BowHntrRick

Does anyone have any simple but often overlooked tips for better shooting/bowhunting?

Being a newcomer to archery in general and bowhunting in particular, if there is a wrong way to do something I have probably found it. However, with the advice of experts (like yourselves!) and a great deal of trial and error I have been making steady progress.

I discovered a technique yesterday that now seems so obvious that I can't believe I didn't think of it before. In all my reading, I did not see this tip for better shooting mentioned anywhere despite the fact that it is based on human physiology and so applies to compound or recurve, fingers or release, instinctive or sights, aluminum or carbon.

Formerly, I would point the bow toward the target, draw, and anchor. This always resulted in an aiming point that was somewhat low, so I would begin to raise the bow with my left arm/shoulder. There are two problems with this: first, this produces a great deal of strain on the left arm/shoulder resulting in sore muscules. Second (and worse), this strain produces all kinds of problems with form from releasing before reaching the target aim just to get relief from the muscle strain to throwing my left arm to the left upon release resulting in arrows flying left and poor arrow flight. The farther the target distance, the more the bow must be raised and the worse the problems become.

Yesterday it occurred to me to point my rest toward the target, draw, and anchor. Now, my aiming point starts a little bit high and I lower it until I am pointing at the target. While raising the bow to target produced a great deal of muscle strain, lowering the bow to target is much easier: no muscle strain and no related form problems.

Despite being fatigued from doing a great deal of shooting yesterday, my last round yesterday was my best ever: 9 arrows in a five inch circle at 20 yards (not impressive for most of you, but a milestone for me, especially since I prefer to shoot fingers).

Many of you are reading this shooting tip (Don't raise the bow to the target, lower the bow to the target) and saying "well, duh!", but I do not recall seeing this simple but effective tip in any of the "how-to" guidelines I have come across. I wonder if any of you have similar "tricks of the trade" with respect to archery or bowhunting that are not often mentioned for the benefit of beginners.

Bob H in NH

Dropping into the target works because to do this you RELAX the muscles, to raise the bow you have to push up, tightening the muscles. The key to shooting is relaxed muscles.

that said, first secret is a bow that fits.

Next big thing to understand is that you will NEVER hold the sight pin dead steady, so don't try. It WILL move a bit, let it, it will naturally come back on target, ignore the movement and just concentrate on a suprise release.

--Bob

snowman69

As Bob said I to lower the bow to the target. and relaxed muscles are a must IMO tense will always throw your shot off. also Bob said don't try to hold the pin dead on the target it won't happen I used to try to do that when I first started and developed a good case of Target Panic. so to cure it I would draw back anchor as usual then I would lower the bow onto the target and as soon as the pin hit its mark I would release. Maybe try a release instead of fingers. good luck

bowhunterlimerick

good follow through is very important when starting out by this i mean keep the pin on the target untill the aarow hits do not peak when the shot goes off, if this is done correctly for a right handed shooter you will not get the"lefties" any more and for a left handed shooter you will not throw those random aarows to the right. happy shooting!

Arthur P

Aim small, miss small. Instead of aiming at the dot, aim at a hole another arrow left inside the dot.

One of the most often ignored things you can do to make holding on your aim point a lot steadier is to adjust your bow's tiller to match the way you grip the bow. Bottoming out the limb bolts does not guarantee a perfect tiller for your shooting style.

Especially shooting fingers, visualize pushing that sight pin right through the spot you're aiming at. If you push with the bow hand, the string hand can't flub the release. (By the way, this does not negate what Bob H said about letting the pin wander around in the dot. It WILL float, and you have to let it do so. Trust me, when it 'feels right' then release. The pin will usually be in the right place when you release.)

On follow through, keep that bow arm dead steady and keep pushing that pin into the dot and aiming until you hear the arrow hit the target. The bow will recoil and the sight will move away from the dot after the release but your body/arm position and mental focus should not move a fraction until the arrow is buried in the target.

nodog

A lot of good advice, even your own bowhntr. I know from personal experience that it is possible enough to be so focused and not distracted that you can shoot any spot you want. It happened to me when I was a kid and I've not let myself get that way since (with a weapon). A little of it is good. I don't dwell on anything but the target and tell myself that I have all the time in the world.

If that doesn't work I've heard that if you visualize the target naked it helps. Or something like that

mnbohunter

Don't try to mistake too many of us here as experts.

Techy

Shoot long range!

Everytime I backed up another 10 yards I would notice new things. Not only that, it makes shooting short range seem like a chip shot.