Mwether

Which is blurry when you get a sight picture? Everthing I read says, "pick a specific spot on the deer" which makes me think that the spot on the animal must be in focus with the pin blurred on top of it.

I ask because this is exactly the opposite of handgun shooting where you're taught to focus on the front sight and let the center of the target's mass go blurry in the background. (I guess this makes sense beacause you're certainly not shooting at a specific dime-sized spot in a gunfight!)

Awaiting your thoughts,
Jeff

Mykey

Seems to me if the pin is clear then you'd be looking and concentrating on the pin and not the target. For me personally the spot i want to hit is clear when i release with the pin always being blurry. Once i put my pin on the target i pick a spot and the pin becomes second nature so to speak. Works for me!

PABowhntr

I believe I tend to focus on the deer and let the pin blur.

wimp

Every time this question comes up I really can't remember what I do. I figure I look at the deer, but I really can't remember for sure.

silentassassin

Do this little excercise and it will explain why you should concentrate on the target and not the pin. Look at something across the room. Now make a circle with your thumb and forefinger. Now look at the circle and try to keep the object that you were looking at centered in the circle
.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .........................................Did you notice how much the circle was moving?




Now do the same thing only this time focus on the object and completely ignore whether or not it is in the middle. Just focus on the object.
.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .

You will notice 2 things. One your subconscious will automatically put the object in the center of the hole. Even if your hand floats off your sunconscious will guide it back. The second thing you will notice is that there is much less movement when you use this method. JMO

MA Jay

This is an often discussed issue at the archery shoots I have attended.

Anyone who has been through marksmanship training will tell you that the focus MUST be on the pin and not your target. I'm not going to say you can't focus on your target and shoot decent groups, because one can do that. With practice. I will say that, with practice, focusing on your pin and not your target will aloow you to shoot groups 1/2 again tighter than you were capable of while focusing on the target.

From the Marines, we all learned the "secret" to the one shot one kill philosophy is perfect sight alignment and perfect sight picture. In fact I often say in my head while shooting, Sight Alignment is, when the "clear" front site post is centered half way up and left to right in the blurry rear site aperture. The reason for this is if you have everything perfect at the weapon, whether it is a rifle, pistol or bow .. which mostly have a front site, and a rear aperature of some sort making them all fundamentally the same to shoot, then as long as the site pin is on the target, when you release the trigger the projectile will hit the target.

When you focus on the target, no matter how "centered" you think that pin is, you can't be 100% sure because you are looking at the target. The target should be blurry behind your perfectly clear pin. Now that doesn't mean you can't pick your spot.. as there should be some focusing on the target, then back to your pin, then back to the target, then back to your pin .. but I promise you .. if you are centering that perfectly clear pin in your rear peep site and hold that pin in on your "blurry" target .. you will hit your mark every time!

People who have switched from focusing on the target to focusing on their pin have ALWAYS improved their shooting in our group. In fact when someone hits a "slump", often it is because they cheat, and look at their targets right before they release the arrow.

cyclone

Same as you do when practicing...either or, your choice...practice both, choose the best fit..[8D]

Double Creek

I think I focus on the pin. I've tried for years to focus on the target, but I could not get my pin where I wanted it when concentrating on the target. I try to do both, if that is possible, I've never really notice anyting being blurry, UNLESS I concentrate on the target, then my pin is blurry. BUT, when I concentrate on the pin, my target seems clear to me as well.

silentassassin

MaJay,

I think you should read what the majority of the best archers and archery coaches have to say about the subject. The overwhelming majority of them will disagree with you and tell you that they focus on the target and not the pin. Now I am not saying that focusing on the pin doesn't work for you. I am just saying that I don't think it's a coincedence that top shooters and coaches, teach and shoot this way. JMO

thundermug

What I do...like anyone cares(LOL) is have my pin sharp as I come upon the target then shift my focus to the target, the pin becomes blurry yet remains round and this round blurry object fits inside the circle on the target.

When hunting I almost always keep my focus on the deer, hog, or rabbit. I need to be able to sorta see their face in my perepheral vision so I can have an idea of what they are about to do.