Although today’s top crossbows are faster and more powerful than ever, they are not rifles and should not be treated as such. In my personal opinion, any shot at game in excess of 60 yards pushes the bounds of proper sporting ethics.
February 16, 2026
By Brad Fenson
The capabilities of archery equipment are evolving at an alarming rate, making vertical and horizontal bows easier to use, more accurate and more effective at harvesting game. Hunters are passionate about their equipment, and building a better mousetrap, or bow, should increase hunter success and reduce the incidence of poor hits.
This is something all hunters strive for, as evidenced by waterfowl hunters who years ago were forced to switch from lead to steel and other non-toxic alternatives. Early steel shotshell performance was poor, with significantly less effective range and knockdown power than traditional lead shot. Thus, creativity took over, leading to the creation of spinning-wing decoys. As a result, birds were decoyed in closer, and kill rates increased. Shotshell performance has also improved by leaps and bounds over the years, and, combined with new choke tubes that create more effective shot patterns, today’s waterfowl hunters are more lethal than ever.
Not everyone, however, celebrates such success. In some jurisdictions, spinning-wing decoys were banned, because they were deemed too effective. Considering that season lengths and daily harvest limits are established annually to ensure sustainable management of wildfowl species, my question is, “Why shouldn’t everyone celebrate if birds can be decoyed in for quicker, cleaner kills?”
I share this waterfowling anecdote because, one, I’m an avid duck and goose hunter, and two, because the bowhunting community often is divided similarly over what constitutes “fair” and “unfair” advantages.
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Archery Satisfaction I hunt with all tools available, and taking an animal with an arrow always provides satisfaction and reason to celebrate. Any bowhunting is about becoming intimate with your quarry, getting close and making an ethical shot that results in a quick, humane harvest. To me, it doesn’t matter whether the animal was shot with archery gear shooting 300, 400 or even 500 feet per second. If speed provides an advantage for harvesting an animal ethically, why not celebrate it?
The keyword is ethical, as all archery equipment has limitations, and users of any bow, vertical or horizontal, need to understand the difference between shooting distances for practice versus hunting. We are all familiar with the debate and have seen television shows where someone shoots at an elk at 100 yards or more. The time it takes for an arrow to travel that distance — and the amount of trajectory drop along the way — are frightening. To me, such shots are not ethical, no matter what kind of bow you shoot. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees, and no amount of practice can ever control the unpredictable elements involved.
Know Limitations Regularly shooting your crossbow, with your hunting broadheads and from a variety of distances and angles, builds confidence and greatly boosts your ability to make an accurate shot when it really counts. Crossbows are incredibly fast, but bolts lose energy quickly. In my opinion, modern crossbows produce enough speed to make them effective for hunting to a maximum of 60 yards. Even Rick Bednar, former president and chief executive officer of TenPoint Crossbow Technologies , recommends using their state-of-the-art crossbows to a maximum range of 60 yards when hunting. The crossbows can certainly shoot accurately at 100 yards or more, but for hunting, there are limitations.
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Marketing does muddle the waters when companies make claims about long-range accuracy in the field. But, keep in mind that there’s much to consider when pulling the trigger and sending a bolt downrange.
Hunters need to realize the significance of the bolt drop at 100 yards. For example, if you have a bolt and broadhead that weigh 448 grains and shoot it from a crossbow at 450 fps, the bolt will drop an incredible 69.5 inches at 100 yards. That is almost six feet of vertical air space the bolt must travel through to compensate for the distance. And, one needs to consider obstructions and potential deflections, in addition to wind drift.
However, the most significant consideration is the time it takes for a bolt to complete its journey. The flight time is approximately one second, but in that time, an animal can take a step or move, which can result in an unfavorable point of impact. Can a crossbow shoot that far and still be lethal? Yes, but in my opinion the factors involved make such a shot a gamble rather than a sure option.
Crossbows today are fast, powerful and incredibly advanced. But, no matter how confident you are in your setup, every crossbow has a limit. It’s not just about how far your crossbow can shoot; it’s about how far you can shoot accurately and responsi- bly under real hunting conditions. And every shooter has a personal threshold where accuracy and ethics intersect. That’s your effective range.
Practice With Purpose To determine your personal effective range, you must put in the practice. Start close, at 20 yards, and shoot until your groups are tight and consistent. Then, do it again at 30, 40, 50 yards and beyond. Track your accuracy. Can you keep your bolts in a group with a baseball-sized diameter? The ball is approximately the same diameter as a deer’s heart. Can you repeat the accuracy under pressure, from a blind or treestand, and with your heart pounding? Confidence in the field comes from confirmation in practice.
Video Truth To truly understand the limits of your crossbow, use your smartphone to video your shots from the side and from behind. Seeing the flight path of your bolts in slow motion will change your perspective. Better yet, try a moving target. A swinging soda bottle, half-filled and suspended over your target, makes a revealing yet straightforward test. Try hitting it at 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards. Even minor motion at a distance can throw your shot off dramatically.
The Bottom Line Crossbow hunting is about skill and strategy, not distance records. With a crossbow, the ethical range for most hunters is less than 50 yards, but closer is always better. That’s the range where your accuracy is deadly, your confidence is high, and your bolt is more likely to land precisely where you intend. Every ethical shot ensures a clean, humane harvest. So, spend the time to learn your limits, build your skills, and embrace the challenge. Get close. Shoot straight. And always aim to make the first shot the only one you need. Ultimately, your choices should show respect for the animals we pursue.
