Tactics

• Tactics · Shot placementEarly steel loads lost more hit ducks than lead, even inside 35 yardsIn 1980 to 1981 Louisiana marsh counts No. 4 steel lost about 31 of every 100 ducks it hit against 23 for No. 6 lead. Scoring cripples per shot hid most of that gap.Field guide · Every state · Oct 9, 2026 · 7 min read · New

  FirearmHarvest data
• Tactics · Shot placementTest Farther Shots to Find Your Bowhunting Limit, and Log Every ArrowNine arrows landing consecutively within a 10-inch circle establish only a lower limit of 72% for your actual hit rate with 95% confidence. Follow a printable log for testing progressively longer distances, with the math behind it and the results and gaps from three archery studies.Field guide · Every state · Sep 30, 2026 · 7 min read

  Archery

  90.2%lower confidence limit on hit rate after a streak of 29 hits
• Tactics · Shot placementWounding Estimates Span 4% to 50%: Where Shot Angle FitsEach estimate uses a different tally and denominator: struck bucks in Oklahoma, struck deer in Maryland, and Minnesota survey respondents. The bow research we located that evaluated shot angle included 61 deer, leaving hunter-education advice as the guide for choosing an angle.Field guide · Every state · Sep 30, 2026 · 6 min read

  Shot angleArchery

  4% to 50%range of wounding estimates across studies