russelllaw

Guys, I am shooting a Fred Bear TRX set at 70lb and 30" d.l, using a release aid. I have set the bow up O.K with the arrow aligned with the string and bow centre and it shoots as well as I can. Problem is that when I line it all up and look down range, I notice that the sight pins are all over to the left of the setup by quite some distance. I am hitting my target at 10/20 and30 yds no probs but I know I must be doing something wrong to have these pins so far out of alignment. Can somebody offer some advice???

extreme1

I read your post 2 times and im still not sure what your saying.If everything is shooting fine out to 30 yards then i dont get it.
Couple of other things i can think of is line your pin groups up with your string,almost center shot from your arrow rest.
Are you using a peep site?Maybe your draw length is a little long and you are canting your head to look through the peep.
Hopefully someone with alot more knowledge will step forward and set the record straight
And welcome aboard russelllaw.Great place to be and ask alot of questions and answer a few as well

russelllaw

Thanks extreme1. If I line pins, string, arrow up I end up shooting waaay left of the target. 30" d.l is O.K, I'm 6'5". You could be right about the cant. I figure it must be a problem with my technique but exactly what it is I don't know. Yes, I'm using a peep.
Perhaps I should just buy a book?

jsasker

Keep practicing at the closer distances until you start getting more consistant results and maybe try not to grip the bow too much causing torque on the release.The farther away from the target the more you'll notice any little flaws in your form and don't punch the trigger when you release.A few things to try.good luck.

Tazman

russel did you set the bow up or an archery shop? If you set it up yourself you may want to cough up the bucks and go to an archery shop and have the bow tuned and set up for you. This is very important if you are just getting into archery, because it will stop you from developing bad habits.

6ptsika

I would make sure your cable guard isn't turned out any more than necessary, just far enough to keep your fletch from hitting the cables. The torque from the cable guard causes this, and it isn't that unusual, and really isn't a problem. My pins are over 1/8 off center.
Cam lean is also a possibility, so I'd take it to a good shop to be sure.

reylamb

My sight pins are to the left of the string also. Anyone else that shoots my bow impacts way right. If I shoot anyone else's bow I shoot their bow to the left. It is something to do with the eyes I am sure, at least in my case. As long as the arrow hits where your pin is holding I would not worry about it at all.

BobCo19-65

If all is true about center shot, then I would say to check to make sure you are using the correct spined arrows. Also, it could be hand torque.

Arthur P

The problem is... you're on the wrong side of the equator. The Coriolis Force and geomagnetic anomolies are the culprits.[8D]

Really though, any of the several possibilities that have been mentioned can cause your problem. Even your basic shooting stance can be causing the sight pins to be misaligned.

First thing I'd suggest looking at is your grip. Extend your bow arm to the side with your hand flat, thumb extended to the side and palm down. Rotate your shoulder so that the inside bend of your elbow is 90 degrees from the floor. If needed, rotate your forearm to bring the palm back flat and parallel with the floor. Now, curl the small, ring and middle fingers into the palm of your hand and relax the entire hand while keeping the wrist straight. Now, keeping the inside bend of your elbow perpendicular to the floor, rotate your forearm so that your thumb is pointing up at 45 degrees.

That is your grip position when shooting the bow. The bow sits in the pocket between the the index finger and thumb, and just on the inside part of the meat of the palm. The index finger is relaxed and naturally curled around the front of the grip, possibly touching the thumb. The other fingers are curled (but relaxed) between the grip and the palm.

(When you get the basic feel of the grip, it will no longer be necessary to curl the other three fingers between the grip and the palm. But until the grip is ingrained in your muscle memory, I suggest you keep them there.)

That style grip allows you to hold the bow with minimal hand contact and torque. It also allows the bow to suspend itself straight up and down, eliminating cant. Rotating the elbow vertical with the floor gets the meat of the forearm out of the string's way so you won't be raking chunks of hide off your arm every time you shoot - or, at least, having the string bounce off your arm and changing your arrow's flight path.

Most people say to use a wrist sling and keep the grip totally loose. I do not subscribe to that idea. I hold enough tension in my index finger (which is naturally curled around the front of the grip. Remember?) to keep the bow in my hand when I shoot. There are a thousand and one different ways to grip a bow. Of course, I think my way is best.

Once you get your grip squared away, you can begin making sure you don't have any mechanical issues with the bow/arrow combination itself. I thorougly expect you'll need to retune your centershot setting for your rest.

russelllaw

Wow, thanks for the advice guys. I will try to address each issue:

Jsasker: I use a wrist strap and really only use my palm to support the bow when firing. Perhaps I don't support it enough?

Tazman: I bought it at Bass Pro in V.A last year and they set it up for me. I have probably made the adjustments since I got it back and started using it properly.

6ptsika:reylamb:
Interesting?? Perhaps my cable guard is tight. It's set at the factory setting though and isn't adjustable. The fletching clears the cables by 1/8th". My pins are 1/4" off center so whatever you are doing, I'm doing worse!

BobCo19-65: I'm using 31" Gold Tip 7595's with 125gn Muzzys or Gladiators. I'm definately using a loose grip.

Arthur P : Wrong hemisphere Huh? Well, we can all see that your high school education hasn't gone to waste? (hehehe) I am sitting here going through those movements and I'm glad you don't have a cam on. I am pretty much convinced that you are on the right track and it's a problem with my form. I will try what you suggested and hopefully it will come good.

Thanks all.