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A 40 yard pie plate
I need some advise or tips or whatever you want to call it. I am having trouble getting a good group at 40 yards consistenly(spell). i have good 2-3 inch groups at 20 and 30 yards. but i am working on my 40 yard pin and it is taking alot more time then my other two. this is my first new bow and my second year of bowhunting. i dont have anyone else who can give me hands on training i am self tought with the help of HuntingNet and a couple people i talk to i have gotten this far. i was and i am just going to continue to do the only thing i know to do and practice but i wasnt sure if you guys and gals could give me any quick hints or not. i appreciate it.
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RE: A 40 yard pie plate
If you are not currently doing so. Try this grip out. It will help prevent you from torquing the bow upon release which can cause inaccuracy.
I'd work as much as possible at 20 & 30 ydsuntil you are consistently hitting well then try moving back to 35. It's a big jump from 30 to 40 yds. Sometimes when a distance is giving you problems you are better off moving in and getting your confidence up at 20 yds. My first few years I never shot past 30 yds in practice and limited the shots I would take to that yardage. When I moved back to 35 and then 40 it was a much smoother transition. I always believe in practicing further then I'd shoot but with a new archer that's the one time I disagree with that. Until you get good mechanics and consistent it's the wise thing to do even if you see others shooting further. It's tough to do sometimes but it will make you a better archer in the long run. Think of it like shooting close to the rim until you make all your shots successfully and then you start to move back to the free throw line. Or, playing from the whites even though you'd like to play from the blues in golf.  |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
thanks alot. i do have a grip similar to that even tho my middle ring and pinky are kinda more straight out. i shot just a little bit ago and my first group was about 4 inches and it got larger from there i didnt shot that much but i realize i need all the practice i can get. i dont shot more then about 15-20 arrows per night as i have been advised it might help me shot better.
thank you again i was told to try to shot at 50 yards and that will make my 40 yds easier. i only want a 3 pins on my sight and i dont have a straight flat place to shot a clean 50 yards. i will try 35 tommorow for sure i never thought of that. its worth a try,maybe then like you said i can work up to 40. i want to be confident in a 40 yard shot this year if i can get there.... im gunna try. :D |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
I think you might want to drop your bow hand a bit and losen up on the grip. A wise man on here once told me, "trust your float". I guess its all about trusting your float. Youll get it.
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RE: A 40 yard pie plate
It could be a mental thing. Ive seen it several times, someone is trying to shoot farther than they ever had and cant group at all. Just remember the basics. Shooting at 40 is no differant than shooting at 20 or 30. You need to make sure your doing everything exactly the same except use your 40 yard pin. It maybe farther than you have ever shot before just keep in mind its only 10 yards. The farther you shoot the more exagerated your flaws in shooting form will be.
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RE: A 40 yard pie plate
You could be canting the bow a little witch deffinitly(spl)will show up at 40-yrds and beyound,I was not one for shooting 40yrds and farther and couldnt group well,I was ether left or right then I started to pay attention to my level on my siteand now thru lots of practice I do very well(heart/lungs) at 40-60yrds.....
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RE: A 40 yard pie plate
ORIGINAL: ranger56528 You could be canting the bow a little witch deffinitly(spl)will show up at 40-yrds and beyound,I was not one for shooting 40yrds and farther and couldnt group well,I was ether left or right then I started to pay attention to my level on my siteand now thru lots of practice I do very well(heart/lungs) at 40-60yrds..... |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
ORIGINAL: passthru79 It could be a mental thing. Ive seen it several times, someone is trying to shoot farther than they ever had and cant group at all. Just remember the basics. Shooting at 40 is no differant than shooting at 20 or 30. You need to make sure your doing everything exactly the same except use your 40 yard pin. It maybe farther than you have ever shot before just keep in mind its only 10 yards. The farther you shoot the more exagerated your flaws in shooting form will be. |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
If you can develope a mental picture of how the bow sits when the bubble is level you can get away with not looking at it all the time,I know when I started useing the level it looked to me the bow was still canted but it wasnt,it was just the perception I got looking thru the peep,I also shoot with both eyes open...
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RE: A 40 yard pie plate
Practice practice practice. Practice makes perfect, and you have to have perfect practice too. Make sure your bow is tuned well too as far as cam timing and paper tears. Things get different beyond 30 yards. The breeze starts to affect the arrow more, and any mistake you do in grip, flinch or punching the trigger will show up at that range. 40 yards is a long way to shoot at a deer in the woods. I practice with bheads out to 50 yards, and I've killed 40-45 deer with a bow. Maybe 3 of them were over 30 yards, and one at 55. So just relax, practice, and know your limits.
Nobody can critique your form till someone sees it. So if you can get to a good shop with some good shooters to help ya out, it's tough for us on here. Relax your bow had, and squeeze the release. let the pin float, and focus on the X. LOL after about 1000 shots, it'll become natural for you ;) ORIGINAL: forddeerslayer I need some advise or tips or whatever you want to call it. I am having trouble getting a good group at 40 yards consistenly(spell). i have good 2-3 inch groups at 20 and 30 yards. but i am working on my 40 yard pin and it is taking alot more time then my other two. this is my first new bow and my second year of bowhunting. i dont have anyone else who can give me hands on training i am self tought with the help of HuntingNet and a couple people i talk to i have gotten this far. i was and i am just going to continue to do the only thing i know to do and practice but i wasnt sure if you guys and gals could give me any quick hints or not. i appreciate it. |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
Just make sure you dont practice too much. Like Mikey said you need to have perfect practice. Its better to go out and make 20 perfect shots than 100 bad ones. Get that form, release and follow through perfect and it will just become second nature for you. Like for me out to 60 yards or so I just glance up at my level make sure its good then settle the pin and let it fly. Once you get to the point where you dont hardly have to think about it and you can hit the bullseye you have mastered shooting at that distance. If your not there at 30 or 35 yards yet its not time to shoot any further. Best of luck, and hang in there youll get it.
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RE: A 40 yard pie plate
ORIGINAL: forddeerslayer ORIGINAL: passthru79 It could be a mental thing. Ive seen it several times, someone is trying to shoot farther than they ever had and cant group at all. Just remember the basics. Shooting at 40 is no differant than shooting at 20 or 30. You need to make sure your doing everything exactly the same except use your 40 yard pin. It maybe farther than you have ever shot before just keep in mind its only 10 yards. The farther you shoot the more exagerated your flaws in shooting form will be. If so, cut a 2" square out of it and aim at it. You'll still see it, if you can't make it a 3" circle or just big enough to see behind your pin. It's easier to hit the center of a golf ball than it is the center of the basketball. It goes along with the "aim small, miss small" but if your aiming at a pie plate your not aiming small enough. Focus on the target, not the pin, the pin should be secondary. As it's been said, trust your float. |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
I'll just throw something out there that may go against conventional wisdom, but ...
If you've got room, back up to 50 and 60 yards. Assuming you've got all the basics of form and all down (I'd suggest looking at Matt / Pa's thread in the target archery forum at some of the more advanced archers to check yourself), sometimes it helps to shoot at longer distances just to make the yardage you're wanting to get confident in seem like a chip shot. Try it afew times and see how it does; don't go crazy trying to start shooting 50 all the time when you're not real comfortable shooting 40. It's just a thought, nothing more. :) |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
Not trying to discourage you on this but I have beenshooting bowsfor 16 years and I have found out what my limitation's are and basically anything over 30 yards is out of range for me. For what ever reason mental, physical or both I just can't do it consistently so when I hunt it's around 25 yards and under just to be sure. I have taken deer at 30 yardsit just really depends on how I feel at the time I usually pass or wait on a closer shot.
I haven't given up though I still practice out to 50 yards (range limitation's) to try and get better but it just doesn't happen for me anyway. Just keep practicing and don't give up and one day you may get there. One thing you need to remember is to know you limitations when you go out hunting and go by them. |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
Rob is right on about the size of your target. Aim small, miss small is right on.
IfI put a small object (1"orange circle)on a target I can shoot very consistently at it at 50 yds. However, put up atarget with the big black area andI have all sorts of trouble concentrating on the X ring. Especially when the X itself is shot out andI no longer have that white reference point. WhenI first started shooting I'd take a playing card and start cutting it intosmaller squares the better I got. 1" to start with. then, 1/2", then 1/4". AsI got better even a small target like a 1" circle seemed huge to me even at longer ranges. |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
one more thing I forgot to mention. Shooting 15 or 20 arrows for a practice session probably ain't enough. I know, it goes against what most are telling you, but that just isn't a long enough session to program your brain and burn your routine into it. I've been around some pro's and heard them say several times it takes them 30 or 40 practice arrows to get themselves in their groove before a competition round. If you're shooting 15 or 20 arrows, and you're not tired or shaky, keep going. If you're hitting good, just shoot some more. Go until you either get tired, or start to shoot badly. Then you quit. You'll know this point the more you shoot. Archery is a sport of repitition, and mental training. More mental than anything. And you want to literally make yourself a robot, especially in the head. YOu want drawing, aiming, and releasing to be like tying your shoes. And the only way to do that is by good repitition.
You won't get good at long distance if you don't put in the time and effort. And don't worry about 50 or 60 yards right now. Become 100% confident at 30, then play at 35, then 40. If you skip 40, and go to 50, you're just gonna frustrate yourself even more. Baby steps my man, baby steps. And most of all, enjoy it. It's supposed to be fun! ORIGINAL: forddeerslayer thanks alot. i do have a grip similar to that even tho my middle ring and pinky are kinda more straight out. i shot just a little bit ago and my first group was about 4 inches and it got larger from there i didnt shot that much but i realize i need all the practice i can get. i dont shot more then about 15-20 arrows per night as i have been advised it might help me shot better. thank you again i was told to try to shot at 50 yards and that will make my 40 yds easier. i only want a 3 pins on my sight and i dont have a straight flat place to shot a clean 50 yards. i will try 35 tommorow for sure i never thought of that. its worth a try,maybe then like you said i can work up to 40. i want to be confident in a 40 yard shot this year if i can get there.... im gunna try. :D |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
ORIGINAL: Rob/PA Bowyer ORIGINAL: forddeerslayer ORIGINAL: passthru79 It could be a mental thing. Ive seen it several times, someone is trying to shoot farther than they ever had and cant group at all. Just remember the basics. Shooting at 40 is no differant than shooting at 20 or 30. You need to make sure your doing everything exactly the same except use your 40 yard pin. It maybe farther than you have ever shot before just keep in mind its only 10 yards. The farther you shoot the more exagerated your flaws in shooting form will be. If so, cut a 2" square out of it and aim at it. You'll still see it, if you can't make it a 3" circle or just big enough to see behind your pin. It's easier to hit the center of a golf ball than it is the center of the basketball. It goes along with the "aim small, miss small" but if your aiming at a pie plate your not aiming small enough. Focus on the target, not the pin, the pin should be secondary. As it's been said, trust your float. |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
ORIGINAL: Greg / MO I'll just throw something out there that may go against conventional wisdom, but ... If you've got room, back up to 50 and 60 yards. Assuming you've got all the basics of form and all down (I'd suggest looking at Matt / Pa's thread in the target archery forum at some of the more advanced archers to check yourself), sometimes it helps to shoot at longer distances just to make the yardage you're wanting to get confident in seem like a chip shot. Try it afew times and see how it does; don't go crazy trying to start shooting 50 all the time when you're not real comfortable shooting 40. It's just a thought, nothing more. :) |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
ORIGINAL: Mikey S. Practice practice practice. Practice makes perfect, and you have to have perfect practice too. Make sure your bow is tuned well too as far as cam timing and paper tears. Things get different beyond 30 yards. The breeze starts to affect the arrow more, and any mistake you do in grip, flinch or punching the trigger will show up at that range. 40 yards is a long way to shoot at a deer in the woods. I practice with bheads out to 50 yards, and I've killed 40-45 deer with a bow. Maybe 3 of them were over 30 yards, and one at 55. So just relax, practice, and know your limits. Nobody can critique your form till someone sees it. So if you can get to a good shop with some good shooters to help ya out, it's tough for us on here. Relax your bow had, and squeeze the release. let the pin float, and focus on the X. LOL after about 1000 shots, it'll become natural for you ;) ORIGINAL: forddeerslayer I need some advise or tips or whatever you want to call it. I am having trouble getting a good group at 40 yards consistenly(spell). i have good 2-3 inch groups at 20 and 30 yards. but i am working on my 40 yard pin and it is taking alot more time then my other two. this is my first new bow and my second year of bowhunting. i dont have anyone else who can give me hands on training i am self tought with the help of HuntingNet and a couple people i talk to i have gotten this far. i was and i am just going to continue to do the only thing i know to do and practice but i wasnt sure if you guys and gals could give me any quick hints or not. i appreciate it. |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
ORIGINAL: Mikey S. one more thing I forgot to mention. Shooting 15 or 20 arrows for a practice session probably ain't enough. I know, it goes against what most are telling you, but that just isn't a long enough session to program your brain and burn your routine into it. I've been around some pro's and heard them say several times it takes them 30 or 40 practice arrows to get themselves in their groove before a competition round. If you're shooting 15 or 20 arrows, and you're not tired or shaky, keep going. If you're hitting good, just shoot some more. Go until you either get tired, or start to shoot badly. Then you quit. You'll know this point the more you shoot. Archery is a sport of repitition, and mental training. More mental than anything. And you want to literally make yourself a robot, especially in the head. YOu want drawing, aiming, and releasing to be like tying your shoes. And the only way to do that is by good repitition. You won't get good at long distance if you don't put in the time and effort. And don't worry about 50 or 60 yards right now. Become 100% confident at 30, then play at 35, then 40. If you skip 40, and go to 50, you're just gonna frustrate yourself even more. Baby steps my man, baby steps. And most of all, enjoy it. It's supposed to be fun! thanks for saying that it is fun i love it even if i get frustrated its better then work or alot of other things lol. question tho does it really become that natural? i have a long way to do lol thats not a bad thing im looking forward to it. like i said i love shooting my bow i want to learn and do all i can to be the best i can at it. again thanks for taking your time to share your advise with me i will take hed to it. i will be more consious about how many i shot and stop as youmentioned. that makes very good sense to me. i can see where the 12-15 or so i was shooting and then stopping is like trying to ride a bike for 5 minutes and then stopping for the day. thanks again for your help:)best of luck all of you this season! ORIGINAL: forddeerslayer thanks alot. i do have a grip similar to that even tho my middle ring and pinky are kinda more straight out. i shot just a little bit ago and my first group was about 4 inches and it got larger from there i didnt shot that much but i realize i need all the practice i can get. i dont shot more then about 15-20 arrows per night as i have been advised it might help me shot better. thank you again i was told to try to shot at 50 yards and that will make my 40 yds easier. i only want a 3 pins on my sight and i dont have a straight flat place to shot a clean 50 yards. i will try 35 tommorow for sure i never thought of that. its worth a try,maybe then like you said i can work up to 40. i want to be confident in a 40 yard shot this year if i can get there.... im gunna try. :D |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
When everything is flowing and you just shoot without having to think about shooting it's a great feeling. Everything just flows and you lock onto the target like amissile being directed by a laser and bam you center punch the target.
That comes from shooting a lot but shooting right. If you are just flinging arrows without thinking about form you will never be good enough to lock onto a target like that. It's also nice when you pick a small spot on a target and visualize your arrow hitting that target and the next thing you know you've released and hit that spot. The good part about it is once you get locked in like that your first arrow you shoot will often be the best out of a 3-4 shot group. And as a hunter that's what you really want in the first place. Something else to help is mix up your targets. If you are always shooting at the same dot or target it gets monotonous and your mind will start to wonder. You can make a game out of it if you want. |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
^+1 on that. go to a club or shop where there are good shooters. pros or the old timers. for the last 2 years i have been shooting with guys that shoot all the nationals and stuff like that and i cant tell you how much better i have gotten. i know more about bow mechanics and tuning, which has greatly increased my ability to fine tune and adjust when needed. another big one is shooting 3d's. i think there is no better practice then shooting one shot at one target adn making it count. its just like hunting. all of this has helped me progress so mcuh in the last 2 years and i have been shooting for 7or 8 years now. i am more confident right now than i have ever been.
and just remember when hunting, if you are doubting the shot, dont take it b/c the last thing you want to do is wound an animal. just take your time and practice and who knows, you may be shooting your 40's solid by season. good luck Derek |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
LOL...I'm trying to figure out where to type here but there's to many quotes to keep track of !!
But yes, if you shoot enough, and you're shooting well, your confidence will get better and it will become natural to you. I've said this to a couple other guys on here and I'll tell and any other beginner the same thing: If you can get involved in a winter indoor league, do it ! Shooting vegas 3 spots in the winter time, improved my shooting immensely. You'll spend a little bit of money on different equipment for your bow, or hel, you may get addicted to it and buy a dedicated target bow like I did! It's super fun, and it works wonders for your abilities and confidence in the field. Oh, you were talking about shooting at dots and plates and such. If you're practicing for hunting right now, by all means, practice on a clean paper plate. I like to use the 4" or 5" diameter ones myself. Shooting at those forces you to pick a spot, like you have to do on a deer. There are no little orange dots on a deer. You can always shoot the first arrow at a imagined spot, then aim for your arrows afterwards if you want to shoot at a dot. If you really want to chat about shooting, send me a pm sometime. Late man ORIGINAL: forddeerslayer ORIGINAL: Mikey S. one more thing I forgot to mention. Shooting 15 or 20 arrows for a practice session probably ain't enough. I know, it goes against what most are telling you, but that just isn't a long enough session to program your brain and burn your routine into it. I've been around some pro's and heard them say several times it takes them 30 or 40 practice arrows to get themselves in their groove before a competition round. If you're shooting 15 or 20 arrows, and you're not tired or shaky, keep going. If you're hitting good, just shoot some more. Go until you either get tired, or start to shoot badly. Then you quit. You'll know this point the more you shoot. Archery is a sport of repitition, and mental training. More mental than anything. And you want to literally make yourself a robot, especially in the head. YOu want drawing, aiming, and releasing to be like tying your shoes. And the only way to do that is by good repitition. You won't get good at long distance if you don't put in the time and effort. And don't worry about 50 or 60 yards right now. Become 100% confident at 30, then play at 35, then 40. If you skip 40, and go to 50, you're just gonna frustrate yourself even more. Baby steps my man, baby steps. And most of all, enjoy it. It's supposed to be fun! thanks for saying that it is fun i love it even if i get frustrated its better then work or alot of other things lol. question tho does it really become that natural? i have a long way to do lol thats not a bad thing im looking forward to it. like i said i love shooting my bow i want to learn and do all i can to be the best i can at it. again thanks for taking your time to share your advise with me i will take hed to it. i will be more consious about how many i shot and stop as youmentioned. that makes very good sense to me. i can see where the 12-15 or so i was shooting and then stopping is like trying to ride a bike for 5 minutes and then stopping for the day. thanks again for your help:)best of luck all of you this season! ORIGINAL: forddeerslayer thanks alot. i do have a grip similar to that even tho my middle ring and pinky are kinda more straight out. i shot just a little bit ago and my first group was about 4 inches and it got larger from there i didnt shot that much but i realize i need all the practice i can get. i dont shot more then about 15-20 arrows per night as i have been advised it might help me shot better. thank you again i was told to try to shot at 50 yards and that will make my 40 yds easier. i only want a 3 pins on my sight and i dont have a straight flat place to shot a clean 50 yards. i will try 35 tommorow for sure i never thought of that. its worth a try,maybe then like you said i can work up to 40. i want to be confident in a 40 yard shot this year if i can get there.... im gunna try. :D |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
Try the 40 yrd. shot first thing, when your fresh.
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RE: A 40 yard pie plate
There may be no little orange dots, but there are not black ones either. You pick out spots on a deer just like you do on a target (not a round spot but a place of reference). A hair out of place, wet spot, etc, Or, you put an imaginaryplace through the vitals that you see your arrow going. A big paper plate does not give you that reference point until you at least put a hole in it. I'll even shoot at a burred up place on the target instead of a dot.
In the winter I shoot out to 120 yds outside and never at a dot on a target. |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
exactly what I was getting at ............you just worded a little better than I did...;)
ORIGINAL: davepjr71 There may be no little orange dots, but there are not black ones either. You pick out spots on a deer just like you do on a target (not a round spot but a place of reference). A hair out of place, wet spot, etc, Or, you put an imaginaryplace through the vitals that you see your arrow going. A big paper plate does not give you that reference point until you at least put a hole in it. I'll even shoot at a burred up place on the target instead of a dot. In the winter I shoot out to 120 yds outside and never at a dot on a target. |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
ORIGINAL: davepjr71 There may be no little orange dots, but there are not black ones either. You pick out spots on a deer just like you do on a target (not a round spot but a place of reference). A hair out of place, wet spot, etc, Or, you put an imaginaryplace through the vitals that you see your arrow going. A big paper plate does not give you that reference point until you at least put a hole in it. I'll even shoot at a burred up place on the target instead of a dot. In the winter I shoot out to 120 yds outside and never at a dot on a target. |
RE: A 40 yard pie plate
you guys are awesome! i have been shooting at 35 yards for a couple of days and was getting pretty good at that range. i did what you all told me to do i spray painted a quater size dot on the back side of my target floated my 40 yard pin put pressure on my releaseand was 2 inches to the right. by the time i had shot my first dozen i would say my groups were on average of 4 inches alot better then i was at before. i had this thread setting beside me while i was outside and would re read different parts of it after every group of three. now i will be shooting more arrows each night for sure. thanks to all for your help over this past week im not gunna settle for 4 inches im gunna do better i just wanted to let you all know that you did make a difference in my shooting THANKS ALOT!:)
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RE: A 40 yard pie plate
You are welcome.
Good Shooting and good hunting this fall. |
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