Don't really even know where to begin. So I guess the beginning is best.  I started out with a trad bow about 7 years ago with a 50# Bear Montana.
I like many others starting out was over bowed, recommended the wrong size shafts, didn't know the first thing about tuning a longbow. Within about a month, I was fed up with it. I simply could not shoot a group for the life of me and returned the bow.

A year later, I picked up a recurve. I shot decent but not great, didn't feel consistent and gave up again just to buy another bow. I have had about 20 different bows since. My most recent being a Maddog Prairie Predator 43#@28.

Initially when I got the bow, I thought I shot decent. I understood how to bareshaft and tune due to all the knowledge and reading I have done here on Tradgang. But was still inconsistent with the bow. I was shooting woodies and had everything from 35-55lb spine and multiple point weights.

I met up with Hermon who lived a few miles from me. I was looking for some heavier points. While I was at his place, I shot a few of his GT 1535's with 175 points and started to see the light. They flew better, faster and started to build my confidence.

I ordered a 6 pack of blems from big jim. Cut to 29.5 with 175 grain tip, I thought I was on my way to finally figuring this out. I kept shooting and got better but never got a real consistent 3 arrow group. One day, I felt as if my bow arm was not steady.  

The next day shooting, I decided to try split finger, as I had always shot 3 under. I shot really well, actually great. I had 3 arrows touching at 15 yards on my 2nd group. I shot again and still had a good group and put the bow up for the day.

Sitting on the couch, I started thinking about the change from 3 under to split and how it felt. My anchor felt more solid, I didn't feel like I was man handling the bow. BUT.... I did still feel like my bow are was not steady enough.

That night, when I went to work. I found a video that Moe? from the site posted. I talked about your bow arm, rotation and positioning as well as a red line drawn on his arm. I was going to place post on here last night about the improvement I had made, but decided to wait until after I shot again and utilized what I had learned on the video. Just to make sure it was not a fluke.

well, today I went out nocked an arrow and utilized what I had learned from the video. The first couple groups it felt different but stable. I kept shooting ad was able to maintain a 3-4" group through out the session of 25-30 shots in 3 shot groups.

I am very thankful for the help I received from the members on this site. After 7 long years of frustration and trying to shoot a decent group, I think I am finally starting to figure it out. I was blaming it on everything, the arrows, the bow etc. When really it was me and my form.

When I am shooting bad, all I have to do is think about what I am doing and it all falls back on release and follow through!

Glad you have stayed with it. It's very satisfying. Congrats and continued success on your journey.

Took me years to figure it out too. I think a bow that fits you helps but with good form you can shoot most bows fairly well.
What really helped me was when I could (if having a bad day shooting )figure out what my problem was, and it is almost always form related.

My release messes with my shooting more than any other variable.  Like Newhouse mentioned above, if my shooting is off - I first concentrate on a proper release and the groups tighten back up immediately.

Good thread and congrats! Copy and paste a link to the thread. I am sure others reading this will want to see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWSXWKuENDI&feature=youtu.be

The video which helped me is above.   It is by far what has helped me most.

Jamesh, good for you and don't give up. This stick bow shooting is way to much fun.

And remember no matter how old you are or how long you have been shooting its a learning proses that never ends.

Thanks for posting up. I think this has helped my consistency as well.

Good deal

I've heard the phrase that "form trumps equipment every time" several times and feel that it is a very true statement. Glad its starting to click for ya.

Archery is real simple when you boil it down. The arrow will only go where you point it. Problem is, as humans, we are rarely ever exactly the same in our movements and muscle control. It's also very hard to try to learn this stuff when you have no teacher or mentor to guide you. I should know. It took me a long time to learn what I was doing. Most oft the problems were in my release and bow arm. I found a push-pull release and having a "second anchor" corrected my accuracy problems.

       

Glad things are coming together for you, for  such a simple thing, shooting a bow can be very frustrating. Congrats on sticking with it. As you have found, it is almost never the bow - it's our form or lack thereof. As far as Arne Moe's videos - I've been shooting for 45 years and learned more from him in the last 2 years than the previous 43. Also check out Jimmy Blackmons videos. The guy is a machine and explains things very well.