SPLIT FINGER OR 3 UNDER

[joevan125]

I just took up traditional archery 2 months ago but have been shooting wheel bows for 25 yrs. Shooting split fingers just feels right to me and out to 20 yards i group pretty well. I have notived a lot of the great 3d archers shoot 3 under. Should i learn to shoot 3 under since im just starting out or does it really matter. I will be taking lessons from Rod Jenkins later this month and i know he shoots 3 under. What do you guys suggest.

Joe Van Kilpatrick

[texbow2]

Either will work. If you are shooting split and grouping well and happy with your arrow flight I would stick with it. It is hard to switch back and forth, if you want to switch you need to committ to it for a while and not go back and forth every day. I like the arrow control with split and I personally get a cleaner release, but that's what works for me.

[Leland]

I, like you shot split for years.One day out of frustration I tried 3-under,everything fell into place.For me it improved my shooting,so I never went back to split.Texbow2 is correct with his advise.

Leland

[Bowhuntah]

Sometimes I wish I started split finger because the bow is so much louder with three under, but I just can't get used to it.

[kodiakkid]

I kinda agree with Bowhunta. Most bows I've shot are louder with three under, but I just can't get used to split finger either. If you are shooting well with split I don't see any reason to switch.

Paul<><

[Matt Green]

Re: the loudness.  Couldn't that be related to the tiller of hte bow.  i shoot 3 under with a black black widow tillered for split finger - amazing how much quieter when i try to shoot it split finger (although i couldn't hit the broad side of a barn shooting that way).
mg

[Zog]

I would like to know why the noise also!  It does the same with me - three under is quite a bit louder.  I get more of a slap sound.  

I think Matt must be on to something.  It makes sense that if the limbs aren't tuned, they won't cancel each other's vibration as well.

[McDave]

If you're going to be taking lessons from Rod Jenkins later this month, I think you should ask his opinion after he sees you shoot.  I can't imagine that any of us could give you any better advice than he could.

[joevan125]

Thanks guys

[Kevin Lawler]

As was stated before most of the shooters that "win" shoot three under. They do that to get the arrow right under their eye.
I started out split finger 30 years ago and I have tried 3 under a few times but I always go back after a few arrows.
My 13 year old son switched in the last few months and he just won the NC State Championship. However, he won last year shooting split finger. The course this year the range was harder and he improved his score.
All that being said, you can make your own choice.
Aside from the fact that I can't get the hang of it, my own personal ethics won't allow me to switch. For me it's too much like a sighting method and I prefer to keep the instinctive spirit alive. Who knows, one of these days we may have longbows and recurves shooting in the same class but split finger and three under will be seperate classes.

[ishoot4thrills]

You can shoot 3 under and still shoot "instinctive", if that's what you want to do. Just because you shoot 3 under doesn't mean you have to use a "sighting method".

If it makes you a more ethical hunter by making you a better shot, then I say go with it.

[Colt]

I like 3 under only because it's more comfortable on my fingers making a cleaner release.

[Paul WA]

I switched to 3 under after several decades of split, I wished I had started out that way, big difference...PR

[30coupe]

I started shooting split years ago. Then I kind of got out of archery and hunting due to a very bad knee...walking was a challenge and standing for a long time was impossible. Then I got a knee replacement and started to enjoy life again. I bought my Mahaska longbow and the previous owner said it shot great 3 under. I had never tried that, but gave it a try. I shot well, albeit louder. I killed my first deer that way. I got a different bow and switched back to split. I killed a deer that way too, but my crooked index finger kept blistering. I was okay for a few shots, but any extended shooting session left me with a bloody finger.

I finally gave up and I am now back to three under. I think I'll just stay with it because I shoot better that way anyway. Deer have been dying both ways for years, so I don't think the added noise will matter as long as I put the arrow where it belongs.

[Michael Arnette]

I just started shooting three under after several years of shooting split. My accuracy at close range has improved ten fold. I don't shoot very many arrows for fear of robinhooding them.

I tillered my bow for three under and it made a big difference in lowering the noise level. If you shoot three under you should for sure get your bow tillered for three under.

[TheFatboy]

Originally posted by Michael Arnette:
I don't shoot very many arrows for fear of robinhooding them.

[MMilin]

Anyone who doesn't try BOTH split-finger and 2-under/3-under is doing himself a big disservice.

If an archer shoots well with one or the other, that doesn't mean he can't be even BETTER by switching.

Experimentation leads to an archer finding out what's BEST, not merely what's good.

Mark

[joevan125]

I made the switch to 3 under and my groups are a lot tighter and i have less flyers.

[cjgregory]

Ok.  So what should the tiller be with three under?

I've tried it even and up to a 1/4" stiff on the lower limb.