40 yard shot question

[Skoal Brother]

First off I hunt with the Exomax bow and use the varizone scome. I have a question. This morning I was in my ladder stand 15' tall when a deer stood by a tree I had earlier measured as 41 yards away with my range finder. The slope of the hill is pretty extream. I'm guessing that from the ground at my stand there is an additional 15 -20 foot drop to where the deer stood. I was pretty excited when my plan of the deeds approach and where he would frame up for my shot was working out just as I had envisioned it would happen. In my excitment I aimed at the deer and squeezed the trigger. The deer hopped up in the air and ran away. Only then did I start to think I had used the 20 yard aiming crosshairs to place my shot. I was sick to my stomach thinking I had blown a great opportunity on this deer. I got out of my stand to try and recovered my obviously Ill placed shot. When I miraculously found the arrow I was surprised to find it covered in blood. When I found the deer about 100 feet from my arrow I was Stunned to find a perfect shot placement "just behind his shoulder" and a very dead animal. My question is could I have aimed incorrectly, using my 20 yard crosshairs coupled with the severe drop in terrain or am I playing mind games with myself and I did in fact use the correct 40yard marker on my scope. Thanks I'm new at this and am always trying to better my hunting skills.

[vixenmaster]

Congrats on yer deer. Well its yer mind if'en you played games I really can't truefully answer yer ? I don't knowed the model you shot, ok reread & Emax is certainly fast enuff too help with Trajectory! the arrow weightis ? It does seem that with the steep grade yer arrow shot high enuff too get the job done

[Skoal Brother]

Excalibur aluminum bolt 125grain mechanicals (can't remember which brand)

[onebigskittle]

When your in the woods hunting anything can happen just take it as it comes and Congrats on the shot because you did something right im sure

[OkXbowHunter]

Congrats on your deer! Hey, don't look a gift horse in the mouth!

Chances are your subconscious took over and made sure your 40 yard pin was on the deer, especially since you already knew what range it was.

When I shot trad archery, more than not my best shots were ones where I didn't remember drawing and shooting. I'd see a deer run off and have to try and think if I actually just shot an arrow at a deer. I'd then go and find a bloody arrow and follow the trail to my deer! It was only when I tried to subdue my subconscious aiming system that I'd mess up.

[one shot scott]

Dont know for sure, but my guess is that if you used the 20 yarder then you would have missed, or at least hit very very low and not "just behind the shoulder" I think you used your 40 pin, When adrenalin flows the mind goes on autopilot sometimes

Congrats on your deer. I usually only second guess myself when it all goes horribly wrong

[wabi]

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!

I'd say you used the 40 yard aiming point.
From that height and distance the actual horizontal distance would be only slightly different (about 4').
If you used the 20 yard crosshair the shot would have been about 11" low.

Could be he "jumped the string" and dropped 10" before he

hopped up in the air and ran away

, but I'd say you would have noticed that much movement.

[gendoc]

we video taped the reaction of a whitetail buck "jumping the string" from 40yrds. we shot into a bag target that was hidden near the corn feeder while he was enjoying a snack.
its amazing what takes place in -x10 slow motion.
measuring against the feeder support board, he went down 6-8 inches to cock his legs and sprang up additional 22-23 inches
this was not a concerned deer, he had not any idea of a predator
close by. it was filmed during the off season around june.
if your deer was half-cocked, his reaction would be much less down and up.
wish i could find that vid... it went to hell with the computer it was in ...........

with the speed of your machine, the distance, your arrow, your
height and the reaction to the string..... it could be possible
that you did aim with the 20yrd mark.

you just felt lucky.. did'nt ya !!!

[Gewehrhund]

Skoal Brother I think you "made the right mistake"! Your tree stand was essentially 35-40' above the deer. That is a very steep shot angle even at 40 yards. I guess that's why those range finders with angle compensation are so popular right now.

[denisdendenis]

congrats for your buck ,i think you used the 40 yrd. pin ,good story thanks for sharring

[saxman]

Sounds like you went on auto pilot and muscle memory, more than likely you aimed correctly woth the 40 yard pin.
Congrats. I made a 40 yard kill once,don't know if i'd try it again. A lot can happen at that distance.

[DuckHunt]

It could have been two options.

Option 1:
You must have used the 40 yard pin. If you were 36 feet above the deer and the straight line distance to the deer was 41 yards, the actual horizontal distance would be 39.2 yards. If you used the 20 yard pin at that distance your arrow would be in the ground between his feet.

Option 2:
You used the 20 yard crosshair and added a pinch of buck fever. Sometimes a little buck fever can go along way. Its not all bad.

DuckHunt

[strum]

It could have been two options.

Option 1:
You must have used the 40 yard pin. If you were 36 feet above the deer and the straight line distance to the deer was 41 yards, the actual horizontal distance would be 39.2 yards. If you used the 20 yard pin at that distance your arrow would be in the ground between his feet.

Option 2:
You used the 20 yard crosshair and added a pinch of buck fever. Sometimes a little buck fever can go along way. Its not all bad.

DuckHunt

just to be sure go out there and do it again..
i know how you feel i shot one a few weeks ago and i cant decied if it jumped my string,if i pulled right or did i put the scope on its butt thinking it was the shoulder(unlikey but possible).
you and i got our deer so something was in our favor..
it would help you if you can go to that stand..take a target and place it where the deer was and shoot..