What makes a person a good shot?

[riverrat 2]

My opinion is this...To be a good shot,an archer should be able to consistently hit a softball size area of any givin target,from various angles and elevations,and positions. My opinion of distance's that the forementioned softball area should be consistently hit is from 10 yards..out to 30 yards. Almost all archers have good days on the range,and bad days on the range. My opinion is...that if you are having a BAD DAY try to shoot 10-15 yards. If your still having a BAD DAY go and do something else. GOOD DAYS an archer that is in good control of there equipment should be able to stay in that softball area 80% of the time. Lastly....you should have a lot more GOOD days than BAD days. Get 10,000 shots out of traditional bows. Recurve or longbow. In a couple/few year period...you should be very good if you've been paying attention. Have fun shooting pal'. And shoot as much as you can without fatigue setting in. When you start feeling it..Stop. Practice,practice,practice. rat'

[Charlie3]

To me its all about consistency and knowing what to expect from yourself. My best nfaa scores are in the 250's, but I feel good about my shooting if I score 235 and have no shots outside the 3 ring. Likewise with 3-d I am OK with averaging 8 per target if I don't miss the 8 ring on Deer sized targets all day. Eliminate bad shots. You don't have to make a world class shot to kill a deer. Practice until you don't miss a deer sized target ever in a practice situation, whatever that distance is don't excede it when you hunt.

[Brock]

confidence and knowing your limitations...and then living within those limitations no matter how large the rack, how strong the desire, how pressing the ego stroking of your peers.

   how far you shoot or how many you can put in a paper target bullseye mean nothing to me.

Originally posted by longbow fanatic 1:
Good accuracy begins with a repeatable shot sequence and the ability to replicate that shot each and every time, no matter the circumstances.

That about sums it up!

Bisch

I would suggest to go small game hunting to develop your shot timing and your nerve, not to find your limitations, but to expand your abilities and perhaps your limitations.

[boinky]

Originally posted by pavan:
I would suggest to go small game hunting to develop your shot timing and your nerve, not to find your limitations, but to expand your abilities and perhaps your limitations.

Thanks for the advice!  I tried putting a stalk on a squirrel...........he was very wiley and ran off before I got a shot.

I was really interested in seeing if what I think makes a good shot is the same as what you guys think......I almost always shoot alone so it makes it hard to compare myself with others.

As for hunting animals, I killed bobcats, foxes, numerous coyotes, deer, hog, bear and a mountain lion with a wheelie bow...

Changed to recurve for a change.  

Thanks again for all the advice, I feel that I am on the right track and will be able to connect on a deer in short time with a recurve.

[Eric Krewson]

Some people will probably disagree with me but I feel you have to have some athletic ability and good hand eye coordination to be a top shot.

As a kid I could shoot dimes out of the air with my red ryder BB gun after a little practice. Same with bows before TP raised it's ugly  head.

Form and consistency are paramount to being a great shot. If you are not the greatest in the hand eye coordination department, point of aim shooting, properly learned and practiced will have you shooing right along with the best shooters out there.

[Mike Mecredy]

Assuming the equipment is tuned, and that's most important, but once that's done; Consistency with the mechanics of your shooting, the hand placement on the grip, the finger placement on the string, the draw the, the anchor, and the release.  Once you get those to the point you do it the same every time, you'll see the groups closing up.  

That'll make a person a good shot.

Being a good hunter is being a good shot first, and then there's lots of other things that go into it.