Instinctive shooting
 

I started bow hunting 40 years ago with an American Archery recurve. After hunting for years with a compound, I am interested in getting back to traditional archery. I'm looking for any info regarding instinctive shooting technique, form, arrows, etc. Any info on books, videos on the subject would be appreciated. Thanks.

Do you still have a bow in condition to shoot?

"Masters of the Barebow III" is the best video I know of.

I agree its a good starting point. These guys are topnotch shooters, I watched it a few different times and pick and choose my information that works for me. The most important thing, if it works good for you keep doing the same thing! Consistency is key in my opinion!

Byron Ferguson has a good book on instinctive shootin but I don't recall the title. Wetpwdr, you're the same as me. I still putter with the recurve. But I can remember back when that's all we had. I killed my first 5 deer with a Bear Grizzly 45#.

It's called "Become The Arrow" by Byron Ferguson

Instinctive shooting
 

Thanks guys for the good gouge. Some good resources.

The Archer's Bible by Fred Bear is also a good read.

G Fred Asbell has some books and tapes on ISing. No matter the aiming method a good form foundation is an absolute necessity.

I would recommend you integrate a sequence into your shot and learn each step until you have it ingrained before you actually try to hit something.

As others have mentioned, MBB series is a great reference and especially #3 DVD.

Pay attention to Rod Jenkins and start out with at least a 7 step sequence.

A lot of people get tore up and argue over aiming methods and is absolutely a waste of time.

Actually, form is the absolute while aiming is a more subjective subject.

I would educate myself about the different methods of aiming and make a decision based upon your own goals and expectations.

My shooting has continually evolved over the years and has pretty much leveled out to the "Style" I prefer.

Had to add something to this thread... after picking up a recurve in March, and pouring over the available info out there on instinctive shooting, I can't see how anything written or recorded can really help with learning "how" to become proficient with instinctive shooting.

We're told that form is the #1 thing to get down pat, consistent form with every shot. Is that different from shooting a compound with 1 pin? 3 pins? 10? No.

So what does the difference come down to? Range estimation and "aiming."

I can't explain how to estimate range to anyone. It's a learned skill and takes a lot of practice to get down. You can tell someone, "while walking down the street, pick a point and estimate the range. Then walk to it and see if you were close or not."

That's a method to learn, but it can't be shown first-hand. You have to go out and learn it yourself.

Then you get to aiming. The #1 thing you hear is "Burn a hole in the POA with your eyes, intensely focus on the spot you want to hit. Execute the shot with perfect (as near as possible) form."

That's a great tip, but not a true way to "show" someone how to shoot instinctively. I can watch Fred Bear shoot all day, but I can't glean much from it other than to say, "wow, that guy was good."

You have to get to the range and practice. I will argue that there is no "proper sequence" to shooting a traditional bow. Say you have what "experts" would call "bad form," but you hit the X every time.

Would you change your shooting habits because a book or video or flesh-and-blood person tells you to?

I repeated the "burn a hole" thing for a long time, until I attended Rod Jenkins' clinic. He gives some really good info on why you really can't do that, at least for an extended period. You flat burn yourself out--we (humans) don't have the capacity for intense focus for any amount of time.

Form/consistency is the key. Aiming is a tiny portion of the shot. "Instinctive" just confuses most folks. Doesn't matter what you call it, the goal is to hit the target. Rod is a "gapper", but I've watched him knock down aerial targets one after the other (gappers aren't supposed to be able to do that).

His words were, "Get your form down, aiming will take care of itself".

Yeah, that's basically what I was getting at.

But I was also trying to say that "good form" could be subjective as well. If a guy can come to full draw and hit his target consistently, does it matter how he got there? Or how the arrow got there?

Telling someone to go through a series of rigid "steps" to final release and follow through of the shot is counter intuitive to "instinctive" shooting.

I say, look at what other people are doing for reference, make sure you're being safe in all of your actions and hit the intended target. I don't care if you release on reaching anchor, hold it there for 10 seconds, or if you anchor with your fingers touching your eyebrow and your tongue on the string.

I think everyone needs to look at the proper form and have it for reference, but if it means the difference between hitting the X or not, then do what works to get the arrow there, as long as you do so safely and consistently, you'd be a good shot in my book.

If it works, it works. I've seen some pretty unorthodox "form" work, but rarely is it consistent.

The difference is taking the long, bumpy, off the beaten path, takes forever and a day scenic route........or driving straight there on a smooth, even highway. What coaches like Rod work to give us is the quickest route to the destination. Not to say you can't get there by other methods, but it may take 5 times as long.

IMO "instinctive" is way overrated, and way too often used as an excuse for lousy shooting. Even if you can be relatively accurate and not shoot the same shot twice, it's lousy for hunting. If you aren't shooting the same shot twice, then there's no way you can get good arrow flight every time. Good flight is essential to good penetration.

I'm much more impressed watching someone aim and hit the target consistently than I am with someone who says "I SHOOT INSTINCTIVE!" but sprays their shots all over.