Point on. How did this happen? where is yours?

Tedd · November 09, 2014, 05:16:00 PM

I never really thought about where my point on is. Recently I played around with seeing where my gap is. Somehow my gap is no gap!
I didn't even realize if I put my point on the bullseye. I hit it! out to 30-35 yards. 40 yards is point on top of his back.
My arrows have no extra length out front. So maybe thats how it works.
I hardly see any variance from 15-30 yards.
I'm just wondering for those who use their point to aim, where do you put yours? I understand most people have theirs well below the target. Possibly from some extra arrow length out the front?
Even with broadheads I am able to put the point on and it hits surprisingly accurately in the bull. Do some shooters adjust their arrow length for this? Anyone else able to put their point on and hit?
When I shoot using my point to aim it seems like I get really good form and few left/right misses.
I should say that I always would see the shaft in my sight picture but never really tried to aim with the point of the arrow. This kind of aiming is new to me but really seems to have some potential.
My split vision is a bit blurry, it's not a crisp picture, but I feel like my eye is really lined up with the shaft when I do this.
My current hunting rig is a BW PCHX 51@29 drawn to 32" (about 60lb at my draw) AD trad tapered carbon shaft with 275 grains up front. The arrow weighs around 690 gr.

mahantango · November 09, 2014, 05:26:00 PM

I think a 30-35yd point-on is pretty typical. That's probably a pretty flat shooting set up, and you're getting a lot of horsepower out of that 32" draw which explains very little drop from 15-30 yards. I shoot with a high anchor, three-under and my point-on is 22yds for mid 50# bows, but I only draw 27". Lot of variables when it comes to gapping.

centaur · November 09, 2014, 05:44:00 PM

I just went in the back yard and tried this. I shoot instinctive, and I usually don't see the arrow, but I when I lined the point up with the spot, I either hit it or within a couple of inches from 10 to 25 paces, which is as far as I can shoot in my yard.
I'm was shooting my Berry Morningstar, 55@28, with cedars that weigh about 620 grains, and I draw 28".
As G Fred would say, "Hmmm".

YORNOC · November 09, 2014, 06:28:00 PM

I envy you. in my secondary vision my arrow tip is around the front knee of a deer that's facing right broadside.
Point on would be out around 35 yards, and I shoot 20 max.

Tedd · November 09, 2014, 06:44:00 PM

Centaur, thats how I got to trying it. I read something on tradgang about gaps and went out to try it. I kept putting the point on below the target to try to find my gap. And I quickly realized I was shooting a tight group in the dirt exactly where the point was. so I just held higher!
It's surprisingly accurate. I can't say I ever get a real clear sight picture trying to lay that point on the bullseye. But that doesn't seem to matter.
It makes me forget about the release. When my mind goes to my release accuracy goes out the window.
I'm curious to try it with some other bows to see if they are similar.

Tedd · November 09, 2014, 06:48:00 PM

East face of the Bighorns? Where is area 52? I think 52 or 54? I purchased and elk preference point for there on the recommendation of my outfitter.
I usually hunt whitetails near Sundance. The outfitter has an elk camp in the bighorns and has had a lot of success with wheelie bow hunters.

Tedd · November 09, 2014, 06:50:00 PM

Yornoc,
Where in Massachusetts do you hunt? My daughter goes to Holy Cross in Worcester. It looks like good deer hunting when we drive there but I haven't seen any yet.

ISP 5353 · November 09, 2014, 07:01:00 PM

My point on is 50 yards.

centaur · November 09, 2014, 07:15:00 PM

Tedd,
52 is over by Cody (Sunlight Basin). A good draw if you don't mind grizzlies and wolves.

Crittergetter · November 09, 2014, 09:14:00 PM

I just tried this this afternoon! I hunted this morning till 1:30 and took a break and came home for lunch and restroom. When I left I walked thru the owners hay field working my way back to the truck and was shooting from round bale to round bale. My point on was 52 steps. I shoot split finger and anchor my middle finger to the corner of my mouth.

Friend · November 09, 2014, 09:33:00 PM

My point-on is aproximately 26 yards.

Yes, I have shortened my heavier hunting arrows to maintain same point-on and sight window at hunting distances.

Looper · November 09, 2014, 10:31:00 PM

I think mine is 42 yards or so. That is a 45@29 Hill drawn to close to 31" (around 50#) and shooting 600 grain arrows. I use a split grip and anchor with my middle finger in the corner of my mouth. I try to focus on my spot, but am aware of my point. At hunting ranges (20 yds and in) my point is somewhere around a whitetail's feet. Actually, I should say on my 3d target's feet. In hunting situations, I'm not really thinking about where my point is in relation to where I want the arrow to hit.

Funny story, a couple of years ago, I was working with a friend on tuning his bow. He was new to all things archery and was curious about arrow "drop". He was trying to relate it to bullet drop. I explained that a much more useful term was the "point on" distance.

I should mention that we had just switched him over to a 3 under grip, so his point on was within 20 yards. We had set his bow up correctly, gone from ill fitting 300 grain arrows to correctly matched 550 grain ones, and he was really shooting some nice groups.

After a bite of lunch, we went back out to shoot some more. His bow was tillered for split, so it did have a bit of thump when shot with 3 under. He decided to shoot split for a few shots to see if it indeed made a difference. So, he nocks an arrow, pulls back, looses one, and launches an arrow completely over the target and into the side of his johnboat.

He looked at me like "what the hell!?!" I had neglected to tell him that he would have to adjust his point on distance, and that now, at 15 yards, his point would be somewhere at the bottom of the target. On the plus side, he got good penetration on that johnboat.

Diamond Paul · November 10, 2014, 03:07:00 PM

Not to dispute the info given in the original post, but a simple look at trajectory and the laws of physics tells me that you can't have a point on that allows you to hit the bull by placing the tip on the bull from any distance out to 30-35 yards. There will be a small window of perhaps 10 yards or so in which you are never out the top or the bottom of a deer's kill zone on a 3D target when you place the tip in the center of the kill zone (same thing as maximum point blank range with a rifle sighted 3" high at a 100 yards). Some shooters who string-walk will set-up a fixed crawl just for hunting which allows exactly that, in fact: placing the tip in the center of the chest and ignoring yardage deviations from about 15 to 25 yards, as the arrow will be only slightly high or low within that range, and will result in a lethal shot. You wouldn't have a range from zero to 30 or 35 yards in which that would happen, though. You must me unconsciously moving the tip up or down in the bull at least a bit if that is what you are seeing. Gravity takes over the instant the arrow leaves the bow, and unless you are shooting over 300fps, your trajectory arc is not flat enough to maintain a center hold and hit within a 35 yard window. Probably not even at that speed, to be honest.

cloudbaseracer · November 11, 2014, 10:26:00 PM

Subscribe

November 11, 2014, 10:55:00 PM

You must have a fairly high anchor too????

I do not know where my point on is, but I know it is waaaaaaaay out there. I shoot split finger and I anchor with my top finger on the tip of my chin (very low anchor). I shoot instinctive, but can tell my point is well below the target at hunting distances.

Bisch

**DONOTDELETE** · November 11, 2014, 11:18:00 PM

I've always had difficulty using a gap aiming system because i just have a hell of a time trying to focus on the arrow tip and the spot i want to hit at the same time. Like Bisch somewhat, i've always felt more comfortable at full draw with a lower face anchor and use split finger. But i've slowly brought my anchor point up higher as i worked on my form, and i believe it's helped my accuracy.

The guys who use 3 Under with the feather on the nose high anchor can get their point on adjusted to 20-25 yards pretty easily..... but good luck shooting 50-60 yards.

The key to using a "point on" aiming technique is always keeping your arrow length exactly the same.

November 12, 2014, 01:07:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by Kirkll:
I've always had difficulty using a gap aiming system because i just have a hell of a time trying to focus on the arrow tip and the spot i want to hit at the same time.

I have messed around with gap shooting over the years and even gotten some input from a few guys who are real good at it. Every one of them tells me you never really look at the point, but rather you just see it out there. For me, every time I have ever tried to consciously know where my arrow is pointed, my focus moves to the tip of my arrow and I totally lose the focus on my target, and my shot goes to poo-poo!

Bisch

kat · November 12, 2014, 08:58:00 AM

I gap shoot, and my point on is 25 yards.
This is using a 52#@30" bow, and drawing 30"; three under. At 20 yards, I am holding 3" low.
It just seems natural to see both the arrow tip, and intended target in my sight picture. The tip is somewhat blurry, as I concentrate on my spot however.
I sure do envy those who shoot instinctively. I've tried it briefly, and prefer gapping.

9 Shocks · November 12, 2014, 09:23:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by kat:
I gap shoot, and my point on is 25 yards.
This is using a 52#@30" bow, and drawing 30"; three under. At 20 yards, I am holding 3" low.
It just seems natural to see both the arrow tip, and intended target in my sight picture. The tip is somewhat blurry, as I concentrate on my spot however.
I sure do envy those who shoot instinctively. I've tried it briefly, and prefer gapping.

Pretty much exactly how I shoot. same point on, same point at 20 yards as well.

Shooting a Centaur triple carbon elite 49@27"
3 under.

Brad Arnett · November 12, 2014, 09:27:00 AM

mine is about 22 yards. 50# centaur 28" draw and I'm running 30" AD trad lights shooting 3 under. In that 15-25 yd range my point is fuzzy in vision (but I know its there) and its in the kill zone.