RE: Compound or recurve?
Good deal davidmil!! I hope you come back 100% trad! With the adventures you have, it would make for some fun reading!
From what I've seen at tournaments, if you can consistently hit the kill zone at 20yds, you will be ahead of the pack..... Most seem to limit themselves to 15yds and under..... Its really a shame...... With the proper work and form, 25yd accuracy is not unattainable.....
And like you, when I start dropping shots at 20yds, 9 times out of 10 it is b/c I wasn't concentrating on the spot.... I was either thinking about the gap, thinking about my bow arm, thinking about my back tension, or thinking about my release.... Your dang brain can really get in the way! If you just let it go and trust it, it will AMAZE you!!!
One thing I have to continuously work on is getting that subconscience release..... Itseasier said than done...... Ever since I've gone to a more target style, I've gotten much more accurate, but it is also much more critical that form is correct..... One slight mistake and I seem to miss worse than when I was just touch and go...... I'm getting there, it will just take time and work...... My goal is 10 ring accuracy out to 25yds on EVERY shot.....