longbow accuracy

[NWohiotrapper]

I got a dozen new arrows that were too long for me but I shot them anyways. I got to be shooting very well with the arrows, and decided to get them cut. Well since then I haven't been able to get back on track to where I was hitting before. I added tip weight and it helped but I can't "stack them up" like I could before I got them cut to proper legnth. Does anyone have any good practice tips, or other methods to help me become a more accurate shot? Simple drills, form, etc. Thanks, Josh

[Thunderflight]

Where are your arrows hitting?

[NWohiotrapper]

usually all over the place. One grouping will be close and exactly where I want to hit, and the next will be usually high or low. I don't really miss left and right just up and down. I shoot and shoot but haven't got back into my groove.

[tuffshot]

usually all over the place. One grouping will be close and exactly where I want to hit, and the next will be usually high or low. I don't really miss left and right just up and down. I shoot and shoot but haven't got back into my groove.

If your arrows are flying well then I would check a few things. The bow arm and a consistant anchor. How long have you been shooting the longbow?
Is it possible you may be overbowed or snap shooting? :confused:

[coonskinner]

just a guess but if the arrows were way too long before i wonder if you were not using the tip as a reference since you said you were stacking them...also when you cut these arrows down you made them much stiffer...now how long have you been shooting...whats your poundage and bow length and how far are you shooting and are you shooting instinctive...:mischeif:

[NWohiotrapper]

I have been shooting the longbow since December 2005. So I haven't been shooting long. I'm shooting a #55lbs. Fred Bear Montana 64" and if anything i'd say it isn't enough poundage. My buddy has a 62" #60 AIM with longer arrows and I can shoot that thing very well. I am shooting instinctively with a glove. I was snap shooting for a while and really took the time to get back to a solid anchor. I basically taught myself how to shoot and have only read a little bit on form. I could be doing many things wrong and don't even know it. Thanks, Josh

[Thunderflight]

Sounds like you might have an inconsentent anchor. If you anchor to high you'll hit low, anchor to low and you'll hit high.

[mullskinner]

or when you cut the arrows you made the spine to stiff ...:whistle:
thats what i did ...:mad: :mad: .........

[Thunderflight]

If the arrows were to stiff wouldnt they be hitting to the left?

[mullskinner]

yea and they should be kicking to the right ...i just figured since he cut them he went over spined but after reading a little closer sound like he was using the point to aim and he lost that when he cut his arrer's off...:rolleyes: ;)

[hoot gibson]

i honestly belive as long as the arrows are close in spine , the will group well , but mostly a bad day of practice is because of , lack of concentration , if you cant concentrate on the one spot , or your first knock , then you are waisting time , thats when you move closer , work on your form and not care where the arrow hits , hoot

[coonskinner]

i honestly belive as long as the arrows are close in spine , the will group well , but mostly a bad day of practice is because of , lack of concentration , if you cant concentrate on the one spot , or your first knock , then you are waisting time , thats when you move closer , work on your form and not care where the arrow hits , hoot
concentration is the key but sometimes it gives me a headache...then i really am in trouble...ever try to shoot with a headache...:mischeif:

[NWohiotrapper]

I do use my arrow tip to aim out of the corner of my eye. Is that wrong? How else do you aim haha?

[tuffshot]

Move closer then build your form for consistancy and then move back approx 5 yards at a time. Your whole sight picture changes as you move back. There is plenty enuff time before next deer season..:D

As you described you are looking at the point but when you cut them down he point on has changed even in your perifrial vision. If you are shooting split finger try and shoot 3 under and see if there is a differance or visa versa.

[coonskinner]

awww hawww...i figured that...well its like a sight on a cp...you just moved your pin and stiffend the arrow at the same time when you shortened that arrow...most i know use a very long arrow who uses it as a reference...if you shoot insinctive you only look at the target,actually you pick a very little spot within the target to hit...some will say they pick a hair out on a deer where they want the arrow to hit,right on that hair...and thats where all their concentration and eyes are focused...on that tiny hair...you may not hit the hair but it will hit very close keeping you well in the kill zone...try this...push an arrow into the middle of the bullseye or kill area of a rubber deer...the nock of that arrow is what you want to try to hit...full concentration and your eyes are on that arrow nock in the target...you should be concentrating and looking at it even before starting the draw...do not take your eyes off the nock...and do not take them from it til after your arrow has struck the target...this is if you want to shoot instinctive...keep at it your bowarm will someday automatically adjust even at different distances...:mischeif:

[NWohiotrapper]

Would there be any dishonor in going back to gap shooting? To see how I was shooting then to how I'm shooting now! I really wasn't aware there were different ways to shoot traditionally. These rookies I tell ya. haha. Thanks for all the help guys, I really appreciate it. Josh

[Thunderflight]

There is nothing "dishonorable" about gap shooting. If it's what you want to do then do it, but if you keep practicing instintive shooting you'll eventually get it down and be shooting as good as when you where using the gap method.

Start out at ten yards and when your groups get consitent then move back to 15 and then to 20. You'll get it, but it takes time.

Nice thing about instinctive shooting is that you can see in very low light situations. Ever have a five minutes of legal shooting light left and have a deer under your stand on an over cast evening with not moon? Most of the time if you don't have an iluminated pin you won't be able to get a shot because you can't aim. With instinctive you look, draw, anchor, pick a spot, and release. This is what works for me, but I'm also a newbie so I'm still learning.:bouncy: :bouncy: :bouncy:

[Turkeyfoot]

Explain what you mean by using the tip of the arrow OUT OF THE CORNER OF YOUP EYE:confused: :tsk: ....TF

[coonskinner]

i have noticed at trad shoots the ones who are the best shooters and have more consistancy shooting good in general are not instinctive shooters...they shoot 3 under and intentionally gunbarrel down the shaft...in a way i believe these shooters should be in their own class...instictive shooters should have a separate class...:whistle:

[NWohiotrapper]

Any southeast Ohioans up for giving some one-on-one instruction? I've tried 3 under before and don't like it. When I say use the tip out of the corner of my eye I mean, I look down the arrow and place the tip where I know the arrow will fly. After I figured out the angle the last half of the arrow needed to be at to hit the target, I could just use the tip to make my shot. Is this all wrong? haha. It worked when I used long arrows.

[Turkeyfoot]

NW....by cutting your arrows, you have increased the gap betwen the tip and the spot you're looking at making it more difficult to mentally judge the correct sight picture. A longer shaft will decrease that gap bringing the tip closer. Even with shorter arrows, in time the correct mental gap will click for you and you'll be stacking em in there again. It just takes a lot of repitition for it to become instinctive without thinking about the shot ;) A good gap shooter,imo will out perform "most" pure instinctive shooters especially at longer distances:whistle: .....TF

[Turkeyfoot]

CS....it'll never happen Geo:yikes: It's too hard to differentiate instinctive, gap, or point of aim shooters just by watching them shoot! But IBO has divided the longbow class by not allowing 3 under in that class:coco: Why? Because the split finger boys can't beat em and whined to the rules committee. If that's the case, why did'nt they do that for the all classes including recurve and compound finger shooters:tsk: Bunch of phonies if ya ask me:rant:

[coonskinner]

i dont compete,just from an observers point of view...

[hoot gibson]

when they started crying to me in osta , about 3 under , and shotgunning the arrow , i told them that we would have to start measuring between there eye and the corner of there mouth , and putting a perminate mark on there cheek at registration , so then we could watch them .. lol they decided to let it go . hoot

[coonskinner]

so whats wrong with string walking...the best recurve shooter i ever saw used sights...:yikes:

[Turkeyfoot]

Nothing wrong with string walking CS, if that's what you need to do to put the arrow where it needs to go:whistle: IMO, these archers should be classed by themselves for competition only. There's a thread over on Achery talk right now bout this! As you and Hoot know, this has been argued since the 60's and still goes on yet today. If ya gotta go to all that trouble to shoot a bow, ya might as well put sights on the bow:rolleyes: ....TF

[Thunderflight]

I'm a face walker. I lower my anchor for shots over 30 with my new Alpine. I can reach out to 45 yards fairly constently.

[coonskinner]

my point is if 3 under shooters compete with instinctive shooters why not allow stringwalkers too...at 3d shoots...:mischeif:

[Thunderflight]

There's no issues with that in my area, but the SCBA does have issues with it.

[hoot gibson]

string walking is for cheaters . if they want to do point of aim , thats fine , but when they count serving and move the knock up or down then they are clasafied as sights , and why dont they just put sights on ?? because then you could see them . the reason guys stringwalk at shoots . is so they can cheat.. plain and simple. hoot

[coonskinner]

why go to all that bother,i heard if you want to cheat its easier to use a pencil...maybe they do both...ohhh...:mischeif: