Practice shot numbers

The majority of your bowhunting year is spent practicing and/or training. This is the place to discuss it!
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Captainkirk
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Re: Practice shot numbers

#31 Post by Captainkirk »

Longbowfanatic wrote:I don't have a set number of arrows I shoot daily. It really depends on what I'm working on at the time. In the winter, I try to correct some of the issues I had the previous 3-d or hunting season. Like this winter, I want to work on setting one of my bows up for a 25 yard point on for gap shooting. I've never been good a gap shooting, so this will be a challenge. If it's a regular summer day, I might shoot 50-75 arrows a day. I might shoot Walk Backs or hang out on three or four different bunks and shoot groups. Then some days I will walk the 15 3-d target course and just shoot without practicing on the bunks. Anything to beat the menotany of shooting one way all the time.
Dennis, not sure if you've watched Clay Hayes' "The Push" on YouTube, but he gets into using a fixed crawl towards the end of the film. I was very intrigued and meant to try it but then the SHTF here and messed up my practice routine and I figured I'd best go back to shooting instinctive. It sounds like a pretty good bulletproof aiming system for distances out to 40 yards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E1vKkSSoNs

I used to gap, but being right-handed (very strongly) and left eye dominant, I had to close my right eye to gap which gave a 2D sight picture, although I honestly shot tighter groups at fixed distances...not so much when I would mix it up. And deer don't wait around while you whip out the tape measure, as a rule :lol:
The problem I encountered with gapping is that you need: a) to know your distance to target with a foot or two, and b) you need a reference point to judge the gap. It all works quite well on the target range at a fixed distance with a stationary target butt. Not so much in the field for me.
Aim small, miss small!

Longbowfanatic
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Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2017 10:41 am

Re: Practice shot numbers

#32 Post by Longbowfanatic »

Captainkirk wrote:
Longbowfanatic wrote:I don't have a set number of arrows I shoot daily. It really depends on what I'm working on at the time. In the winter, I try to correct some of the issues I had the previous 3-d or hunting season. Like this winter, I want to work on setting one of my bows up for a 25 yard point on for gap shooting. I've never been good a gap shooting, so this will be a challenge. If it's a regular summer day, I might shoot 50-75 arrows a day. I might shoot Walk Backs or hang out on three or four different bunks and shoot groups. Then some days I will walk the 15 3-d target course and just shoot without practicing on the bunks. Anything to beat the menotany of shooting one way all the time.
Dennis, not sure if you've watched Clay Hayes' "The Push" on YouTube, but he gets into using a fixed crawl towards the end of the film. I was very intrigued and meant to try it but then the SHTF here and messed up my practice routine and I figured I'd best go back to shooting instinctive. It sounds like a pretty good bulletproof aiming system for distances out to 40 yards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E1vKkSSoNs

I used to gap, but being right-handed (very strongly) and left eye dominant, I had to close my right eye to gap which gave a 2D sight picture, although I honestly shot tighter groups at fixed distances...not so much when I would mix it up. And deer don't wait around while you whip out the tape measure, as a rule :lol:
The problem I encountered with gapping is that you need: a) to know your distance to target with a foot or two, and b) you need a reference point to judge the gap. It all works quite well on the target range at a fixed distance with a stationary target butt. Not so much in the field for me.
Thanks for the tip, Kirk. I am actually a string walker (Gasp-Yes, I am one of those guys. LOL) on my 3-d bow and shoot a fixed crawl for my hunting bow. I appreciate your tips and advice.

Captainkirk
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Re: Practice shot numbers

#33 Post by Captainkirk »

Longbowfanatic wrote: Thanks for the tip, Kirk. I am actually a string walker (Gasp-Yes, I am one of those guys. LOL) on my 3-d bow and shoot a fixed crawl for my hunting bow. I appreciate your tips and advice.
I have a ton of respect for string walkers, Dennis. I've watched Jimmy Blackmon do his thing on YouTube videos, Clay Hayes as well. I'm not that good and never will be. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is my motto and there's a good reason for that. :shock: You are probably the one who should be giving me advice, not vice-versa.
Aim small, miss small!

Carpdaddy
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Re: Practice shot numbers

#34 Post by Carpdaddy »

I ain't sharp enough and my arms won't let me shoot enough arrows to try and learn any new methods at this point. But although I may never try I do enjoy reading the methods and success of others.
I went out today and shot three arrows: one at 15,20,&25 yards. Pulled them and shot them again at some distance between 15-20, that's it. All bare fingers. :lol:

Captainkirk
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Re: Practice shot numbers

#35 Post by Captainkirk »

Carpdaddy wrote:All bare fingers. :lol:
Pfft...bears don't have fingers. How dumb do you think we iz?
Aim small, miss small!

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Shadowhntr
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Re: Practice shot numbers

#36 Post by Shadowhntr »

Lol....

I've shot so long in my old way, I honestly don't think I could pull something different off...too stuck in my bad habits..lol! Man string walking and gapping can be accurate and consistent though.

All I care about Dennis, is that you are comfortable, happy, and lethal with your weapon. How you hold your string means nothing in a blossoming friendship. That's what really matters, is us all getting to know one another and becoming good friends... so don't feel down trodden on what method you use. Everyone finds their groove!
The element of surprise can never be replaced by persistence.

Longbowfanatic
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Re: Practice shot numbers

#37 Post by Longbowfanatic »

Shadowhntr wrote:Lol....

I've shot so long in my old way, I honestly don't think I could pull something different off...too stuck in my bad habits..lol! Man string walking and gapping can be accurate and consistent though.

All I care about Dennis, is that you are comfortable, happy, and lethal with your weapon. How you hold your string means nothing in a blossoming friendship. That's what really matters, is us all getting to know one another and becoming good friends... so don't feel down trodden on what method you use. Everyone finds their groove!
Thanks. That's the way I feel too. I could care less how anyone shoots or what kind of bows anyone shoots. Like you, I want an ethical, legal harvest by an archer who is as accurate with his/her bow as possible. One of the things I enjoy most about trad archery is that you can shoot these bows is so many varying ways. There is no right way, just the way that works best for each individual archer. When I began trad archery, I tried as many different ways to shoot accurately. Nothing really worked well for me. If fact, I nearly gave it up more than once until I found SW, which then lead to fixed crawl. For me, it changed everything.

Longbowfanatic
Posts: 251
Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2017 10:41 am

Re: Practice shot numbers

#38 Post by Longbowfanatic »

Captainkirk wrote:
Longbowfanatic wrote: Thanks for the tip, Kirk. I am actually a string walker (Gasp-Yes, I am one of those guys. LOL) on my 3-d bow and shoot a fixed crawl for my hunting bow. I appreciate your tips and advice.
I have a ton of respect for string walkers, Dennis. I've watched Jimmy Blackmon do his thing on YouTube videos, Clay Hayes as well. I'm not that good and never will be. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is my motto and there's a good reason for that. :shock: You are probably the one who should be giving me advice, not vice-versa.
I take advice anywhere I can. It's amazing how much I continue to learn from other archers. This year, I shot my first field archery event with some friends and now I'm learning face walking to cover the target distances beyond my point-on distance. I'm no good at it, but maybe some day I will. Prolly not. :lol:

Carpdaddy
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Re: Practice shot numbers

#39 Post by Carpdaddy »

Every time I have tried to play around with any of these techniques my shooting goes to pots. I'm guessing it takes more commitment than I am willing to give. I have read that your subconscious learns to gap, I don't know if that is the case or not?? I know I shoot some different length arrows without different results, but my highly advanced brain (stop laughing) may recalculate that also. I admire and enjoy watching those who have mastered these things, many of them can shoot far beyond my ability in accuracy. But I will watch, I ain't changing nufin right here in the middle of season! :mrgreen: I'm listening and learning though.

Longbowfanatic
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Re: Practice shot numbers

#40 Post by Longbowfanatic »

Carpdaddy wrote:Every time I have tried to play around with any of these techniques my shooting goes to pots. I'm guessing it takes more commitment than I am willing to give. I have read that your subconscious learns to gap, I don't know if that is the case or not?? I know I shoot some different length arrows without different results, but my highly advanced brain (stop laughing) may recalculate that also. I admire and enjoy watching those who have mastered these things, many of them can shoot far beyond my ability in accuracy. But I will watch, I ain't changing nufin right here in the middle of season! :mrgreen: I'm listening and learning though.
I shoot 3-d's with a guy who was very accomplished shooting a gap aiming system at great distances before he switched to SWing. He has offered to spend some time with me, learning to gap shoot more effectively. In the brief time I've spent discussing this topic with him, he said what you mentioned. That is that your brain learns fairly quickly to automatically calculated the bow hand placement for each distance. I really believe some archers are just more gifted with the ability to shoot this way than others. I don't believe my simple mind works that way! LOL.

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