Better with a longbow ?

[PrimitivePete]

So over the last few months I have noticed that I am more "comfortable" and "accurate" when I shoot my longbows or selfbows over my recurves. Which prompted me to move a few of my recurves for new longbows (much to the joy to my wife lol). What I finally believe is the root of my success so to speak is with the longbows I shoot, the shorter sight windows actually aid me by narrowing my focus if this makes sense. With a recurve being able to see more, I feel I end up surfing around trying to find my sight picture and errors even slightly off end up pushing my arrows off the mark I am hoping for. Whereas with the longbows I seem to dial in easier.

[McDave]

I think Howard Hill would agree with you.

Do you follow the path of your arrow to the target through your sight window?  I find that my accuracy improves if I maintain my view of the sight window in my peripheral vision as the arrow flies to the target.  Maybe it's because it's impossible to peek or drop my bow arm as long as I’m still looking through the sight window.

[Sam McMichael]

I don't know why, either, but I seem to aim more naturally with the longbow. It has been so long since I was a recurve shooter, it would take months to get proficient (a very relative term) again with the curve.

[GCook]

I've been just the opposite.  I generally post better recurve scores.  However the longbow feels better to shoot.

[Stagmitis]

Hey Macdave, al Henderson wrote a book called understanding winning archery in which he explains peeking in detail- I had a problem with "peeking" until I read his book and was able to do away with it-I would say its one of the must reads for traditional archers even though its focus is on olympic style shooting.

[McDave]

Hey Macdave, al Henderson wrote a book called understanding winning archery in which he explains peeking in detail- I had a problem with "peeking" until I read his book and was able to do away with it-I would say its one of the must reads for traditional archers even though its focus is on olympic style shooting.

Yes, I have that book.  Been quite a while since I’ve read it.  Thanks for the reminder; probably time I read it again.

[tradslinger]

My main love is the longbow and selfbows. I was having a lot of shooting issues that threw me for a loop for a while. it is bad enough to have vision problems which can make focusing challenging at times but there was something else wrong. Then one day it hit me as I struggled to hit the target at all at 20 yards. After numerous trips and falls from dragging my right foot, my shoulders and arms are very weak. I struggle to hold a drill up long enough to drill very long. I was happy to find out that I could still draw and shoot my bows but at lighter weights. I have one bow rated at 46# at 28" but I draw about 26 1/2". So the problem was quite simple, I was dropping the bow immediately. It has been a struggle but when I keep it up after the shot, the arrow flies like it is supposed to and to where it is supposed to. I have been working out hard as I try to get into better shape and hopefully strengthen my arms again. These old arms take a lot longer to respond like I hoped they would. But, in the meantime, that longbow gets shot and I am hoping for a decent shot this fall.