Aiming trouble

[Dave Nash]

Guy's I have a problem with point on aiming. I don't seem to be able to look down the shaft and put the point on the spot I want to hit.
Do I need longer arrows as I only have about half a inch past my shelf? I've read everything I can on the subject but just not getting the concept.
Thanks for any suggestions.
Dave

[LongbowArchitect]

Don't look at your arrow or arrow point. Concentrate on the target and "see" your arrow & point in your peripheral vision only.

[McDave]

Every bow/arrow/shooter combination has its own unique point on, i.e. a certain distance where you can put the point of the arrow on the spot you want to hit.  The problem is, if you don’t happen to be shooting at that distance, then you have to put the point somewhere over or under the spot (the gap), or ignore the point entirely if you want to shoot instinctively.  The farther the arrow point is over or under the spot you want to hit, the less useful it is as an aiming tool.

The usual dilemma for a trad shooter is that he wants an aiming tool, but his point on is 40-50 yards, and what he wants to hit is 20-30 yards.  So he has to hold the arrow point several feet below the spot he wants to hit, if measured at the target, or several inches, if measured at the bow.  How do you reduce that gap?  The gap is a result of the distance between the eye and the nock of the arrow, the length of the arrow, and the arrow speed.

To reduce the distance between the eye and the arrow, either anchor higher, tilt the head down, or hold the string somewhere below the arrow nock.  Holding the string below the arrow nock is usually accomplished by string walking or using a fixed crawl.  There is a good discussion of string walking by Ty Pelfry in Vol 2 of Masters of the Bare Bow, and of the fixed crawl by Jimmy Blackmon, which you can find on the Internet.  The problem with any of these methods is that they are harder than simply shooting from a natural anchor with your head upright, so require some effort to master.

You can also reduce the gap by using a longer arrow, but there are obviously limits to how far you can go in this direction.  Using a longer arrow means retuning, if your regular arrow is already tuned to your bow.

You can also reduce the gap by decreasing arrow speed, by using a heavier arrow or a lighter bow.  Using a heavier arrow might be advantageous for hunting, and using a lighter bow might be advantageous if you are overbowed.  Otherwise, this seems to me to be a case of where the cure is worse than the problem.

The last option is just to practice more until you learn to shoot more accurately with the larger gaps.  After much experimenting, this is the option I finally ended up using.

Longbowarchitect’s post above is also correct regarding where to focus when using a gap.

[Dave Nash]

Thanks guys,I have been working on seeing the point and trying three under which is working better. Was thinking I was missing something, not seeing the point and the target at the same time.
Now that the weather is improving  I'll get out for longer practice sessions and put in the work needed .
   The advice is greatly appreciated. That's what makes trad so enjoyable, the people and the effort it takes .
  Thanks again.  Dave

[LongbowArchitect]

I was spraying arrows all over the target when I tried to look directly at the arrow point and gap it correctly under the target according to the distance. Jimmy Blackmon helped me immensely telling me about "seeing the arrow point in peripheral vision only". I tried it and immediately improved my accuracy.

[Dave Nash]

Thanks again for the insight.

[the rifleman]

Dave, I have friends that shoot split and tell me that they are able to put the point on the target.  How this occurs, I have no idea as when I shoot split I am dealing with 20"+ gaps at 20 yards.  I have tried high anchors, but they do not let me get reliably into my back muscles.  I eventually plateaued with split and even 3 under---sometimes I would miss a deer high or a 3d high or low and could not tell you why.  I did find myself wanting to stick the point of the arrow on a deer in the woods so I have begun using a fixed crawl.  You may want to try a crawl, just to see if it helps you with aiming.  It will allow you to look down the arrow from back to front to the target.  This helps greatly to make sure you are lined up, although good form will automatically align your lefts and rights.  You can set the crawl up to get point on wherever you want it---just crawl down further for close point on and crawl up the string for farther point on distances.  I stick with a fixed crawl and hold slightly above or below when I am further or closer than my point on distance (20 yards).  After you do this for awhile you will find yourself paying less attention to where the arrow is and more on the spot that you want to hit.  Along with form advice from Arne, this method has turned my shooting around significantly!  Hope this helps.  John

[Dave Nash]

Thank you John. I am working on a crawl but looks like it will take a while to adjust. I love to practice so the advice gives me encouragement to learn all I can of the different types of aiming.
 There's a lot of knowledge on this site and good people willing to share.
   Thanks again  Dave

[the rifleman]

You're welcome Dave!  I just read McDave's post and his advice is spot on.  There are several ways to reduce gaps, you just have to find what works best for you.  I ran into trouble when I started tipping my head down and putting my nose on the arrow---I was severly out of alignment and my draw length was never consistent, but always much shorter than it should have been...

I sent you a PM.

John