Bowyer Shooting Style

[BMorv]

Now that I have a nice FG bow from the bow swap (thanks again Travis aka 4 point), I'm starting to look at improving my accuracy.  I've always shot split finger/instinctive and my accuracy is mediocre at best.  I'm thinking about trying a fixed crawl since I'm sure the bow can handle it.  I wouldn't do it with one of my wood bows. 

I guess my question is from a bowyer's perspective, what's your style of shooting? Are any of you all-wood guys shooting a string walk or crawl type? 

I do go on the shooter's side of the site from time to time, but I want to get you guy's perspective.  It seems most of them don't give a thought about the excess stress you are putting on the bow by walking your fingers 2" down from where it was designed to be shot.

[Pat B]

I shoot split fingers and instinctively also. I like it because it is simple. You just look where you want the arrow to hit, draw and release. It does take lots of thoughtful practice shooting to get consistent but once you're there you don't even have to think about anything but where the arrow will go.
Also, I don't shoot groups. I pick a spot and shoot at it. If I find I'm getting sloppy I shoot one arrow, retrieve it and shoot it again. Multiple arrows in the target can be confusing to your concentration. You generally only get one shot at a game animal so take each shot as if you were hunting.

[kennym]

Pat pretty well nailed it for me too. 

And I'm not sure how broadheads would fly walking your fingers 2" down either....

[George Tsoukalas]

I shoot instinctively also. No on string walking and crawling. Jawge

[Roy from Pa]

I shoot 3 under.

I string walk with a glass bow cause ya can not hurt them.

"You can not string walk with a wooden bow", "it will destroy the tiller."

Wood bows I hold right under the arrow nock, as that is how my tiller tree is setup for equal limb timing.

You some kind of rookie or something?

 

[BMorv]

Thanks for the opinions guys.  You have convinced me to stick with instinctive, but I may try 3 under to see if having more of the arrow in my peripheral vision helps at all. 

Roy, I didn't want to be mean to you on your birthday, so I waited until today to reply.  I heard you were a good shot, but I assumed that was with the compound, or they misspoke and really meant to say he's good at taking shots.  Glad you could clarify.    

[Forwardhandle]

I been shooting split finger Split vision/instinictive like a Byron Ferguson style but some times find my self just shooting instictive the two styles work good together for me especialy for longer shots !

[goobersan]

Roy, I didn't want to be mean to you on your birthday, so I waited until today to reply.  I heard you were a good shot, but I assumed that was with the compound, or they misspoke and really meant to say he's good at taking shots.  Glad you could clarify.   

 

[Roy from Pa]

Thanks gooberson.
Mr. Ben, I do ok with stickbows too.
Haven't shot wheels in 18 years.

[Wolftrail]

I tiller my wood bows as such and only shoot them split finger because 3 under places to much stress on the lower limb.  String walking and yada yada no I dont go there.  I shoot 3 under on glass bows and it works fine. 
Like Pat said .  "You just look where you want the arrow to hit, draw and release."

[BMorv]

I've read books on instinctive archery and have practiced for 3 years, but it just doesn't always happen that easy for me.  I can make a good shot 3 out of 4 times but that's just not good enough for me when you have an animal's life you are potentially taking.  That one in four shot I will lose concentration for a second, and who knows where the arrow will end up.  I have a problem with overthinking things, and I feel I'm thinking about too many things when I have an off shot.
I could always practice more, but who wants to do that when I can just complain about how much I suck at shooting...lol
 

 

[Roy from Pa]

[YosemiteSam]

When tillering, I try to pull the string from where I expect my middle finger to rest, which is about even with the fulcrum of the grip.  This puts me pretty close to resting the arrow on my bow hand and nocking with 3-under.  After cutting in a shelf or some sort of pass, It's close enough.

That's how I've been doing it.  But I could be doing it all wrong.  I'll follow the thread & see how others do it.

[Pat B]

There is not a right way to do it. If it works for you...it's good. 

[C. Johnson]

I shoot split finger and I aim.  I'm not ashamed either!

See, I'm a gunsmith's kid.  I was proficient with a rifle before I could even ride a bicycle.  The concept of "sight picture" was so impressed upon me that I believe it became infused with my DNA.  As such, instinctive shooting is alien to me.  I even redneck rigged primitive sights on my wrist rocket when I was a kid!

So, the method I use on longbows and my recurves with a small sight window is to put marks on the riser to serve as a reference point.  I keep both eyes open and this allows my brain to superimpose the mark on the riser over the target.  I know that in certain competitions, this isn't allowed, but, for the informal shooting I do, it works very well for me.

I'm not knocking what anyone else does, but on a couple of the recurves that I build, I like to install bushings and use a sight.  As long as my form is good and my anchor point is consistent, I can shoot decently, though I have miles to go before I could call myself good.