Humbled Again

[YankyMate]

your 20yd + reminds me of my shooting before i started using a clicker

Looks like my old groups pre-clicker as well. Collapsing on the draw and missing to the right from not having a consistent anchor and draw length, especially when I was worn out.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

You guys just gave me a great idea...instead of starting at 15, I'm gonna start at 25 so I'm "fresher" and work my way forward instead of the reverse. Worse case scenario...I still suck but end on a positive note.
Thanks for the tips...skipping practice tonight, overdidit today after only getting 3.5 hrs sleep. Too pooped and sore to do anything but drink and soak in a hot tub this evening.

WHAT'S A CLICKER?

 

[Beendare]

Yeah, after sales tax, quiver and 2 dozen arrows plus other accessories closer to 8...nice birthday gift eh? I blame one of the posters who put pics of in a thread. https://www.blacktailbows.com/store/p295/Inventory_Bow_-_Legacy_Series_"Gemsbok"_Elite_Recurve_w/_matching_hand-tooled_arm_guard_(64",_45#_@_28")_-_SOLD.html

Yep, I was egging him on......."Go big or stay home WB"- he did!

Just don't drop that Blacktail out of a tree.

...

 

[Beendare]

Lots of good shooting advice out there....and on this thread.

My take; once you can stack arrows at the same distance and feeling better about it...go to shooting one arrow for all the marbles [a kill shot] at different distances. Just like shooting 3D.

IMO, That tells you when you are ready.

The other thing that was a turning point for me [though I'm still a student of the stickbow- for sure] was when I made a bad shot- but instantly knew what I had done wrong.

Now go out and kill something with that beautiful bow........

....

 

[Afhunter1]

After PA’s 1999 general bow season closed I put down my 60# golden eagle compound and picked up a 58” 45# custom bighorn that my dad bought off this new website called eBay. I shot that bow every day until Christmas, at 20yds I could hit a softball pretty regular. Dec 26 is the start of the late archery season which is in for ~2 weeks. I made the choice to go crawl up a stand I had put up in this heavy covered thicket that I was gonna muzzleloader hunt out of but I had that Bighorn in my hand.

About 30 minutes after daylight I saw movement coming up the hill from below me so I stood up and grabbed my bow off the hook. A line of 12-15 deer was coming up the trail I was on. The first doe was huge and she just walked right up and stopped in an opening at 12yards broadside. I never shot my bow with lots of clothes on and the string hit my jacket and deflected the arrow back and into her stomach. She was immediately sick and she ran about 50 yds below me and bedded. I waited 30 min then I crawled down and snuck through the thicket and snow until she was in front of me 30yds out. I let another arrow sail over her back and she stood up. And looked my way. As I was nocking my 3rd arrow I finally remembered to concentrate on the shot. I watched that arrow bury to the fletching right in the pocket. She ran 15yds and fell over dead. I was officially a trad hunter! I’ve never shot a compound since. I’ve had great shots and bad shots but you just have to keep at it. I now shoot a 56” 56# striker fastback longbow and wouldn’t trade it for anything. It gets in your blood!

But the moral of the story is the one thing that you have to do is concentrate. You may want to right it in pen on the web between your thumb and forefinger so you see it when you draw on your hunt.

The pick a hair is so true!

 

[sneaky]

I don't even shoot groups anymore, haven't in a couple of years. I don't shoot groups on animals, and once you stack a couple together you start thinking about a good group and you get a flyer. I shoot one arrow, walk and pull it. Gives you time to analyze the shot and rest. I just stepped off my yardage last night and I've been shooting from close to 30yds lol. Little further than I thought, but it makes the close ones feel really easy. 35yds is about my hunting limit, that's what I killed my bull at in Montana last year.... but that's after I screwed up the first shot lol. Best thing I ever did was stop shooting groups though. If you find an elk that'll let you shoot it 6 times from the same yardage without moving, you better kill it or someone else will!

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[R Davis]

A guy that doesn’t shoot groups because he’s thinking about a good group and then gets a flyer doesn’t have his process dialed. A guy that shoots groups and can stack them in there has his process dialed. Once a week I try to get to the local archery range and shoot some indoor for score. Shooting indoor rounds will really let you know your progress as indoor is all about form, it keeps you honest.

As your form becomes more and more solid you’ll find that your indoor scores will go up. This then takes away the inconsistency and allows you to dial in reliable gaps at different yardages. Then you’ll start to develop sight pictures at the different yardages as you progress. Head to the 3D range and work on judging yardage. Now you’re judging yardage and you’re making good shots. Before you know it, like Beendare said, you’ll know why you made a bad shot. The best shot is the one you let down on because it just wasn’t right.

As you work on all of these skills your accuracy will only improve. At the end of the day it’s all about accuracy.

 

[Btaylor]

As you work on all of these skills your accuracy will only improve. At the end of the day it’s all about accuracy.

I know what you mean here and agree but as it relates to shooting a stick for me accuracy is a by-product of a clear mind in an engaged shot. A consistently repeatable shot is the most important goal. Sometimes, again for me, honing that is best done 1 arrow at a time. I have been shooting fairly high volume of groups this year but there are times where the mind isnt sharp or completely engaged in the shots and I go to 1 arrow at a time for a few shots as a reset of sorts. I also am a big fan of 1 shot at different distances practice as well but will do that with 2-3 arrows so there is still a group too.

 

[sneaky]

A guy that doesn’t shoot groups because he’s thinking about a good group and then gets a flyer doesn’t have his process dialed. A guy that shoots groups and can stack them in there has his process dialed. Once a week I try to get to the local archery range and shoot some indoor for score. Shooting indoor rounds will really let you know your progress as indoor is all about form, it keeps you honest.

As your form becomes more and more solid you’ll find that your indoor scores will go up. This then takes away the inconsistency and allows you to dial in reliable gaps at different yardages. Then you’ll start to develop sight pictures at the different yardages as you progress. Head to the 3D range and work on judging yardage. Now you’re judging yardage and you’re making good shots. Before you know it, like Beendare said, you’ll know why you made a bad shot. The best shot is the one you let down on because it just wasn’t right.

As you work on all of these skills your accuracy will only improve. At the end of the day it’s all about accuracy.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. I've ruined too many shafts and fletchings shooting groups and see no need to continue down that rabbit hole of wasting money. Shooting six, single, well placed shots is no different than shooting a wad of 6 in the same spot. Zero, nada. If you're shooting indoor you are shooting one arrow on a different face each shot as well. My process is dialed, Bruce is still working on his and he'll get there it just takes time.

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[R Davis]

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. I've ruined too many shafts and fletchings shooting groups and see no need to continue down that rabbit hole of wasting money. Shooting six, single, well placed shots is no different than shooting a wad of 6 in the same spot. Zero, nada. If you're shooting indoor you are shooting one arrow on a different face each shot as well. My process is dialed, Bruce is still working on his and he'll get there it just takes time.

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My post wasn’t directed at you sneaky, I apologize if it came off that way. I meant it in a generic way in that if someone is trying to shoot groups and has 5 in a nice group and then gets a flyer because they plucked, collapsed, are excited of the good group, tired, etc, then they still need to work on things. I agree that if you do make 6 well placed arrows at whatever yardages then you do have a dialed process whether it’s singly or with groups.

 

[Njh5587]

Ive also noticed most used bows for sale at traditional meets are 60ish pounds and up, the sellers always have the same story about their shoulder too. 53 pounds is fine with me. With that being said I also eat my fair share of humble pie!

Blacktail makes some gorgeous bows, I'd love to see a picture of your baby!

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Ive also noticed most used bows for sale at traditional meets are 60ish pounds and up, the sellers always have the same story about their shoulder too. 53 pounds is fine with me. With that being said I also eat my fair share of humble pie!

Blacktail makes some gorgeous bows, I'd love to see a picture of your baby!

Scroll to the bottom of this page for studio shots (click on em to enlarge if ya wanna see the detail). https://www.blacktailbows.com/store/p295/Inventory_Bow_-_Legacy_Series_"Gemsbok"_Elite_Recurve_w/_matching_hand-tooled_arm_guard_(64",_45#_@_28")_-_SOLD.html

 

[Njh5587]

Beautiful!

 

[Beendare]

As your form becomes more and more solid you’ll find that your indoor scores will go up. This then takes away the inconsistency and allows you to dial in reliable gaps at different yardages. .....

Yep good tip. Another way to skin a cat.

Shooting a 5 spot round for score gives you a ACTUAL benchmark while dialing in your form. Blind bale is good....but a score is definitive.

...

 

[LostArra]

I'm a one arrow shooter most of the time but occasionally like to shoot a 3 spot Las Vegas target for score just to keep myself honest. I think the problem with shooting groups is when the shooter does not allow enough mental and physical recovery between shots.

Shooting groups can sometimes encourage rushing the shot. I find I can't wait to shoot again after a flyer just to get it out of my system. Archery is a physical sport with accuracy the ultimate goal. It is not an endurance sport.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I'm a one arrow shooter most of the time but occasionally like to shoot a 3 spot Las Vegas target for score just to keep myself honest. I think the problem with shooting groups is when the shooter does not allow enough mental and physical recovery between shots.

Shooting groups can sometimes encourage rushing the shot. I find I can't wait to shoot again after a flyer just to get it out of my system. Archery is a physical sport with accuracy the ultimate goal. It is not an endurance sport.

You may have hit the nail on the head. I am gonna try shooting one arrow, go inside for 5 minutes or more and then go shoot another. I definitely notice declining accuracy after 25-40 arrows in a half hour session.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I tend to agree more with focusing on single arrow accuracy. However, when doing it my strategy has been to shoot just one arrow....retrieve it....change positions....and shoot it again. I do it unhurriedly and focus on a good shot.

When I decide to stand and shoot multiple arrows at a target butt, it's basically 100% about building strength and good form. This is where I say (to myself) "screw the accuracy results or concerns entirely". I work very hard to build muscle by forcing myself to draw relatively slowly, find the anchor, hold it, and then release. Doing it over and over is great for development but often hellish on accuracy as muscles tire. If I pay attention to accuracy I'll be frustrated, and there's no room in my head for frustration when practicing.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Just an update. Shooting with one arrow has been hugely successful. i dunno if it's the break time between shots, the added sense of focus using a single arrow or what but it works. I shoot from different distances (unsure of the exact distance all within 25 yards) each time and shooting purely instinctive I am back in the zone. I also find that I shoot best when I don't think, just draw and shoot. I think not rangefinding will help in the field.

 

[GregB]

Just an update. Shooting with one arrow has been hugely successful. i dunno if it's the break time between shots, the added sense of focus using a single arrow or what but it works. I shoot from different distances (unsure of the exact distance all within 25 yards) each time and shooting purely instinctive I am back in the zone. I also find that I shoot best when I don't think, just draw and shoot. I think not rangefinding will help in the field.

Gave this a try today. I have marks at 20, 25, and 30 yds so I had a pretty good idea of range and I didn't shoot purely instinctive. Overall I thought the results were better. I have the same problem if I can turn my brain off and just shoot I'm fine, if I start thinking about it everything goes to crap. I've got about another week of practice to get it dialed in.

 

[Kevin Dill]

One of the trickiest parts of this is figuring out how to NOT have your thoughts and emotions get in the way of good shooting. How many times have you shot 2 good arrows and then hear the little voice say something like "I really want the next arrow to be just as accurate". Seems innocent enough, but that's how you focus on results first and of course screw up your shot. It's hard to disengage the 'want' lobe when shooting, but the more you can do it the better your accuracy will tend to be....naturally.