ACS questions

[Ray Johnson]

I just got an ACS CX a couple of weeks ago.I thought that I would try one out after hearing about them for so long.I've shot Black Widow recurves exclusively for the past 6 years and wanted to try a longbow.Anyway,I was just looking for advice on shooting this bow.I'm very impressed with the quietness and speed of the ACS and I also like the light physical weight of the bow,especially after shooting the heavy BW recurves.I'm just having a little trouble with accuracy with this thing.I can shoot a good group one time and then the next will have several fliers.I started gripping the bow a little tighter and that seemed to help but the bow seems finicky.I don't have any experience with longbows but I really want to be able to shoot accurately with this bow.I'm just wondering if the problem is something I'm doing.What changes should I make when switching from a recurve to a longbow?Could the way I'm gripping the bow be the problem?It's possible that I'm gripping it too much now.I use a loose grip on my recurve but I don't think that will work on the ACS.Any advice would be appreciated.Thanks.
                                    RayJ

[Bjorn]

You may get different answers from different people. I have had my original ACS for over a year and we have 2 more in the house. We have found that if you forget it is a longbow and just shoot it as you would a recurve that works for us. Get your palm out of there, anyway that works for us.

[Precurve]

Not sure if the grip is a big deal as I've tried several different ways and always get the same results, but I notice mine seems more sensitive to a marginal release.  If I pluck the string it will let me know everytime.  Kind of like a beautiful, high maintenance woman; if you do something wrong she'll let you know about it right away, and whatever's wrong will be your fault.

[Ray Hammond]

I would add a bow quiver and four arrows to it...I think that will stabilize the bow a little for you by adding some mass to it

I have one and find I shoot it as accurately as I have ever been able to shoot...just shot out to 50 yards with it yesterday and 'killed' all four shots at that distance....and up close? Stacked em. Gonna have to get some multiple dots for under 30 yard practice.

[Big Sneaky]

I'm with Bjorn.  I have found if I grip mine around the throat like a recurve while keeping my wrist straight she shoots the best for me.  If I put to much heel into her, I will get fliers.

[Greg Skinner]

I had an ACS several years ago that I really liked for quietness, speed and dead in the hand. But after trying everything I could think of I finally decided I wasn't a good enough shot to hit anything with it.  I have tried a number of bows with different style grips in the last year or so and have discovered that I shoot the straight-grip HH bows the best and most consistently.  I guess it makes sense that if the ACS needs a recurve style grip to shoot it correctly then that would explain why I never could shoot it consistently and why it seemed very finicky to me. I have a number of really nice R/D longbows that shoot fast,are comfortable and are beautiful to look at, but when I really want to be able to hit the target I'm aiming at I reach for my HH Halfbreed or my St. Charles Pacific Yew, both straight grip sleeve takedowns.

[wtpops]

I just got mine on the 3rd and i also have shot a black widow recurve for a while before getting this bow. One thing i noticed right of the bat is i can not grip the ACS the same way as the Widow. For me the ACS wants the throat of the grip in the web between the thumb and finger and most of the pressure right in the middle of my big fat thumb mussel not in the palm of my hand and a lot less heel. If i start to drift back to the center of my palm and or a little more heel, everything go to heck, i hit my arm, the arrow hits the riser, arrows just go all over the place but if i grip it right it will stack arrows break nocks and mess up fletch.

I love it.

[Lefty]

I agree with the above.  Shoot it like your recurve.  I had no trouble switching between my SAV and my ACS CX.  But I do shoot both with a higher wrist and firm grip.

[Ray Johnson]

Thanks for the replies.I'll keep at it and play around with the grip.Ray,I really don't like using a quiver on my bow.One think I like about the ACS is the light physical weight.I think maybe that I just need a little time to get used to it.I've only been shooting it for a couple of weeks and not alot in that time.I'm still deer hunting so it's hard to find time to shoot.I am hunting with it though.I'm shooting well enough at 15 yards to put one in the kill zone if I get a shot.I'm going hunting this evening,hope I get a shot.
                             RayJ

[jon]

Ray,

I've had an ACS for about a year now. Had the same problem with fliers going high. I have found that if I rotate my wrist up to get my heel off the grip, it settles down nicely. Only problem, in the heat of battle this past spring, I wounded a 6-7ft black bear at 13 yards by hitting him very high. He was back an hour later but would not give me a shot. I guess in all the excitement, I forgot to get the heel of my hand off the riser. I have been stump shooting with it for a couple of months now and think I have cured the problem. If it wasn't so darn fast (and accurate) I probably would have moved on.

Jon

[Ray Hammond]

an eagle's flight doesnt add that much weight..but I think your problem is that going from a recurve to the so so much lighter bow your bow hand is moving around a little at release...that's a normal occurrence for someone coming from a much higher mass bow     - we are only talking about 12-16 oz..and that will still make it 1/3 of the weight of your BW recurve..perhaps even less WITH the quiver.

I suspect that will allow you to transition at the beginning to hold the bow more steady and on target until you can remove it and shoot it 'bare'.

I don't believe its your grip thats the problem- coming from a BW recurve it should work pretty much the same...mine does and I shot a Zipper for 18 years and moved right into the bow.

Good luck with it...

[Bjorn]

I had a bow quiver on my ACS for the first year-all the time, and for the past 3-4 months it nas been off-filed the wires off my bow quiver to wear as a side quiver.
It took just a bit re-tuning, and I love the feel of the unfettered ACS.
I don't shoot my other bows anymore, so playing quiver games takes the edge off.

[Big Sneaky]

Is your riser aluminum or wood?  Both mine are aluminum.  After shooting a wood riser ACS CX it felt way too light in the hand for me.  Those limbs don't way anything so the added mass of the aluminum riser helped me a bunch.  Ray has it right, and adding a bow quiver to a wood riser may help you get more steady.  Good luck.

[Ray Johnson]

It's a wood riser.It does feel very light in the hand but I like it being light.Having said that,I'll shoot it for a while without one and try putting one on if things don't improve with it.

[Bjorn]

Mine are wood too I like the weight, or lack of it.

[Pinecone]

I have two ACS bows and they shoot great using a recurve style grip.  As others have said, keep the palm off the handle and you should see positive results.  I also use a bow quiver to add a bit of weight and find that this also adds stability.

Claudia

[Ray Johnson]

I started shooting with more of a recurve style grip(med wrist,base of thumb,and index finger and tnumb touching)and I shot better.I didn't have any fliers with the few arrows I shot.I hunted this morning and right before getting down,I shot an arrow with an Ace Hex head at a spot about 15 yards away.The arrow flew great and hit just a couple of inches high.I'll keep at it.I'm still very impressed with the quietness and performance of the ACS.

[swampbuck]

Hello Ray Congrads on gettin a new toy!!Sorry I can't help ya on this one can you guess why LOL(sorta)

Anyway good luck I,m sure you'll get it worked out

[Ray Johnson]

Tom,I can't believe that you still haven't received your bow yet.How long has it been,three years?I put myself on the list about 6-8 months ago and received an e-mail in October saying I was up to have a bow built.I received it about 3 weeks ago.I like it but since I've shot a recurve for so long,it's taken a little time to get used to it.The last couple of shooting sessions have gone very well and I'm starting to like it more and more.

[swampbuck]

3 I wish LOL try 5 and there's still a couple ahead of me.....better just shut up LOL

Congrads again