Need Bow Critique

[Codger_64]

Excellent! That is good enough to harvest a deer at reasonable range, everything else coming together.

Being an instinctive shooter, I have to get myself "into the zone". It is hard for me to explain, but it is like becoming calm and putting everything else out of my mind but the shot... the target. When practicing, I use my walk to and from the target to relax and think about my last shots, then before I shoot again, I spend a few minutes concentrating on the target. I also vary my distance to the target (I don't think you want to do this yet), and my angle (horizontal and verticle) to the target.

I snapshoot. Draw, aim, release all in one motion. I "think" my arrow through to my target. It sounds wierd, I know, but using this method I have hit squirrels on the ground at 30-35 yards with no sights on a bow with no letoff. I don't know if this method would work on a compound or not. I've never tried it. I have been shooting a bare bow off and on since 1965 with no guard, tab or release.

 

[blgoode]

I hear ya Codger!! I hit the best when my mind has an almost emptiness except the hold.........and the target....... and the release is what snaps me back into reality.

 

[hung-solo]

Spent some time at the range today and this was my best group of the session.

Distance is 20 yards and after this set of 3 the next 4 sets of 3 at least 1 arrow was in the black tape in the center. Not too shabby

noticed your groups are getting tighter. when you feel fatigue set in, stop practicing. this will keep you from learning bad habit. (this may have been stated before)............... remember before you hunt. shoot a few of the broadheads you plan on hunting and see if the POI is the same or different. remember, in the woods, you only get one shot ... i cant wait to hear your buck fever or doe fever stores .... to this day i still get jittery(sp) when deer are very close. reason being, you mess up just a little, poof they vanish. but thats the challenge of close quarter hunting. it really hones your skills as a hunter.

-Wind (is your friend or your worst nightmare)- this above all is the most important
-background cover (so you will not get picked out as easy) aka stand placement or blind
- do the best to match your camo pattern to your surroundings. its not as important as the top 2 though.

did i stress how important wind direction was?

 

[blgoode]

I think I am doing alot better. When I dont chicken wing my release arm I get pretty decent hits!!

30 Yards all aimed at top dot.

In between scenerio 27 yard 1 shot 1 chance

 

[hung-solo]

I think I am doing alot better. When I dont chicken wing my release arm I get pretty decent hits!!

30 Yards all aimed at top dot.

In between scenerio 27 yard 1 shot 1 chance

looking at your hits it looks as if your stance needs improvement. do you have your anchor points memorized? if not do so bc when buck fever sets in you will be glad you did. how many times did you shoot before you took that pic? when i practice i only shoot 10-15 times MAX. when you start to get a lil tired, stop.... come back when you are fresh. i am going to get the bow out today or tomorrow. season comes in 9/11.. keep up the good work and welcome to the addiction...

btw for the skeeters get you a thermacell. you will thank me later for it.

 

[blgoode]

The above were my first 4 shots. I over practiced and my shoulder on my bow holding hand is killing me!!! I will be lifting some weights on that arm to strengthen it I hope.

 

[hung-solo]

The above were my first 4 shots. I over practiced and my shoulder on my bow holding hand is killing me!!! I will be lifting some weights on that arm to strengthen it I hope.

roger that.. it takes time and practice but you have done well grasshoppa .. just keep practicing every day.. it will slowly build your shoulder muscles up.. a good excersize is to dry pull the string and time yourself. hold the string for as long as you can (remember to ease the string back into place, not dry firing it when you have to let go).. this really helped me.. once you see that your muscles are getting better your aim and your time in draw back will improve quite a bit. trust me, you will find yourself pulling the string back in a hunting scenerio and you will get stuck there bc they look up at you.. you cant move!! so just take the time and keep drawing your bow back and fourth and even holding it back as long as you can.. you can do this inside. it will strengthen you up right quick fast and in a hurry

 

[Ridge-Runner]

The above were my first 4 shots. I over practiced and my shoulder on my bow holding hand is killing me!!! I will be lifting some weights on that arm to strengthen it I hope.

Something that is easy and will help build up that muscle is take a milk jug filled with water and while you are sitting around and watching the news or the outdoor channel or the sportsman channel or well I guess there really is nothing else to watch.... anyway just hold it out parallel with your elbow bent just a lil (which is how it should be when at full draw).
Not to be confrontational or anything but never ever pull a bow back without an arrow in it. Anything can happen the cat could jump up and punch the trigger you could have to sneeze anything could happen and then you have a blown limb or worse limb pocket. BTW nice snag, I am a Hoyt man myself but if I was to buy another brand it would be Bowtech. Eric Stothers really started that company off on the right track with his designs and they have probably improved since he went on to Elite and now to his own company ( which I would like to try out)
Looks like you are doing a pretty good job starting off. Wish I was a lil closer and I could come by and watch you shoot. I aint no expert but I have been at it for about 10 years now. Like others anchor point is everything. And something else that might help you out is make sure you are level. I believe that that sight has one on it. Also get a peep sight that fits your sight guard. Meaning when you draw back your sight guard (ring around the pins) should be centered in your peep. When I done this my groups tightened up alot.
Welcome to my world and addiction of Bowhunting. You better start making alot knives b/c it gets expensive I can tell you that from experience. And dont get dissapointed when you get in the stand and get busted drawing back. It takes a lot of practice, and learning when you can draw and cant. It aint a gun and you cant get away with the stuff you do with a gun.

 

[blgoode]

Thanks for the feedback fellas!!!

 

[hung-solo]

Something that is easy and will help build up that muscle is take a milk jug filled with water and while you are sitting around and watching the news or the outdoor channel or the sportsman channel or well I guess there really is nothing else to watch.... anyway just hold it out parallel with your elbow bent just a lil (which is how it should be when at full draw).
Not to be confrontational or anything but never ever pull a bow back without an arrow in it. Anything can happen the cat could jump up and punch the trigger you could have to sneeze anything could happen and then you have a blown limb or worse limb pocket. BTW nice snag, I am a Hoyt man myself but if I was to buy another brand it would be Bowtech. Eric Stothers really started that company off on the right track with his designs and they have probably improved since he went on to Elite and now to his own company ( which I would like to try out)
Looks like you are doing a pretty good job starting off. Wish I was a lil closer and I could come by and watch you shoot. I aint no expert but I have been at it for about 10 years now. Like others anchor point is everything. And something else that might help you out is make sure you are level. I believe that that sight has one on it. Also get a peep sight that fits your sight guard. Meaning when you draw back your sight guard (ring around the pins) should be centered in your peep. When I done this my groups tightened up alot.
Welcome to my world and addiction of Bowhunting. You better start making alot knives b/c it gets expensive I can tell you that from experience. And dont get dissapointed when you get in the stand and get busted drawing back. It takes a lot of practice, and learning when you can draw and cant. It aint a gun and you cant get away with the stuff you do with a gun.

no joke. learn to draw back slow. i normally wait until their head is behind a tree blocking their view of me or when their head is down. if they are on high alert, good luck. bowhunting is hard and at times, very hard. but thats what seperates it from the rest of hunting. the rush is better when all things come together. its nothing short of awesome. its the fly fishing of hunting.