canting a bow or holding it straight

[LinemanARK]

What is the differince and why is one better than the other? I am new to trad archery and don't know which one to practice with. I was told that canting a bow (my recurve) was like opening a sight window to see your target better I just got my new arrows flech up and my new to me reflex nomad at 55#s so any help would be great thanks Mike

Canting the bow also gets your eye over the arrow easier at anchor without forcing as much strain on your lower neck.  Shooting down out of a tree stand it is better to cant the bow even more for many.

[cbCrow]

As pavan said its to get the eye over the arrow, however there are exceptions to everything. One of the best longbow shooters I know shoots his straight up, and is an exceptional shot.


May peace and brotherhood fill your days!

[LinemanARK]

OK so cant a little or are we talking 45 degree and I am shooting 3 under helps get my eye over the arrow better aim small miss small am I right keep it coming thanks Mike

[highelk]

I'm not sure about everyone, but I just played with it until it felt right. i have found that everyone is a little different. I would say i'm about 20-30 degrees for me. Consistency is the key.

[LinemanARK]

K next ? what is my K energy on my set up 58#s at 28 "s with a 525gn arrow. I really wish I had started this trad archery stuff a long time ago I really like it. Also when you practice how many good form pactice shoots should you take and how far?

[Red Tailed Hawk]

I hold vertical, but tend to shoot my selfbows canted.

[Robert Honaker]

A 525gr arra out of a 58# bow will shoot thru most anything in N America. You're fine there.

Shoot as much as you want as long as you're not hurting or getting tired to the point of losing your form.  Have fun.

[Wapiti Bowman]

ReZ Asked:

Also when you practice how many good form pactice shoots should you take and how far?

A good way to practice form is on a blank bale from 2 or 3 yards. Close your eyes and and focus on each aspect of your shooting form for several shots, before moving on to the next aspect, i.e., relaxed bow hand; anchor point, back tension.......

If you use the search function above for "blind bale" and/or "blank bale" on this forum, it should take you to some detailed discussions of form work.  

Have Fun!  

[LinemanARK]

Got another one, on the bow hand were do u hold the bow in the criss of the hand, on the meaty part below the thumb, or some were else. Next how much pressure on the grip with all the fingers wraped around or litely touching front of the bow. Just need a good plase to start. thanks again Mike

[moebow]

rezeen6.5,

I posted some pictures on a thread called "grip question".  It is on page 2 of this forum about 7 threads down from the top of the page.  Take a look at those pictures and see if they help.

[ermont]

I agree canting allows me to get my eye over the arrow. I also changed to middle finger to get closer for my anchor.

[LinemanARK]

Ermort are you anchoring with the middle finger in your mouth am I understanding that right cause I just tried that and it feels right thanks mike   Moebow Im going to look at ur post right know thanks Mike thanks for helping a newbie out

[Stumpkiller]

Canting keeps the arrow from slipping off the shelf, also.  ;-)

[easyup]

I think after you look at the following you will see you have gotten some information here that while solid for target archery is lacking for a hunter.  Real world hunting requires a range of cants, from straight up to maybe even Terry's unbelievable negative cant.  Search old posts on cant and canting.
 http://www.tradgang.com/videos/tg/terry-2.wmv

[Carbon Jack]

Inside 20 yards I tend to cant a good deal; about 45 degrees or so. As I move back the bow starts to come up. But even at my longest range like point-of-aim at 55 yards, I cant the bow about 15 degrees off vertical.

I really have no set amount of cant. Mostly I shoot by feel. Some days I cant more than others. You will not win Olympic gold doing this kind of thing but for hunting and 3D it just feels more natural for me.

Jack

[BigCountryOK]

Originally posted by easyup:
I think after you look at the following you will see you have gotten some information here that while solid for target archery is lacking for a hunter.  Real world hunting requires a range of cants, from straight up to maybe even Terry's unbelievable negative cant.  Search old posts on cant and canting.
    http://www.tradgang.com/videos/tg/terry-2.wmv    

This is something I'm trying to figure out too.  I started out canting with my hand but realized that I lost alot of consistancy.  Now I've discovered that I'm much more consistent with a very slight cant, almost veritical.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but what I see in Terry's video is that he's not really canting the bow as much as he is canting the core of his body and his bow remains at the same angle to the core of his body regardless of how much he cants his body.

So with this then it seems to be better to cant your body and keep the bow canted the exact same in relation to the body???

I think this may be making sense now.  I was concerned for a while when I discovered how much consistancy I lost of I canted just the bow.

[bowrocker07]

I hold the bow fairly upright (about a 15 degree cant).  For me, this was sort of the best of both worlds:

1.  It opens up the sight window considerably, allowing you to shoot a shorter riser more easily, and see past your sight window.

2.  Gives you a deeper shelf, making the arrow less likely to fall off.

Transitioning from a compound, this may be easier to get used to, but the only way to figure out what works is to try a few different styles.  Stick with whatever feels the most comfortable!

Good Luck!