Swingdraw/snapshoot w/out spooking game

[Duckbutt]

OK folks.  I learned how to shoot from G Fred's books and was pretty proficient for many years on the bale and game.  Then, I decided I wanted to kill turkey's without using a blind.  I started changing my shooting style so as to minimize movement to the more common draw, anchor, aim, release and regardless of the time I put into practice, I just can't shoot close the level of proficiency I once had.  I HAVE killed birds, but am done with sub par shooting.  I shot ten arrows last night with my old style and amazed myself at the level of accuracy after not shooting that way for several years.  So, how does G Fred put a swing draw on a buck from his now infamous ground blind?  You guys that shoot this way, how do you shoot sitting down or up close to game from the ground where it's so easy to get busted?

[reddogge]

I don't swingdraw and taught myself to shoot with the bowarm extended a loooonnnng time ago.  Better form and results for hunting, less movement by far.

[Shakes.602]

Get a Gillie Suit and Act like a Tree!!    Sorry, I just couldnt pass it up....  

[Don Stokes]

Overbowed a bit, perhaps? You should be able to draw, aim, and shoot your bow slowly and accurately when in the presence of game. Practice, practice, practice!

[jonsimoneau]

I do whatever the situation dictates.  I can honestly say, it has been a long time since a deer caught me drawing on him.  I think it has more to do with stand placement/concealment than anything.

[Duckbutt]

Originally posted by Don Stokes:
[QB] Overbowed a bit, perhaps? /QB]

I wouldn't think so.  My bow is 55 at 28.  I've been shooting that weight for fifteen years and I'm in better shape than most folks.  I guess it's possible but I don't think that to be the case.

[S.C. Hunter]

I posted earlier on a shooting form post here on the site. I think we all are built with certain natural tempo that we perform our best when we don't stray far from what is natural for us. I shoot fast and I swing draw very often when I practice. This type of shooting feels natural for me and I shoot my best this way, I can shoot very well when I slow down also buit does not feel natural.

 I said it on a earlier post I play golf fast and shoot my pistol and bow fast. I have a 1.6 index and shoot my pistol as well as others who shoot twice as slow as I shoot. I often find that when my bow is reaching my final anchor point in space I am already pulling through with the release. I have had others watch me I don't snap shoot as much as I never really completely stop the motion of drawing the bow it is one fluid motion, find a spot bring bow up and out while pulling through the release all at once. Works for me, try it don't think just do it. Good luck.

[Whump]

Whump Sez: The part of this equation that is a puzzle---why did you change anything if you were shooting well? When you said; "I went back to the old style" that implied to me you were shooting well with a basic straight arm draw and switched to the swing draw.  I can understand adapting a different style if your shooting sucks anyway but why throw all that muscle memory out the window when you are already hitting the mark? What works for one archer can be a disaster for another. I have taken a few turkeys from a wide open stand position and they were all snap shots that bordered on target panic. Even starting the draw when the birds head is hidden or partially hidden requires a very fast shot.  That is the hardest critter in the woods to get a shot off on with a bow from an open position.    :confused:  Hunt safe.

[Whump]

Whump Sez; Sorry dude I re-read your post---Good luck with that swing draw from an open stand position on turkeys. Hunt safe.

[NBK]

I think "style" sort of goes out the window when hunting.  Shooting targets and working on form then yeah you can practice a style, but you have to be adjustable to an extent when shooting live game.  Last year's buck was eye-level at 12 yards.  No way could I swing-draw on him. I had to wait until his head went behind a tree, drew back and held until his vitals cleared, which took about 3 seconds.  Conversely there are times when you may need to swing draw, i.e. rabbits.  All said IMO the set arm method works better for me, but I practice both ways for fun.

[Duckbutt]

I've been working hard over the last few days to combine a set arm with a pull through release and am starting to get better results.  I think the ultimate challenge for me with this technique is that I struggle to ignore the arrow and focus enough on the spot when it is in my line of view.  Make sense or is it just me?

[Duckbutt]

One huge improvement is my arrow flight after getting back to a pull through release.

[tarponnut]

I generally snap shoot, but like Jon said, I do what the situation dictates.
If I'm on the ground and feel I should draw slowly, I do.
I get busted sometimes, but everybody does.
I would shoot with the style that is most accurate for you.

[Lowrider]

When I started out I had no one to show me what to do. The first video I got was one with G. Fred Asbell. In my mind he was bending at the knees which was awkward to me, then raising the bow really fast and shooting in one fluid motion. After hitting the deer wooods and having deer spot me doing this I too tried to draw slowly and it totally messed up my shooting. I have fought it for years. The best advice I have to fight it is to use a clicker and work thru it. My shooting has improved since doing this.

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

A successful swing draw (Howard Hill and G. Fred's style) is smoothness and rythmn, in nature everything is moving all the time so your movement a second before your release shouldn't be an issue.  Terry raises his arms just before he fires as well he just waits until it is pointing at the target to pull the string back.

[TSP]

There are lots of variations of the swingdraw method.  Most folks I know that use the method don't actually 'swing' the bow up at all.  The draw isn't started way down on the thigh.  It starts with the bow up a little, hands slightly in front and perhaps belly high, and involves sort of a push and pull motion, not a swing motion.  When viewed from a critter's point of view the movement is hardly much worse than the set-arm method and as mentioned above it helps the shooter establish a timing or rhythm to the shot...and it's a stronger method of drawing to anchor than is the set arm.  If you shoot this way and you're spooking deer, dimes to dollars it's not the draw that's causing it most of the time.

For spooking deer, a far worse culprit than bow arm movement is bright fletching movement on your bowquiver.  At typical bowhunting ranges, unless those balls of feather color floating around the ends of your arrows are covered or otherwise kept from the critter's eye you might as well wave a flag.