datamax

LBR - a better way is to switch the way you shoot and eye domiance.

I've shot at night and it doesn't hurt my shooting much because I shoot truly instinctive because I have no choice with shooting cross dominant eye

arrowsmit

Distances can be decieving in dim light or darkness. Just because you don't score as good at a 'coon shoot' doesn't mean you're not shooting "instinctive". (Whatever "shooting instinctive" means.)

bigbuck7

The indians did shoot instinctive because they knew that there life depended on them being able to shoot standing up lying dow on a hores when you are in battle and in many situations where you must shoot fast and you don't have time to aim. They had the knoledge to know that if they relied on thier natural hand eye cordination that they who be using the most reliable thing of all your brain which is better than the most enhanced computer ther is. Now isn't that better than putting your trust in some sort of aiming system.

LBR

I agree Vic--but total darkness is the only situation I can think of where you can't use the arrow as a referance, conciously or not. "Instinctive" does have different definitions, depending on who you are talking to.

BB, I don't claim to be any kind of expert or historian, but as best I can gather the Indians relied on getting close, especially to game. They didn't have spine testers and scales so I imagine a set of matched arrows was out of the question. The best shots I know and have read about all use some sort of aiming system.

Chad

Sir John Hawkwood

I think Kidwell says something about this in his book, "Instinctive Archery Insights". He says that he cants the bow until the arrow is somewhere between both of his eyes. He says this is necessary to shoot instinctively.

In a way though, even point of aim, gap, string-walking and the like are some what instinctive. I have to sort of guess at distances when I shoot. I see the arrow in my peripheral vision, and I notice its location in relation to the target and loose. At certain distances I don't actively measure the distance, it's sort of instinctual, if it can be called that.

Sir John Hawkwood

Bigbuck, I disagree that using instincts is better than aiming. I think that an archer should use what works for him/her. If I'm further than fifteen yards, I am not going to take an instinctive shot at an animal. It would be unethical for me to do so, because I'm not very accurate with that method of shooting.

By the way, I can shoot from my knees, off a stand and in other strange positions as well, all while using a gap style method of aim.

datamax

It is not possible to shoot cross dominant using an aiming system simply impossible. If you do not believe me try it ! Conversely I think its literally impossible to not use at least a subconsicous aiming system when shooting same domianance. i do not know that I can prove that other than suggesting that everyone shoot the other way for a while and try it. Maybe I am wrong but I've shot both ways

Sir John Hawkwood

I was actually thinking you were correct, at least according to what Kidwell wrote in his book.

Arthur P

And the last time you spoke with an Indian who has actually shot a bow in battle and from horseback was when? Even the Indians I grew up with were three generations after the great Indian wars. None of those great-grandfathers who actually used bows in battle were left to talk about it.

edit- that sounded a little too short and argumentative, so I thought I'd better explain further...

Point is, you can't KNOW that Indians didn't use an aiming system. You can only guess. I can't KNOW that the way I was taught to shoot is truly the way they did it. I know the Comanche and Apache kids I grew up with were taught the same way I was. To pull the arrow back close to the face and eyeball down the arrow shaft. Some of us shot with a split 2-finger release and some shot with the pinch draw.

Even then, when you make your living with a bow in your hand, I'm sure shooting becomes a lot more automatic than it ever will be for any modern man but I seriously doubt the indians were totally committed to instinctive shooting. I think there's a lot of modern white romanticism going on when someone says indians were purely instinctive shooters.

bigbuck7

What I said was just my oppion on the whole thing and I am sorry if I offended anyone.