The effective range of your crossbow depends on your shooting ability. Today’s high powered crossbows have an effective range in the neighborhood of 50 yards, but not everyone has the ability to be accurate at that distance. With the average North American whitetail deer habitat, most kill shots are taken at 20 yards or less. If you are an average shooter, you should probably not take a shot beyond 35 to 40 yards. Practice often to determine your most accurate shooting range.