Humbled Again

[Traditional_jaeger]

Shoot what you are comfortable with a good arrow setup. Dont overthink it. Have fun with it.

 

[elkstabber]

Shooting 65#? I tried that for a few weeks. Never again. I'm above average in strength, live on a farm, and can shoot every day if I want. I can't see a good reason to shoot 65# for North American game. Its simply unnecessary.

I've shot through elk and wild buffalo (on the Kaibab) with 55#. I also use a 620 grain arrow (total weight).

 

[Beendare]

Shot a couple hogs with my 45# recurve in the last month....my biggest problem was lost arrows. The arrow blows through the hog so effortlessly- [albeit they were small hogs] that the arrow tunnels in to the dirt and I couldn't find my arrows.

This stick bow stuff has really been an eye opener for me. For example the importance of a quiet bow. I missed the one hog on the first shot. He was rooting in a meadow that used to be planted with barley, now its mostly a mix of tall grass/weeds. I really couldn't tell how big he was...and I couldn't see his whole body to get a shot even at 12 paces. With the wind swirling, I knew I had better shoot before the jig was up....and ended up shooting over him on the first shot.

I'm thinking the reason I missed; I was mentally gauging only the top 1/2 of the animal that I could see. The good news with a whisper quiet bow, he heard the arrow go plowing through the grass...but didn't spook from the sound of my bow. Next shot I consciously picked a spot lower in the grass and it went through him so quick he didn't know what happened..... until my buddy yelled, "NICE SHOT"....

He's a rifle guy so I cut him some slack /grin

..

 

[Btaylor]

You need a bigger broadhead. No since wasting all that energy shooting holes in the earth.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

The 65lb is coming along but still lack confidence in it to hunt with. Did kick up a nice bull while scouting recently so I have a target bull to chase now.

 

[Beendare]

You need a bigger broadhead. No since wasting all that energy shooting holes in the earth.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I've been shooting those 150gr Buzzcuts as they are about the best quality head for the $$ [read; cheap] but I think I'm going to go back to the VPA 150 3 blade...its a big assed head and blows a huge hole through them.

But I've lost a few arrows with those too.

My point in the above comment; A heavy arrow that has perfect arrow flight is an incredibly efficient projectile. Sure I notice the difference in power shooting my 54# setup....but that 45# setup with a 543 gr arrow and COC BH is an impressive penetrator.

The tie breaker for me is my first cold shot; The 45#er wins on that- its effortless.

..

 

[Where's Bruce?]

My advice; strive for consistent accuracy....not Draw weight. Guys are just begging for shoulder, elbow, joint issues trying to increase draw weight quickly.

Get to where that bow feels like an extension of your arm. Its amazing what an arrow with a very efficient BH will do from a stick bow. I just blew one [543gr] through a small boar and it buried so deep in the ground I had a heck of a time finding the arrow.

$100 says this isn't a 65# bow..../grin

...

Gave up the 65lb limbs after 5 weeks...humbled still. Went back to 55lbs and now i have great days and horrible days. Just shot a bunch at 55lbs and completely missed my small Rhinehart 18-1 target 30% of the time. Not good. If I don't get this sorted out out soon I'm, gonna drop to 45 like you suggest. F _ _ _ _ this is humbling!

The worst part for me is that i shot an elk in June (Colo AG voucher) so my freezer would be full to take the pressure off so I could concentrate on a trophy Kaibab bull this September. It may be a decade before I draw another such tag which means I may never get this opportunity again. I got myself a great guide to improve my odds but now I'm worried. The worst thing that could ever happen to me is I get to full draw on a monster bull and put bad shot on it. A gut shot bull can live for days and after the way I just shot at 20 yards I'm more then frustrated. I have good days and bad with the stickbow...what if on the day I am staring at a once-in-lifetime bull it's a bad shooting day? I'm just a mess this afternoon.

 

[BradArnett]

Bruce, read up on "blind bale shooting" just to work on your form.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Freeze this video at 22 & 47 seconds and check the body positions...see the disparity? WTF?

 

[YankyMate]

Freeze this video at 22 & 47 seconds and check the body positions...see the disparity? WTF?

Are you still shooting a compound too?

 

[Kevin Dill]

Of course there's a disparity between body positions (at full draw) for a compound and traditional bows. Things like letoff, mechanical release, 'the wall', 'the valley' etc...they all produce the classic compound stance. With zero letoff, no sights and a different focus, the shooter's stance with a longbow or recurve is going to be markedly different. The shooter in the video is canting the bow and leaning his body somewhat. Head is inclined forward and down. It's a common shooting posture. It's also one you don't need to use for accuracy with a traditional bow.

I commonly practice shooting my longbow from a perfectly vertical orientation, trying to get 100% full draw and maximum back tension. I do everything I can to build form and forget accuracy, because accuracy tends to always follow form....at least for me. Form breakdowns mean bad accuracy. Then comes emotion (frustration, irritation, anger) and its distractions. Next up is a loss of confidence and at that point everything is pretty much shot to hell. Putting accuracy demands high on the list makes sense but how to get there is another thing. You can't buy it, dial it, tune it, range it or find a shortcut. It typically takes quite a bit of time to develop real confidence and not worry about outcomes.

I asked the best recurve shooter I ever met how he stayed so accurate shot after shot. He said it was about form, focus, and emotional control. The first 2 are self-explanatory. The 3rd was about (according to him) not worrying where the arrow might go or does go. Shoot it and study it. Drop the emotions completely....good or negative. Save it for watching the fletch disappear into the chest.

 

[Btaylor]

I asked the best recurve shooter I ever met how he stayed so accurate shot after shot. He said it was about form, focus, and emotional control. The first 2 are self-explanatory. The 3rd was about (according to him) not worrying where the arrow might go or does go. Shoot it and study it. Drop the emotions completely....good or negative. Save it for watching the fletch disappear into the chest.

100% spot on.

 

[Traditional_jaeger]

There is alot of truth to what Kevin has said. Like many things in life, emotions can draw us away from what we are trying to accomplish. I have been in your shoes. I have contact information for a level 4 archery instructor that has helped me greatly. I know he would be able to talk you through this. Let me know.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Are you still shooting a compound too?

No. Not this year. There are just days I can't seem to hit chit and it's maddening. Then again, this is my busy season and I don't get enough sleep so that's probably a factor.

 

[sneaky]

Best money I ever spent was getting some one on one instruction from Rod Jenkins when I was living back east. I still refer to those notes and instructions when I'm having one of those days. He was a strong proponent of not being overbowed, and not being too proud to let down if the shot didn't feel right. That instruction has saved me a lot of headaches.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[R Davis]

My suggestions would be;
1. Get 30-35lb limbs ASAP
2. You need to be working on form with a blank bale. Don’t worry about groups or accuracy. Form is everything right now.
3. Shoot videos of yourself in slo-mo and real-time, watch the videos to see what you’re doing, hell, post them up here for pointers.

Like Beendare said, accuracy follows form. If you dial in a solid base of good form you can then work on your gaps for yardage later. You cannot have consistent accuracy with form that is all over the place. At 55 and 65lb I can guarantee that you’re way overbowed, I’d even say that you are with the 45lb limbs right now. Light limbs and form work is the ticket.

 

[hayesplow]

wow great shots.

 

[Nick Muche]

I can think of no reason to be shooting much more than 55lbs out of a recurve. Not only will you be able to shoot it much better but your shoulders will thank you.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I can think of no reason to be shooting much more than 55lbs out of a recurve. Not only will you be able to shoot it much better but your shoulders will thank you.

Good advice. I'll go a bit further and say that....for all but the superhuman guys ....a 60+ pound bow is too much in the first few years of transitioning to a traditional bow. I've known more than one guy who gave himself long term shooting issues by starting with more bow weight than he could comfortably manage. It's not that the bow can't be pulled to full draw. It's that making full draw every time, and executing the shot with repeatable proper form is beyond the capabilities of most. A lower weight bow is simply easier to manage and thus allow complete focus on form and technique.

Right or wrong, in the '80s (when I started) there was more of a focus toward heavier bow weights. Lots of guys were shooting 60-80 pound bows. I eventually worked my way up to a 72 pound longbow which I successfully hunted deer with. I have been shooting bows over 60 pounds for 30 years and I'm completely used to the weight. I like a 55 pound bow for practice and for deer or bear hunting. I carry a 60+ pound bow on my moose excursions. I've probably saved my shoulders by not being a frequent shooter. My stickbows typically get put away in January and don't see my hand again until July.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Decided to return to shooting the 45lb Blacktail Legacy Gemsbok...and hunt the elk with it. It's two pounds lighter than the Satori and the limbs are longer making it more forgiving and my accuracy with it isn't an issue. I may feel under-gunned but then, I intend to be very close to my target and really...how much difference can 10lbs make at 20 yards?