What do you consider a good group?
06-25-2007, 09:21 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 202
What do you consider a good group?
I hear people say they shoot good groups a lot. Being as new to archery as I am, I have no idea what a good group is. What size do you consider to be a good group at 20, 30, and 40 yards. I have yet to shoot more than a few arrows past 20 yards. I can easily get groups at 20 yards to group in a 3inch diameter. Is this considered good, bad, or fair? I don't want to be moving back too soon.
06-25-2007, 09:29 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Eastern Shore MD
Posts: 2,487
RE: What do you consider a good group?
I like to divide the yardage by 10, then make it inches.
so a good 30 yrd group would be in a 3" circle. anything better than that is great.
example: 45 yrds, 45/10 = 4.5" group.
so a good 30 yrd group would be in a 3" circle. anything better than that is great.
example: 45 yrds, 45/10 = 4.5" group.
06-25-2007, 09:36 AM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Jackson, Missouri
Posts: 7,051
RE: What do you consider a good group?
Never thought of a formula like that, but I think that's pretty sound for most people. For hunting purposes, I'm pretty happy with 2" groups at 20 yards, 3" at 30 and 4" at 40. I recently mentioned on another post that I'm turnng in softball-sized groups at 50, which I said is probably not world-class, but I think it'll be good enough for my upcoming elk hunt. So ... all in all, I think Ed's right on.
06-25-2007, 09:38 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location:
Posts: 1,438
RE: What do you consider a good group?
I'm sure that you will get greatly varying answers to this one.
I don't see any of the experienced archers answering, so I will throw in my two cents.
I would consider 3" groups good. I assume you are going for hunting, not target shooting.
Like you, I started at about 20 yards and was having no problem with 3" groups (after working out some grip and stance issues). Things get exponentially harder as you get out though. Sometimes (like yesterday), I was struggling with consistent 3" groups at 25 yards. I finished up strong, but had a few erratic flights and down and left misses. My goal is consistent 3" groups at 30 yards for hunting (which I have not reached). I'm only shooting 6" at 30 yards (sometimes better - talking about consistent here).
My thinking is even though the kill zone for deer is obviously bigger than 3", taking a real shot on game from a stand with no warm up shots is more difficult, so I would like some small margin for error.
EDIT: 2 experienced archers beat me to post, so disregard that comment.
I don't see any of the experienced archers answering, so I will throw in my two cents.
I would consider 3" groups good. I assume you are going for hunting, not target shooting.
Like you, I started at about 20 yards and was having no problem with 3" groups (after working out some grip and stance issues). Things get exponentially harder as you get out though. Sometimes (like yesterday), I was struggling with consistent 3" groups at 25 yards. I finished up strong, but had a few erratic flights and down and left misses. My goal is consistent 3" groups at 30 yards for hunting (which I have not reached). I'm only shooting 6" at 30 yards (sometimes better - talking about consistent here).
My thinking is even though the kill zone for deer is obviously bigger than 3", taking a real shot on game from a stand with no warm up shots is more difficult, so I would like some small margin for error.
EDIT: 2 experienced archers beat me to post, so disregard that comment.
06-25-2007, 09:55 AM
#6
Join Date: May 2007
Location: McDonald, PA
Posts: 158
RE: What do you consider a good group?
this is just my opinion, and I have been shooting a bow and bowhunting for 28 years,but I think that before you move back from 20 yds you should be shooting groups that all your arrows should be touching or at least very close to touching.You dont want to move back to soon because all you will do is hurt your confidence, and that is not a good thing for your consistancy. When you do start to move back to 30 and 40 yards and get proficient at those distances then that 20 yard shot seems like a chip shot
06-25-2007, 10:13 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: North East Texas
Posts: 3,925
RE: What do you consider a good group?
ORIGINAL: HuntingEd
I like to divide the yardage by 10, then make it inches.
so a good 30 yrd group would be in a 3" circle. anything better than that is great.
example: 45 yrds, 45/10 = 4.5" group.
I like to divide the yardage by 10, then make it inches.
so a good 30 yrd group would be in a 3" circle. anything better than that is great.
example: 45 yrds, 45/10 = 4.5" group.
i agree, that is pretty much the same idea i use
06-25-2007, 10:23 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Southwest Ohio
Posts: 2,849
RE: What do you consider a good group?
ORIGINAL: Greg / MO
Never thought of a formula like that, but I think that's pretty sound for most people. For hunting purposes, I'm pretty happy with 2" groups at 20 yards, 3" at 30 and 4" at 40. I recently mentioned on another post that I'm turnng in softball-sized groups at 50, which I said is probably not world-class, but I think it'll be good enough for my upcoming elk hunt. So ... all in all, I think Ed's right on.
Never thought of a formula like that, but I think that's pretty sound for most people. For hunting purposes, I'm pretty happy with 2" groups at 20 yards, 3" at 30 and 4" at 40. I recently mentioned on another post that I'm turnng in softball-sized groups at 50, which I said is probably not world-class, but I think it'll be good enough for my upcoming elk hunt. So ... all in all, I think Ed's right on.
