Range Time: You Can’t Fake The Shot

Written by: Ryan Reading, Fall Obsession Pro Staff

Let’s get one thing straight , if you’re not putting in range time right now, don’t expect to be the hero of your hunting season. October isn’t magic. The deer don’t care how fired up you are, how dialed your broadhead looks on Instagram, or what brand you shoot. When the moment comes and your shot is the only thing that matters, you’ll either be ready — or you’ll be just another guy with a story that starts with, “I almost had him.”

Range time isn’t optional. It’s not “pre-season fun” or a nice bonus. It’s the proving ground. It’s where killers are made. Anyone can draw a bow and send an arrow, but not everyone can do it when it counts. Not everyone can make the shot that ends with blood on the leaves and a grip-and-grin that’s earned — not lucky. If you want that, you earn it now. Not later.

Every day you skip the range, you’re saying, “I’ll be good enough without the work.” But whitetails don’t care about good enough. Elk don’t flinch for almost. A bad shot doesn’t just ruin your hunt — it risks wounding an animal you may never recover. That’s not hunting. That’s carelessness.

The range gives you what the field won’t: a second chance. Mess up a shot here? Pull it. Reset. Do it again. Learn from it. No pressure, no heartbreak. But if your first shot at a buck is also your first shot in months, you’re playing with fire — and that fire burns a whole lot longer when it’s tied to regret.

Don’t just stand on the line and fling arrows like you’re checking a box. Go in with a purpose. Shoot with gloves on. Sit down. Shoot from your knees. Wear your harness. Mimic the real thing. When November comes and the buck of a lifetime steps out at 18 yards, it won’t feel unfamiliar. It’ll feel like Tuesday night on the range — because you made it that way.

3D targets aren’t just cool-looking foam animals. They’re your classroom. They teach you shot angles, entry and exit wounds, and how to tell the difference between a perfect broadside and a bad idea. They train your eyes to find the vitals, your instincts to draw smooth, and your judgment to say yes or no in a split second. The more you shoot them, the better you’ll be at knowing what’s ethical — not just what’s possible.

But here’s the truth no one likes to admit: some hunters miss because they didn’t care enough not to. They relied on gear. They leaned on confidence without practice. And when the moment came, they blew it. That’s not pressure — that’s preparation failure. And it shows.

You don’t want to be that guy.

Be the one who’s ready. Be the one who steps behind the line, even when it’s hot, even when no one’s watching, and puts in the work. Build the form. Build the confidence. Make your body remember what your nerves might forget. When the real shot comes, your training takes over. That’s how pros do it. That’s how real bowhunters do it.

So here’s the hard lesson, plain and simple: if you’re not out there right now — putting arrows in targets, learning your gear, sweating under the lights or sun, making mistakes and fixing them — then don’t expect the woods to cut you a break. The ones who kill consistently? They’re already training. They’re already hitting the range. They're not getting ready — they are ready.

This fall, when the wind is right and the woods go quiet and the animal you’ve dreamed of finally steps out — don’t just hope you make the shot.

Know you will.