOLDING A BUTIFULL RIFLE AND GETTING THE FEELING OF POWER!!ON THE OTHER HAND MAKING THAT GREAT SHOT WITH A BOW, THE GREAT FEELING OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AND PRIDE!!
THERE IS PLACE ENOUGH FOR BOTH AND YOU DONT HAVE TO CHOOSE OR JUSTIFY EITHER!!!

[Corné]

lv29

[Longshot]

The challenge of stalking an animal to get within bow range is what bow hunting is about to me. I only walk and stalk, I'd rather go home without anything than shoot from a hide/stand/bakkie. Anyone who can fire a bow can "hunt" from a stand/hide. The discipline not to take shots when you are not 100% sure that you are going to kill cleanly is also very important.

If you shoot a 60lbs bow and use decent broadheads your arrow will pass through an eland on a broadside shot. The wound channel is enormous. I have seen big animals go down faster after "one through the engineroom" with a bow than from a rifle.

I stopped hunting with a bow due to the lack of backup when an animal is wounded. I can nail a wounded buck at 300m with my 30-06 but not with a bow. And I have discovered that once a buck is wounded it doesnt really hang around for ages. ;D

I have seen wounded animals from both firearm and bow. A bad shot is a bad shot, it does not matter from which it was fired, but a rifle gives you more chance to fix a bad shot.

[HoggerNaut]

I bowhunt, and let me put it this way.......
I shoot a 567grain arrow at 269fps and up to 35y a grooping the size of a R5. A compound bow is very powerfull, shot a black wildebeest last Teusday and the arrow went straight through it and I picked it up 40m behind where it stood. If riflehunting is more ethical than bowhunting....that depends on the hunter!!!!

It is completely different from riflehunting and is the ubsolute challange in a walk and stalk hunt. It offers a different addrenelin rush and I can attest to the fact that it is awesome fun and a great discipline.

It aint better than rifle hunting, but it aint worse either!

[Corné]

It aint better than rifle hunting, but it aint worse either!

+1

lv29