Struggling/thoughts

[Osagetree]

Just read on TG where on 10/10/10 G. Wensel missed a shot at a big'n!
Just read on TG where a down hill shot resulted in a exit wound higher than the entrance wound.
I've wounded and or completely missed with modern compounds and crossbows alike!

Some days, I shoot groups like the best of them and other days, I can't hardly get a group. I have come to base my confidence on my first shot at an unkown distance. More often than not my first shot is truly instinctive. And, that is the shot you will find in a hunting situation. Not to say I haven't had to follow up once or twice!

I do this practice all the time to build my confidence. Take one shot at a distance of about 10yrds; pick a spot and think of nothing else.
Go do something for about 15 minutes and return to shoot again.

10yrds builds your confidence.

Now, go do something for 15 or 20 minutes and return to shoot at an unkown distance; pick a spot and think of nothing else!

I do keep my unkown distance under 22yrds (my backyard) and try to work out to that over a day.

I find that most of my so called 1st shots are in a deer sized vital area. I am then confident enough to hunt.

When I do miss a so called 1st shot, I try to think of times I missed with that compound or from now on G. Wensel on 10/10/10!

I expect to kill deer with my trad bow, but I also expect I'll miss some too! Everyone has bad days and second thoughts, you're not alone.

[JimB]

Some pretty good advice and I don't have to add much.I really admire your ethics and concern.Stuff does happen,no matter how hard we try and I believe you can improve the odds if you decide to stick with it.We don't have a pin or a bead to put on that "spot" and under stress,our concentration often isn't as focused as when we are shooting in the yard.

Regarding the issue of possible string jump,I have to ask,did you grunt to stop either deer.

That is a popular method these days and it puts deer on high alert before the shot.I like a standing deer myself but if a deer is walking and I feel I can make the shot,I will give it a very small lead and shoot.As much as I prefer a shot at a standing,relaxed deer,even they have a better chance to jump than a deer moving forward.
The walking deer is making noise and has to reverse directions to drop and bolt.Stopping deer and shooting at them with a weapon that shoots a projectile only 170 fps or even 300,can lead to a miss or much worse.

Stopping a deer when using a weapon that shoots 800 fps or more is a whole different ball game.Just some food for thought and that shot can be easily practiced with the help of a friend,a long rope and a milk jug.

Well whatever you decide,good luck.I'm impressed with your attitude and know you will work it out.

[KentuckyTJ]

Do you practice on one of the foam deer targets? 20 yards shooting at a big bag target or anything other than the deer shaped targets create a false sense of confidence when your target changes to a deer. They do not simulate what actually we are trying to do. Also going from a dot on a target to a solid colored deer is very different as well. I figured out years ago to practice as I play and my confidence now is over the top when drawing down on a deer even at 20 yards.

Back then I could stand and hit around a dot at 20 all day long. When I went to the deer target my effective range immediately went to 15 yards until I built up my confidence. Doesn't take long either. Within a few weeks if you shoot quit a bit you should be back to your 20 yard and even farther max.

[Friend]

Five K's and marathon's are worlds apart. You are merely and likely trying to bridge a very small gap. The issue is that the gap is 100 ft. crevace. If you believe you can't cross, then this train of thought will likely prove you right.

Absolutely can not decipher what were the issues with the previous shots. You will greatly improve identifying an error by having, owning and perfecting a personalized routine. Strict adherance to my routine serves me well in both practise and hunting situations. At the moment of truth, focus more on your routine and change nothing.

This correspondence is no way intended to be a lecture. You are likely much closer to attaining your objective than you believe. I am far from being immune to committing errors and frequently do.  We are just human and some of us are more human than others.


Your concern is admireable but don't let it stand in the way of attaining your objecture.

Have faith...believe....and enjoy the journey.

[Tall Paul]

You should be commended for your attitude and desire to be an ethical hunter.

I didn't read anybody elses comments above, but I'm sure most of those guys gave you solid advice.

My only advice is to not quit.  You'll have ups and downs, and you're down right now.  But hang in there.  The up side is just around the corner.

[Bladepeek]

Our gun club is open to the public the two weekends before firearms season for "Sight In Days". We make spotting scopes and targets available. I see guys come out there with their rusty old 30-30, a cigar box of shells; some of them 150gr, some of them 170gr; some Winchester, some Remington. They shoot 5 shots without touching the paper at 100 yds. Suggest they sight it in at 25yds and they get all belligerent. They finally poke a hole in the target and say "Yep. She's right on". These guys are not hunters. Someone who practices regularly, works on improving his ability and is truly concerned about a miss has my vote as a hunter. I think all of the posts had a similar line - shorten up the distance until you get some confidence back and stay with it!

[TomBow]

There are a billion variables with any shot at an animal.  Animals will and do move often at the shot.  I am also itching to make my first traditional kill but recently had some intensive form training and have been working hard on that.  Relaxation in your physical form is important, tension can lead to unperceived errors in shooting, such as torquing the bow due to too much tension in the bow hand.  I would suggest doing some serious work on your bow form.  This is not to say that you don't have good form but strictly form work WILL improve your overall shooting.  Taking a target out of the equation makes it easier to assess your form.  Take a single shot at a blank bale, then assess your form through your shot cycle.  Then repeat and work on consistency.  The form work that I have been doing over the last 5-6 weeks has helped my target shooting considerably.  Give it a try and listen carefully to the advice you are given.

Best of Luck,
TomBow

[Jeff Strubberg]

The longest shot in bowhunting is about five inches and it's from your left temple to your right one.

Shooting under pressure is not the same as shooting at a bale and never will be.  Ask a trained police officer or infantryman how often they hit what they are shooting at under pressure.  The honest answer is "not very darn often".

You made two shots, you recovered two deer.  Yes, there's room for improvement, but you did well!

[Looper]

"Yeah, but putting them all in a pie plate is not "hitting within a few inches of your spot" if your are focusing on a dime sized spot. A 9" pie plate is 64 square inches! LOTS of room."

Sure it is. If you're focused on a dime-sized spot in the center of a plate, the worst you can do and still hit the plate is to be 4.5" from the center. In my mind, that is "a few inches". Maybe I should have said "within a feather-length". The group you posted above are all within a few inches of each other. That looks to me like a grouping of someone with the skills required to hunt deer at whatever distance that was shot, other factors not withstanding.

At any rate, I think everyone would agree that you need to have some measure of consistency. And there most certainly is a degree of accuracy a hunter needs to have before he shoots at a deer. The last thing any of us want to see is someone slinging arrows willy nilly and hoping for a hit. That is a sure recipe for a lot of bad things to happen.

I'm not saying this is the case with Bow Bum. Not at all. However, he admitted to losing his confidence and asked a question. I suspect that he was just taking a too long of a shot at the deer and they were moving on him.

[Osagetree]

Restraint is necessary no matter what the weapon may be.

[David Yukon]

These are all great advice, and I realy learn a lot from them! Like most said, get close, practice the way you hunt, only shoot at game that don't know you are there!

Good luck and keep at it!

[Bow Bum]

Thanks for all the advice! I really appreciate it.

For lack of other recources, I've used the pie plate as my benchmark. I've done alot of 1st arrow analysis, and grouping based off that I determined 20 yards was max. I've shot a decent amount from the elevation of my garage roof, and have not noticed any ill effects as long as I maintain form. Maybe the pie plate is aaload of crap? A pie plate group is nothing special really.

I tried to shoot tonight, and you can about imagine how that went! This is certainly not an issue to have right in season...

Thanks and best regards,

Brian