Be blown away by some true long distance crossbow shots.

Long distance shooting is a great challenge in archery. Obviously the further you back away from the target you get, the more challenging the shot becomes. Archery is all about accuracy, so most folks stay within relatively close distances for most of their practice sessions. Occasionally folks back up while they practice, but generally only out of their comfort zone a small ways. There are a variety of benefits to backing up when you practice, and with today's high performance gear some guys are stepping back. Way back. It's not uncommon on the internet today to see guys stepping back into the 100 yard range for their shots. One Youtuber out there has posted several impressive videos of his shooting ability at long distance crossbow shots. Check out his grouping after shooting three 100 yard shots. https://youtu.be/N0JA-P6JejA One arrow was a bit errant, but it was still some pretty good shooting. However, the same Youtuber also posted video of himself really stepping back. This video captures a long distance crossbow shot at an amazing 322 yards. You have to see it to believe it. https://youtu.be/XwmgUjHCR_0 In my opinion this is an incredible shot. Sure he has the ideal setup for a shot like this, but that's what long distance shooting takes. It is hard to guess how many shots it took, but he really was able to connect on a +300 yard crossbow shot. [caption id="attachment_6501" align="alignleft" width="160"] Excalibur Matrix 405[/caption] The crossbow he is using for these long distance shots is the Excalibur Matrix 405. As you can tell from the video it is a recurve crossbow and as the name indicates it shoots arrows at 405 feet per second. Excalibur has made a name for itself by producing high quality crossbows, and videos like this are proof in the pudding of their performance. Any video on long distance crossbow shooting, or any other type of weapon for that matter, should emphasize the fact these are practice shots not hunting shots. While our modern hunting equipment does afford us more range, at some point you begin to throw too many variables into the mix for ethical hunting shots. Take the 100 yard shots for example. Even his errant arrow still probably would have been fatal on a deer had he aimed at the correct spot. The problem is that deer move, the wind blows, we flinch in the high pressure situation, or other unexpected things happen. While shooting ethics is a highly personal choice, it is hard to argue that as you back up more and more unknowns enter the equation. Hopefully you've enjoyed these long distance crossbow shots. They demonstrate what is capable with today's high performance gear and some practice. If you can find a place to step back, give shots like these a chance. What do you have to lose? A few arrows I suppose.

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NEXT: 3 REASONS TO STEP BACK THIS OFFSEASON