I don't usually shoot farther than 20 yards when I practice, I also don't like to stand in the same spot every time, so I move around a lot. But whenever I move only a couple yards over the 20 mark my groups drop like crazy. Why???

What is your shooting style? instinctive, gap, etc.? If your an instinctive shooter and you usually shoot within 20 yards, that is the distance you have trained yourself to shoot at or inside of. Your muscles and brain know how to compensate to hit the bullseye at the distances you practice at. Ive heard of people that shoot instinctively shot at 20 yards all summer miss a deer at 5 yards since their brain forgot what to do to hit the mark at that distance.

If youre a gapper, you may not know the gap for that distance.

Could be a mental thing (you think you can't hit past 20 yds, so you don't), could be lack of practice at that range, or maybe you aren't able to focus on a spot as well. I don't care for long hunting shots, but long practice shots are great for showing you how consistent you are and if you have any form problems. Little mistakes show up more at longer distances.

If you aren't grouping, then it's a consistency problem--you either aren't shooting the same way every time or you aren't focusing on the same spot every time (assuming your arrows are all the same spine and weight, and are matched to your bow).

Keep working on it, it will come together for you.

Chad

yeah 24/7, I do shoot instinctive. And that example you described is exactly what happened to me last year. So this year i walk around a lot when i shoot.

I have noticed the same thing and it ismy first year shooting trad. So I started moving around the yard while shooting. I pretty much spent all of last month throwing an arrow, then walking to where it landed, picking it up and shooting. It makes you take shots from random/unknown distances. It seemed to help me a lot.
Nice handle by the way.

If you have a place to go roving try that it is good practice at different distances. and not as boring as standing in the yard shooting targets.
Combine it with scouting.