Aiming?
12-27-2006, 10:23 AM
#1
Giant Nontypical
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2005
Location: One mile east of West Podunk Tx
Posts: 5,973
Aiming?
I was once told there are so stupid questions but there are many inquisitive idiots. So here I go. I will soon recieve my recurve via UPS. What is the difference between "gap" aiming and instinctive? Is there a difference? When I get this bow I will want to go right out in the back yard and shoot it. My plan is to get about 10 yds from my targets and bales and just kinda aim down the shaft. Will this lead to disaster or am I on the right track? I have checked the Easton tuning guide and I have arrows that are spined correctly for this bow. I also have a glove and armguard so other than a working knowledge of traditional archery I am ready to go. I am really looking forward to this. I believe I'm gonna have some fun. I am prepared to be patient and understand that good results may take time.
12-27-2006, 10:40 AM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 7,571
RE: Aiming?
Very basically,
Gap Shooting is aiming using the relationship between the tip of the arrow and the target. You need to be aware of arrow trajectory, yardage to target and the point of impact of your arrow. You need to knowwhatyardage your arrow will impact if you put the tip of the arrow directly on the target (gap is 0). It's usually around 40-60 yards.There is a curve envolved and your largest gap will be around the half-way point of your Point of Impact with your gap at 0.
Instintive takes no account of the arrow in relation to the target. You never even look at the arrow. Concentrate on the target only, let muscle memory take effect and let go.
Byron Ferguson's (and HH) technique kind of blends both systems together. You may want to check out his book. Personally, I like this system best.
Gap Shooting is aiming using the relationship between the tip of the arrow and the target. You need to be aware of arrow trajectory, yardage to target and the point of impact of your arrow. You need to knowwhatyardage your arrow will impact if you put the tip of the arrow directly on the target (gap is 0). It's usually around 40-60 yards.There is a curve envolved and your largest gap will be around the half-way point of your Point of Impact with your gap at 0.
Instintive takes no account of the arrow in relation to the target. You never even look at the arrow. Concentrate on the target only, let muscle memory take effect and let go.
Byron Ferguson's (and HH) technique kind of blends both systems together. You may want to check out his book. Personally, I like this system best.
12-27-2006, 11:57 AM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: May 2006
Location:
Posts: 459
RE: Aiming?
I have had some goodresults lookingdown the shaft. I shoot with three fingers under the arrowand anchor with the middle fingerto the corner of my mouth.Thisanchor point allows me to look straight down the shaft.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
12-27-2006, 02:27 PM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Indiana
Posts: 162
RE: Aiming?
I made the switch from compound to recurve about 8 months ago and found instinctive shooting to be the easiest switch. I started at about 5 yds and concentrated solely on shooting form. When it got to be second natureto pull back into the same position every time, I started paying attention to where my arrows were hitting in relation to where I was looking. I then began to move awayfrom the target a little each time. Typically a change of four or five yards was enough to cause inaccuracy and I would stay in that range until I was consistently grouping again.Ifyou have access to any back issues of Traditional Bowhunter magazine, G Fred Asbell has written some really good articles on the subject of instinctive shooting. He also has a book, though I haven't read that yet.
Hope it helpsandremember, it's all about fun.
Hope it helpsandremember, it's all about fun.
12-28-2006, 11:41 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Norman OK USA
Posts: 3,318
RE: Aiming?
Greg, buy the book titled "Become the Arrow" by Byron Ferguson. If you can't find one, let me know and I'll send you mine. It's a quick read and it makes everything much easier to understand. Well worth the couple books. I hit a plateau where I stopped improving until I read this book and had certain things to focus on.
01-03-2007, 08:11 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,927
RE: Aiming?
First off, don't be suprised if your arrows aren't spined properly. Easton's chart seems to work well with compounds but seems WAY off with regard to traditional bows. Easton recommended an arrow at 2020 for my bow with the given poundage, length, and BH weight. I ended up using 2016's and bumping the BH from 125 gr to 140 gr. So do some bare shaft tuning first, once you get good groups, that are grouping on target as bare arrows, then worry about aiming.
There's lots of methods of aiming. Gaping,sighting down an arrow, instinctive, pins (gasp), I've also read of a technique called string walking where you move your finger position on the string to adjust for elevation. Talk to some older shooters who were around before traditional purism reared it's head. All kinds of aiming techniques were used.
There's lots of methods of aiming. Gaping,sighting down an arrow, instinctive, pins (gasp), I've also read of a technique called string walking where you move your finger position on the string to adjust for elevation. Talk to some older shooters who were around before traditional purism reared it's head. All kinds of aiming techniques were used.
01-03-2007, 09:07 AM
#8
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,381
RE: Aiming?
if you are cross dominant in your shooting (dominant eye left, shooting right handed example) you'll not be able to look down the shaft.
instinctive is like throwing a baseball - just look at where you want the arrow to go and let your mind/hand coordinate everything else
instinctive is like throwing a baseball - just look at where you want the arrow to go and let your mind/hand coordinate everything else
