PelaPapas Report post Posted July 14, 2015 My only advice is after a few warm up shots jump to longer distance for a few, 40 to 60 yards. Many shoot 20, 30, 40, then by the time they are hitting longer yards fatigue is setting in. Never thought of this! I'm gonna have to give it a try! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phil Beavers Report post Posted July 20, 2015 I just practice all distances.. My sight is set at 20,30,40,50,60 I start out at 20 and when I get good groups I move on back .. I dont have great vision ( corrective lens guy) so I stop at 60 because that bulls eye gets really small for me to see. Like anything else " practice makes perfect " .. The only tips I can give is "dont white knuckle" and "keep practicing" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Sparky Report post Posted July 21, 2015 I am with you Phil. Corrective lenses suck but I have worn them since I was 6. For me shooting 60,70 yards I don't even have a bulls eye. My target for field points is 16x16 and broad heads is 18x18. I imagine it is an elk, not that I would shoot that far at an elk, and try to center punch the target. I imagine I am aiming for the lungs, tight behind the front leg on a broadside elk. I try to keep in a 10" circle at 70 yards and it helps my confidence at that range just knowing I can do it. Usually I hit in a 6"-8" circle at 70 yards, really makes you concentrate and builds confidence in yourself. I learned tonight not to shoot groups with my broad heads as I sliced a fletching clean off. I put 9 adhesive dots on my broad head target and out to 50 yards I will pick one dot per arrow. I didn't want to walk to 70 yards and draw out my arrow so shot another broad head, wrong move. Luckily I have time to get it refletched before hunting season. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattys281 Report post Posted July 21, 2015 I cant even remember the last time I shot at 20 yards. I usually go right to 60 and bounce around between 40 and 60. I will also often only shoot one arrow from each yardage and mix in some odd balls like 53 or 47, etc. I never met a deer that stood there long enough for me to shoot a group at him, although I guess there may be one out there somewhere. Go do some 3d shoots too. Tons of fun and great practice as you only get 1 arrow per target, unless the course is empty. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maverick351 Report post Posted July 21, 2015 What I do is practice like I hunt. When you are out hunting you don't get a couple warm up shots and make sure everything is good and ready before it counts. I walk out to the range pic a target at what I'm comfortable shooting at for hunting (you decide what distance works for you). So for example. I walk out to a target at 60 yrd take a step or two back and range it(say 63 yrds) aim and shoot. If I'm not within say an inch or two of the bullseye then practice is over. Grab my arrow and go home. Maybe do better next time. It's hard to do but it really makes you focus. Now if I hit where I wanted then great I get to stay and practice more that day. In the field if you step up and miss your first shot it can mean an empty tag, lost opportunity or a wounded animal. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
naturegirl Report post Posted July 21, 2015 Muscle memory is everything. It sounds like you are shooting a good amount. I would concentrate on your groups. Don't worry about changing your sight until your groups are consistent for days at a time. If you are grouping good consistently, then your form is consistent also. Practice outside in mountains/trees is very important. Use a judo and shoot stumps or take a target and move it around. I don't think I've ever shot my bow at an animal on flat ground except a coyote in my own yard. All shots in the field for me have angles and obstacles. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeke-BE Report post Posted July 21, 2015 Like what everybody says get the muscle memory down! That means the basic principle of shooting. Whatever that means to you, but to me it's like a professional sport professional practice and practice on his basic principle. Then they will do a scrimmage, AKA shooting in all conditions, fatigue, kneeling, quick draw. None of that will come to you until you get the basic muscle memory. After that you need to find out what your real range is. My first shot at the range will be my farthest shot. For example I'll start off at 70 yards. If I can hit that on my very first shot basically means I'm not good enough to shoot at an animal that far. So next time I'll try at 60 yards for my first shot. Let's say I hit that with my very first shot, so now I know this is my range for me to shoot at an animal confidently. If you want 70 yards to be your father's shot then you need to keep practicing until you can hit it every time on your very first shot. Just my 2 cents Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
naturegirl Report post Posted July 22, 2015 The other thing i highly recommend is shooting the longest distance first. Better to shoot long before you're tired plus when you finish at 20 yards you will have more confidence because your groups finishing at 20 will be tighter than say 60 yards with fatigue. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HuntHarder Report post Posted July 22, 2015 Maverick- That is a very odd way of practicing.. Seems counter productive to quit practicing after your first bad shot. Practice is just that, practice. By shooting one shot and stopping, you are not practicing. Muscle memory goes a long way with archery. I correlate it to, (do not laugh), Golf. Practice makes perfect, and shooting until you start to feel fatigued or your form has started to slip will never hurt. I usually stop shooting as soon as I feel any fatigue what so ever. After fatigue has set in, your body will try to overcome it, by adjusting small things; i.e. anchor point, spine angle, stance, and grip to name a few. I say shoot until you start to feel fatigued, and work your way up to shooting more shots each week. I agree with most, that starting with a few close warm up shots, then going to a longer distance that you are comfortable with and starting your practice there. Work your way closer. Good luck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maverick351 Report post Posted July 22, 2015 OK so its bad to focus intently on making a great shot the first time? If you shoot badly then rewarding yourself by continuing to shoot doesn't do much to help. Perfect practice makes perfect, repeated practice of bad habits don't make them better. Each person has their own way. I'm just a believer that an elk, deer, bear etc isn't going to stand still and continue to give you a shot opportunity while you hit it in the a$$ or gut shoot it because you couldn't focus under pressure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattys281 Report post Posted July 22, 2015 OK so its bad to focus intently on making a great shot the first time? If you shoot badly then rewarding yourself by continuing to shoot doesn't do much to help. Perfect practice makes perfect, repeated practice of bad habits don't make them better. Each person has their own way. I'm just a believer that an elk, deer, bear etc isn't going to stand still and continue to give you a shot opportunity while you hit it in the a$$ or gut shoot it because you couldn't focus under pressure. I used to do that when I was able to shoot in my yard. Shoot one or two arrows at different yardages in the morning before work & then maybe do it again after work. Didn't practice like that all the time, but it's good once in a while. Realistically, many people only draw their bow back and shoot once during the hunt. I've shot a total of 3 arrows to collect my last 2 deer. No misses since 2012 (hope it keeps going!). Training your mind that the first shot must be good because there is no second shot is a smart method, for after muscle memory has been built. No such thing as a warm-up session or a practice shot when there's an animal in front of you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azshtr Report post Posted July 24, 2015 180 yards is a looooooooong shot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHT_MTNMAN Report post Posted August 6, 2015 I too shoot similar to maverick but that is after years of shooting. If you are relatively new then shoot right up until you get tired... Then do it again the next day...build yout strength..I don't like practicing tired, form suffers,confidence suffers etc...my .02 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesPursuit Report post Posted August 6, 2015 What pin do you use when the critter presents a shot at 5yards??? Buck in my avatar was 6 yards out and 25 feet down, quartering away. It felt crazy wrong as I put my 20 pin on the bottom of his belly, but thanks to a lot of practice, I knew it was right. The arrow entered just below his spine and exited just behind his opposite shoulder. Some pictures here to illustrate the entry/exit @ http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/46532-archery-coues-dirtnap/ Without taking so many shots out of my stand before the hunt, I'm certain I would have wounded or missed the buck at just 6 yards. Even if you don't hunt from a tree stand, elevated and close range shots should be carefully practiced and logged into memory. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
