I've seen a lot of older videos with people hanging up an 8" pie plate as a practice regimen for deer and bear vitals. I have used this before myself as a form of practice. I like using them so I can try and "visualize " a spot on it . Have you used the same? Of course , I believe in keeping as small of groups as I can. But do you also believe in the 8" pie plate method or what size of a "circle " would you consider a good representation of the vitals of a deer, hog or bear ?
I agree and without markings it forces you to burn a hole on your imaginary spot
I started shooting 64 years ago and my first target was a paper plate. Over the years I continue to use one at times and when I'm teaching someone to shoot their first target is a pie plate.
Great for beginners, and works fine for experienced archers shooting 40-50 yards. but for honing your hunting skills an unmarked 3D target, or paper animal target is much better. better yet shoot one arrow at a time, so you are not using your other arrow knocks for a focus point.
One of my favorite things to shoot at is a small pine cone or something smaller hanging from a string. When you hit it you have a moving target to shoot at also.
The old saying...aim small, miss small! The smaller your target is the closer you will get to it. Like imagining a hair on the side of a deer. If you concentrate on that hair you have a better chance of hitting where you look.
Some may struggle with a big ole pie plate..I'd like to be where I could see holes on it..or aim at the edge of the plate..im in the group that likes no target..I use hay bales, they look similar to deer hair at times ..and pick out different pieces of straw or color variations to aim at..same as on a 3D animal or a animal in the woods..you GOTTA pick the smallest point you can..hair..crease in the fur..and eventually when your confidence level is very high you can imagine a pinpoint.. And visualize your arrows trajectory right through the shot to this spot..but not always lol! Otherwise it wouldn't be fun right? :banghead:
Quote from: Pat B on March 08, 2026, 11:17:44 PMOne of my favorite things to shoot at is a small pine cone or something smaller hanging from a string. When you hit it you have a moving target to shoot at also.
The old saying...aim small, miss small! The smaller your target is the closer you will get to it. Like imagining a hair on the side of a deer. If you concentrate on that hair you have a better chance of hitting where you look.
Years ago i was at an archery club in San Diego where they had a 3D shoot and some novelty shoots. They had one where you through a dollar in the pot, and got to shoot 3 arrows at a ping pong ball dangling from a piece of fishing line. You talk about a tough shot to make... Just hitting the ball didn't count either. you had to penetrate the ping pong ball to take the pot. I watched the guys having a ball shooting at that thing before i hit the trail. When i got back off the trail, that coffee can was full to the brim with dollar bills. They were shooting at if from about 10 yards... These guys i was shooting with were damn good archers and wanted to give it a go, so i joined them. They were whacking the ball pretty good, and one guy cut the line off it too, and it needed repair. i was laughing at them and razzing them as they added to the pot. Finally they told me, "come on hot shot! show us how it's done." So i asked the guys if they had any problem with me stepping back a few yards? If so i'll give it a go. i threw a dollar in the coffee can, and stepped back to about 15 yards, and center punched it on my first shot. You could have heard a pin drop in that moment... LOL $87.00 in the pot too. :biglaugh:
Luck you say? :o :o :o I think id have to agree with that one. :biglaugh:
The guys said i bet you can't do that again. and i told them why would i want to with that coffee can empty. So everybody threw another buck in the pot and we went after it again. i'll bet i hit that damn thing 15 times after that and never pined it again. It was great sport! about 6 of us shot for an hour , and nobody ever pinned it. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Gallon milk jugs and blunts are good practice, too.
In your all's opinion, what is the diameter of the whitetail, black bear and hog vitals?
I've been shooting at these practice, plastic golf balls. They are small and inexpensive. They hold up really well when shot and the holes make them easy to hang.
I started with paper plates almost 50 years ago. I used to take a marker and put a dot in the center about the size of a dime for a bullseye. Good times.
Quote from: frassettor on March 10, 2026, 01:14:08 PMIn your all's opinion, what is the diameter of the whitetail, black bear and hog vitals?
I would say that an 8" paper plate is a pretty good representation of those vitals in my humble opinion.
An unmarked larger target like a paper plate is fantastic hunting practice. You need to learn to shoot at the center of something not marked. That is exactly how I shoot animals- I shoot at the center of an area (chest). Guys talk about "picking a hair"... well I've never seen that to work. In the pressure of the situation I want to shoot to the center of an "area". It's way easier to practice with a small aiming mark on the target like a little dot, than it is to learn to shoot to the middle of a larger unmarked area. But the deer I hunt don't seem to have little red dots painted on their chests. :biglaugh:
R
Quote from: Ryan Rothhaar on March 10, 2026, 08:35:39 PMAn unmarked larger target like a paper plate is fantastic hunting practice. You need to learn to shoot at the center of something not marked. That is exactly how I shoot animals- I shoot at the center of an area (chest). Guys talk about "picking a hair"... well I've never seen that to work. In the pressure of the situation I want to shoot to the center of an "area". It's way easier to practice with a small aiming mark on the target like a little dot, than it is to learn to shoot to the middle of a larger unmarked area. But the deer I hunt don't seem to have little red dots painted on their chests. :biglaugh:
R
Yep, years ago I used brown construction paper for that very same reason, centering. 1 sheet - 1 shot then replace.