It's really impossible for me to quantify it. I like to shoot groups...LOTS of groups. Probably 95% of my shooting is in the back yard, shooting spots at 20 yards. When I go to the archery club I like to shoot from 20 yards to 90 meters depending on who's there and what targets are available.

The other day I was shooting broadheads at a McKenzie strut turkey at 40 yards. It was one of my "on" days where everything seems to click just right. Kid of the exception, and not the rule (usually I'd opt for a bigger target).

I've let down on broadside deer at 10 or so yards because that little voice in my head said "this don't feel good"...and I've double-lunged them at yardages that'd make some people cringe.

Good shooting for me? I don't know. I went out back today and put the first two broadheads through a cigarette box at 20 yards. Felt pretty good. Could I do that with the first two arrows of the day every day? Nope. Wish I could though.

As far as how long it takes to be proficient at 20-30 yards...

I've known guys who, after a month or two with a trad bow in their hands, were there. I've seen others who've shot for 40+ years and can't do it. It's a personaly thing. Keep plugging away at it and have fun. That's the whole purpose.

What you should <font color=red>never</font id=red> do is judge your shooting based on someone else's abilities. Everyone's different. Case in point...there's two instinctive recurve shooters from around here that are just flat-out frightening to watch. Truth be known, if I could have consistently shot as well as they do I'd have never switched to gap shooting. Split those two guys up and they'll each shoot TALL scores. Put them together and one of them cracks every time. He's told himself that the other guy's better than him for so long that, mentally, he won't let himself win.

JRW

Edited by - jrw on 08/15/2002 21:31:44