Gap shooting

[gesthuntn]

How many here Gap shoot? I have been trying to learn this type of shooting and have been getting more consistent. Do you use this for hunting also? Can you offer any tips to be more consistent with it?

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[Bowguy67]

Do you understand it? If so to be accurate you need to be consistent. Every time you should be reaching your anchor, every time you need to be conscious of your release, string hand to shoulder, bow hand stays on target while shot is executed.
Your form needs to be down. If any of these things are off you’ll be off. That simple. It’s basically sight shooting.

[McDave]

I find that it's helpful to be able to place the arrow point somewhere on a vertical line through the spot you want to hit, rather than a line that is offset right or left. Usually, this means that you select an anchor that puts the arrow is directly under your dominant eye, and tune the arrow from there so it hits on that vertical line through the spot (assuming you're doing all the good things recommended by Bowguy67).

The specific skill you need to develop to shoot gap is to always focus on the spot you want to hit while keeping track of the arrow point in your out of focus peripheral vision.  If your focus shifts to the arrow point, you will miss, usually high in my case.  This is an easy error to make, and you should keep it in mind.

Another thing I occasionally do is to get everything all lined up and then lose track of the arrow point as I concentrate of the spot I want to hit in the final moments of aiming.  When I do this, the arrow point tends to drift up and I again miss high.

There are two basic gap methods: true gap where you work out measured gaps for specific distances, and “instinctive gap” where you don’t work out measured gaps, but instead just shoot arrows until you have a feeling as to where the arrow point should go.  Feel free to experiment with both, if you want to.

[kat]

I go about it a different way. Perhaps it is a form of gap shooting, or even point of aim.
Judging distance is extremely important to me. Once I figure the distance, I pick a point horizontally compatible with spot I want to hit. I then find a spot vertically from where I want to hit. The gap. I then focus only on that spot with the tip of the arrow. If my yardage calculation and form is correct, I don't need to focus on anything but the spot I have chosen with my yardage gap.
I am not sure of the exact name of the method, but it works for me.

[reddogge]

I guess you could call your arrow point a single pin non-adjustable sight if you want. But it's held under the target and the relationship between the point (I use the radiused arrow where the point screws in) and the target is your gap and it gets smaller all the way back to your point on distance. You can visualize this gap at the target or at the riser. I do it at the riser because it's easier to visualize in my mind and my gaps are 1", 1/2", 1/4" and point on rather than 20", 10", 5" and point on.

When I hunt I use a range finder and range things around my stand so I know the distances I'm dealing with. If I'm 3-D shooting I'm using experience to range the distances.

[YosemiteSam]

I check the gap & simply try to maintain it while expanding to release (clicker).  So if my gap is 18", on a deer target, I'll draw, put the tip of the arrow about a hand-width beneath the belly, then expand while holding that gap until my clicker breaks & I relax my draw hand.

I have to focus on the target.  I've been working on pistol shooting this winter and it's hard to switch back and forth between front-sight focus (pistol) and target focus (archery).  I don't know why it works this way but it does.

I can also over-correct if I'm focused too much on the arrow instead of the target.  It's best for me to know what it is, set it up right and then focus on other things, like the target & my expansion.

Smaller gaps make for easier shooting.  I shoot better with a different bow that shoots closer to a 9" gap -- less error in guessing that gap.