Shooting high while seated (ground blind)

[SnakeEyes]

Hi. Been a compound bowhunter for years and have killed a small pile of deer.  I took up recurve last year and have loved it.  I'm facing a bit of a dilemma though. 

I can make my arrows touch, while standing, from 12-15y away.

However:  When I practice shooting out of my blind (seated) I am about 6" high consistently.  If I exit the blind and shoot, I'm dead on. 

Just looking for tips on what I may be doing incorrectly. My bow is 60" AMO FWIW

thanks all

[McDave]

Yesterday, while wandering around my club, I tried a shot sitting down.  It was about 6” high, which is higher than I would expect to miss at that distance.  In trying to figure out why that happened, it occurred to me that most of my attention had been focused on how different things felt drawing the bow sitting down rather than the actual steps in my shot sequence.  I tried it again, but this time I purposely focused on my shot sequence and particularly on my sight picture when it came time to aim.  The second shot was within the normal 2-3” accuracy range I have at that distance.  But this made me think that if I intended to shoot from a ground blind in the near future I should spend a lot more time shooting under the conditions of the hunt, like sitting down, so I would feel comfortable and not be distracted by the differences.

There is no reason why you should shoot any differently sitting down than you do standing up, unless you have some kind of disability that only comes into play when you are sitting down.  I'm sure that if you practice shooting sitting down enough times, and focus on your shot process, you'll figure it out.  Probably some common error that would cause a high shot when standing up, like a drifting bow arm or inattention to your sight picture.

[SnakeEyes]

Thanks.  I think you may be on to something.  I have no disability, so I guess I just need more practice sitting down

[Orion]

I agree with McDave.  Sitting should't make a difference, though it may initially feel different.  I mostly shoot from a sitting position, whether in a blind or a tree stand, so that's primarily how I practice.  No difference in my accuracy.

[Jack Whitmire Jr]

I been practicing and hunting out of ground blinds some this year. First thing is I shoot out of VERTICLE windows instead of Horizontal windows. Shooting out of the horizonal windows causes me to also shoot high. Also you MUST practice sitting down as it requires more concentration/focus for me.

[johnnyk71]

also, focus on your posture. is your back straight and shoulders in alignment, same as when you are standing? and are you canting the bow or holding it differently when sitting down? most of those things become clear with practice. I hunt almost exclusively sitting down, so I make sure to practice a good bit that way too.  good luck!

[Tim Finley]

When you shoot sitting from blind you are too straight you need to bend slightly at the waist . Vertical windows can get you spotted as you raise your bow always try for horizontal windows . Ive shot a lot of animals from ground blinds deer ,antelope ,hogs and African game . I like to set up my blind in the yard and practice from it . I Shooting in low light from a blind can change accuracy also as you are sitting in the dark .

[Mike Bolin]

Adding my 2 cents here. I have a hard time when shooting from a pop-up type ground blind or I guess any opening that is "framed". On a Maine bear hunt in 2017 I was setting on the ground in a brush blind that the outfitter had added camo netting with square shooting hole that was roughly 2'x2'. I shot "bearly" over the back of a medium sized bear at no more than 15 yards! I think that looking through a "hole" takes away my depth perception...things just look further away than they are. I don't want to go into how many turkeys I've missed from pop-up blinds. Sitting while shooting hasn't been an issue as I practice it regularly.

[SnakeEyes]

When you shoot sitting from blind you are too straight you need to bend slightly at the waist . Vertical windows can get you spotted as you raise your bow always try for horizontal windows . Ive shot a lot of animals from ground blinds deer ,antelope ,hogs and African game . I like to set up my blind in the yard and practice from it . I Shooting in low light from a blind can change accuracy also as you are sitting in the dark .

This was it ! I was sitting too upright.  Normally when I shoot standing, I bend at the waist. I wasn't doing that while sitting

Thanks !

[the rifleman]

I agree Jack--- I much prefer shooting out of vertical windows than the horizontal.  The horizontal windows are a bit too high foru liking and I find myself thinking about the lower edge which may make me adjust and shoot a bit high.

[Tim Finley]

Vertical windows are easier to shoot out of but there's a good chance you will be spotted either raising you bow to shoot or drawing . I even got spotted out of a box blind on a 8 ft. stand last fall that belonged to a friend that had long vertical windows and I wasnt even moving . If your to low sit on a cushion , my grandson at the time was 9, he  sat on several foam pads and killed a buck with his recurve .

[LookMomNoSights]

In theory, if nothing changes at all from the waist up with your form,  it shouldn't matter standing or sitting.  Changes to your form that happen when you take a seat,  will change how you shoot and most likely change point of impact.  The blind can also create a distraction when you are trying to execute on the thought process to make an accurate shot.   Best to practice from the blind and from seated often and if you have to make minor adjustments to achieve accuracy,  you'll know how to make it happen.

[Terry Green]

Being that 'form' is from the waist up, I have no idea why you would shoot high. Maybe you are afraid you are going to hit the blind subconsciously?

[Fallguy]

If you are doing the Asbell lean and cant while standing then when you sit you do the "sit up straight" you are going to be shooting high. Also what your body is doing at the point of release is going to be different because your legs are no longer involved. We all like to think we are statue solid with our shot sequence, if you can take a slowmo film of yourself shooting from both positions I'm sure you well see the difference.

[Friend]

Would believe that you have inadvertently compromised your form...would start with head position while maintaing your standing shooting posture....

Have harvested over 50 critters from a seated position w/i a ground blind....shooting thru both vertical and horizontal windows
...I have observed no difference.

[the rifleman]

Not sure that vertical windows result in more chances to be busted than horizontal --- when I hunt on the ground with no blind my primary cover is back cover, which is afforded by the blind also.  I guess I've learned through a good deal of experience how to move and when to move so I haven't noticed an issue between the 2.  Whether you're in an enclosed structure w horizontal or vertical windows or on ground sans blind setting up so the animal has ideally passed you a bit and making your move when the animals behavior cues you are a big help.

[STICKBENDER98]

Just to throw a wrench into the process, I bought a Waldrop Pacchair this summer, as I was practicing with it, I was shooting 4-5" low, stand up, everything was fine, just took a bit of practice to get my eyes readjusted to the different form I was shooting from.  Something to remember, is that when shooting instinctively, there is a lot of hand eye coordination that goes into it, so shooting/practicing from different positions goes a long way to being accurate when the time comes to make a shot.  Something I came to realize was that I was canting my bow more as I was seated than when I was standing. Food for thought.


Jason