How do you practice and how much?
 

I was curious how others practice shooting and how much they shoot? I ask as I am really pretty limited in how often and how long I can shoot, due to family man responsibilities and house projects, and curious if others had suggestions for how best to use my limited time?
I still try to get out to shoot 3-4 times a week. I am shooting between 10 and 25 arrows a session and currently just shooting field tips out of the stand I have set up in a tree in the back yard about 16-17' up to a range about 24 yards. I am trying to focus on proper form, trigger squeeze and being patient from a more hunting situation set-up. I will likely not see a shot past 20 yards when hunting in the fall, so want to focus 30 yards and in at different ranges as well.
I plan to move to broadhead shortly. Any feedback would be appreciated.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

I do just about the same thing except i shoot with friends and that helps to push me to be better. I guess its all the competition:D

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

I haven'ttouched my bow since indoor league ended mid March. But I'll gear up as we inch closer. I was actually going to site back in with hunting arrows Sunday when we got company.. So it's on my mind. Plus I need to get sighted in to take out this Groundhog that is taking up residence under my shed!

I shoot aluminum thicker and heavierarrows for league..so I need to narrow my rest and re-sight.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

I shoot winter and summer archery leagues. I shoot league one night per week...about 50-70 arrows each night. Outside of the leagues, I try to shoot 1-2 tournaments per month...aout 50-60 arrows per tourny. Other than that, I might shoot one other night in the back yard...probably around 30 arrows.

If I start feeling fatigue, I stop. Simply don't want to develop any bad habits.

Oh, I try to make it toone broadhead shoot right before the season starts.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

I do basically the same thing but have not put my stands up in trees yet. On the ground most of my shots are at 40+ yards and I shoot about 50-70 arrows in an eveningsession. I will also shoot while I am grilling dinner (50 yds) and I do this while sitting in a chair. On weekends I take shooting breaks from my chores and will shoot 30-50 arrows 2,3 or 4 times a day depending. I will come out and shoot fromdifferent yardagescold as if it were my first shot on a deer after a couple hours. I just try to shoot a whole lot and make up different scenarios. There will be more of that once I start shooting from trees. I shoot broadheads on occasion to make sure everything is shooting the same but I mostly shoot field points.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

Red Lion:

If you are pressed for time, and want to simulate hunting as closely as possible, try the following out.

Rather than shooting 10-25 arrows per practice session....just shoot one.

Do it first thing in the morning (while your muscles are still stiff from sleeping) or right at last light (which is just like it is hunting). You only get one shot hunting, and limiting yourself to only one shot (assuming you have the discipline) will make you focus on making that one shot a good one...otherwise you'll think about it all day at work until you can go home that evening and fling another stick.

Works for me when I'm pressed for time.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

One day a week I punch paper and shoot at golf tees. Usually around 1-200 shots that day. Then as I have time I get out in the yard and shoot some......I also shoot 3D as time permits.

As season approaches I will shoot a lot more. I then change over to broadheads some, and in the height of it all I will be shooting 3-400 arrows per week. Sometimes more, just depends on my mood.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

Red Lion,

I have a new bow so more motivation to shoot, but also am squeezed for time.

I shoot off a deck about 5 feet up about 3 or 4 times a week, usually 24 shots, but sometimes 18 or 30 shots. Sometimes I stand on a sturdy chair to simulate a climber platform and to get me up a couple more feet. I haven't shot off my roof yet. I'm thinking my neighbors will call the cops. ;)

I have been shooting about 18 shots at 20-25 yards and the last 6 or so at 30 yards (30 yards is as far as I can shoot in my yard). Sometimes I mix it up with real close shots.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

I shoot 3 times a week. I spend most of my time between 40 to 60 yards, makes a 20 yarder seem like a chip shot.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

I shoot about 100 arrows per day

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

Well currently I am trying to get good with my long bow so I am shooting almost every night for at least 30 minutes. With my compound I normally only shot 3-4 days a week, 15-25 arrows a day, Starting around 1st of august. As the season neared with my compound I'd shoot 1-2 arrows everyday.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

I'm about to start my annual 90 day vacation. (two more days!) ;)

I'll shoot almost everyday. I am setting up a pretty cool archery course at my place this summer. 5-6 targets. Incline, decline, treestand and flat shots..

Using 1 glendell buck, one block and three big layered targets. I'd like to add a bear and turkey target too..

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

2 or 3 times a week. I just hunt with the bow, no competition.

By Myself. I have no friends. :D
10 shotsat 40 yds
10 at 30 yds
10 at 20 yds

Done. If I feel some Target Panic coming on I will not shoot for a while, maybe a couple weeks or even a month. Then go back to Point Blank to cure it, then back to regiment. That still creeps in ever so often.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

Assuming my equipment is tuned, I have a weekly shooting practice routine. Keep in mind, this is more geared towards training for 3D specifically.

2-3x a week I will use the following routine:

20-30 arrows of perfect shots. I don't worry about where they go andI am usually aiming at a 40 yard target butt. I worry about setting up the shot, maintaining proper front bow shoulder position, keeping my head straight and not dipping into the string to find the peep,getting the tension into my back before I start to draw, and relaxing my bow arm and shoulder in the bottomed out spot while executing. All I care about on this exercise is setting up and executing perfect shots, doesn't matter where they go at all. Even though I am not shooting to really try and get small groups, you should see the arrow carnage that happens during this drill at 40 yards. I am down to 20 or so pin nocks out of a pack of 100 that I bought roughly 2.5 months ago. [8D]

10-15 aiming drills. Focus on setting the shot up properly as described above, but once coming to full draw just focus on floating on the X ring without worry about shooting, I will hold for roughly 6-8 seconds or so and let down. This gets me comfortable with just floating in it and helps seperate the aiming part from the execution part.

20-30 minutes of walking the field archery course trail at my local club with no bow in hand. Only a range finder and a piece of paper. I try to pick out 30 random objects in the woods during this time from distances of 25-50 yards in distance from me and judge them. If I am 3 or moreyards off, I mark -2 on the paper. If I am 2 yards, I mark 0 on the paper. If I am within 1 yard, I mark +1 on the paper. My goal is to add all 30 up when Iam done and try to average 0. If I am off by more than 3, I will try to find a 20 yard mark between me and the target and then look at it again in reference to that 20 yard mark to try and burn in what 20 looks like. I need work on this past 40 yards..........[:-]

This usually takes me 2 hours or so in total. I also shoot one 3D per week on Sundays, and I am going to add one indoor 30 arrow vegas game a week to the schedule as well with my 3D bow.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

a lot of times i shoot in the yard from 20-50 yards and only shoot 3-5 arrows per 10 yard incriment just to stay in touch

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

I try to shoot every day. I have a 30yd range in the back yard. I will try to shoot at least 50 arrows. When pressed for time or if it is raining, I will try to make 2 or 3 QUALITY shots. I will concentrate on shooting from a sitting position, a standing, kneeling, tree stand, etc. I have a bag target a 3-D deer and a Morrell's BH target. The bag is the only one I'm using now as the others are shredded at this point.
I also try to shoot my recurve at least every other day.


My wife and I are in the middle of buying a new house. It has 5 acres and I'm really looking forward to having longer ranges to shoot in my yard. I see a private 3-D course in my future! There are a lot of trees to put practice stands in.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

This time of the year, I will shoot 12 to 18 arrows, three or four nights a week, right before dusk. I am limited to 20 yards, but it keeps my form up. In late August I will start shooting five nights a week, and start shooting BHs about a month before the opening of the season, and taper back a bit after the season starts. I will shoot from my climber stand at 20 to 45 yards when I'm out on the lease, which, unfortunately, isn't as frequent as I would like it to be.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

I shoot about 5 or 6 times a week now a days! I shoot off my Balcony which makes it easy for me. I'll shoot a few arrows every time I walk by my bow!

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

My weekends over the summer are mostly booked solid with work/family/social stuff, so I don't have much time to shoot. Summer evenings are when I do my shooting.

However, I have to shoe-horn bow practice into my schedule around whitetail scouting. I definitely place a higher priority on scouting/glassing/planning my fall hunts than I do on practicing the shots.

I get about 3 nights a week before my wife starts to complain, and those nights are generally spent sitting in a field somewhere with a scope in my face. At least once every two weeks, I sacrifice a night afield and spend it shooting the bow. Honestly, I hate shooting my bow. I don't really practice much from the ground - it's mostly hunting simulations - so by the time you drag your stand to the woods, put on a hunting jacket, set the bag up,climb 20', and shoot arrows into the bag, get back down and repeat - you're a sweaty, bug-infested, miserable mess.

Been doing it for 15 years, and it's just point-and-click anymore. Through that 15 years, I've only been through 3 bows, so there isn't much changing going on. This year, however, I will be breaking in a new bow with some sweeping changes in the overall setup. That will command a little extra time and attention. At least once a week.

So, over the course of an average summer, I shoot about once every week or two, usually only 10-20 shots - like I said earlier,80-90% of my free time is spent in the woods. I'd probably shoot more (and scout a LOT more)if I had more time, but I just can't see the point of wasting good field days inside an air-conditioned range shootingat x'sfrom the 20-yard line.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

right now I am shooting about 4-5 times a week usually about 100 arrows or so per session all shots are from 40 - 60 yards. about mid august I will start shooting every night weather permitting. and usually about 20 of those shots are with broadheads.once the season starts I try to shoot at least 10 arrows everyday,but to be honest that doesnt always happen because I just want to get to my stand

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

I usually start shooting sometime in July and I will shoot 30-40 aarows 2-3x per week. I have been using the same bow for about 6 or 7 years now so there is not normally a lot of change. The reason I start in July is to get my muscles used to it and to identify any potnetial problems with my set up or to decide on broadheads.

When I get the "Fever" I can't spend enough time in the woods scouting and preparing for the hunt.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

A training technique you can do is while you are up in your stand, scatter several plastic gallon milk jugs partially filled with sand around your stand (between ten and thirty yards from your standor like you said 20 yards would be your max shot you would probably take this fall).

Pick a target, reach slowly for your bow, draw, aim and shoot. Hang the bow back up, take your time,and shoot another target, repeating the process to the number of jugs youhave. It will stimulate the shots youwill have totake come fall.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

I belong to an outdoor range club, but I rarely get to go, moslty because of time restrictions...but after reading Cameron's book Backcountry Bowhunting, I gave it a try and began shooting at home...inside! yes, It took a couple of days for the wife to understand that, but now I try to shoot every day at least few arrows...and this have really helped me...

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

Starting in January........Field Points and 3D until just before turkey season. Turkey season.....I shoot expandables.....and I hunted most every day. No time for practice.

After turkey season....it's back to FP's for some indoor 3D (it's HOT, here!) a couple to 3 times a week (sometimes 5 days). Come August.....I'll switch to BH's and won't shoot anything else until after deer season.

Repeat.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

how long does a target last you shooting all those broadheads, and what kind of targetdo you use

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

Half hour a day in my driveway out to 40 yards.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

Don't know. I bought a 2'x2' layered rubber target that I started out shooting my BH's into. I saw REAL QUICK it wasn't going to last long.....so I bought a yellow jacket.

It's still in good shape....., but I might need to stick some different dot locations on it, this year.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

I shoot about every other day. Normally, only 20 to 30 shots. Shoot at a fairly slow pace. Like to shoot at varying distances - heavy on the long stuff - 50 to 70 yards.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

Back in my tourny days I would shoot everyday-60, 100 arrows & sometimes two tournaments on the weekends.
Now, starting my 51st year of Bowhunting it's during the season a couple arrows every few days. I haven't touched the Bow since last day I Deer Hunted BUT I leave on a hog Bowhunt in Oklahoma tomorrow morning. Walked out on my deck today & shot 4 arrows at 25 yards at a 3x5 card to check everything out-4 hits (with Broadheads). I guess I am ready & so is the Bow...Hope I do that well on a decent hog.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

I usually shoot 1 broadhead followed by 2 or 3 field tips and see the consistency..then do that a bunch of times. Usually shoot a lot more arrows if im shooting with someone, makes it funner.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

Unfortunately, Its a half hour ride to my club where I can shoot and I've got all kinds of family stuff and work stuff to deal with so I only get out once a week. I shoot at practice butts from 20 to 50 yards, and just started doing the 3D course. I'll keep that up until the season gets closer, then I try to get out a bit more often. Then I hit the broadhead range to make sure my bow is in tune, use the elevated stand at the club, and also try to practice from my climber before I hit the woods. I'm looking for a new house, and my wife and I recognize we need to comprimise on alot of things, but one thing I'm sticking to my guns on is having a yard big enough to practice shooting in much more often.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

I wanted to say thanks to all of you who responded, as I got some useful feedback and good just to read how others practice and prepare. Thanks again.

RE: How do you practice and how much?
 

I shoot at the club at least once a week, including winter sometimes in snowshoes.

I also shoot daily. Sometimes in the yards or in the basement. Usually about 3-4 dozen arrows a day. I also have a full time job and family, but I get up early and shoot before anyone wakes up. ;)That way they just have to put up with the club.