Hi everyone, My name is Matt and I just got my first bow for Christmas. I have never bow hunted before(have been rifle hunting since I was 12, am now 31). My in-laws gave me a bow for a Christmas/birthday present that they won at the local sportsman Christmas party. It is a Hoyt pro hawk, with truglo 5 pin sights, spot hogg whammy rest, stabilzer, and a 6 arrow quiver. The poundage is set at 55 lbs with a 27 in. draw length. It also came with 6 gold tip expedition hunter arrows that are 27 in. I am using a fletchunter shorty release. Is this a decent bow to use to learn how to shoot and develop proper mechanics? I am 5'10" and it seems to shoot well so far. I am getting good groups (size of 3 inch circle) at 10 yards and within a 5 inch circle at 20 yards with the occasional flyer (still within an 8 inch cirlce). Is there anything I should have done to the bow or continue to shoot it as is? I was told that for my height I should be shooting a 28 in. or 29 in. draw length. This bow only goes up to 27. Sorry for the long winded first post! Thank you for your responses and I hope to learn alot from this forum.
Are you using a quick release? If not..using one will tighter up your groups A LOT.
Carbons go straighter than aluminum
When you hold the bow with your left hand{ Presuming your right handed { -;} don't hold the bow tightly..
If using a quick release you should get a string loop tied on..
Do you have a peep site in your string..
When I started archery..these are a few things that helped get me started..just thought I'd share..I like the quick releases that look and fit like a glove.
I'm not sure about your model..but I bought a Hoyt Alpha Max 32 this year..I LOVE IT...
Chuck7 yes I am using a quick release and have a peep site on the string and a string loop. I am figuring out the less I grip with my left hand(I am right handed) the better my shots are. The one thing that I catch myself doing is putting lateral pressure (side to side) on the grip. When I release the arrow sometimes I feel(see) the bow move to the left or right. When I loosen my grip it goes away. I just need to make sure I hold the bow consistently each time. Thanks for the tips
If your bow doesn't have one, get a wrist sling. Your stabilizer bolts through it and you put your hand through it before holding the grip. With that you will be able to open your fingers and let the bow pull itself back into the V between your thumb and index finger. That's what I do and it helped my consistency considerably. I started shooting like that before I got the sling, but I would have to "catch" the bow as the arrow went out and I found I was torquing a lot by catching it just a bit too soon and kicking the fletchings up.
It is a good bow to hunt with. If you are 5' 10", then I bet the draw length is short. Go to a good pro shop, not box store and have them help you out.
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T/C Encore Pro Hunter .50 (mine)
CVA Accura V1 .50 (Wife's)
CVA Wolf (Son's)
Way too many bows to list!
welcome,
sounds like a good bow,
if your getting that grouping, that is great off to a good start,
and grouping is good enough to hunt with,
when practicing, remember its that first shot that counts,
so treat that first shot as your only shot, as in the field thats the one that counts,
dont use it as a practice shot, the shots that follow are just to fine tune that first shot,
and thats about you will basically need is some fine tuning,
i would go to a range and practice a bit,
you can see what others are doing in reference to form,
many times if someone with experience see's you doing something thats just not right they will tell you,
10 yrs later and people still tell me things here and there and appreciate it.
also at a bow shop can always ask them best setup for you,
if a longer draw is best can try loop and different release,
as for hunting,
welcome to a great sport/hobby/way of life,
spend as much time out in the woods as you can and you will learn your way around
When you aim...go from the top to the bottom or bottom to the top but never side to side...
The rest comes from pratice...do you have a stabalizer screwed in the front..they are normally about 20-30 bucks...
Hoyt is not a shabby bow.IMHO one of the best..
DO you have a 4x4 target..they are about 30.00 ..they last for years..Walmart sells them..the foam ones don't last at all.
Also..when aiming..aim small..
OH!!! here's a recent tip that has helped me alot..your string needs to go back to the same place every time..this is called the nocking point..When I pull my string back..I make sure that metal nock on my string touches the right side of my mouth every time..this is my nocking point. I put put my site pin above the bulls eye slowly going down to meet the tiny target...when I'm there I squeeze the trigger..It's normally right there in a 2 inch circle.{ I never go from side to side} always top to bottom..some archers go from bottom to top. NONE go side to side.
What kind of rest do you have..mine is a drop away..they look confusing..but they are neat as none of the fletching / feathers touch..when you shoot..it's all arrow.
Any kind of last minute touch will effect the arrow's flight..
Back up against a wall and stretch your arms out to form a T. Have someone measure you from finger tip to finger tip, the divide that measurement by 2.5
That will give you a good place to start on your draw length. If you cheat I would cheat to the short side on draw length. IMHO most people who start Archery try to shoot too long of a draw.
Finding a Good Pro Shop is good advice but it can be hard to do and all proshops are Not Pro
Hello, new here and to bow hunting, pics added
Thank you for your responses and I hope to learn alot from this forum.
