Target Shootin

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Originally posted by String Cutter:
O.K. Guys I think I wasn't clear?? Not really interested in the NFAA or whatever other groups??? I am thinking of getting either a BW PSA 62 inches and 35-45#...Or a really long light poundage longbow..To me the 3d courses around here is what I'm interested in winning... I've been shooting them for years and I have never even placed??? I'm tired and want to put afew trophies on the wall and be able to start shooting some nice tight groups I hear everyone else talk about.. and maybe just maybe hunt with the rig  too??? Some one please help and stop fighting over Nfaa? ucla? Pms? UPS? YMCA??

Sorry about taking part in the derailing. Back on point...

A 40-45-pound PSA would be not only a great 3D bow, but an excellent choice for hunting whitetails as well. Bows in that range (with Dacron strings no less) were once standard fare for whitetail hunters. Biologically, deer haven't changed.

Indoor paper and field archery have done a lot to increase my accuracy in the hunting woods, but 3D probably made the most difference -- the proverbial icing on the cake. Personally, I've never known a bowhunter who was handicapped by being a better archer, but I've known a lot who could have used a little more range time.

If your goal is to be a better 3D shooter in such a way as to increase your hunting accuracy, there are a lot of ways to go about doing that. I think you're at the same point I was several years ago. If you'd like, feel free to shoot me a PM and I'd be happy help, either over the internet or my phone.

Jason

[Rob DiStefano]

i think overall yer preaching to the choir, jason.  i doubt anyone will argue your points because your approach is from a good hunting perspective.  that isn't so for everyone and one can play the points games with gear that'd be marginal for medium sized an up game.  

if you want to excel killing paper or foam, you'll change some or all of your gear to garner points.  

not at all to say you can't enjoy a field or 3d round with heavier bowhunting weight tackle.  most of these competitive events have nothing little to do with bowhunting practice and the distances are almost silly.  

but then, there's the muzzy ...  

[BobCo 1965]

I also think that 40-45# at your draw is spot on for what you seem to be looking for. I'd have to say that the "back in the day" people that you are referring to would most definetely include my late father. He used the same bow (I still have), for both his tournament shooting and hunting. It was a 45# Bear Kodiak Mag. It was rather short IMO, but he has many of trophies and kills to back him up. :-)

I still use a 56# recurve for hunting whitetail, but to be honest that weight is really not needed. I was able to trade with a board member one of my longbows for a 45# Rose Oak Recurve that I may use this year.

[Pon]

Pardon my ignorance but What is a Muzzy event? I googled it and all I found was bowfishing events  

[Terry Green]

Try googling muzzy shoot

[Rob DiStefano]

2000 newsclip on the muzzy event

....

[Pon]

Thanks it redirected me to some old threads here

sounds like fun!

[Rob DiStefano]

never shot the muzzy, would love to some day.  did get to play with that type of event at whittingham, and it's a Great tuneup/practice for hunting.  some really tough shots, at hunting distances for the most part.

 more muzzy info as explained by todd hathaway

longbowman todd is a trad ganger and has won the muzzy two or three times, last time he beat out everyone including the recurve champ.

[Terry Green]

Curt Cabrera has also won it more than once....

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Terry Green:
Curt Cabrera has also won it more than once....

man, would i LOVE to watch you and curt shoot the muzzy together - heck i'd pay to see that shoot!

[Terry Green]

I'd really like to sometime....Curt says the 1st time is a real learning experience!!!!...

[Rob DiStefano]

i've talked with curt and about a dozen other guys that have shot muzzy and they all say it's a TEST.  the terrain and target placements and shooting stations are hunt realistic with more than a few being downright TOUGH.  now that's what i call a a real trad bowhunter's event.  like football, this event goes off rain or shine, too.

[String Cutter]

Well the shoots I go to,,they have afew shots under limbs between trees.. pretty much like the ATAR courses I went to one year. I think it would build my confidence even just coming close to placing on a regular basis?? I've cleany missed 5 give me shots at deer...
Rob, I am foremost a bowhunter. Anything and everything I do in this game is geared toward me making that perfact shot on a whitetail... I'm just no good at exspressing myself in words most of the time??
The way I shoot is... I come to ancher and then focus on my spot ...This might take 3-5 seconds before I release... and with my 50+ bows I start shakin some come the 12-15 arrow. In practice and on the range...

[Rob DiStefano]

my most favorite 'shooting event' is just loading up the quiver with 3 or 4 judo pointed arrows (that match my broadhead arrows in weight, balance and flight) and go roving.  

roving is the best training for hunting.  take the tough shots, visualize that stump or low bush is game - get serious about stump killing!  

the only real competitive point event that simulates roving is the muzzy.  more and more rendezvous type trad shoots also include a 'muzzy' type event as part of their shoot program.

the rest of the org type events are far more deeply into the target aspect of their 3d, 2d, colored and black 'n' white circles type shooting.  don't think so?  cool by me.  all depends on what ya want out of yer shooting.  when you start playing on the competitive side of archery, it's easy to forget you're a trad bowhunter, imo.

One of our favorite target games is pigeon bridges. Almost every descent size bridge that crosses a creek in Iowa on our country roads has pigeons under them.  Kick a little gravel through the drain hole and get ready.  Most shots are low so any shoot away arrow will do and we can find most of them back. They are not all that bad to eat if cooked slowly on a grill, but you will not be eating very many.

[Markus77]

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:
.

  all depends on what ya want out of yer shooting.  when you start playing on the competitive side of archery, it's easy to forget you're a trad bowhunter, imo.

Trad bowhunter or competetive shooter, what´s the point with seperating archers like that. Wé´re all archers first, and can learn from each other.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Markus77:
 

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:
.

all depends on what ya want out of yer shooting.  when you start playing on the competitive side of archery, it's easy to forget you're a trad bowhunter, imo.

Trad bowhunter or competetive shooter, what´s the point with seperating archers like that. Wé´re all archers first, and can learn from each other. [/b]

it's not about learningm it's not about separating, it's about compromising.  having been a very competitive archer for nearly 2 decades, i saw the compromises i made in both myself and other archers.  

competitive target archery (which includes 3d) and hunting are just two different forms of flinging arrows.  it depends on how you approach and play the target game, and i will tell you that if the competitive bug bites you will be compromising your hunting mindset and practice to some degree.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:
 i will tell you that if the competitive bug bites you will be compromising your hunting mindset and practice to some degree.

Not necessarily. Actually, the "competitive bug" has helped me tremendously as a bowhunter. I supose that's because I was raised around people who could clean house on field rounds and still fill freezers during hunting season, so I never saw it as an either/or situation.

But I do understand that some bowhunters, for whatever reason, have a major hangup about target archery. I know one guy locally who very much despises anything target related. Oddly enough, after over a decade of bowhunting, the only blood he's managed to draw with a broadhead is his own. So I take his opinions on the matter with a grain -- make that a bag -- of salt.  

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Jason R. Wesbrock:
 

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:
 i will tell you that if the competitive bug bites you will be compromising your hunting mindset and practice to some degree.

Not necessarily. Actually, the "competitive bug" has helped me tremendously as a bowhunter. I supose that's because I was raised around people who could clean house on field rounds and still fill freezers during hunting season, so I never saw it as an either/or situation.

But I do understand that some bowhunters, for whatever reason, have a major hangup about target archery. I know one guy locally who very much despises anything target related. Oddly enough, after over a decade of bowhunting, the only blood he's managed to draw with a broadhead is his own. So I take his opinions on the matter with a grain -- make that a bag -- of salt.      [/b]

as i will do with your opinions, jason,  

[Terry Green]

Hey....I love and respect both you guys...I think someone needs to pick up the phone and call the other one.  Both of ya'll know history, and have a lot to offer...and I think 'inflection' via phone call would solve the typed word syndrom.

And.......this is one of the reasons we don't do target archery here.   :D  

Take care you two.