Rangeball

No, I'm not getting ready to buy a Mathews...

I've come to learn something about myself. When I can focus on a target, my instincts take over my mechanics and I generally shoot much better. This was reinforced the other day when shooting the Outback sans sights. I just pulled up, got comfortable, stared the target down and pulled off a tensionless shot. Put a pin between me and the target and it's a whole nother story.

I recently read IPA by Bernie Pellerite, and while it was totally target shooting oriented, he did say that some kinds of folks shoot better with a ring versus a dot, when using target scopes. I think I'm one of them, and I want to give it a try.

I'm thinking of just getting gluing a strip of clear plastic to one of my pin arms, taking the fiber dot off it and sticking some sort of ring on it. I've seen those rings that are sold for target scopes (like the ones on Merlin's site), but I'm not sure if they are sized to be compatible with the zoom factor of the scopes or not. I shoot with a pendulum sight, so I'd sight in with the ring centered around the target at about 25 yards, then in the woods just pick a spot, let my mind naturally center the spot within the ring and let fly.

Optimally, I'm imagining the ring would be about 5 MOA at 30 yards. I have no idea what diameter ring this would translate into when viewed with my eye about 30" away. Any takers? (just did some math, does 11/64 sound right?) Hopefully it won't be so small it will blur into one big honking "pin".

Anyway, that's what I've been considering. I think for my sanity's sake, I at least need to go through with some testing so I'll know once and for all if my gut is right or not.

Any thoughts?

PABowhntr

Interesting observation. So what you are saying is that you might be better off shooting some sort of cross between instinctive and pinpoint sight shooting with that open ring type of aiming? That is something I think I might want to consider as well. I find myself sometimes aiming "subconsciously" lately. Maybe a sighting device like the one you mentioned would prove beneficial in my case as well.

This would be a good one for Arthur...

JOE PA

Rangeball:

I agree with you, and like to focus on the target instead of the pin myself. I considered getting a moveable sight, and getting, or making an aperature to sight through instead of a pin.

Rangeball

Frank, that's exactly what I'm saying. Still have the ring to get you in the ballpark, but once there, you let your mind take over the shot while you pick the spot. At times I can do this with a pin, and when I'm in that zone, I can't shoot better. I'm just trying to get my set up to emulate that zone as much as possible.

I had Art in mind when I posted this, kinda dissapointed he hasn't shown up yet

I think I'll go ahead with some sort of test of the concept. Lot's of time between now and opening day

Arthur P

It took me awhile to open this thread, because I figgered it was just someone that wanted to buy a Mathews, but didn't REALLY want to buy a Mathews. [8D]

It's likely that you would shoot a ring pin better than a solid pin. They're the cats a$$ for field archery (so good they were banned from bowhunter freestyle and bowhunter freestyle limited classes) and 3D. The eye just naturally likes concentric circles and automatically aligns them. The problems I saw with ring pins is they are fragile and they obscure too much of the animal on hunting shots - at least too much for my liking. Of course, on today's bows, rings on a multi-pin sight would be impossible. No way to get them close enough for 10 yard increments without overlapping.

Being up inside the housing of a pendulum sight, the ring should be well protected, so you could probably do okay with it.

I'd forget the math and select the size ring you need by trial and error. That's the best way.

Rangeball

Thanks Art. I just flung 6 arrows (my version of a smoke break), and it's almost like my mind wants to get the pin out of the way so I can see the target better

This is sounding better and better all the time.

As for obscuring the animal, that's why I figured keep the ring around 5 moa at 30 yards or so. Even with a thicker ring, I should be able to keep the circle centered cleanly on the kill zone.

Ossage

I've been doing this for years. You obviously didn't read any of my long winded posts on floating the pin (good thinking). Get yourself a Beiter aperature sight and loose the insert elements. Next thing you know you will be shooting FITA.

You can float the pin without it being an aperature, but that is probably the easiest. I like it for 3D, since I can really focus on the spot I am shooting at, which obviously isn't marked, and depending on what joker made the target, could be anywhere. Same thing with game.

Rangeball

Floating the pin? I do not understand. Please expand.

Also, any links to the sight you type of?

reylamb

Beiter large site tunnel:
http://www.lancasterarchery.com/shop...7d910f8609a72c

Large inserts for large site tunnel:
http://www.lancasterarchery.com/shop...7d910f8609a72c

Small site tunnel:
http://www.lancasterarchery.com/shop...7d910f8609a72c

Small inserts:
http://www.lancasterarchery.com/shop...7d910f8609a72c

Rangeball

Thanks Reylamb, that helps a bunch.

I'm imagining something like that, only round and not much thicker than the ID, possibly painted flourescent green, in an effort to minimize blocking too much of the animal.