shooting feedback part 2 (video)

[moebow]

Ranger, that's great, I'll write it down for the next time I get crazy and think I should demonstrate something on video.  Thanks again!!!!

[s_mcflurry]

Good stuff.  I wish we could stickie this thread.

[Ranger B]

Today's session. All blind bale.

 

[moebow]

By jove,  I think you've got it  

Nice steady anchor, you aren't "fishing" for it any more.

Really good start on the release/follow through.  I would recommend that you get still more aggressive with your back tension at release.  You really need to FIRE the rhomboids at the same time you relax your fingers.  It becomes a little timing problem that only practice can fix.  One way to think about it is as your fingers start to relax, remember what it is like to get out of the car with your hands full of stuff and having to close the car door with your elbow.

You're doing great,  stick with it and don't rush tooooo fast to the next step.

[s_mcflurry]

Great video, Jim!  Everything looks great!  I'm still most impressed by your release though.  I've never recorded myself to see but I hope mine's that good.

Also, I like how your son is watching intently!  He's going to be a heck of shooter in a couple of years.  By the time he comes of age, I'll be in the senior bracket so won't have to worry about him!  Whew!

Again, really good work.  Your form is probably among the best I've seen here on TradGang!

[Ranger B]

Thanks gentlemen. This is a lot of fun. I'm excited to get my new bow and begin in earnest with the bow I plan to shoot in the coming year.

[Ranger B]

Todays report. Well over the past 3 days I've shot a lot of blind bale. I've thought a lot about Rod's comment to play around with the grip until the bow jumps towards the target.

What I found is that my bow began jumping towards the target today - not because I changed my grip but, I think, because I've shot several hundred blind bale shots and it's coming together. For those who haven't shot blind bale, and I don't mean 3 or 4 rounds every few days, I mean 20 rounds or so a day, you really are missing something.  It is making a huge different. Number one, I'm shooting much more and getting in much better shooting shape.  I'm casting three times as many arrows than when I shot at targets. It's really making me aware of my form and what a good shot feels like.  Now I know if the arrow is going to strike the target where I was looking before it gets close. I can tell by the feel of the release.  My bow is much easier and more comfortable to hold.  I'm a believer in blind bale now.

Yesterday, I got up early and shot about 100 arrows blind bale.  I went over to Pappy's and there were some guys shooting. They had a deer target out there so I just grabbed my bow and shot five arrows. I stepped it off from where I was standing and it was 32 paces. All five arrows were in the 10 ring and I haven't aimed at a spot in days now.  The blind bale made all the difference in my opinion.

[Ranger B]

Took a look-see at 10 yards today. Not perfect but acceptable groups.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[RocketDog]

I will lend support to Moebow's post that it is the shooter, not the bow.  I've gone through a tremendously wide variety of bows to find the "perfect" one.  Different bows have different feel, some are more comfortable than others, but when they are well tuned they are all fairly precise tools just waiting for someone to use them right.  Find one that feels good.

From the video it looks like you are still uncertain about your anchor.  Your anchor is the foundation of your shot.  Find a comfortable, repeatable anchor and memorize it.  Don't hesitate getting to it.  Don't waver when you get there.  Don't make it so solid you can't release smoothly.  Oops, just got harder!

Once you have memorized every movement and position in your form, and gotten it right, and do it without having to think about any part of it, then something will click and your shooting and practice will be great!

[RocketDog]

Oops, posteed that before I noticed page 2.  Oh well.

[RocketDog]

Perfect groups at 10 yards would be multiple robin-hoods.  Keep shooting at the small dots with one arrow or you will start ruining arrows.  Besides, the small spot one arrow thing is great practice.

[Ranger B]

Will do.  Oh and today I bought the bow I'll shoot for the coming year.
I drove from Clarksville, TN to Annandale, VA yesterday and this morning, after a run, I headed to Lancaster, PA. I ended up with the TradTech Pinnacle II with the masters extreme BF recurve limbs. It's 40# @ 28" and I draw 26.5 so I'm only pulling about 36#. I may crank it up to 38# tomorrow but it's shooting my axis carbons like a rocket.
I bought 2 dozen Carbon Tech Cheetah 650 arrows. I bareshafted them this evening. I started with 3 shafts at 31" and cut one shaft to 30" and shot them together. I kept reducing the one arrow until it ended up straight. They are now 28" with 125 gr. points and shooting a very tight group - straight - at 12 yards. I can't wait to get them fletched and weigh them. I'm putting 4" RW helical feathers on them.

I also loved the longbow limbs but they were significantly louder than the recurve and I have a longbow that I love to shoot so I went with the the recurve. I'm a happy camper today!

[moebow]

Congrats RangerB.  Great bow and especially good when you can "test drive" them.  More, I applaud  you for going with a relatively light weight bow.  Nothing will increase our form and confidence faster  than a bow that you can work form with without being challenged by strength issues too.  Refining your form with this bow will get you shooting heavier bows well faster than anything else.

[Ranger B]

I was having difficulty with my new arrows. Well, I sanded the nocks down a little but I still had issues.  I decided to increase the point weight so I went from 125 gr. to 175 gr and that seemed to help slightly. Soooo I went to 200 gr. and presto they grouped.  I'm not sure what the reason is but my bow didn't like the light weight.

I am having some difficulty with the slightly high wrist grip on my new recurve. I tend to grab the bow, anticipating release.  I don't see that in my selfbows because I have a lot of heel in the bow with those grips.  I've shot them so long that it's natural to hold them with the hand. Now, my grip is different and I am grabbing the bow with my fingers at release which causes the top limb to rotate forward and that causes a high impact every time.  I noticed it so I worked on it. I can shoot blind bale all day and never grab the bow but when I open my eyes I grab the bow at release about 2 out of 4 times.

[Terry Green]

Yep...the end of the draw makes the straight line draw back into a 'J'.  That was a good look at it in that video....and THAT'S how you create proper alignment and back tension!!!