Hi All, getting into the cross-bow game for Indiana Whitetail hunting this year.  I've been fortunate enough to take some nice deer over the year with a shotgun, handgun, muzzle loader, and rifle, so decided I'd get in the archery game.   I bought a Wicked Ridge Ranger on advice from a trusted friend and accomplished hunter and took it out today and ensured it was dialed in.  Wow these things can shoot!   After bringing up the scope just a bit to get the top line zero'd at 20, I was putting 3 arrows more or less touching.

I'll be hunting from a tree stand that I've hunted for a long time.  Longest shot in the woods is going to be a max of 30 yards, or potentially several hundred into the cornfield next to me.  Clearly I'm not going to take a shot much more than about 50 yards given my inexperience right now bow hunting.   But I did have a question for those closer shots.

How much point of aim do I need to adjust for from elevation?  My stand is about 15' above the animal.   I'm assuming that for the close ranges that I'm at and the relatively shallow angle that I don't need to worry too much about adjusting my aim, but want to double check to make sure I'm hunting ethically.

I prefer the double lung / heart shot and generally do a good job of hitting it with the other weapons I've used.   Is a just behind the shoulder shot what I'm looking for with a crossbow as well?

For reference here was where I shot last year's buck with a 300BLK out of the stand I'll hunt this year and at what will likely be a similar distance to the most probable shots I'll have with the crossbow.

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dont wrap your thumb around the top of the stock.

Good to know...I've started shooting my rifles with the thumb along the side of the comb, and that is actually more comfortable with this stock too.

That's a kill shot every time. PRACTICE-PRACTICE-PRACTICE= Dead deer. Get in your stand and practice until you are comfortable and confident at the distance you will be shooting.

Figure out your ranges and holds, then put up aiming / range markers at your hunting spots.

its not about comfort.. its about the string not ripping your finger/thumb off.

ETA.. it probably wont rip it completely off, but you will bleed and hurt for 3 days if you dont break it.  I did this ONCE.

Oh, you are talking the support hand then.  Yeah, this one has a shelf and an angled fore grip to give you a place to get the support hand out of the way.   I thought you were talking about the trigger hand.   Thumb over the comb can cause some jerking and squeezing that would be magnified in a crossbow.

Yep, the good news is I've hunted this stand for a long time and have those roughly figured out.   What I'm most worried about is getting the angles right on quartering shots.  I hear with archery they recommend aiming a little further to the rear on shots quartering away to make sure you actually catch the vitals.  I wouldn't think it would be any different than with a rifle, would it?  Kind of the "aim at the opposite leg" mentality on a quartering away shot?   I'm thinking I'll avoid quartering to me shots given the added bone in the way.

The broadside double lung shot is the preferred angle for archers.  I shot a big doe with a slightly angled shot last year, still double lunged her. She ran 20 yards and collapsed. Arrows aren't bullets and have problems with bone.

This is in contrast to a 150yd full quarter shot I took two years ago with my shotgun, the sabot entered at an angle punched thru both lungs ended up in the front shoulder
Joint.

Appreciate the confirmation!