This is a very interesting thread for me. I’m new to the sport and have been shooting a recurve for about 3 weeks. In retrospect starting traditional archery only a few weeks before general bow season probably wasn’t the brightest idea I've ever had. Every time I visit the archery range the place is swarming with guys shooting ping-pong size groups at 60 yards with their compound bows and I feel lucky when I get a 12” group at 20 yards. Needless to say, it’s been pretty intimidating and I’ve taken to rising early in the morning so I can take a few shots before the regulars take over. My question is how long does it take, on average, to hone your instinctive senses to the point where you don’t feel embarrassed in front of the precision shooting crowd and you feel reasonably confident you can kill an animal at 20-30 yards without wounding it – assuming that you practice regularly. I’m hoping it won’t take more than a year, as I would like to try my hand at deer hunting next year. But I’m willing pay my dues whatever it takes. I’ve encountered one traditional shooter since I started and he was putting arrows in a small circle at 40 yards with a long bow. It was one of the most graceful and mesmerizing things I’ve ever seen – someday I'd like to be able to do that…