What's your thoughts on Hill's quote?

[toddster]

I agree with Terry.  Though I am no Guru, I feel to me, he meant that you don't have time to be methodical,as you do in Target shooting, as well as the aiming system, and hold.  Hunting, even from a Stand is quick and more instinctive.  To be able to shoot an animal on the move if have too or from a swinging position as it moves away or bust you on the stalk.  And let us not forget the quick rush of adrenaline that we get from hunting that we dont get from targets, that primal instinict that the good lord embedded in us.

[eminart]

Originally posted by NBK:
I really don't think it has anything to do with form, because form is form no matter what you're shooting.  

Not necessarily. Go watch some olympic archers and then try to shoot a deer that way.

I used to shoot a lot of tournaments in my wheel bow days. I started out doing it as a fun way to practice for bowhunting. I shot in the hunter's class with fixed sights, etc. But, the more I got into it, the more my gear changed. I ended up shooting in the open class with moveable sights, giant stabilizers, back tension release aids, light arrows, etc.

I'm new to traditional shooting and I'm not up to date on what target archery was like back then. But, I'll bet to be in the top scorers, you had to deviate from a normal hunting set up. Maybe a different kind of aiming. Maybe a lighter bow. Maybe a lower anchor.

I think his point was that you can only specialize in one or the other. That doesn't mean you can't do both, but being one of the best in both might be very difficult.

That's all my own inexperienced opinion.

[Orion]

A lot of what he was talking about had to do with bow weight and shooting style, which varied quite a bit between target shooters and hunters.  The same holds true today.

Most of the good target shooters today are shooting light bows and arrows, and tend to use point of aim and/or string walking, where legal. Many also shoot three under and barrel sight. Now, all of that could be used for hunting, and a few probably do use it for hunting. Three under is certainly gaining popularity among hunters, for example. Most  whose focus is hunting shoot heavier bows and arrows and use "instinctive/split vision aiming. They're still beasts of a different color.

[Raminshooter]

From what I have read and from watching his movies I believe what he is really referring to is ones shooting "rhythm". Unlike a target style shooter that will shoot in a very static way AND take an inordinate amount of time aiming, Howard developed his style that was quicker at getting shots off at game and more flexible in terms of his shooting position....especially how you held the bow (in what position).  In this sense he was right in that by practicing one too much you ruin yourself for the other.