Keeping Positive Part II The Practice Factor

[Caleb the bow breaker]

Okay,

first off thanks to everyone for the advice, stories and encouragement.  It has really helped and I have decided to hang the wheelie bow back up.  

There was a theme that was repeated several times in the earlier post and I would like a little more feedback on it.  Namely, PRACTICE!!!!

We all know that perfect practice makes perfect etc...  But what is perfect practice, and how does everyone make time for it.  I am sure my life is like many others out there.  I live in town, dont own land to practice on, work at least forty hours per week, and have a family that I love and want to be with as much as possible.  Not to mention all the other extracurriculay activities in life.  So basically I dont have all the time I want for archery.  I shoot in my backyard and hope that the police arent called and am pretty much stuck with an old bag target for the time being.  I do have a few chunks of foam that I use sparingly for broadhead practice.  

So here are my questions (I know the answers will vary with the individual)

1.  What is enough practice?

2.  What is perfect practice or rather, what is practice that will increase hunting accuracy?

3.  How do other cope with the hustle and bustle of life and the lack of ideal practice facilities?

4.  Is there anything I am forgetting or that I dont see?

I am really looking forward to the replies and comments.
       

Caleb

[longbowben]

Take your time and only shoot 20 -30 arrows so you dont get tired and just start flinging arrows everywhere.Take your time.I love to shoot. I make time, you can practice in you basement i dont care if its just 10 yards its practice.Just enjoy you never no when our hunting days are over.TAKE YOUR TIME PICK A SPOT .

[MnFn]

1. One hunter I know would not allow his boys to hunt until they could consistantly hit a paper plate at a given distance.
I can't shoot enough. I just purely enjoy shooting my bows.
2.Perfect practise to me is taking one arrow and hitting my target with my first shot; I try to do that daily and then shoot a few more for form and arm strength. I like shooting judo points in the field.
3. Retire! I get a lot more practise in now. But, will have to go back to work soon. So we will see after that if I am able to continue my regimen. When my kids were active in school activities, I put my bows away for a few years. That was just my call.
The lack of an ideal practice facility is a hard one.

[T Folts]

I have been shooting bows most of my life and trad the last 4 years. I practice when I can, for starters When I get home from work I shoot about 15 minutes to unwind. I have a little range in the basement for winter shooting 11 yards (still fun) and the best decision I have ever done was buy Rick Welchs Accuracy factory DVD. This gave me the info on technique and a shot sequence that is most valuable,this has help my shooting the most out of all the books and reading I could get my hands on. I just try and slow down and have fun.

[maxwell]

Try to use visualazation techniques- picture the shoot in your mind be of only one mind nothing else matters.  Breathing deep then shoot the one arrow.  Do it again- this is hard to do, can't shoot till the only thing that matters is the one arrow.  This helps me focus.

[rice]

One tip on back yard shooting. Save up about 10 2 liter coke bottles. Scatter then around the yard. Put a big rubber blunt on an arrow and shoot the first bottle, from there shoot the next and so on. With the blunt, you will feel a lot safer shooting in the back yard. Shooting the bottles is not as boring as shooting a bag 30 times. 1 bottle one shot. As you get better, change to small plastic coke bottles.

I love the sound of a blunt on coke bottle.
Its cheap, its fun, and its fairly safe.

Chris

[kenn1320]

My wife complains everytime I shoot my bow, it doesnt take long for it not to affect your accuracy. 8^)

 I was practicing every day for 20-30min. I tried applying what I could from Ricks dvd. I bought a clicker, seemed to help. I only shoot 1 arrow, go retrieve it. I found I was over shooting, trying to hard to be good, worrying about my form way to much. Basically I was over analyzing my shooting. For whatever reason one day I stopped turning my head to touch my nose to the feather, stopped drawing till I heard the clicker, stopped worrying about it all. I now rarely hear the clicker, unless i purposely draw for it(thinking its time to take it off), cant say I ever really hit any sort of anchor conistently, yet my shooting is good by my standards. I was forced to take a week off, when I came back to shooting, this sloppy technique is what I started doing and its working for me. Many might read this and cringe, but I finally listened and "its my style". If I try to draw, anchor, focus, Im not even close. I do take a deep breathe before each shot, per Ricks video. Now I practice twice a week plus minus a day. My wife still complains. lol
 I also live outside the city and have the ability to shoot anytime. That does help, cause 20min of shooting may require you to have 50min of free time with a commute to the range.
 I also bought bows for my family to shoot. At this point, only my son seems to really want to go shoot.
good luck, and dont overthink it.

[hvyhitter]

I keep my el cheepo bag target in the back of my truck and shoot it a half dozen times or more with one broadhead arrow each time I go to the range and practice. Also when hunting when we come out for lunch. KNOWING that your broadheads are flying true is a big confidence factor when shooting at game.

[wingnut]

Practice the shot that you expect to shoot in the field until it is automatic.

One year I'd just returned from elk hunting in Idaho.  Spent two weeks practicing from the ground and shooting out too 35 yds.  When I returned I went deer hunting from a tree stand.  Missed high 5 times in two days.

Mike

[frank bullitt]

Caleb, glad to hear your still in the game. Determination is a good thing.

  Mix it up, meaning shoot from different spots. I shoot 1 arrow, pull it, and shoot from a different position or spot. Concentrate on that shot, forget the shot before and don't look ahead.

 If you know anything about golf, the way a golfer practices is similar to archery.

   If I shoot a few good arrows, I'm done for the session. Don't overshoot, and wear out, and also have fun with the shots.

  And last for me, I love shooting, thats why I will shoot at squirrels, ground squirrels and such, that is in season. No better practice than an animal. Oh, and pick a hair! Good shootin, Steve

[ChuckC]

If you have fun... you will do it.

I like to play in the yard and woods by roving.  In that way I can take shots that are WAY far or weird, and "no animals would be hurt or injured in the making", but boy does it help you feel better about your shooting.   I also like to shoot in my basement.  It is only about an 8 yd shot, but I cut a 1"  a 2" and a 4" hole on cardboard and hang it in fron of my backstop.

No dot, just a hole.  Try to put it INSIDE the hole.

Have fun    Have fun
ChuckC

[mscampbell75]

5-10 min a day is good enough.  It is better that not at all.  Like already said, I love shooting archery, I look forward to it.

Practice the way you hunt.  I hunt out of a tree stand, and I practice that way.  I climb the yard light pole in the back yard.  I live in the city as well.  Yes the nieghbors think I'm crazy, but I dont think it is b/c I am up the pole.  :confused:  

If I am having a bad day, I will put it up and come back to it.  No sense in getting totally bummed out b/c of a few bad arrows.

HAVE FUN! REMEMBER, YOU ENJOY THIS.  

Good luck!  

[Big Sneaky]

I am guilty of shooting too much.  There, I said it!  Going out and shooting groups probably hurts my shooting the most.  But I seem to do it anyway.  Recently, I started shooting 1 arrow with a broadhead at a time.  I shoot a 3-D deer.  I practice hunting situations.  From the ground on one knee, two knees, canting the bow way over, etc.  I also practice from a treestand both sitting and standing.  I do hunt out of a Double Bull quite a bit so I also practice sitting on a stool.  Try and practice just like you will be hunting.  Visualise the shot you will be taking on game and practice it until you have the utmost confidence in yourself and your equipment.

Good luck, we all know you can do it!

[vtmtnman]

All of these answers apply to myself.Your mileage may vary.    

3-I'm definately spolied here.I have 24 acres that we can shoot where ever and whatever we want.Even have an el cheapo "3d" course setup with different things,and a treestand setup in the yard.Not everyone has that luxury,so use what you got.Any practice is better than none.    

4-Pick a spot,focus,do everything the same everytime,and don't over shoot.