Archery thread

[NOLA556]

a while back I bought a really cheap little practice bow just to play around with and attempt to learn the basics of archery. I wasn't expecting it to be super easy but WOW I'm actually kind of shocked by how much trouble I'm having. I can't even hit a 12"x18" target from 10yds! the main thing that's screwing me up is that every time I release an arrow, the tail end of it seems to smack against the bow on it's way out and by the time it's airborne, it goes crooked and flies way off course. in order to get anywhere close to the target I have to purposely aim about 4 feet to the left and about 2 feet low to compensate for the arrows flying wildly to the high-right. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I've looked up the proper way to draw the string back and release, so I know that's not the problem.

anyone know anything about archery? help me out.

[mountainredneck2051]

archery? 


oh yeah thats the shit that made us so much more effective then the indians in combat

[NOLA556]

archery? 


oh yeah thats the shit that made us so much more effective then the indians in combat

yea i know. that's been my plan all along. I'm selling the AR for a longbow. I'm gonna fuckin OWN all you sissy little AR and AK guys...  [img]http://www.arrse.co.uk/at

(I'm also switching from Glock to throwing stars for my secondary)

[mountainredneck2051]

archery? 


oh yeah thats the shit that made us so much more effective then the indians in combat

yea i know. that's been my plan all along. I'm selling the AR for a longbow. I'm gonna fuckin OWN all you sissy little AR and AK guys...  [img]http://www.arrse.co.uk/at

(I'm also switching from Glock to throwing stars for my secondary)

this is why i love yall

[cornkiller1]

try twisting the arrow... like rotate the feathers.. so they wont hit. I had the same problem until my friend showed me I was putting the arrows on the bow all wrong.

[NOLA556]

try twisting the arrow... like rotate the feathers.. so they wont hit. I had the same problem until my friend showed me I was putting the arrows on the bow all wrong.

that's what I figured, but here's the thing: on a couple of my arrows, one feather has been ripped off so there's only two left. with these arrows, I always position the arrow so that the missing feather is facing the bow, and the performance is *slightly* improved but it still does the same thing for the most part. I'm pretty sure the problem lies within my technique, now it's just a matter of figuring out wtf I'm doing, lol.

[special-k]

Maybe you should try a "Patriot Arrow."   

Patriot Arrow

But seriously, are you using the correct length shaft for that bow?

[NOLA556]

But seriously, are you using the correct length shaft for that bow?

LOL. i honestly don't know, probably not i guess. I'm very serious when I say that I know NOTHING about archery. I'm aware (because of the minimal online reading that I've done) that I need a certain length arrow for a particular bow, but I didn't know that when I bought the bow and the arrows (bought at the same time) so I really have no idea, and without the literature that came from the factory with the bow, I don't know how to figure that out. I just draw the bow back until about 2" of arrow is hanging off the front end and then release.

seriously, anything you know about this topic, however basic, would be greatly appreciated because I'd really like to learn this skill. anything you got, post it up.

[special-k]

Sorry, I can't quote any formulas for ya'.  I have only a very small amount of experience with bows and that was a very long time ago.  The only reason I brought it up is because of the EXTREME degree of inaccuracy you described in your OP sounds like a shaft length problem to me....but then again, I don't have a whole lot of experience.

[NOLA556]

Is this a longbow, recurve, or compound bow?  What is the draw weight at your draw length?  What type of arrow are you shooting? (wood, fiberglass, aluminum)  Are the veins plastic or feather?  Are you shooting using pin sights or shooting instinct?  Are you using a mechanical release or fingers?  Are you shooting off a rest or the shelf?

There are is a long list of reasons why your arrows may not fly straight, technique is just one potential reason.  There is no way I could help you over the internet because I cannot watch your technique, shoot the bow myself, or inspect the equipment.  My suggestion is to either find a local bow shop with an indoor range and ask for a few lessons, or find a bow hunter and ask for a few lessons.

Once you get things straightened out, it is a great stress relieving hobby where you can get the enjoyment of shooting right in your back yard.

Good luck,

Walker

ok, here goes (to the best of my ability)

-longbow
-draw weight - no idea
-fiberglass arrows
-plastic veins
-shooting instinct (although I've replicated the SAME EXACT form over and over and still get inconsistent results)
-finger release
- shelf or rest... i have no idea, lol. don't know what that means. 

[NOLA556]

In regards to your groups, if you are "focusing" in the same place each time are you getting groups of 6-10"?  If yes, then you are using consistent form, but not necessarily proper form.

this is the ONLY part of your post that I'm having trouble with. I AM focusing on the same spot every time, and I'm aware that instinctive shooting is not exactly surgical precision but fuck, it should be better than what I'm getting. I'm getting something in the ballpark of 1-3 FEET!! other than that, fucking GREAT post. MUCH appreciated! I'll report back in a day or so.

[JohnyMac]

NOLA, I had a similar problem. When I was taught to shoot a bow I was encouraged to shoot with both eyes open. I was shooting a right handed bow as I am right handed. Well my point of impact was about 2 feet left at 20 yards.

My instructor determined that I was left eyed and gave me a left handed bow to use and my grouping at the same distance was vertically dead center and the group was high but all arrows were in 7".

Just some more advise on top of all of the great advise from Walker.

[NOLA556]

Just think of it like baseball.  How many throws does it take a baseball player to learn the proper coordination of brain, hand, force applied, distance, etc.?  I can't throw a baseball worth a shit, but I have not thrown one thousands of times using proper form.  Some people pick up on it quickly, others take months to years to shoot a longbow well.  Sometimes I can pick up my bow after not shooting for months and hit a turkey target in the head at 20 yards, while other times I have to shoot a hundred arrows to begin to hit the 6" chest consistently.

Try shooting from about 2 yards away from a large target, close your eyes and shoot.  Focus on one part of your form every shot for 200 arrows, move onto the next part of your form, shoot another 200 arrows, etc.  Over several weeks, your form will become muscle memory.  Again, building muscle memory of poor form will only result in difficulty in changing it later so find an instructor.  No different than shooting a firearm and developing a flinch, it can take alot of work to get rid of a flinch after it has become ingrained in the brain.

Keep at it, and it will come.  It is one of those things that takes alot of work for most, then one day something "clicks" and you can feel when the arrow is going to hit home as soon as your fingers slip the string.  A pretty cool feeling once you get there.

Regards,

Walker

thanks for the support bro. I know what you're saying, I suppose I'm one of those "instant gratification" type people. if I'm going to start training like this then I REALLY need to go buy a bunch more arrows. it's a real pain to have to walk downrange every 6-8 shots (depending on how many are lost in the grass at any particular moment, lol)