shooting problems
 

i am trying to convert to traditional style bow hunting, but iam having problems being consistant with my shooting, i try instinctive shooting but iam not consitant, i try looking down the arrow shaft and im not consistant, can anyone give me advice


wulff

RE: shooting problems
 

I had trouble shooting consistently when I started tradional archery several months ago. First was the bow I was shooting wasn't right for me (wrong draw weight and too short in length). I had someone look at my form and see how I was shooting. Made some adjustments. Got a new bow<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> Started practicing at 10 yards. Grouping improved, my confidence improved and I'm working on form. People on this site will be very helpful. Probably need to give more details on your problems, such as, bow type, draw weight, draw length, arrow type and length, distance shooting etc. But most of all practice, practice, practice!

RE: shooting problems
 

CT makes some good points. One mistake that most folks make when starting out with traditional gear is going too heavy. Even if you are used to an 80# compound, I'd start out with 50# or so, maybe less, and a 60&quot; or so (recurve) for a 28&quot; draw. Work on your form before you worry about distance or accuracy. Consistant draw, anchor, release, follow through. Start out close, shoot no more than 2 or 3 arrows at a time. Once you get your form down, you should have a consistent shot. Even if it's not in the bull's-eye, once you get them all hitting in the same place you can adjust to correct the arrow placement. If you shoot high and right every time, you know to shoot lower and more to the left, etc. Make sure your bow is in good shape (not out of tiller, twisted limb, etc.) and your arrows are matched to your bow. If not, this could be at least part of the problem.

A good book to help you out is Byron Ferguson's &quot;Become the Arrow&quot;. Short, easy to read and understand, and informative. Don't be afraid to make adjustments to make shooting more comfortable and natural to you-no one style is perfect for everyone. I don't agree with the section on wood arrows, but I do reccomend starting out with aluminum or carbon, until you get a feel for shooting--I love wood arrows, but they seem to take some understanding as well, and you need to work on one thing at a time.

Good luck, and if you want to give more details on your equipment or ask other questions, just post.

Chad

Long Bows Rule!

RE: shooting problems
 

LBR's post is right on the money

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> Work on your form before you worry about distance or accuracy. Consistant draw, anchor, release, follow through. <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

Even after you gain these, you need to still practice them to keep them &quot;fresh&quot;. If not problems set right back in!

Also the book by Ferguson I highly recommned also! Instinctive shooting for a begginner is or can be tough as we all have different degrees of atheletic abilitys. I can shoot good instincter, but dont prefer to do so.

Also, if you want accuracy go to 3 under. For a beginner with the right setup (properly tuned bow and spined arrows for the shooter) 3 under you'll see results if you practice it properly! If not its just as bad as trying to poke and hope!

Now nothing is wrong with instinctive style, but learing how to shoot properly and accurately usually dont come very quick with stincter style....give it time of the other methods of aiming, most/all of which are covered in Byrons book, and eventually you will get good enough you start to notice these references less and shooting more stincter style naturally!

Time, patience, and dedication are the 3 biggies in the trad world!

Good luck.

RE: shooting problems
 

to answer the question about my equipment, all the things are borrowed
a 58&quot; bear grizzly @43# 28&quot; draw length, easton gamegetterII 2018 arrows(these may be a bit long, 31.5) probally should be 30, would that make a difference? at 10 yrds where i started i can group really good, my problem is when im at a greater distance 2 or 3 arrows i hit what i want and then im all over i dont know what to do



wulff

RE: shooting problems
 

Very good advice above. There are a lot of things that can cause inconsistant shooting. I'm going to assume you've got a draw weight you can handle easily and go from there.

First item on the list is arrow spine. Compounds are so adjustable that you can match the bow to the arrow during the tuning process. Stickbows don't work that way and the arrow has to be matched to the bow. Current Easton charts give arrow sizes that are too stiff for shooting off the shelf, and that makes it hard to get the right size aluminums. Go to www.bowjackson.com and click on arrow charts. Look at the old Easton charts from 1980 and 1984.

Get a consistant anchor. Ferguson says to pick a tooth in your upper jaw that puts the nock of the arrow directly under your eye and touch that spot every time. Your lips can move around which can make a corner of the mouth anchor inconsistant. A tooth in your upper jaw won't move in relation to your eye (unless you're wearing dentures :)). That one change helped my shooting a bunch.

Release is a killer on accuracy. I like a dead release, meaning my string hand doesn't move from my anchor position when I shoot. It doesn't move back, like many authorities suggest it should do. It certainly doesn't fly out sideways from my face. I don't make any effort to turn loose of the string, but simply relax my hand and let the string leave. Asbell says that the best way to get a good release is to forget about the string hand and push the bow hand directly at the target. He also says that if you're spraying arrows all over the target, then you need to push that bowhand right at the target. I agree with that.

Follow through is just as critical with a stickbow as it is with a compound. Keep aiming that bow at the target until the arrow sticks.

Another thing I do to help my stickbow shooting is to go back to the compound and shoot it some, preferrably shooting fingers with no sights. Compounds with their letoff are excellent training aids for doctoring up your shooting form.

Just my opinion, but instinctive shooting is something you have to learn. Ferguson's aiming method will get you hitting better and quicker than Asbell's method, with a lot less trial and error and frustration. After getting those different sight pictures ingrained into your subconscious and into your muscle memory, then you'll find that you don't pay so much attention to the arrow tip any more. You've 'become the arrow' as Ferguson calls it, or turned into an Asbell-style instinctive shooter.

Edited by - Arthur P on 12/23/2002 16:02:54

RE: shooting problems
 

All good advice above. The best that I can offer is, unless everything connected to the shot is the same for each shot, you can't expect the same results for each shot. Your form, anchor, release, how you grip the bow and how much you cant (tilt) the bow, must be the same each and every shot. Otherwise, your shot consistency will be just as sporatic as your mechanics of the shot. It takes a lot of practice to become consistent with a stick. It takes a lot more practice to become good with one. Learning the flight of the arrow and what you have to do to put it where it needs to go in any hunting situation takes even more practice, a lot of which is of a specialized nature, because it's difficult to know what you have to do to avoid an obstacle between you and the target, unless you get out and practice those shots. Stump shooting (roving) is one of the best methods that I know of to practice hunting situation shots, without drawing down on a live critter. Have patience and practice, practice and practice some more. Most of all, have fun with it. That's what it's all about.

Make em sharp and shoot em straight, or leave em home.