How to Find Your Bow’s Maximum Effective Range

All bowhunters have an effective range, or more appropriately put, a maximum shooting distance that lies within their comfort zone. For some, it’s 30 yards; for others, 60 yards. Compound bows have an effective range too—the distance at which the bow is capable of lethally delivering an arrow.

A bow’s effective range is determined by two factors: arrow speed and the kinetic energy at impact. The laws of physics dictate that as an arrow travels downrange, its trajectory decays as gravity and aerodynamic drag affect its flight. Every compound delivers arrows at a defined speed at certain target distances.

So if you can determine how a bow performs at different distances, you can make an educated decision on how far you can effectively shoot at game. To define your bow’s effective range, we’ll use the sight pins. When we’re done, you’ll know the specific range of distances at which each pin is capable of delivering a lethal shot. A Simple Calculation