I was very confident with my shooting skills, my zero and the overall performance of my equipment. I practiced every other day for six weeks before I left on my trip. I learned a great deal from the trip and had to learn new techniques in areas that I had previously taken for granted. The distances were long, and there wasn't a lot of cover in some situations. This hunt in New Zealand was spot-and-stalk, on free-range animals, in big country. Prior to that trip, my crossbow-hunting experience had been, for the most part, focused on whitetails from a treestand and a few bears on bait. During a recent trip to New Zealand, I had my eyes opened up while hunting red stag and fallow deer with my crossbow. When you are considering similar shots at animals, you have to factor in not only your equipment and marksmanship abilities, but also the unpredictable nature of your target, which can move at any moment. But that is a stationary target under controlled conditions. I'm very comfortable, when utilizing shooting sticks, shooting six-inch targets at 60 yards with my crossbow. When it comes to determining your maximum effective range in a hunting scenario, there are many factors involved beyond the technical capabilities of your weapon.

The change in target distances, target sizes, target species and the realistic scenarios are a great way to tune up your shooting. You may get a few strange looks from the vertical bow guys, but so what! It's the best way to prepare for the hunting season or for that once-in-a-lifetime outfitted hunt you saved your hard-earned money for. I also recommend attending local 3-D shoots with your crossbow. If you will be doing spot-and-stalk hunting, find some hills and practice shooting at awkward uphill and downhill angles. If you are going to be hunting from a treestand, shoot from an elevated position as much as possible. Once you get your zero with fieldpoints, you need to put your broadheads on your bolts and make your final sight adjustments.Īnother thing I recommend is simulating real-world shooting scenarios during your practice sessions. Just because your broadheads are the same weight as your fieldpoints doesn't mean they'll hit the same spot. Shoot your broadheads, and make sure they hit the same point of impact as your fieldpoints. Here are a few tips for becoming familiar with your crossbow's trajectory: Practice at all the yardages you think you could potentially encounter on your hunt, then stretch it out another 20-30 yards.

A crossbow