Drawing your bow.
 

When I draw my bow I keep it straight and pull straight back. This is the way Ive taught many kids and adults how to shoot. I also tell them to shoot a draw weight their comfortable with so that they can pull it straight back. I guees what my beef is, is watching some of these hunting shows and watching a hunter have to point his bow skyward and draw that way. To me this is someone who is pulling too much draw weight and there is a ton of movement while their hunting. Not saying their a bad shot or anything but it seems easier to use a draw weight your comfortable with. Is it just me or do others practice this skyward pointing when you draw?

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

Agreed. Only one time did I pull a bow back and point it up to do it. One of my friends had an old Jennings that I think he said was at #70 draw. It felt like #170. The first time I tried to pull it back I couldn't. Of course I didn't want to look like a wimp so I sucked it all up and barely had enough to break it over. I was sure happy but I think I talked with a higher pitch for a week. I try to practice the way I'll hunt and try draw straight back and also will draw very slowly. Sometimes real slow.

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

I agree. There is much less movement if you draw straight back as opposed to
aiming at the sky first. I have never been busted during my draw. Yet anyway.

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

i used to do the skyward thing, but not anymore. i might point up jus a tad but not as much as i used to.

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

I think that it's the way we've seen it done and anticipate that's how you are supposed to do it. I've always practiced straight back because it's the safest and smartest way to draw the bow.

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

I'm a sky-puller. I started sky-pulling back in '87 when I started shooting a compound. The choices for a cheap, left-handed,lower-weight compound in North Dakota were rather slim. ;)

I had to get a bow with a 28" draw. It was a lot easier to pull it back by sky-pulling than just straight back. Nobody told me it was bad form. (that's not my only bad form issue either...It's downrightentertaining to watch me shoot) :eek:

I have a 26.5" draw Equalizer on order right now. I'll have to start using a release. Sky-pulling and a release is a bad combo. I'll need to start working on my form. [:@]

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

It's definitely a sign someone is over-bowed to me if they have to do that to get drawn. Of course, it might be just a bad habit formed somewhere along the way earlier...

As a bowhunter, I want to be able to point my bow where it's going to be held when aiming a few moments later, and just merely draw my right hand back smoothly; this minimizes as much movement as possible while hunting.

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

Agreed Greg,

If one can't point the bow at the intended target and pull straight back, then that one is pulling too much weight and is over bowed.....

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

I never ever draw to the sky. Even if I am pulling 70 lbs. back to plug that boar. My philosophy is, even if you are the strongest person to pull that back, its not worth it taking the cahnce to draw back like that. There always could be the mistake of letting that arrow go, not to mention all the movement and strain to bring the bow down to settle the pins. No offense, but not my cup of tea.:)

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

Makes me think of when I was at the pro shop a few months back. A guy walks in with a beautiful looking new Matthews, says hey to the guy working behind the counter and that he was going back to the range. Several minutes later we here this thud and the staffer just looked kinda puzzled. After a few minutes another thud. The staffer looked a little pissed and took off around the corner. I went back to see what was up to find him telling the guy to keep his finger behind the release trigger until he was drawn. The ceilings in the range were about 10' or 12' high with a wood beam hanging down about 5 yards downrange with 2 arrows sticking out of it. Funny thing is once you started looking there were quite a few holes in that beam.

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

i draw alittle bit up and to the side just very little. i used to draw sstraight back but injured my shoulder so that exact motion really hurts. id say about 4-5 inches up but not up in the air. the only thing i see wrong with straight back is people start to reach out and then draw putting all the pull in one arm, i find myself doing this when a deer is in range and im getting ready to draw, makes a big diference to me.

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

Im getting used to my higher draw weight so Im up like 5 inches too.

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

I was taught when I was a kid to start my draw withthe arrow pointed down (at the ground 9-10' in front of me)and I'm used to it. I also have seen hunting shows where the person drawing looked like he was gonna pop a vein pulling back! Who are they kidding? I have a 50-60lb bow and it is set at 62lbs. When I can't draw smoothly anymore, I'll turn it down...when I pass thru a deer on a ground level shot I don't want to have to search for my arrow all day!

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

my little brother tries pulling my bow back, he was pointed straight up trying to pull on it has hard as he could

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

We have a safety rule at our club that forbids sky pulling. Someone who does it at our range is told to quit doing it. If he/she continues doing it, even after a couple of reminders, that person is asked to leave for the day. Ifthe person iskicked off the range three times in a year,he/she isbanned for a year.

Sky pulling is seriously stupid, dangerous stuff.

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

Couple of things.....

I originally (having never shot a bow) set my poundage on my switchback @ 58lbs. That was easily drawn (I'm a pretty big guy)....so I went to 62 lbs. in about 6 weeks (shooting every day). I eventually went to 65 lbs.....and couldn't noticeably tell a difference from when I first started.

That was until I went to WV during the first week of January. The first day of our hunt.....I got in the stand and it was 11 degrees......blowing snow with about 20mph winds.

I had on enough clothes to be warm.....but it was STILL cold! about 9:30 I decided to draw my bow...just to keep loose. WOW. It took everything I had to draw it back. EVERYTHING.

Just keep this little tidbit in mind.....

Jeff

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

I totally agree. I draw just like you do.

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

i have seen those guys do it before too. its kind of funny, they are all professional hunters, but they have worse form than me, ive been shooting for 7 months now.Now that may not be all bad for these guys, but if you get a beginner to do that and they arent paying attention to where their release finger is, they could send an arrow to the next county.I shoot 60# but i can still draw a 75# without "sky pulling".

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

Jeff,
I missed a shot opportunity on a real nice eight-point last fall in NY. It was 19 degrees and I had been in my stand for 3 1/2 hours. My Ultratec was set at 68 lbs (65% let-off), but it felt like 168. I'm at 62lbs with 80% let-off now! I learned my lesson!

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

Agreed with you!

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

i pull it str8 back unless it is an 80 pound bow then i definately have to pull by skying the bow but my 28 in martin i can pull it str8 back unless i have shot about 30 to 40 times then i will start doing that a lil bit.

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

It seems to me that alot of the hunters on tv are perched pretty high in the tree so maybe they think they can get away with it. I usually only hunt between 12 to 16 feet off the ground and I wouldn't dream of skypulling. I haven't been picked offdrawing in about 12 years (knock on wood) and I take pride in that, I have a smooth, straight back draw. I practice with my bow maxed (72lbs) and about a month before the season turn it down to 65lbs.I can hold at full draw for two minutes (timed) without any shaking or tirednessand shoot the kill zone. I gained almost 25 seconds by turning it down to 65lbs. Luckily I haven't had to hold back that long, but the deer I shot last year decided to turn the wrong way after I drew, I passed up an iffy shot and I sweated it out for about a minute until he gave me the shot I wanted (I made a heart shot on him):):). It is a comforting feeling for me to know if I get stuck at full draw I can hold it for a while and still make a quality shot. I'm a big guy about 6'3" and 280 and my buddies question why I "only" draw 65lbs and now that I'm older and hopefully wiser I tell them that is what I'm comfortable with.

I practice every shot with the slow, smooth straight drawback, when I'm shooting and usually end with the stuck at full draw shot.

Chris

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

I used to pull straight back. Then I got rear ended twice, one at 65mph while I was stopped and the other at 45mph also while I was stopped. My body tells me to raise the bow up a bit (not much) while drawing. I have no choice.

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

If you can accuratly place a arrow into your target 10 out of 10 times, who gives a crap how you pull the string back!

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

I agree if you can't pull it straight back and smooth you are over bowed and should turnthe poundage down .It is safer to be able to draw in control.

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

I agree too...

I have shot a 65# bow for a few years and got comfortable with that. When I got my new bow and had it all setup and adjusted for me, the guy had it at 70# and had me pull that. But noticed me starting to pull the bow up to draw it. I could do 70# but then again when it's cold and snowy, and I'm cold, it wouldn't be a good thing to draw a 70# bow when you're cold and stiff on a tree stand.

Long story short, the bow shop set me up at 67# because that is right at the weight where I can handle it, draw it smoothly,and not pull the bow up.

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

Gotta go straight back. If it's tough to pull when you are calm at the range or in your backyard, it's gonna be even tougher when the buck or bull is 25yds in front of you...

RE: Drawing your bow.
 

I look at the target, raise the bow to the target and draw on what I am aiming at. I never take my eye off the target and draw the bow straight back with the pin on the target. If you shoot enough you shouldn't even have to think about drawing your bow and setting your anchor points, it should just happen. All you should do is aim. When I shoot an animal I normally don't even remember releasing the arrow, it just all sort of happens.

Paul