Fixed crawl

[Jessebeaux]

Thinking of playing with a fixed crawl method of shooting this off season. (I don't tournament shoot just hunt and stump) however, I shoot a Bodnik slick stick 1 peice. Is fixed crawl going to work out fine or is that style almost only for ILF setups were tiller can be altered?

[Jim Casto Jr]

You'll just have to try it and see how it goes.  All bows don't react well to crawling.  Sometimes you may have to raise your nocking point a bit, but still you won't know until you try it. 

I'd probably try to locate a 25 yard crawl and try to tune for it.  Your bow will tell you in short-order how it likes it. 

[McDave]

I would say that if a person has really good form, a fixed crawl might increase his accuracy at the new point on distance.  However, since there is a gap between the fingers and the arrow nock, any form errors will be amplified.  It is important to hold the bow at the same cant, or zero cant, for each shot.  I tried this for a while and decided to return to my regular hold.  I prefer a more relaxed way of shooting.  YMMV, of course.

I don't think you need to have ILF limbs or tiller adjustment to use a fixed crawl.  People were successfully string walking years before those things came in vogue.

[Jessebeaux]

Thanks for advice fellas

[kenneth butler]

It seems to work for all bows for me, so far. It is an absolutely deadly method for 25 yards and closer. No holding high or low put the point where you want to hit. Use the crawl for 15 and under and normal over 15 to 25. With a 25 yard point on and a 15 yard crawl. Just decide is it close or is it far. Grab the string and put the point on and you will be in the kill zone. Not pinpoint precision but in the zone.  For over 25 yards you have to hold over but I don't take shots that far anyway  Give it a shot. >>>----> Ken

[jvs9932]

I posted a similar thread a while back. My bow is not ILF so I checked with the bowyer and asked if a 3/4" crawl would have any negative effects on the bow. He said it would be fine so I started shooting with the crawl and it's been great. I typically shoot in my driveway because it's more convenient than the time it takes me to get to the range. My distance is limited to 13-17 yards depending on where I put the target so I still have to gap but when I was 3 fingers directly under the nock it was about an 18" gap at 13 yards, now it's about 7". It's a much flatter trajectory. I need to go to the range to actually figure out what point on I have with this crawl and might end up moving it a little if necessary, but I think it's a great way to shoot. At least, it's helped me!

[Jessebeaux]

I posted a similar thread a while back. My bow is not ILF so I checked with the bowyer and asked if a 3/4" crawl would have any negative effects on the bow. He said it would be fine so I started shooting with the crawl and it's been great. I typically shoot in my driveway because it's more convenient than the time it takes me to get to the range. My distance is limited to 13-17 yards depending on where I put the target so I still have to gap but when I was 3 fingers directly under the nock it was about an 18" gap at 13 yards, now it's about 7". It's a much flatter trajectory. I need to go to the range to actually figure out what point on I have with this crawl and might end up moving it a little if necessary, but I think it's a great way to shoot. At least, it's helped me!

I appreciate the reply!

[flyonline]

I shot a fixed crawl for my first year or so of shooting with a sage and about 1" crawl for a point on of 25ish meters. I was never really happy with it because the bow was quite loud and I'm not happy taking a shot on an animal past 15-18m. I tried instinctive for a while, but started to see errors creeping in (probably due to mental form rather than physical form though!), so I played around and ended up going to a higher anchor point with 3 under and no crawl (ring finger on canine vs index) which gives me a point on of 18m - perfect for what I'm happy with shooting, my gaps at closer distances are shorter as well, and it's quieter so win/win/win as far as I'm concerned. It also gives me the option of a feather to the nose for another reference point if I want.

It felt a little weird for perhaps the first 50 arrows, after a week I didn't have to concentrate and now a month or so on it feels completely natural and I don't even have to think about it.

Steve

[ztjohnson]

New guy question... I'm not familiar with this style, and I couldn't find specifically what this is on a search. Could someone explain to me what a "fixed crawl" is in practice?

[kenneth butler]

I certainly will try. Us old timers tend to take too much for granted and forget there are lots of new folks in archery. There is an old method called string walking. You move your finger attachment farther down the string for each yardage. You set your bow up for a point on at near the maximum distance of the match you are shooting. You put the point of the arrow on the bull at that distance. Every distance closer than that you move your fingers down the string, which raises the rear of the arrow higher at your anchor point. It is usually measured by counting the stitches in your tab and moving down the correct distance for the yardage. A fixed crawl simplifies that for hunting ranges--Say you set your point on at around 25 yards. You then move down the string the amount that puts your point on at 10 to 15. When you find that point you tie on a nocking point there. The fixed point/crawl. At 25 or a little over you use the normal 3 under hook up and hold the point on the center of the kill Zone. At 15 or under you hook up under your fixed nock and again put the point on in the center of the kill zone.  Any distance past the midway point use the normal hook up and distance under the mid distance use the fixed point/crawl and again put the point in the center of the kill zone. You make use of the flat part of the trajectory and it is close enough to be in the kill zone at any of the 25 and under distances.  The con is anything beyond your range the arrow is dropping like a rock. It is deadly for my self imposed hunting range. YouTube-- Jimmy Blackmon Fixed crawl--videos explain and demonstrate it very well. Check it out.>>-->Ken

[ztjohnson]

Thanks, Kenneth! Learned something new today.

[Roy from Pa]

ttt

[kenneth butler]

It eliminates range estimation and holding high or low. If it is near your max. distance grab the string in the normal way. If it is less tan 1/2 the distance crab the string at your fixed crawl/nocking point. With a tied on point you can feel it without looking. It is quick and easy. Just put the point of the arrow right where you want to hit. Your are welcome.>>-->Ken

[Roy from Pa]

Fixed crawl is very accurate!

[ztjohnson]

I have a Predator takedown recurve that I have tuned for split finger instinctive shooting. I was reading on another thread and someone mentioned the need to swap the limbs to get the correct "tiller." Would I need to swap my limbs to try this and get the best arrow flight?

[kenneth butler]

Zach,  I don't know what the tiller is on your bow or if the limbs can be swapped. Generally for 3 under shooting a bow has even to slightly negative tiller for best three under results. It is not necessary and I shoot several bows tillered for split using 3 under. It is compensated for by a slightly higher nocking point. My nocking point usually ends up about 5/8" above square. For split, bows are generally around 1/8 positive. If swapping the limbs gets you closer to even or slightly negative I would try it. Good luck. >>>----> Ken

[ztjohnson]

Thanks, Kenneth. I'm not going to do anything yet since I'm shooting well right now "within my range." My interest in changing style comes from wanting to extend my effective range. I'm just not consistent past about 15 yards. Maybe another year of shooting instinctive will fix that, but I'm not opposed to trying something different.

[Qrole]

I shot a fixed crawl for my first year or so of shooting with a sage and about 1" crawl for a point on of 25ish meters. I was never really happy with it because the bow was quite loud and I'm not happy taking a shot on an animal past 15-18m. I tried instinctive for a while, but started to see errors creeping in (probably due to mental form rather than physical form though!), so I played around and ended up going to a higher anchor point with 3 under and no crawl (ring finger on canine vs index) which gives me a point on of 18m - perfect for what I'm happy with shooting, my gaps at closer distances are shorter as well, and it's quieter so win/win/win as far as I'm concerned. It also gives me the option of a feather to the nose for another reference point if I want.

It felt a little weird for perhaps the first 50 arrows, after a week I didn't have to concentrate and now a month or so on it feels completely natural and I don't even have to think about it.

Steve

This is almost exactly what happened with me. I started out instinctive for a year or two but at some point started to use the tip of the arrow as an aiming point. After a couple years of good and bad days, I went to the fixed crawl last year. I shot that way up until 4 months ago. I didn't like the sound my bow was making so I went back to 3 under. I moved my anchor point higher and it solved my issues so far. I also shot for 2+ months at only 5-7 yards morning and evening to get better with my form. That paid off in more ways than one. It's been great so far. I will say I was very accurate with the fixed crawl, but I never could really get my bow quiet enough for my liking.

[kenneth butler]

I have one bow that doesn't seem to respond well to the fixed crawl. It just wants to be a little noisy with the crawl. The others have responded just fine with the higher nocking point and my release smoothing out.  I believe the lower hook up also altered my release somewhat. Tiller or limb timing with some bows is probably the noise culprit. >>>----> Ken