I've only been shooting my bow for about 8 months now. I use it only for hunting, mainly whitetail. Right now I'm comfortable out to 40 yards, but I've noticed something that's bugging me. Seems like my groups tend to spread from pretty tight at 15-20 yards to a horizontal line at 30-40 yards, getting more pronounced the farther back I go. I've been told that grip can cause this, but I'm very careful to not tightly grip the bow during the shot. Is there anything else form-wise that can cause this, or would I have to do some tuning to really fix the problem?
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.308 BLR
SW40GVE
Ruger 22/45
.50 Optima Elite
60# Bear Element
Model 37 Ithaca 20ga
Model 37 Ithaca 16ga
870 Express Magnum 12ga
It could be in the horizontal adjustment of your rest or also could be in you. If you think that you are getting good releases, you might want to try adjusting your rest in small increments to see if you can get the left to right out of your groups.........
Are they all going off the same way or are they all over. It could be that your so worried about the up/down that your forgetting your left/right and doing drive by shootings and at longer distances you notice them a lot more.
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Head Shots make for an easy track
Well if your arrows are grouping in one spot and your holding solid on the center, than its either your level isnt centered or your rest isnt adjusted right. Hold your bow with the boddot cam on your lap (sitting down and an arrow nocked) and line the string up with the groove on your cam that holds the main string on both the top and bottom cams. Then look up the string and down the arrow, if you can see that the arrow is turned to either side of the string, adjust the rest so that your arrow "disappears" behind the string. Then when you get it adjusted to where the arrow disappears, then you might have to adjust your site to it.This should cure your problem.
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Hoyt ProTec...... Green Fusion
Doinker Stabilizer system
Golden Premere rest
Gold Tip....500's
Tru Ball Ultra Extreme....4 Finger:black, talon head.
Sure-Loc roll-up sight
Consider also your follow through. I had a devil of a time w/ it a year ago.
I was constantly dropping my bow arm slightly.
Don't drop your arm till you hear or see the arrow hit the target.
It's not always an equipment problem, Check your form first.
Like archer58 says "watch that arrow all the way to the target". Local pro here calls it "shooting blind" if you don't. You'll be surprised at the differance it makes. Also, a good group can be gotten at 20 yds. but if they walk to the left or right (depending on L/R hand shooter) as you back up but are still good horizontally the sight could just need some fine tuning. Adjust the site starting at 40/30 til you are happy and when you move up to 20 you still should be on. Also, I was told you can't always rely on those levels, some have been known to be off due to sight or bow who knows.
Well there was a thing a little while back that a bad batch of levels were made. But to make sure that the site is turly leveled, get a small level and hold it to your site and level it. If the bubbleon your siteisnt in the same spot as the other level then you have to adjust your site to get it just right.
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Hoyt ProTec...... Green Fusion
Doinker Stabilizer system
Golden Premere rest
Gold Tip....500's
Tru Ball Ultra Extreme....4 Finger:black, talon head.
Sure-Loc roll-up sight
That may be part of the problem. I've been using the tension in my release arm to hold the bow up, while letting the bow rest against the V between the thumb and finger as opposed to actually gripping the bow. I thought this would reduce the torque since I wasn't gripping hard before the shot, but I may be anticipating and really bearing down on it as the arrow is released. That may also have me dipping my arm during the shot, because I'm essentially catching the bow once the release is no longer helping hold the bow in position. I'll check when I practice this afternoon. Thanks!
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.308 BLR
SW40GVE
Ruger 22/45
.50 Optima Elite
60# Bear Element
Model 37 Ithaca 20ga
Model 37 Ithaca 16ga
870 Express Magnum 12ga
Something you might try, although most don't want to hear it, is to shorten the drawlngth maybe 1/4" or even 1/2". You'll have to reset the bow probably, but most left-rightscattering is often because of a draw that is too long.
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Martin Silver Star Shooter
UBP Life Member
PSAA Life Member
Worldwide Scuba Diver
Are they all going off the same way or are they all over. It could be that your so worried about the up/down that your forgetting your left/right and doing drive by shootings and at longer distances you notice them a lot more.
Another vote here, I start to do this sometimes, and have to retrain my eyes to focus better and steadier.
Horizontal Grouping
