How do you practice and how much?
#11
RE: How do you practice and how much?
Well currently I am trying to get good with my long bow so I am shooting almost every night for at least 30 minutes. With my compound I normally only shot 3-4 days a week, 15-25 arrows a day, Starting around 1st of august. As the season neared with my compound I'd shoot 1-2 arrows everyday.
#12
RE: How do you practice and how much?
I'm about to start my annual 90 day vacation. (two more days!)
I'll shoot almost everyday. I am setting up a pretty cool archery course at my place this summer. 5-6 targets. Incline, decline, treestand and flat shots..
Using 1 glendell buck, one block and three big layered targets. I'd like to add a bear and turkey target too..
I'll shoot almost everyday. I am setting up a pretty cool archery course at my place this summer. 5-6 targets. Incline, decline, treestand and flat shots..
Using 1 glendell buck, one block and three big layered targets. I'd like to add a bear and turkey target too..
#13
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location:
Posts: 469
RE: How do you practice and how much?
2 or 3 times a week. I just hunt with the bow, no competition.
By Myself. I have no friends.
10 shotsat 40 yds
10 at 30 yds
10 at 20 yds
Done. If I feel some Target Panic coming on I will not shoot for a while, maybe a couple weeks or even a month. Then go back to Point Blank to cure it, then back to regiment. That still creeps in ever so often.
By Myself. I have no friends.
10 shotsat 40 yds
10 at 30 yds
10 at 20 yds
Done. If I feel some Target Panic coming on I will not shoot for a while, maybe a couple weeks or even a month. Then go back to Point Blank to cure it, then back to regiment. That still creeps in ever so often.
#14
RE: How do you practice and how much?
Assuming my equipment is tuned, I have a weekly shooting practice routine. Keep in mind, this is more geared towards training for 3D specifically.
2-3x a week I will use the following routine:
20-30 arrows of perfect shots. I don't worry about where they go andI am usually aiming at a 40 yard target butt. I worry about setting up the shot, maintaining proper front bow shoulder position, keeping my head straight and not dipping into the string to find the peep,getting the tension into my back before I start to draw, and relaxing my bow arm and shoulder in the bottomed out spot while executing. All I care about on this exercise is setting up and executing perfect shots, doesn't matter where they go at all. Even though I am not shooting to really try and get small groups, you should see the arrow carnage that happens during this drill at 40 yards. I am down to 20 or so pin nocks out of a pack of 100 that I bought roughly 2.5 months ago. [8D]
10-15 aiming drills. Focus on setting the shot up properly as described above, but once coming to full draw just focus on floating on the X ring without worry about shooting, I will hold for roughly 6-8 seconds or so and let down. This gets me comfortable with just floating in it and helps seperate the aiming part from the execution part.
20-30 minutes of walking the field archery course trail at my local club with no bow in hand. Only a range finder and a piece of paper. I try to pick out 30 random objects in the woods during this time from distances of 25-50 yards in distance from me and judge them. If I am 3 or moreyards off, I mark -2 on the paper. If I am 2 yards, I mark 0 on the paper. If I am within 1 yard, I mark +1 on the paper. My goal is to add all 30 up when Iam done and try to average 0. If I am off by more than 3, I will try to find a 20 yard mark between me and the target and then look at it again in reference to that 20 yard mark to try and burn in what 20 looks like. I need work on this past 40 yards..........[:-]
This usually takes me 2 hours or so in total. I also shoot one 3D per week on Sundays, and I am going to add one indoor 30 arrow vegas game a week to the schedule as well with my 3D bow.
2-3x a week I will use the following routine:
20-30 arrows of perfect shots. I don't worry about where they go andI am usually aiming at a 40 yard target butt. I worry about setting up the shot, maintaining proper front bow shoulder position, keeping my head straight and not dipping into the string to find the peep,getting the tension into my back before I start to draw, and relaxing my bow arm and shoulder in the bottomed out spot while executing. All I care about on this exercise is setting up and executing perfect shots, doesn't matter where they go at all. Even though I am not shooting to really try and get small groups, you should see the arrow carnage that happens during this drill at 40 yards. I am down to 20 or so pin nocks out of a pack of 100 that I bought roughly 2.5 months ago. [8D]
10-15 aiming drills. Focus on setting the shot up properly as described above, but once coming to full draw just focus on floating on the X ring without worry about shooting, I will hold for roughly 6-8 seconds or so and let down. This gets me comfortable with just floating in it and helps seperate the aiming part from the execution part.
20-30 minutes of walking the field archery course trail at my local club with no bow in hand. Only a range finder and a piece of paper. I try to pick out 30 random objects in the woods during this time from distances of 25-50 yards in distance from me and judge them. If I am 3 or moreyards off, I mark -2 on the paper. If I am 2 yards, I mark 0 on the paper. If I am within 1 yard, I mark +1 on the paper. My goal is to add all 30 up when Iam done and try to average 0. If I am off by more than 3, I will try to find a 20 yard mark between me and the target and then look at it again in reference to that 20 yard mark to try and burn in what 20 looks like. I need work on this past 40 yards..........[:-]
This usually takes me 2 hours or so in total. I also shoot one 3D per week on Sundays, and I am going to add one indoor 30 arrow vegas game a week to the schedule as well with my 3D bow.
#16
RE: How do you practice and how much?
I try to shoot every day. I have a 30yd range in the back yard. I will try to shoot at least 50 arrows. When pressed for time or if it is raining, I will try to make 2 or 3 QUALITY shots. I will concentrate on shooting from a sitting position, a standing, kneeling, tree stand, etc. I have a bag target a 3-D deer and a Morrell's BH target. The bag is the only one I'm using now as the others are shredded at this point.
I also try to shoot my recurve at least every other day.
My wife and I are in the middle of buying a new house. It has 5 acres and I'm really looking forward to having longer ranges to shoot in my yard. I see a private 3-D course in my future! There are a lot of trees to put practice stands in.
I also try to shoot my recurve at least every other day.
My wife and I are in the middle of buying a new house. It has 5 acres and I'm really looking forward to having longer ranges to shoot in my yard. I see a private 3-D course in my future! There are a lot of trees to put practice stands in.
#17
RE: How do you practice and how much?
This time of the year, I will shoot 12 to 18 arrows, three or four nights a week, right before dusk. I am limited to 20 yards, but it keeps my form up. In late August I will start shooting five nights a week, and start shooting BHs about a month before the opening of the season, and taper back a bit after the season starts. I will shoot from my climber stand at 20 to 45 yards when I'm out on the lease, which, unfortunately, isn't as frequent as I would like it to be.
#19
RE: How do you practice and how much?
My weekends over the summer are mostly booked solid with work/family/social stuff, so I don't have much time to shoot. Summer evenings are when I do my shooting.
However, I have to shoe-horn bow practice into my schedule around whitetail scouting. I definitely place a higher priority on scouting/glassing/planning my fall hunts than I do on practicing the shots.
I get about 3 nights a week before my wife starts to complain, and those nights are generally spent sitting in a field somewhere with a scope in my face. At least once every two weeks, I sacrifice a night afield and spend it shooting the bow. Honestly, I hate shooting my bow. I don't really practice much from the ground - it's mostly hunting simulations - so by the time you drag your stand to the woods, put on a hunting jacket, set the bag up,climb 20', and shoot arrows into the bag, get back down and repeat - you're a sweaty, bug-infested, miserable mess.
Been doing it for 15 years, and it's just point-and-click anymore. Through that 15 years, I've only been through 3 bows, so there isn't much changing going on. This year, however, I will be breaking in a new bow with some sweeping changes in the overall setup. That will command a little extra time and attention. At least once a week.
So, over the course of an average summer, I shoot about once every week or two, usually only 10-20 shots - like I said earlier,80-90% of my free time is spent in the woods. I'd probably shoot more (and scout a LOT more)if I had more time, but I just can't see the point of wasting good field days inside an air-conditioned range shootingat x'sfrom the 20-yard line.
However, I have to shoe-horn bow practice into my schedule around whitetail scouting. I definitely place a higher priority on scouting/glassing/planning my fall hunts than I do on practicing the shots.
I get about 3 nights a week before my wife starts to complain, and those nights are generally spent sitting in a field somewhere with a scope in my face. At least once every two weeks, I sacrifice a night afield and spend it shooting the bow. Honestly, I hate shooting my bow. I don't really practice much from the ground - it's mostly hunting simulations - so by the time you drag your stand to the woods, put on a hunting jacket, set the bag up,climb 20', and shoot arrows into the bag, get back down and repeat - you're a sweaty, bug-infested, miserable mess.
Been doing it for 15 years, and it's just point-and-click anymore. Through that 15 years, I've only been through 3 bows, so there isn't much changing going on. This year, however, I will be breaking in a new bow with some sweeping changes in the overall setup. That will command a little extra time and attention. At least once a week.
So, over the course of an average summer, I shoot about once every week or two, usually only 10-20 shots - like I said earlier,80-90% of my free time is spent in the woods. I'd probably shoot more (and scout a LOT more)if I had more time, but I just can't see the point of wasting good field days inside an air-conditioned range shootingat x'sfrom the 20-yard line.
#20
RE: How do you practice and how much?
right now I am shooting about 4-5 times a week usually about 100 arrows or so per session all shots are from 40 - 60 yards. about mid august I will start shooting every night weather permitting. and usually about 20 of those shots are with broadheads.once the season starts I try to shoot at least 10 arrows everyday,but to be honest that doesnt always happen because I just want to get to my stand