shooting help
 

When I am in my backyard shooting I am shooting at one of those foam targets. I focus on the color circlesthats on there this is the only way I can hit my target. When it comes to hunting out in the woods. What should I do deer dont have different color area in their vitals.

RE: shooting help
 

Here's what works for me. Some might agree and some may not.

I shoot all summer long. Maybe about 100 shots per month on average just to keep in shape. I too use a foam target like the one you describe. I normally begin by shooting dead center and then try for the left and right corners. Sometimes I log onto my printer and open up Word to create an oval shape that is shaded in. I use this to simulate a lung and tape this to my target.

Here's where I hear feedback good/bad from others. Come late August when the bow opener is about 2-3 weeks out, I shoot from my son's bedroom window on the second floor down to my target below. Since the 2nd floor window is about as high as I am in a tree, it makes perfect sense. I also limit my shooting to only 1 shot per day, usually when I get home from work and before it gets dark. Why? Well, because when I am actually out hunting I normally only get one shot per hunt so why not take only one shot per day to get your mind focused on THAT ONE SHOT. It works for me. However, there are weekends where I cannot get out to hunt, but have an hour or two free and I end up shooting for 30 minutes. Try to get yourself into a routine and FOCUS.

So, as to switching from a target to the real thing it's all in your mind. You focus on a colored dot on your target so when your deer provides you with a nice shot, simply transfer the colored dot to a few inches behind the front foot and up high for a nice lung shot. Works for me. It's all being focused and mechanics. One guy who posts often says, "practice, practice, practice..."....and he cannot be more right!!

RE: shooting help
 

Pick a odd colored hair on the deer and aim for it.

RE: shooting help
 

Pick an individual hair? You must have the eyes of a hawk man. I wish I could do that.

RE: shooting help
 

Well now it's time too train yourself to focuse on a single spot,
any spot that you put there on the target with your mind..
NO color's just the spot. As you saidDeer don't have colored circlesyou have too make your own mental target on the animal ,
and that should be in the vitals.
Try and cover your target with paper to cover the circles on your target and just pick a spot and shoot .
Thats what you have too do on a deer is mentally pick a spot in the vitals and shoot..
Give it a try and remeber to concintrate on the spot you want to hit not just the target..
Now go shoot have fun Bill

RE: shooting help
 

Just pick the spot and have confidence in yourself and you do fine.

RE: shooting help
 

Deerhunter this is what I do and it seems to work for me. I only take broadside or quartering away shots. I look for the front leg oppisit me on the deer follow it up to about mid way of the deers body and release. If I hit a little high I still double lung him a little low is a double lung or a heart shot. If its a little forward your still in the lungs a little far back you got the liver. Like I said it works for me. Try it see what you think. Cover up those vitals and colors the deer don't have them in the woods I bet you do just fine. Good Luck Mike

RE: shooting help
 

I had been shooting targets until a couple of weeks ago. I bought a canvas deer profile target at Walmart ($3.99). It has a slightly darker brown circle marking the vitals, which blends in with the rest of the deer profile at a distance.

Now instead of looking at different color circles, I am now looking at a deer profile and aim for the vital spot behind the front leg.The first couple of times shooting this type of target versus a standard archery targettook a bit of work, but now it is likesecond nature.Of course,a real deer isn't going to stand perfectly still while youline up on his vitals, but it is a step closer to the real thing. Good luck

-Rick C.

RE: shooting help
 

when a deer takes a step I like to look for a patch of hair or something different on the top ofthe crease behind the shoulder, aim there and cant go wrong. if you have to put a small dot on your target that you can see out to about 20-30 yards and shoot atit, it really makes you concentrate on the shot instead of the target/dot.[/align]