Lucky or Accurate

[stick_string]

Need some help guys/gals.  

I practice about 4 times a week (two growing boys and a career) in the yard and at the three-d range.  The challenge I have is the inconsistancy in my shooting.  One day I will litterly be slapping arrows together in the target and the next I will by punching holes in the fence.  :eek:  Now comming from shooting a compound I am used to a certain level of accuracy.  MUCH HIGHER LEVEL of accuracy.

I got to tell you it does not do much for the confidence level.  

SOOOOOO, out of respect for the game I hunt, I have to ask...WOULD YOU STILL TAKE A STICK BOW TO THE WOODS?  Would you choose to be "lucky" or accurate?

Not wanting to debat ethics...take in to consideration that WE ALL WANT TO BE ETHICAL.  What I am questioning is if I should take a stick to the woods to hunt if I know the inconsistancy exists.

[Bill Carlsen]

The thing about shooting a compound is that you either shoot it with correct form or it doesn't work. And the let off lets you do that. Shooting a traditional bow requires more physical work, eye hand  coordination and practice. Subtle changes in your form can make or break a practice session and you may not be aware of what's wrong. The first thought that crossed my mind when I read your post was..."He needs a  coach". Short of that get the DVD collection "Masters of the Bare Bow" and see if you can learn what you need to work on.

[lpcjon2]

Personally if your coming from the wheels I would shoot those two practice session for form work alone for the next month or so.With the wheels you have a longer holding ability at full draw, and you have peep and pin sights to help cover up form issues.

 If you want to be accurate you have to work hard and long on the basic form of trad shooting. Then the accuracy will come.The more you try just for accuracy and not focus the form the more you short cut and compensate to try and be accurate. This will leave you very inconsistent.

 Oh and Lucky is getting to hunt every chance you get!

[wingnut]

When transitioning from compound it's hard to deal with the ease of results achieved with a compound and the work involved in making it happen with a stick bow.

That being said, I was able to make it by selling my compound and getting that crutch out of my head.  After that I was able to get better every day and start taking animals with my stick bow.

Mike

[Bud B.]

Practice with six quarter-size dots at 10 yards. When you're consistent there back up about two yards. Repeat and back up. And not during the same session. Shoot at 10 yards for a long time...days or weeks while working on form.

I'm with you. Inconsistent is my name at trad. That's why most all of my game shots are at 12 yards or less, give or take a yard.

Form is easy to know, but hard to consistently repeat...for me anyway.

[monsterchelli]

In my opinion,  The compound is just a completely different experience. ( it hid my flaws with technology).  

After shooting Trad, I realized just exactly what  "form" means.

I would not hunt until i started shooting "tight groups"  on the target. Indicates some consistencey.
(Good or bad, well thats a whole different issue)

And as Bill said above the"masters of the bare bow" Series (1-4)
Is one of my study guides. Just a small adjustment can have a big result.

[Anointed Archer]

Well this is how I look at it, if your not confident in what your shooting don't hunt with it I don't care if it is a bow, gun or gernade, you need to have confidence in your equipment.

Just a thought here, shooting a longbow or recurve does take practice and for some it takes more practice then it does for others. I would start by evaluating why you want to hunt with the stick and string. If this is something you really want to do and it is a burning desire then you will and should find the time to become proficent enough to hunt.

However if it is just a thing that you want to try but it is more important to you that you harvest an animal then the hunt itself that is a different priority and you would be doing yourself and the animal injustice by using equipment your not sold out to or confident with.

I am not saying this to be critical I am saying this from years of hunting and comming from where you are now. I went back and forth from compound to stickbow for 3 years before one day in my heart I determined I was stickbow hunting or not hunting at all. I sold my compound so I wasn't tempted to switch back and fourth and I went for it.

It also helped that I had a guy down the road willing to invest some time into me. Also some time down the road you need to get pass the fear of gimping your game. NO BODY wants to gimp a deer but if you go into the woods with that mind set chances are that is exactly what your going to do.

So going back to where I started, you must have confidence in your equipment, so if it takes you a couple years to get confident with your stick bow so be it, hunt with your compound and practice with your stickbow until your mentaly, physicaly and soely dedicated to hunt with your stickbow.

[Caughtandhobble]

Hi,

To answer your question "luck or accurate"; accurate is the only way to go. I see you're from Fort Worth and I've heard there are some good trad shops in that area and I know there's some great shooters in your area, perhaps you need to check out the local bow shops and find some good shooting help.

The only way I ever got over the "hump" was to put the compound in the closet (it's been unshot for almost 3 years). I started off with a 60# longbow after all I was shooting a 70# compound, well that did not work out to well for me. I was way over bowed but I kept at it, when I got the 50# bow good things started happening for me. The 50# only worked out because I had my muscles tuned from the 60# bow.

Get a light bow, get help (coach, videos, books, www). You have to use good, repeatable form in order to get consistent with your traditional gear. Go to 3D shoots and hook up with some traditional shooters. I know 3D shooters that can shoot a 300 score on a 30 target coarse, great accuracy can be obtained with traditional gear.

Most of all stick with it the rewards are great. I can teach someone to shoot a compound within an hour. Learning traditional takes a lifetime of ups and downs, the good news is the downs progressively get very small. Good luck neighbor!!!

[maineac]

Some great advice on form. My initial thought was if you are slapping arrows on some sessions, then all over on others, part of it could be focus.  If you are consistant enough on a regular basis to worry about damaging arrows, then your focus might be the issue.  I know if I am thinking about work, or other commitments my practice sessions can be frustrating.  Next time you are inconsistant evaluate where your head is at.  Is it focused on the target and your form as you shoot, or somewhere else.  If it s somewhere else you are just flinging arrows for the upper body exercise.

[stick_string]

Originally posted by wingnut:
....I was able to make it by selling my compound and getting that crutch out of my head.  After that I was able to get better every day and start taking animals with my stick bow.

Mike

I have heard this a lot.  This may be the route I take.  The problem is I like all forms of archery.  Anything that flings arrows...

[stick_string]

Originally posted by Anointed Archer:
...Also some time down the road you need to get pass the fear of gimping your game. NO BODY wants to gimp a deer but if you go into the woods with that mind set chances are that is exactly what your going to do....

A good buddy of mine who is switching with me stated almost the exact same thing.  He said "you get so worried about missing, you talk yourself into it..."

[BobCo 1965]

Originally posted by stick_string:
Need some help guys/gals.  

I practice about 4 times a week (two growing boys and a career) in the yard and at the three-d range.  The challenge I have is the inconsistancy in my shooting.  One day I will litterly be slapping arrows together in the target and the next I will by punching holes in the fence.   :eek:   Now comming from shooting a compound I am used to a certain level of accuracy.  MUCH HIGHER LEVEL of accuracy.

I got to tell you it does not do much for the confidence level.  

SOOOOOO, out of respect for the game I hunt, I have to ask...WOULD YOU STILL TAKE A STICK BOW TO THE WOODS?  Would you choose to be "lucky" or accurate?

Not wanting to debat ethics...take in to consideration that WE ALL WANT TO BE ETHICAL.  What I am questioning is if I should take a stick to the woods to hunt if I know the inconsistancy exists.

Personally, I would continue with traditioanal and know my limitations, even if it is just 8 yards. Personally, when hunting whitetail, I am pretty confident that I would have one walk by that close at some point.

[Orion]

Can you hit what you're shooting at at 8-10 yards?  If so, just limit your shots to that range. I'm not being facetious. Most folks wound critters because they take shots beyond their effective range, regardless of what they're shooting. Whenever they do that, they're counting on luck rather than skill to make the shot, which is at best a 50-50 proposition.

[pdk25]

Originally posted by Orion:
Can you hit what you're shooting at at 8-10 yards?  If so, just limit your shots to that range. I'm not being facetious. Most folks wound critters because they take shots beyond their effective range, regardless of what they're shooting. Whenever they do that, they're counting on luck rather than skill to make the shot, which is at best a 50-50 proposition.

x 2

[KOOK68]

I find that when I start to get sloppy, it's time to practice with one arrow. I don't get so rushed to fling 'em, and makes me concentrate on the shot more.

[tradhunter]

I understand the fear of a poor hit,however you need to understand that sometimes it can't be helped.We all should hunt with in our limits,then we take shots that we are comfy with.I have had people ask why I pass on a ten yard shot at deer,but will take a 25-30 yard shot....I tell them the shot eather felt good or bad,no middle ground.If I can see  my  arrow striking true before I draw,I know the shot feels rite,if not then I don't take it.
     Keep up the practice,then let your brain tell you when the shot will be good.We all have our good days and days it feels like we can't hit a house....let your body tell you if you hunt that day,or go stump shootin,eather way it will be fun.

[Gapmaster]

Be your own honest critic about it and ask yourself " at what distance do I become inconsistent". If your pretty good at 10, 15 and 20 yards and get a little loose with your groups at 25 yards, then keep your hunting distance at no more than 20 yards. Truthfully, only you will know the truth about your accuracy. Just don't hunt past your confidence level.  

[gringol]

The guys have some good advice.  Sounds to me like focus might be part of it.  Keep practicing bro, but I wouldn't stay away from hunting.

[amar911]

Ben,

You're still pretty much a kid, at least compared to me and a lot of the other guys here. Keep at it and you will be fine. I would also suggest Rick Welch's video "The Accuracy Factory". Better yet, go to a school/seminar put on by Rick or by Rod Jenkins, both of whom are fantastic teachers. You will learn more in a weekend than you will figure out in years of experimenting on your own.

Allan

[NJWoodsman]

I think you already know the answer to your question. You know you WANT to hunt with a recurve, but knowing your own truth about your inconsistency means you shouldn't. Ask yourself if you can live with the consequences of making a bad shot- even a 10 yard chip shot on a target can go bad on a live animal. Also ask yourself if you really can set limits on yourself, and live with knowing you could have taken the shot with a compound.