Quote from: TaterHill Archer on December 10, 2025, 08:40:40 PM

Quote from: BrushWolf on December 10, 2025, 11:39:53 AM

Quote from: Kirkll on December 09, 2025, 08:43:12 PM

Quote from: BrushWolf on December 07, 2025, 04:06:45 PMMy boy started shooting a trad bow last summer. He shoots it with a fixed crawl and shoots it very well. He has killed 4 deer now with that style. I built his current bow and tillered it for shooting with a fixed crawl. I have recently dabbled into it myself and built a couple sets of limbs just for shooting that way. So far it seems to be working fine and something to play around with.we set are bows up at 15 yards and don't see an issue shooting to 20 yards

I'm curious how much positive tiller you are using for a fixed crawl?

His bow is 1/8" positive.

I'm confused. I've always read that you want negative tiller for a fixed crawl.

You are correct his bow is 1/8" negative
My bad sorry for the confusion.

Sitting here remembering my best friend and reading this thread brought his voice back to life. This weekend I visited his widow and daughter in Texas. Both of us being in dangerous professions made a promise to each other to watch over the others family should the Lord decide it was time one of us should go. I had posted back when Russ left this world about his journey in Traditional Archery and the friends he found here. Since that time his Dave Johnson Longbow has been in my care with the intent to sell it for his widow. Just haven't had the heart and even though I will never be able to draw this bow I have pulled it out every now and then. As I handle it I contemplate whether it should sit or be sold and have it do what it was intended to do. I know what Russ would say. I just can't see letting it go unless I know it will go on many adventures.

Consciously or subconsciously making "thinking" a priority during the shooting process is a strong reason for TP, perhaps even the only reason.  The ability to overcome TP requires a strong will/desire to block first person forefront thinking and allow an *uncompromised* subconscious do its learned *instinctive* process of drawing, aiming without using any manner of aiming sight: arrow or bow, concentrating solely on the target, and releasing.  It's all as simple and as most difficult as that, because we're all "experiments of one".

Just sharing a video for those of you that need to finish or refinish a bow at home. We have been using this finish on all the bows we refinished since 1997 and we also used this finish on all the bows I personally built. I have never seen it crack or flake. If you get minor scuffs on your bow that bother you, just add another coat and it is good to go. With the acetone additive, it soaks into the wood a bit, and will create a protective layer that I personally think won't be scratched off the wood. It is available from any hardware store...including the large big box stores.

I do not know how to embed a video, so copy the URL and then paste it in a new window to watch. Good luck.

Lol, I came up with it and still make mistakes.    None worse though than when my wife flips because I left a spool in my pants and ir came out in the washer or dryer!

Got mine off ebay

I have no problems left handed and I am sure my reason why is because by the time I tried shooting left handed, I knew proper shooting mechanics...and never had to battle overcoming muscle memory on that side.

I've fought target panic for years.  I've learned how to override it so I can keep shooting at about 80%, but the icewater veins and lack of fine muscle control is always just under the surface.  I've had many theories about how I should be able to lick it, but none of them have panned out in practice.  I haven't given up, because I've successfully overcome far more stressful situations in life with a fraction of the effort that I've put into fighting target panic, so it's become a personal challenge, like you mentioned.

Interestingly, I've run across a number of people who state that they have completely defeated target panic by switching from right to left handed shooting, and I've never run across anyone who said they tried it and it worked for a while but then stopped working.  I shoot left handed as well as right handed, and can't say that I've ever gotten target panic shooting left handed, but then I've never taken left handed shooting very seriously either.  I'm kind of hard headed, I guess.

From 1994-2014, I shot right handed...and was a bit of a snap shooter, but I made anchor and did well shooting about 6" groups or so out to about 20 yards or so, and could shoot further but was not consistent at further distances...that is UNTIL I wanted to be more deliberate and improve my grouping for consistent performance. Well, after shooting 10,000's if not 100,000's arrows over all those years, I had so much muscle memory that it was very difficult to change my style...and I got "target panic" as I approached full draw battling the last few inches of draw thinking, "don't let go at anchor." And while some days could do okay, other days I really struggled, and before too long it seemed like things really went south as I battled it and I could not over come it.

Since I am slightly left eye dominant (when I draw a bow, I can see the arrow under whichever eye I am drawing over and eye dominance is not a sight picture issue for me like it is for some), I decided to switch to shooting left handed, and have never had an issue. I can shoot fast or slow and have complete control. I have been shooting this way since 2014.

I have some old archery equipment that is right handed (back quiver, an armguard that has a compass on the top visible side of the forearm, that when used on the opposite arm is useless as it is on the bottom side)...and well, I wanted to try to shoot right handed again and figured with all the time off, I would be able to. Well...nope, those old neurons still remember "autofire." LOL.

I could always just say screw it and just shoot left handed, and in fact I do plan on shooting left handed 90% of the time, but I would like to overcome the issue even if just for personal reasons.

For those of you that beat the target panic battle, what helped you do so? Thanks.

NOTE: Photo of me and Bob Wesley back in 1998.