New to shooting form...

[HoneyBadger]

Howdy everyone, I recently bought a 55 pound, 5 foot tall recurve bow with risers as I had read they're more verstile and less prone to breaking.

I'm having a decent time with the bow and have set up a hay target that I can hit 80% of the time from about 55 feet away, if not in the bullseye when I'm more focused.

I've read up on forms and techniques but feel I may be doing mine wrong. I'd post a video but I am currently unable to so instead I'll try to describe my form in a step by step process, as well as I can.

Firstly, I have no sights and shoot instinctively.

Typically I'll raise the bow at an angle to keep the arrow set and level it vertically as I pull back. I usually anchor the bow around my lower jaw and line up the arrow-head to my target. When I pull I'll usually step into it forwards so I'm using my back more than my arms, though I have noticed some soreness in my left forearm (I shoot right) and sometimes in my right bicep, so obviously I'm not fully using my back.

I used to grip the string three fingered with my index above the arrow using the tips of my fingers, but I've since started using my first knuckles on all three for more control and I have noticed improvement with this technique desipte what I have heard is something you should not practice.

Everything else I do is fairly typical/ideal for shooting. IE; just relax your shooting fingers to release, take your time, etc.

I also had questions relating to the arrow types I use; I read this isn't the place for these questions but I may as well throw them in here while I'm asking my newbie questions; Sometimes the vanes break off with a bad shot, etc. Is it alright to simply glue them back on? If they're not perfectly glued back on (I do it by hand, no tools) will they still function just as well, to a degree? If some of my arrows have a difference in grain/weight by 100 or 150 or so (I was stupid and bought a few of the different sort thinking they were the same) will it really affect my practicing? I haven't really noticed any change.

I guess whatever I do I'll eventually get better in my own form, but sometimes I beat myself up when I miss the target, but I mean, is anyone really able to hit a 4 inch bullseye repeatedly with no mistakes? Do people really get that good shooting via instinct?

Any advice you can give is appreciated! Thanks!

[moebow]

HoneyBadger,  Welcome tho the site.  You have lots of questions and we'll try to answer them.  55# is a pretty heavy bow to  start with, but yes, a 4" bull's eye is hittable - consistently- with good form and practice but everybody is human and misses once in a while.  Do a search here in the "form forum" for Terry Green's "Form Clock"; Ranger B's threads/videos; and my videos, look for "release tips."  Those will get you started.