Archery marksmenship

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I honestly don’t know where this fits in to CGN. But I'm being a noob and no one can stop me!!!:stfun00b: so here’s my question. With modern sighting systems on bows, is it easier to learn to shoot them accurately? I'm hoping to take up bow hunting some time, but don’t want to spend a life time learning to shoot one.
 
In short, yes. You will install a peep in the string, and several pins up front, or a scope with a single pin (not the best for hunting) for 3d or target.

This is of course all dependent on the tune and fit of your bow, ensuring the arrows are tuned to the bow, and your form is good and consistent.

In a sense, when you draw back a bow, you become a critical part of the geometry of the weapon, and you must ensure that it is repeated.
 
I just went through this myself.

Go to a few different shops. Yes, a few because we all know what opinions are like. Try out as many different bows that you can get your hands on. Try them all if they'll let you. Don't worry about brand names or price tags or anything like that just try them and mark down a few that "felt" comfortable and easy to shoot.

Now that you have a list, do some research on them. Praise be to Internet. Not forum talk or bow magazine reviews or things like that but compare them to one another on their statistics. FPS, overall weight, length, draw weight, price. Knock that list down by a couple and then go try them again, once again "feeling" for the bow that best fits YOU! Not your buddy, not SlimJim on the internet, but you.

Now, you should have it down to 2 or 3 different bows in you mind. Now ask the sales guy for his opinion or your buddies. I'm a believer that the most important thing is the bow matching your body type and feeling comfortable while using it. I also believe this to be true for buying a new rifle.

I bought into this theory during my search and within a month, I'm poppin' the 8 and 9 ring on a consistant basis with a $300 brand new bow. Before my first trip to the store, I had only held a compound bow once but had never shot one. My whole new setup came in under 800 dollars including tax, arrows, case, release,... everything but broadheads. Still researching those.

There will be frustration for the first while, but consistant, GOOD practice will get you to where you want to be. Practice is not practice if you do the same things wrong all the time. Join a club and the guys and gals there will be more than willing to help you with your form. It's hard to watch yourself while shooting.

Like you, I was skeptical for so many years that it took me this long to get into archery. I'm a little upset with myself that it took this long because I'm hooked. I love the idea of the entire body working as one unit with the bow itself.
 
Castorpollux has given great advice. I have been a traditional archer for may years, practicing diligently and not so diligently depending on the year. I found that If I did not work at my archery on an almost daily basis I quickly lost accuracy. I purchased a modern compound bow last year with peep sights and quickly found that I was able to shoot it more accurately than my recurves at 20 yards and much more accurately and consistenly at 30 yards which is my personal maximum range.

One item that I found useful was to purchase a quality target so that I could practice in my house every day. I also take it out into the woods with me to practice.
 
Yes, I bought a bow in January of 07 (I think) got it all set up by spring and I shot it in my yard almost every day all summer. I was shooting decent groups immediately and by the end of the summer I could put 95% of my arrows in the vitals at 40yds.

The weird thing was though when I finally got out and saw my first buck, I missed him, hit him back in the ass, not sure if it was buck fever, hit a limb. hit my coat whatever??? Anyway, luckily for me, I cut the femoral artery. He managed to run 70 yds and left a blood trail that looked like a horror movie.
 
old timer tip-less arrows,more often!

when you first start training your muscles to shoot a bow,consistency is key.concentrate on your anchor points and repeatability.
If you shoot too many arrows in a session you will be practicing bad form as your muscles fatigue and you compensate for that.
shoot a few then rest!
you are far better off with a smaller amount of good quality practice!
 
A sight and a peep mean nothing without good consistant form and the only way to acheive this is with practice. I would recommend a coach if possible, I have been taking lessons for 4 years and I still learn about myself all the time.
 
Learning to shoot a bow accurately is a skill that only comes with plenty of hard work and perfect practice. There is no free ride here my friend.
If you are serious join an archery club with accredited coaches plus there usually are seasoned bow hunters within the ranks to learn properly from.
When choosing a bow check out a professional archery store such as Calgary Archery Center they can guide you in purchasing a bow best for your needs.
Learning to shoot a recurve or modern compound bow accurately is work but highly rewarding.
Straight Shooting and Good Luck!
 
But don't let them scare you... practice lots but it is not difficult, consistencey is key. I think that is why I "missed" when it came time to hunt, excitement was never part of my practice routine.

Try some archery forums too, archery talk, bow zone etc.

I haven't really used my bow in two years but will be out as soon as the snow clears and practicing up for a spring bear hunt.
 
A lot of good advise here but just in case you haven't bought a bow yet, the following might be usefull:

For me, one of the more important factors is the draw weight of the bow. For example, not everyone can shoot accurately with a 70 lb draw weight bow. Different provinces have different minimum draw weight requirements such as 40 lb for hunting in Quebec, etc.

A lot of the compound bows on the market today have a fixed draw weight such as 60, 70, etc, while others have adjustable draw weight between 60 and 70 lb, for example.

For me, my preference is for the lowest draw weight that will do the job keeping in mind that for most people, the higher the draw weight, the less steady your aim will be.

You will also have to consider the draw length and most of the bows today have adjustable ones so you will need to discuss this with your bow shop.

And finally, I would recommend a good target device that you can use with either target tips or hunting tips. I practice in my home all year round using such a target where I have a distance of 10 yd available.

http://searchwarp.com/swa303395.htm

Will give you some starting tips.

Good luck!

Duke1
 
old timer tip #2-

practice for the moment.
want to simulate the moment that big buck appears.
run a little...til your heart rate is up,then make your shot.
take a minute,just like you would when waiting for the right shot.use that time to "calm your nerves"
focus on your breathing and heart rate.

old timer tip #3-

practice your first shot.
in a hunting situation it's the only one that counts.
if you can't consistently put your first arrow of a practice session into a 6" "bull" you are not ready to hunt!
if it takes you 3 arrows to "dial in" you need more practice.remember you are practicing in a controlled environment.if you can't get it done there you won't get it done in the field.see oldtimer tip #2 ;)

I've been shooting a bow since I was a kid and hunting with one for almost as long.the oldtimer tips are things I came up with as I learned on my own...yes,most days I feel pretty old :)
 
archery form/technique > sight options/solutions

I've seen people shoot bows without sights better then people with the fanciest sights on the market. Archery is about repetition and doing everything the same every time you shoot. All the gadgets and gizmo's are just about trying to minimize the impact of not doing it exactly the same everytime.

There was a BLIND recurve shooter in vegas that shot a 270 (out of 300) most seeing shooters can't do that. When it comes to archery, focus on form, not the gadgets and gizmos, and the results will follow...
 
All the new gear is great. Optics, compound bow technology etc etc.

BUT, you still need good form, and the ability to shoot consistently.

Same thing as shooting a firearm, but different metrics. (There are rules to both)
 
the answer to your question is yes, provided they are installed correctly and adjusted for you to use properly.
a peep and a pin align the bow the same as the rear and front sights of a firearm.

just remember the sights work for you, you don't work for the sights, they have to be set up properly to get full repeatable benefit.
 
BrotherRockeye said:
old timer tip-less arrows,more often!

when you first start training your muscles to shoot a bow,consistency is key.concentrate on your anchor points and repeatability.
If you shoot too many arrows in a session you will be practicing bad form as your muscles fatigue and you compensate for that.
shoot a few then rest!
you are far better off with a smaller amount of good quality practice!
Click to expand...
Great advice indeed!
My prefered practice target is a Rinehart 18-1, a foam cube target, rated for broadheads as well as practice tips. I have a compound bow, with front/rear sights. When I bring it with me to the pistol/rifle range, I keep my shooting sessions to a dozen or less arrows.
 
Brutus said:
Great advice indeed!
My prefered practice target is a Rinehart 18-1, a foam cube target, rated for broadheads as well as practice tips. I have a compound bow, with front/rear sights. When I bring it with me to the pistol/rifle range, I keep my shooting sessions to a dozen or less arrows.
Click to expand...

a dozen or less? you are barely warmed up by then. you need to shot enough arrows to develop muscle memory. I try to get at least 30 arrows on my quick sessions, a long session will be closer to 75-100

logic being, if you are feeling it after 30 arrows, your bow/poundage is too heavy for you, and when hunting, after waiting for a couple hours in the cool air, you may pull a muscle trying to draw it.

30 arrows works out to typically less then 30 minutes (usually closer to 20-25 minutes) for me.
 
I agree for practice its about muscle memory so when you get the one shot at the deer you don't have to think about it, you just do. So shooting a lot in practice is key. I personal do about ten shots before hunting season but thats not recommend and I usually don't get one (I've got the muscle memory from years past).

A few tips; practice odd shots, feet facing the wrong way, target 30 degree below you. How you do all these shots is to have your movement from your waist. Draw a triangle from your belt buckle to each of your elbows as long as that triangle stays equal you will be able to make the shot no matter how atypical the shot is (ie 180 degrees behind and 45 degrees down).

When picking your spot, have you'r shooting lanes max out at the distance you feel confident at. If your just starting 20 yrds is reasonable.

When picking a bow a lot of people will say how smooth a bow feels, if you want a smooth bow get a recurve, you want speed and forgiving to shoot.
 
mustang979 said:
a dozen or less? you are barely warmed up by then. you need to shot enough arrows to develop muscle memory. I try to get at least 30 arrows on my quick sessions, a long session will be closer to 75-100

logic being, if you are feeling it after 30 arrows, your bow/poundage is too heavy for you, and when hunting, after waiting for a couple hours in the cool air, you may pull a muscle trying to draw it.

30 arrows works out to typically less then 30 minutes (usually closer to 20-25 minutes) for me.
Click to expand...
Whatever works for you, works for you, not me.
When I used my bow last time on a deer, I cleanly harvested it.
That tagged deer was my proof of competancy, and that is all I need.
I am not a 3D archer, & I did not ask for your advice.

To each his own.........
 
as in all things,everyone has their own way about it and knows what works best for them.
As pointed out by quite a few already,there is NO SUBSTITUTE for the basic fundamentals of proper shooting form and practice.
How you practice will make a difference to a degree,especially for new shooters ot tip #1
myself I stopped using a peep sight after a very brief time.I tried different ones but they just didn't cut it for me at low light when the best deer were seen.
Instead I use a 3 point anchor,that is three points of reference to ensure it is exactly the same every time.I shoot fingers...2 fingers.the knuckle of my thumb against the point of my jaw bone.my index finger tip at the corner of my mouth and the bow string on the tip of my nose.My rear sight remains consistent because of this.
This is how I do it.I wouldn't presume to tell others that is the way they should.It's comfortable for me and works.
A buddy of mine uses a kisser button to ensure a consistent anchor point,to each his own.
Find what works FOR YOU and enjoy every arrow.If you feel frustration setting in,take a break and keep it positive.
It's only rocket science if you make it rocket science ;)
 
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