So, by now my many questions have probably grown tiresome, but... I have another. As I move along with tuning I got to wondering something that I haven't come across yet. Is it common to cant (wrong spelling? Tilt?) a recurve shooting off of the shelf? Would/does it make a difference? I find I cant mine to about the 1 o'clock position. Just wondering, I'm sure the answer is "some do, some don't". I just don't want to by chance tune wrong, though I figure a properly tuned set up should work either way.....?

I do, it just seems to feel right to me and helps my accuracy.

You are correct - some do and some don't.  I do.  Feels more natural to me and gives me a better "sight picture".  I usually cant to about 2 o'clock.  If you get your bow tuned to your shooting when canting the bow...and then you shoot without canting it may make a bit of difference on your grouping - I typically shoot a bit left when I don't cant.  However, I can't tell you why!

Some will say to tune your bow without canting - to me it makes sense to tune shooting the way you will shoot.  Good luck!

It makes a huge difference when shooting instinctive. Canting the bow helps put your eye on the same plane as the arrow. The closer that I get to the target, the more I cant the bow. On extremely close shots I severely cant the bow. Go out and experiment with it you will see what I am saying. That being said, if you are a gap shooter the cant of the bow is a lot less.

Yeah, I seem to shoot better with a slight cant. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing some recurve/longbow hybrid stuff, haha. Thanks fellas.

My Morrison Cheyenne shoots left and low, albeit good groups, if I don't cant it.  It shoots dead on, if I cant the bow and hit my anchor point properly.

Bill

Here's the deal.... Different bows have the shelf cut at different depths. If the bow was cut to center, or just past center where your strike plate was right at center. you could cant to 1 oclock and 3 oclock and still shoot the same.

Now if you have a bow that is cut past center... those you need to shoot in the same position every time or it will effect your left to right (Windage)

Nothing says you can not cant your RC bow to 1 oclock if its cut past center. a lot of guys do just that...

But... if you do all your practicing with the bow vertical.... THEN cant your bow to 1 oclock.... you are going to shoot right every time because your sight picture is going to stay the same....

Keep in mind something. All this depends on the location of the shelf from the center of the bow too. if it's low and you are shooting close to your knukle off the rug, the cant in the bow does not effect the windage as much. Even being cut past center a bit.

If you are shooting an elevated rest you have to remain consistent whether it be vertical, or at what ever cant you do all the time. And it has to be the same every time. Most guys shoot vertical using an elevated rest that is cut past center.

Hopefully this will help you.

It does. I should of offered more information. Its cut on center and I shoot off of the shelf. Great info though all around. I'll certainly store it away for future use!

I have bows cut to center, cut past center and some not even close to being center. I can't them all and see no real issues in doing so. I just like the "open" sight picture.

I use a slight cant with my recurves too.

Try this... Point at something on the other side of the room... Now, look at your hand... Is it straight up and down like holding a pistol or canted?... Shooting a recurve or longbow become natural when you are relaxed and in control...

Just wait until you can hold your bow canted up-side-down and shoot well! You have a long, wonderful road ahead... Enjoy it!

... mike ...    ...

Here's my opinion. If you've made the switch from the compound world, as most us us have, our setups required us to shoot with the bow perfectly vertical. Proper form and pin alignment required it. Now that you're shooting a stickbow it might seem a little awkward, but a natural cant gives you the best sight picture and the quickest target acquisition and puts your head/eye alignment directly over the arrow. For me the most comfortable and natural cant is around 45 degrees. Don't fight it and do what feels best for you. Your style of shooting will dictate what works for you. Shoot as much as you can and it will become second nature without thinking about it.

Well said Yellow Dog.....  

I cant my recurve as well. It just feels natural that way.

I might add at about 45 degrees my bow arm, forearm, wrist and hand are in a natural pointing position. You're "throwing" the arrow similar to throwing a ball. You don't think in terms of yardage, it's either doable or too far. When you throw a ball your brain unconsciously does the calculating. You don't think in terms of its X amount of yards and I I have to throw it this high and at this speed to hit the target, you do it without thinking.

I cant at about 2 O'clock Im alittle more accurate

QuoteOriginally posted by mcgroundstalker:
Try this... Point at something on the other side of the room... Now, look at your hand... Is it straight up and down like holding a pistol or canted?... Shooting a recurve or longbow become natural when you are relaxed and in control...

Just wait until you can hold your bow canted up-side-down and shoot well! You have a long, wonderful road ahead... Enjoy it!

... mike ...     ...

Initially each bow is going to be different depending on the shape of the grip and your preferred pressure point on it.... whether it be a high wrist, medium or low wrist angle. the bow is going to settle in naturally in different locations for different archers.

the main thing is consistency in everything you do..... the fun part is once you've really become one with your bow, is that you learn to shoot it in any position and automatically make the adjustment.... this is a great sport we have here!

 

I cant my bow pretty heavily about 45 degrees. It opens up my sight picture quite a bit as well and it feels much more natural.

In my limited experience it's like you said tuned is tuned. Sight picture is different but you can become accurate both ways. If your going to hunt don't get locked into one shooting position. I'm not giving up a spot where I'm hid just so I can cant my bow or not. That's one perk to a recurve, you should be able to shoot vertical from a kneeling position if needed whereas a long bow not so much.

I like bows that put the arrow very close to my hand mainly because I do cant the bow. Like someone already said, the closer the target, the more I tend to cant the bow. I don't know that I do it consciously, it is just something that thousands of repetitions have ingrained in my brain. My bows are also cut to or close to center. The closer to center and the closer to your hand your arrow is, the less canting the bow will affect your accuracy. G. Fred Asbell goes into this in detail in his book Instinctive Shooting.

A raised rest will have a much greater effect than a shelf that is right on your knuckle. In my experience, the cut to center has less effect on arrow impact when canting than does the raised rest. Note, I didn't say it has NO impact, just less impact.