2023 Cold Bow Challenge

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Shooting at 75 yards this year... wanted to stretch to 80 but practice was showing me that wasn't in the cards for this year.

Same setup as last test:
Hoyt Ventum 33, 70 pounds, 29" draw
Daysix 300s, Kudu broadheads with bleeders, total arrow weight around 530 gr.

First shot, weather was beautiful, shot felt great. Vitals are the insert of my target so I'm happy with this result.
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Day 2, another beautiful day, put another one on the vitals before heading out to the shop to get to work. Shot felt really good!

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Day 3 - The weather gods are smiling in the CBC this year... another beautiful, calm morning. Shot once again felt great. Looks like I'm grouping a bit low and right, but nothing I'm concerned about.

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Day 4 - Another beautiful, calm day, 65 degrees. Shot didn't feel great as I felt I punched the trigger, but the result was still in the vitals. At full draw i started thinking about my group from the first three days and was focused on hitting the spot on the spot instead of my shot process.... DON'T GET IN YOUR OWN HEAD MID SHOT!

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Day 5 - Another beaut of a day, no wind at all for me to blame.... no idea what happened here, honestly. Shot felt really good and release felt good but I could clearly see the arrow veer off to the right during flight.


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After that last arrow, I blew the dust off my recurve and took a few shots to verify everything was on. I'm going to start up with that one tomorrow.... should be entertaining if nothing else!

Recurve Day 1: 20 yard MER
Another beautiful day, but looks like the last one for a while! Recurve is a samick sage with 50 lb limbs, shooting gold tip trad arrows with a 125 grain Kudu. This first shot felt pretty good, release felt good, arrow looked good in flight and landed within vitals so I'll take it!

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Recurve day 2: Weather turning a bit, around 60 degrees with a slight drizzle. Yikes, this shot was BAD... couldn't even hit the right target!

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Day 3 recurve: light rain, 5 mph wind, low 60s.
This keeps getting uglier and uglier! Release felt really good, elevation was spot on but windage was off so missed the entire damn target again, but hey, that's what my backstop is for!

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Day 4 recurve: Another day of light rain.
Back in the money... just barely! Shot felt great.

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Day 5: More drizzle, low 60s. I officially suck.... that's all I think I need to say about this one.


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Compound 60 MER broadhead-sevr 1.5 100gr
Bowtech revoltx 29 I think 72# but I did retime so may have dropped after cable stretch,custom black gold, old prototype ripcord ace, bstinger bars, tight spot, release is a Carter total control shot with the brass today, will switch back and forth between backup aluminum maybe throw in a try ball ht brass. I only shoot my rover in practice or follow ups with previous hits. Avg practice distance 70-115yrd. Axis 340 normal inserts flex fletch sk3s x nock( will be going to aae ip nocks soon)IMG_0173.jpeg

Day 1.Conditions at sunset light breeze 5-7 I’d guess from right/behind, 46 degrees f, impact in the dot 18-1 circle, impressed for a wobbly broadhead(cracked carbon no collars, buying iron wills after seeing this and retruing.

Recurve MER 20yards(feel like a pansy below) field points. 20 minutes before compound shot, assembled today first time since last summer. Curve is a Hoyt dorado, custom Flemish twist, rattle can. Bow used to be owned by Kris Schaff bought for 100 bucks 5 years ago ha! Clicker, aae tab, goldtip 400 brass inserts 150s, 5”RH feathers.IMG_0171.jpeg
I’m slightly impressed as I shoot instinctive. Typically hit right after not shooting. This time 3” high. Wind out of left, no effect on placement imo.

Day2IMG_0174.jpeg
wide right seems to be norm on cold shots when I don’t go through the motion, pluck strings… 56 f. Light wind no effect.

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Eye witness wasn’t impressed today, felt decent at the shot, back up release is a tad heavier. Maybe I pushed it left. No excuses should’ve been better.
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Day3. Uh oh, trad flag some where in there
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Backup release definitely heavier. It’s out of the vitals though. Winds 25-35 mph out of the right. Wobbly but felt pretty good
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Day4.Really nice evening and calm. Pretty poor shots on my part, specifically compound. Today I would’ve like to shoot 20 more to rebuttle. Glad after tomorrow I’m done with the disappointmentIMG_0190.jpegIMG_0191.jpeg
Day 5. Conditions great again, 65 degrees and calm w/overcast, love these spring evenings. I’m ok with recurve shot, it’ll get better this summer as I work on form and aiming. Overall not happy with compound having a few out. Need to double check my 60 as majority were low with one high.

Thank you guys for hosting this! Likely do this on my own a couple times to evaluate. Let practice season continue!
 
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55 yards, vitals self explanatory

Mach 1, 70#, 28.5" draw
sh tommie hogg 5 pin
gold tip Pierce platinum 300 spine
100 gr qad Exodus full blade
Tight spot 7 arrow
Spider 10" stabilizer
Hamskea trinity rest
Carter like Mike release
Gas camo ghost strings
TAW 450gr, 284 fps

There's a good chance the groundhog living on my hill is going to make me restart at ~75 yards this week, we were about 2 seconds away from that this morning.

Day 1, shooting into a head wind with light rain, miss high and left.
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Day 2, 20 mph gust switched from right to left to pure tail wind while my on flat was steadying up.
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Starting over, missed high on the groundhog at 73 yards last night, shot a little more and gang adjusted my sight.

Day 1a, same parameters as before, smoked him. Light tailwind mid day
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Day 2a, hit. Shot felt better than it hit, zero wind, light sprinkles, overcast, shooting east at sunrise. My typical bh impact is high and right when I yank my head out to watch the flight, guessing that's what happened today.
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Day 3: hit. Swung my shooting position over so I could have toes above heels, side hill quartering away presentation. This also put the rising sun into my eyes under my hat, backlit the target and provided full value left to right wind, ~7mph and steady.
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Day 4, miss. Shot just before sunrise, downhill, slightly foggy no wind.
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Shot 5 will be on Sunday due to other commitments.

Day 5, best shot yet. 10 mph right to left wind, shot broke perfect. Ended up with a 4/5, had fun, looking forward to notching some tags this fall.
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Hoyt Axius Ultra
29” 69.8#
Spot Hogg Fast Eddie XL 3 pin
QAD Integrated
Crossover 821 stabilizer
Carter Wise Choice 4 finger
Easton Axis 5mm 300 27 3/8” w/standard inserts
AAE Max Hunter
Blazer wrap
VPA footers
VPA S125 3 blade
Old Trautman hip quiver I hunt with.
MER is 60 this year. Having neck and shoulder issues.
Target area is the center module of my Matrix.
Day1
No wind, overcast 50 degrees IMG_4893.jpegIMG_4894.jpegIMG_4892.jpeg
Day 2
Wind out of the NW around 12. Blowing over my right shoulder towards target.IMG_4897.jpeg
Day 3
40 degrees with a west wind 14 mph, blowing right to left.
Still in the module, barely.IMG_4899.jpeg
Day 4
Calm, 54 degrees.
Looking like I need to do a windage adjustment and maybe change the tape to 14.
So far, all shots have been in the am. Tomorrow going to hold out until the pm.IMG_4902.jpeg
Day 5
Final shot of the challenge.
Got home after working, took every bit of will and concentration.
Practicing year round pays off.
Thanks to all the Rokslide guys and sponsors for putting this on.
Look forward to it next year.
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Well this is humbling. Seems I over estimated my cold abilities.
Shooting for MER of 40 yards (my point on range). Plucked this morning and missed the target to the right. Trad flag on shot #1 of the challenge!
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Going to stick with it and see what the week brings though. This is great, educational and humbling, thanks for doing this!

Black Widow PSA Carbon
52@31, springy rest
5mm Easton Legacy, AAE Hybrids, 576 TAW
250 grains up front, IW components
Yost tab, Selway quiver

Kill zone is anything inside the circle, has to cut the outer black line to count.
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Day 2-34 degrees, light wind
On target today but rushed the shot, pulled low left.
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Day 3-34 degrees, light NW wind.
Good one today, controlled the shot, felt good. The hardest part of the challenge is not shooting again after you shank one!
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Day 4-34 degrees, calm
Another controlled shot, felt good, good result. I’m glad I stuck with 40 yards, really makes me focus on one good shot and not being able to practice makes it very realistic.
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Day 5-50 and calm
Ended the challenge like I started. Didn’t pick a spot, shot over the top of the target. I’m going to do continue on my own with broadheads. Looking forward to next year!
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk in
 
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Year 4 of the cold bow challenge for me! Thanks Rokslide for convincing us to dust off our bows and get a jump on summer practice/tuning.

I decided to push out my MER this year from 60yds to 70yds for the first time. An 8” vital zone sure does look small from this far . I really wanted to experience using my sight tape vs my fixed 60yd pin for a high pressure shot.

My setup is a Prime Inline 5, 71lbs, 31” draw length. Sight is a black gold ascent verdict 5 pin with dovetail mount, Hamskea hybrid hunter micro tune rest, crossover 1017 front bar, bee stinger micro hex side bar, ABB platinum strings, Hamskea raptor peep, Bowmar nose button and peep tuner, tight spot 7 arrow quiver, and sand trap string stop.

I’m shooting Victory VAP 250s with 4 AAE max stealth vanes, iron will 125SBR broadheads, and iron will components (75gr insert + 10gr collar) 210gr total up front. Total arrow weight is 536gr.

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Day 1: 3-5mph wind, 35F, beautiful spring morning in Santa Fe, NM. I felt pretty composed considering I’m stretching my typical MER to 70yds. Shot broke great, arrow ended up just on the edge of the 8” vital zone. Half the shaft was over the line, that counts in 3D right ;)
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Day 2: 10-15mph gusty winds right to left, 80F pretty hot afternoon compared to how it’s been. I drew and let off once due to the wind, on the second draw I committed and did the best I could. Hit about 2” high and right outside my MER. First time missing on a CBC in 4 years, but glad I’m pushing myself.
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Day 3: 5-10mph wind right at my face today which was better than a cross wind, but still made me feel pretty unstable at 70yds. Honestly shot felt good, but was still a couple inches outside today. Looking like I need some summer practice to make 70yds my MER.
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Day 4: no wind, 60F. Was hopeful for today for a really solid shot. Again I felt good on the release but again was right on the edge of the vitals. Counting this as another miss. Starting to question my tune but will have to verify after the challenge .
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Day 5: 5-10mph right to left wind again today, 60F. I decided on the last day to aim on the right side of the vitals since I’ve been consistently 6” left of center. Sure enough, it worked. Not sure if this was wind drift all along (seems like a lot of drift for a light wind), my zero is off, or my tune is off. Looking forward to slinging more arrows now that the challenge is over to verify!
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Summary: I ended up 2/5 or 40%. My worst CBC to date. Lessons learned, check zero/tune before the challenge. Last time I tuned my bow was for a Barbary hunt in January and I assumed it hadn’t changed since I haven’t been shooting much. I had shot a few arrows since then but not enough to realize the problems at a range like 70yds.
 
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Definitely less prepared for this year’s CBC.

Lost the broadheads because I've gone 2/5 two years in a row at 50 with them and I have done less shooting/tuning before this CBC than any other. I'd really like to see improvement in my hit percentage this year.

Bow: Bowtech Realm SS. 68# at 26" Draw
Sight: Black Gold Ascent Verdict
Arrow/BH: Easton Axis 340's with 125 gr heads at 494 Gr.
Target: Vitals on Rinehart target. Roughly 6x9"

Day 1: Calm. Beaut of a 50 degree morning. Shot broke nicely but was a miss. Feeling a bit like a chump starting oh-fer. Better tomorrow. 👊

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Day 2: Calm. 45 degrees. Money. 👌
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Day 3: 15 mph wind with 25 mph gusts. Tough conditions for an inadequately trained-up shooter. Miss.
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Day 4: Headlong wind of 8-10 mph. Warm. That’ll work!
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Day 5: Another super windy day. Another miss. 2/5 for the challenge. Just drew a sheep ewe tag. Gonna have to get laser focused to tighten this up the next 90 days.
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Bow-
V3 31
29”draw/71#/80%LO
Gas strings
Hamskea insight peep
Hamskea rest
10” Mathews stabilizer
Black Gold 3 pin slider
TightSpot quiver
B3 claw release

Arrow-
Axis match 300 spine
AAE max stealth 3 vane 2* R heli
Gold tip inserts
100grain Fatal Steel broadhead

I restrung earlier in the year and started settling the string in right away. This year I also went to a MBG from a Hogg-It 7pin. I am really happy with the move. The black gold is lighter and way less clutter.

For the Cold Bow I am going with a MER of 50 yards. I don’t practice enough past 40 so this is me leaning in towards a goal to stretch my abilities further

Weather- very windy day down here in ATX (on a weekend getaway w/wife) Clear sky and 65*

Cold shot Day 1- wind was a factor but shot broke clean
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Broadhead
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Shot 2- 79 blue bird slight wind. Clean execution
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Shot 3- punch city baby. No wind/overcast. Severed the strap on my new target😕

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Day 4: ugh… not doing so hot
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Day 5: windy conditions swirling S/SE. held slightly left and glad I did. Shot broke clean
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Recap: 2 of 5 in the kill spot (8”) at 50 MER. Before this I wouldn’t say I’d take a shot further but I also thought I’d do better than I did. Appreciate the admins putting on a friendly exercise and drawing attention early in the year to our realistic abilities. Now back to practicing! 6months to go till game day
 

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Elite E32
Black Gold 5-pin
Whisker Biscuit
Kwikee 3-arrow quiver
Easton 5mm Axis
G5 Montec 100g

Changed things up this winter to be a more simple set up. Not near as concerned with shooting far as with having a rock solid set up for stalking.

47 yards, pin gap, wearing my bino harness, shooting off my knees. Paper plate is 8.25".

Day 1: Wind at 25-35mph from the NW with target facing South.

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Day 2: Wind from the NNW blowing 17 gusting to 25?. Shot actually felt good and I thought I held left too far. LOL

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Day 3: Just snuck it in. I'm thinking my pin might be off. My elevation sure has stayed consistent.

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Day 4: This nonsense just needs to end. 😐

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Day 5: Calmest day yet. Wind from the SE. Felt good and was in. I forgot I could shoot more until I got inside. 😆 Gonna shoot another one tomorrow.

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I was ill prepared this year. Almost no practice and it showed. That said, it has just reinforced how hard shooting in the wind is and that my primary focus should be on getting close, and once there using my experience to put myself in a position for a shot. Last season 17 yards was my closest stalk on mature deer but it didn't count because once in close there was no shot without blowing him out.

Man, I love archery spot and stalk mule deer hunting. Been at it for awhile, never kill anything, but dang it is an awesome way to spend time.
 
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Got my bow dialed in yesterday after a few mishaps. In the spirit of the challenge I am gonna send them far…MER is 74 yards from my stairs leading up to the house with the target down by the lake. It’s about a 35ft decline.

Sold my old PSE Carbon Stealth and bought a newer one that’s 50/60lbs. Maxed it out at 63lbs draw, shoots a lot better than being lower draw weight on my 60/70lb cam. Catfish custom strings, Valkyrie 165grain Jaggers on some VAP SS arrows. Roughly 488 grain total set up.
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Day 1. Light winds. Shot was crisp.

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Day 2 Cold. Didn’t wear my glasses or contacts. It shows.

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Day 3 Winds in my face off the lake at 10mph. Shot was crisp and it went where I aimed.

Should be posting two days right now but I forgot to take a pic of my one shot from Thursday.

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Day 4. Wind in my face. Enough to sway my bow a little. Aimed high to compensate. Should have aimed a hair lower. Not bad though.
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Day 5 Winds in my face again. but lighter. Shot was great. Feeling pretty good about where I am at.
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GetAttachmentThumbnail

Today's shot.

Mathews V3x, granite riser with black limbs. 60 lbs, 26.5" draw, It's taken me a while to get used to the short valley but I'm over it finally.

Spot Hogg Fast Eddie XL 2 pin, 50 yards.

Black Eagle Rampage Arrows, 350 spine, 100 gr points. (No place for me to shoot broadheads easily. The range will nuke my membership if I bring braodhaeads into the shooting area.)

Hamskea Epsilon, Spot Hogg Tuff Guy release.

No wind to speak of, maybe 4-5 mph.

EDIT: I copied this narrative and added the pics on another post. I'm not sure why they disappeared but they did, so instead of gambling that it would happen again, I started a new one. Tech...
Copied the narrative from my previous post. For some reasons, the pics would show up to me and then disappear after a while.

No wind to speak of, maybe 4-5 mph.

Monday May 1, I decided to hit the Highlands Ranch range a little later. No wind, 60" or so, crosswind at 4 mph according to my Iphone, Hard to pick a spot when it gets a little darker.

Day 2, in the bottom of the yellow. FIne, still dead elk.

I have no idea why my first shot disappeared. It says it is there as an attachment. But I can't pull it up. Same target, arrow at 12:00 in the yellow. I've reposted it, only 2 shots so far.

Day 3 of 5. I'm going hog hunting in Oklahoma in June, so my plan is to get #5 done by Sunday, and practice a bit more. Hog hunting often requires you hold steady for a couple of minutes until your hog of choice gives you the shot you want without another pig in the way. So, I decided to change things up a bit. Carter Like Mike release, and a 3d buffalo at 50 yards measured on the 3d range. Probably a 4 mph wind, shooting with sunglasses at near 7 pm because there are a lot of greenbriars so I want to keep my eyes protected as much as I can. This is the nominal 43 yard buffalo at the Highlands Ranch range, which I ranged at 50 by moving back. I'm tired of shooting at the marked targets, love the 3d range.

Day 4:
My crap shot, #4, was in a crosswind at about 20 mph plus and I apparently rushed the shot. Good thing I was shooting at a target instead of something tasty. Dropped my arm after watching the wind blow my sight all over the place.

Day 5. The buffalo again, succumbing to a good lung shot.

The buffalo is a nominal 43 yard shot but my rangefinder tells me if I back up to the road, it's 50.


Good fun. I did it over a week because I'm hog hunting in June and want to do the normal practice as I wish.

Thanks again, this is always fun.

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RX1 Ultra 70lb 29.5
Hoggit 5 pin, Qad
Axis 300 spine 50 grn Brass
100 Grn micro Hades fixed 3 blade.

Mer 60 yards, Orange circle is 6"

Day 1
Sunny, bright, left to right wind.
Barely caught the target. But at least I didn't loose an arrow.
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Day 2
Nice cool overcast
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Days
Sunny, cool, barely a breeze.
Made a slight sight adjustment.
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Day 4.
Took my time and actually got it in the orange.
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Day 5
Felt to the right.
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Shooting both my trad bow and compound this year. I will be aiming for the vitals on the elk for my compound and aiming for the lungs on my bag.
My trad is a hoyt satori 19” with medium limbs and my trad arrows are Gold Tip traditional 400 spine with 125 practice tips.
My compound is a Mathews Vertix shooting at 70 pounds and shooting victory RIP TKOs with practice points.

Can only post 10 pictures so took the pictures of my bows down
Here is my first shot out of my trad at about 15 yards. Honestly still figuring out trad but it felt like a good first shot. Need to work on my release some more. 5CE613D7-AA7A-4021-8F8C-48F2341AE107.jpeg
Day 2 for my trad was a good shot, release felt good.
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Day 3 had a good release, wind might have pushed my shot more center but the release felt great.
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Day 4 of trad, rushed myself a little bit with this and a lot on my compound lol
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Day 5 of the trad, shot and release felt great but hit low.
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I will be shooting at 40 yards with my compound. First shot out of my compound felt great just need to get it down a bit.
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Day 2 out of the compound felt good too but I intentionally aimed a little to the back of the elk due to a crosswind. Still haven’t gotten used to the wind yet but obviously will be figuring it out by the end of this week.
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3rd day of my compound, release was good but again had some crosswinds and I feel like that pushed my shot to the front.
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Day 4 of compound and wow haha I don’t even want to post this but hey gotta be honest. Rushed my shot and hit the antler so the arrow just shot threw it. Gonna do something better tomorrow
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Day 5 of compound and couldn’t reel it in like I wanted to but regardless I need to shoot both bows more and practice more in the crosswinds.
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Mathews V3X-29 29/70#
IMX rest
Black Gold Ascent 3 pin slider 20/30/40(adj)
Maxima red SD's w/ Raptor Trick BH(450-480grn)
Stab-not utilizing currently, have a bee stinger 8/10
Fixed quiver
Little goose release

MER - 60yds(deer,elk)
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Day 1 - wind 10-15 from my 8oclock(currently in South Carolina)
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Day 2 68°, wind 17, gusting to 28 from my 8/9oclock
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Day 3 - 68°, wind 15/28 from 9oclock(per Wunderground)wind felt worse than yesterday and had me all over the target, tried to hold slightly left.
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Day 4 wind was swirly around 10-12, shot felt ok, but wasn't
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Day 5, Slight breeze, shot felt ok, but totally missed the entire target to the left, not sure what happened.
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Shoot a Hoyt pro defiant at 67 lbs. Single pin sight pure 75. Ripcord rest.

Easton axis match arrows with a 125gn sevr broad head (locked for practice mode).

By the way these broad heads are the best mechanical I've ever shot!

MER of 40 yds because I haven't shot in a year. 10" pie plate target, but wanting to stay within 6" of center for comfort.

Day 1. Not much wind thanks to trees on my in-laws road/driveway. 71* out and sunny.
I was surprised I even hit the target to be honest! My wife even made a comment about my shot.

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Day 2.
Very little wind. Fortunate to have a BLM spot I can pull of on my way to and from work to shoot as far as I need. Felt myself drop to look and hit low, still in my 10" vital zone but not where I want to be at 40 yds!
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Day 3
Probably a 5mph wind at my back a bit across. I keep making these shots pretty quick and I'm learning that I drop rather than follow through I think. Next shot, I'll take a little more time and follow through and see how it goes.
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Day 4
About a 10 mph crosswind from left to right. It was tough getting steady and I felt like I punched the trigger when I did finally stay on the target. I'm not totally disappointed in my performance but I'm not stoked that I probably should be limiting shot to this or under unless I get more practice in this summer.

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Day 5
Wind at my back about 10 mph. 61* F. Shot mostly felt good. I think I need to play with my sight and stabilizer. I feel a little unbalanced all the time. Stoked I've gone 5/5 but knowing that I can't really push farther than 40yds.

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Shooting pretty much the same setup as last year but have a fresh set of strings.

PSE decree HDti at 66lbs
Gold tip kinetic Pierce platinum 300 spine, TAW 475ish
Sevr 1.5” 100gr

MER 55 yards. Shooting for the vital zone insert which is about 8in at the widest diameter. The longer I bow hunt the more I realize how difficult it is to make a good shot in the field and have the animal not jump the string. May even shorten this up come hunting season.

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Day 1 sunny, 10-15mph wind. Made a good shot!

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Day two very windy again. I readjusted my grip at full draw which is a sure sign of an impending miss..

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Day 3, major flub. When I drew I felt that my thumb button on the release had come loose. I decided if it was a real situation/ buck I would probably be trying to squeeze off the shot…instead I punched the trigger and had a major flinch. Sent the arrow through my wood backstop. Humbling…guess I’m not quite ready from a gear or mental consistency standpoint yet!
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Day 4, kept it together and made a good shot

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Day 5. Calm morning with a light sprinkle of rain. Focused hard on executing a good shot and ended the challenge strong

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3/5 with two major misses this year. I think regardless of the distance/MER, having a strong mental game and executing the shot that I KNOW I can make is ultimately the challenge. My last archery buck I knew the instant i released it was a good shot…wish I could say they all go like that!
 
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MER 42 yds
Intended target is the 7” circle trying to stay close to center.

Equipment
Bowtech Realm SR6 28.5”/70#
Garmin Xero A1i Pro sight
Rip Cord drop away rest
28.5” Sirius Apallo 250 w/ 200gr field point TAW 656gr
Tru Fire Hardcore buckle release

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Day 1: a little windy, WSW 10 mph. Not much to dislike with this shot.
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Day 2: WNW 15mph and light rain
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Day 3: WNW 16mph light rain, high and outside today.
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Day4: NNW 12mph and sunny
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Day 5: W 5 mph and cloudy, pulled that one dang it.
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First year for me.
Bow is a Mathews Traverse at 62lbs, draw length 26.5". Black Gold 3 pin slider with tape for 65lbs (hurt my shoulder a couple of weeks ago so dropped a few pounds). Axis 5mm with a Tooth of the Arrow 100 gr broadhead. Total arrow weight is 448. MER is 50 yards and target is the center core.

This is the range, target in the dark shade, shooting slightly downhill.IMG_4673.jpeg

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Day one. A little low. Calm wind, about 60 degrees

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Day 2, Temp about 55, gusty winds 10-15 from my left in the photo. Still low, might need to add a yard or so on the slider.

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Day 3. Strong gusty winds from the left, 10-20 knots. Low again even after adding another yard on the sight tape to 53. Will try holding a bit high tomorrow to try and get it dialed in.
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Day 4. Calm, about 50F. Elevation good, held a little high. Hard not to practice this many days.

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Day 5. Calm wind, about 52 degrees. Finally got the sight dialed in for elevation with the lower draw weight.
Ah, back to regular practice now.
Thanks for doing this, it really helps to focus with only one shot allowed.

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First year for me!
From Western Pennsylvania.
Not proud to say but I have not shot my bow since October 29,2022.

Hoyt Faktor 34, 65# draw.
Hoyt ultra elite drop away rest
Hoyt 3 pin fixed site
True Fire release
Arrow, Gold Tip hunters
100 grain Field point

MER- 50 yards.

Day 1- Dusk, no wind downhill shot.

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Day 2
Dusk, low light, cold and steady wind at my back.
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Day 3
Knew I dropped on release
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Day 4
Darn near dark..
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Day 5
A bit sore today, couldn’t settle in the target.
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* this was a great way to pick myself apart. I shot well for myself at 50 yards. I would never shoot a deer at this distance but was good to challenge myself.
I need to focus on:
- shooting more arrows each week.
- my form
- settle in on my target better, more stable
- build a shelter to hang my target in to keep it dry and eliminate the need to carry it outside each day..
 
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First year and shooting with my dad, @PurpleDriver.

GenX - Versa(Mission Versa rebranded)
Dads old Scott release
Dads old Axis FMJ 400
Slicktrick ViperTrick 100
380gr total arrow @30# draw

working up to 40# so I can hunt Axis deer with Dad.
8” kill zone between the solid white dots

MER 20yds
Day 1
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Day 2: Better than Dad today!!!
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Day 3: Not sure why Dad is crumbling…I’m getting hot!
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Day 4: Well, Dad beat me, but neither of us hit our kill zone. Even with Dad telling me top pin, I used the wrong pin and shot way high. miss.
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Day 5: light winds, kept telling myself top pin as Dad and I drove out to shoot. But I forgot and used the bottom pin again. Miss. 3/5, same as Dad.

This was fun. Thank you! I’ll be back next year with a bigger draw length and more draw weight! Maybe 40yds next year…
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