Instinctive or Gap?
 

I'm sure this has probably been discussed, or maybe not.

Anywayz, I'm just wondering who among the Trad shooters here shoot instinctive or gap....

I'm really interested (and fascinated) by Instinctive shooting, so much so that even though I now have sights on my compound, I am tempted to remove them and just keep the rest and shoot it Fitzgerald style.

Eventually, I am planning on getting a longbow down the road.

So who shoots what?

I would say most start off gap, either on purpose or accident, and after a while it becomes instinctive all on its own. I ahve been practicing at night when I get home and you will be surprised where you hit and how you hit.

some who shoot aweful during the day tighten up thier groups. Some the complete opposite. Myself when I started shooting at candles at night, I went from mediocre groups to smacking arrows. Tells me I was overthinking the shot and needed to concentrate on a spot.

Yeah, it's weird, even with sights right now, I notice that if I take more than 2 seconds on the shot, I start overthinking things and my shot goes anywhere but where I want it.

However, if I "look past the sight" and I just focus on my spot and just release and not think to much, the arrow goes where I want it to more consistently almost like I just "thought the arrow" to the target -- it's an awesome feeling.

When I shoot, I don't even realize my arrow is there! Just concentrate on the spot and let her rip!

Gapstinctive.

HA! I think you might be on to something there!

Guess my method would be called "gapstinctive" also. I learned by gap shooting (didn't know that was what it was called, just figured it out on my own), but over time I concentrated less on the arrow and more on the spot, to the point I don't notice the arrow.....but I shoot awful in pitch black dark, so I know I'm still using the arrow subconciously.

I do the exact same thing.

Gap for sure. However as the years have gone by I am much better at looking at a sight picture and knowing what that gap/picture needs to be. I no longer need to think "OK That must be 35 yards so I need to be 1/2 gap down." Now it is more just "I need to aim right THERE!" and away it goes.

I've found that shooting a compound instinctive is difficult. At least for me. I have been shooting bows since about 1958 or so long before compounds ever came out. I need to have that arrow resting just above my index finger (off the shelf). I don't shoot my trads as often as I should but I am still a pretty good shot shooting about 3" groups at 20 yds and about 6 - 8" at 30 which is far beyond what I would shoot a deer at. But lately I have been shooting 3 fingers under and my consistancy has greatly improved. I can get better arrow alignment with the target when the nock is just below my eye and I am looking down the arrow. Back the old days we didn't have the nocks we have today that snap onto the string. You had to have 2 fingers under and one over to hold the arrow in place.

I don't know what gap is but i know I shoot traditionaly. No sights just raise and shoot. I never pace off a distance I just shoot at what I think it is and do well at it. I find that I never really shoot past 23-25 yards. I think that is a far shot on occasion. I like the deer to run me over. HA.

I read this book by Byron Ferguson called "Become the Arrow" and have kind of developed a system of my own. I'd say its more gapstinctive.