3d's, are you competitive or just for fun???

Caughtandhobble · March 13, 2012, 04:54:00 AM

3d's, are you competitive or just for fun???

YES...

I am very competitive, but I always have fun. Like mentioned earlier, if there's a target leaning and the kill zone is tilted up or down most the time I end up with a good kill shot that may not score to well.

I love to win a shoot, but I would still go if there was no score cards!!!

Lone Ranger · March 13, 2012, 09:51:00 AM

Shoot to have some realistic practice, and mostly to have fun!

L.R.

oxnam · March 13, 2012, 06:05:00 PM

It's too easy to forget or lie to myself if I don't keep score. How can anyone know if they are actually improving without a score card? Somehow a few tens are easier to remember than the complete misses. By the end a guy could shoot a 180/400 and think it was a pretty good day. I know that shots aren't always the best or indicative of the shot I would take, but the rings and dots are just part of that game, so I play along.

On top of keeping myself honest and informed, I am extremely competative. Since it is a competition, there is additional pressure and tension. I've always believed the added pressure of the score and on-lookers is valuable in learning to control my nerves and focus. Those two things (or the failure in them) are frequently the cause of poor shots on animals.

Keep score and compete! Post your score up with those other brave people and challenge yourself to do better. At least this way you will have some tangible way of tracking progress. Just remember it is a game and sometimes binoculars are needed to figure out where you are "supposed" to shoot ;-)

adkmountainken · March 13, 2012, 06:20:00 PM

i should say i would rather stump shoot as i just love being in the woods and roaming. much more fun to me then 3d. i do very much enjoy 3d though. 3d and poker are a lot the same to me as i enjoy them both but i am there to WIN as well as have a good time.

Killdeer · March 13, 2012, 07:52:00 PM

Uh, yes.
It is a bit of a let-down of and when you beat your mentor.
In the end, the one to beat is yourself.

Killdeer

Don Batten · March 13, 2012, 08:30:00 PM

I still remember when I made the little league all star team back MANY years ago. Our coach had a meeting with the parents at the first practice. He said we are out here to have fun BUT, I aint never had any fun getting my butt (a....ss) kicked.

I do keep score when I shoot. Most time I'm shooting with some really good shooters and it's fun . Most folks will shoot to the level of their group. I also love the shoot down stuff where you get to shoot in front of a gallery. To me that is great practice for dealing with what happens when a buck of a lifetime happens by.

What bothers me is when I see a guy just flinging arrows at will and laughing and joking around as he's looking for his arrow behind every other target and talking to his buds about how he can't wait till hunting season. " but he don't keep score"

Red Beastmaster · March 13, 2012, 08:41:00 PM

You don't have to keep score to see how you did. You know if you shot well or not. Did you consistantly hit your spot or didn't you?

When you keep score someone in the goup will feel great and someone else will feel like crap. It's not worth it among friends.

Nothing wrong with competition, we just chose to go for kill shots and have fun doing it.

oxnam · March 14, 2012, 12:21:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by Red Beastmaster:
When you keep score someone in the goup will feel great and someone else will feel like crap. It's not worth it among friends.

Never thought about it ever hurting anyone's feeling. I guess I would still be inclined to keep my score privately if in a group setting like that.

Pat B · March 14, 2012, 12:38:00 AM

I don't keep score. I buy a score card to support the shoot but I shoot to kill and on some shots I've come to the "bulls eye" was not a kill shot. I do compete, but with myself when shooting. I just have fun with my friends that I shoot with.

Sean B · March 14, 2012, 01:34:00 AM

beleive it or not, in over 30 yrs of bowhunting, ive only shot a 3D course only once! i just never wanted to do them.

Gav · March 14, 2012, 01:55:00 AM

My buddy Dave routinely whips my butt on the 3d course but the company is why I go. My 16 year old is beginning to enjoy it as well.

adkmountainken · March 14, 2012, 05:14:00 AM

Sean you should go with all of us this year!

gringol · March 14, 2012, 07:55:00 AM

I keep score, but I can really only compete against myself. If I was a better shooter I might care about other people's scores. The shoots are pure fun, but like some others said, scoring myself is a way to track improvement between shoots.

I think people feel worse about terrible shots than they do about the resulting score.

The kill zones are sometimes unrealistic, but if you pick the 10 ring on the target you should be able to hit it regardless of where on the target it is...Still good practice in my book.

The shoots I attend always have a good mix of targets and some really challenging shots, so it's good practice and a lot of fun. The company is always one of the highlights.

Gen273 · March 14, 2012, 08:57:00 AM

It just depends, but mostly fun

StickBowManMI · March 14, 2012, 09:54:00 AM

Reading all the comments, I note one thing that we all agree on "The kill zones are not always in the right spot on the target" This is true, so why don't the target makers correct that problem?

March 14, 2012, 10:23:00 AM

I don't care about anyone elses score except my own. If I shoot well for me and get beat by 50 other guys, that is fine with me! No matter how "good" I get I am striving every day to get better. I feel if I ever get "satisfied" with how I shoot that I will not continue to get better but will probably regress in my ability. I shoot my bow becaue I love to hunt with my bow. 3D is a game that gives me more opportunity to shoot my bow. As I stated earlier, I am very competitive and like to win as much as the next guy. I always aim at the spot to make the best score on the 3D targets. It would not matter to me if that 12ring was anatomically correct for a heart shot or in the butt. It is just a spot I am trying to hit; just like the tuft of hair right in the crease on a live deer.

See ya on the 3D range!

Bisch

lpcjon2 · March 14, 2012, 10:44:00 AM

I am my biggest competition. And my most favorite person to have fun with as well. Have fun and compete against yourself.

bbold · March 14, 2012, 06:20:00 PM

I shoot to win but I don't fall apart if I lose. I have fun either way but I enjoy shooting good and winning.

James

Green · March 14, 2012, 07:33:00 PM

Bisch.....you're an inspiration, and a hoot to shoot with. Are you competitive?....Eh...just a little.

cashhere · March 15, 2012, 12:36:00 AM

I truly enjoy 3d shoots to spend time around other traditional shooters, and generally shoot with a few friends, definitively great practice and friendly competition between us. Good exercise for us older types too. LOL!!