DeerWhisperer

My 1st year bowhunting. Well i have only been out once this year. I bought a pse nova and decided to try my hand at bow hunting this year. I have been try to perfect my shooting but am having a problem. At 20yards i feel very confident. Yesterday i started practicing at 30yards. Yesterday my grouping was good and i was feeling good about my shooting. Today, i am all over the place at 30 yards. I am having a big problem holding my bow on the target. I shot about 20 shots yesterday and would say only 3 would not have killed the deer. Today, i shot 12 shots and would say only 2 would have killed the deer for sure.
I think it's due to my arms getting tired and weak from all the pulling back of the bow. What do you guys think? am practicing to much?
Is this normal, how much should i practice. I really want to get out in the woods with this bow, but unless i get a shot at 20 yards or less right now, i would not be comfortable taking the shot. I would like to get comfortable shooting at up to 35 - 40 yards.

kenman

It sure couldbe target fatigue. You could be torqing (sp)your bow as well. You want to be able to put 100% of your practice shots in the vitals. Even 90% isn't good enough. Until you can hit what you are aiming at 100% of the time, don't take the shot at an animal.

I know lots of people that will not shoot over 20 yards...

wis_bow_huntr

I have a PSE Nove and do not recomend any shot over 25 yards with it. Its not the fastest bow on the market but it does get the job done and done well. What poundage are you shooting? You could be straining your hold, you could be torquing the bow, it could be anything. The max I shoot with my nova is 30-35 yards, but i have been shooting for quite a few years and have shot at different yardages for quite sometime. Youd be suprised on how many deer are taken under 20 yards. Id say more than 80% of all the deer I have taken with a bo have been under 20 yards. You need to practice, maybe turn your poundage down, keep your bow hand open, and breathe. Also practice at differnt heights, and angles.

Arthur P

Ya gotta crawl before you can walk. You gotta walk before you can run.
Shooting a bow is a physical activity and you should not expect to instantly become an expert. Start slow and easy, work yourself into condition. If you're getting tired after only 12 arrows, I'd say you need to back off the draw weight, substantially.

Don't go hog wild on trying to extend your range right now. Practice at hitting the spot at 20 yards until you are confident you can do it every time. Then, in the woods, work at getting yourself within 20 yards of the animal before shooting. The average distance whitetails are taken is something like 18 yards anyway.

When you are confident in your shooting at 20 yards, then back up to 25. Practice there until you're confident. It might take some time, but don't rush things. Keep increasing your distance by five yards as your confidence level increases.

Back to draw weight. I suggest dropping the bow to it's lowest poundage right now. Shoot every other day, making sure you stop when you feel the slightest bit tired. Once a week, increase the draw weight by 1 turn of the limb bolts. ONLY 1 TURN! You probably won't feel the difference but that's because you've gotten stronger and your drawing technique has improved. If it does wind up feeling too heavy, then take it back down and practice another week before trying to raise it again. Keep raising the draw weight by 1 turn each week or so until you hit the poundage you want to shoot.

The key to getting off to a successful start in bowhunting, and the very first lesson you must learn, is PATIENCE.

wis_bow_huntr

Also i forgot something, Follow through. All too often young and beginner hunters will drop the bow too soon to see where they hit. Hold that bow up untill you hear the arrow hit the target. this will assure you a good hit.

outdoorslover

I had that same bow and was the same way. I would recommend practicing only a few shots a day and focus on making the best shot possible. Make sure you're doing everything right--squeezing the trigger, etc. Maybe stick to shooting 20 yards. I'm a crack shot out to 30 yards, but can't shoot worth a darn at live deer. I shot my first doe at 20 yds with the bow and don't feel confident on longer shots. You'll be suprised how many close shots you'll get. Good luck and good hunting!!!

DeerWhisperer

Thanks for all the info guys. I got the bow back in the spring and have been practicing at 20 yards for a few months. Like i said, i feel confident at 20, but yesterday was the 1st time i practiced at 30 yards. yesterday i was doing ok, today, blah. I just could not believe the difference from 1 day to the next.
I also notice at 30 yards i hold the bow on the target longer before releasing. I also notice the longer 1 aim at the target the more my bow starts to move.
I also read up on torgueing the bow after someone mentioned it, this could be a possibility. Any suggestions on this?

KodiakArcher

To stop from torquing the bow your shooting platform has to be totally relaxed, loose/natural grip, natural stance, natural shoulder/arm position, if there is no undue tension in the system, you can't impart torque to the bow. Stand and practice shooting without your bow and take note of how you are most comfortable with the above elements then add the bow to the system and maintain that comfortable shooting position. The only tension you should have is a mildly increasing tension at your shoulder blades as you tense them up and push/pull through the shot. Randy Ulmer has some great video of proper shooting form that may be helpful.

dfsu33

I started with a Nova myself because it was cheap and in case i didn't like bow hunting I did not have a lot invested. But i too had the same problem anything past 20yds i was nervous about taking the shot. As far as practice I usally shot 3 to 6 arrows then pull and take a few min. to look and study what i did or failed to do on the shots. to many shots in a row will hurt once yopu get tired your shots will be all over the place.

MichaelT.

Wheather you realize it or not, you are doing strength conditioning while you are shooting your bow. You don't need to stop though. It is better to do your regular shooting one day, and the only do a few shots the next.
Then keep alternating like that. You will get stronger, but not fatigue yourself. You need to keep getting stronger, though. And the strength will help you hold more steady.

Good luck