how do the best shots shoot?

[zetabow]

Just don’t confuse your individual experiences for a universal truth. [/QB]

Well said    

[Yohon]

"Just don’t confuse your individual experiences for a universal truth." X2

Jason...that about sums it all up right there  

[Earthdog]

Shooting 3D I shoot as fast without snap shooting as any instinctive shooter.
If It wasn't for the fact I tell people I shoot mainly Split vision,there's no way anybody could tell the difference.
I think there's a lot of people like me,but some of them keep their mouths shut just to avoid the arguments.

[zetabow]

Originally posted by Earthdog:

some of them keep their mouths shut just to avoid the arguments.

Think you're right, I never cared what others thought, for many years a small number of (mostly Hill style) Archers have complained about my aiming and equipment choice (all within tourney rules) I figure it's their problem and not mine.

One year a National tourney I was at the stake ready to take a shot and this guy came over from another target and started to shout at me that my Bow wasn't legal etc etc, I just told him not to bother me and go and speak to an official.

It seems they way of things, they just can't accept that I shot well because I worked really hard at my shooting, these Archers are always looking for some other reason other than the most obvious.

[bigjono]

It never seems to be the winners that moan and bitch does it. We all have a degree of choice in what we shoot and how we shoot it. If I want to practice 5 times a week, work on my form and try to get as good as I can be, why should that bother a guy who only picks his bow up a couple of times a month for an open shoot. He chooses his way I choose mine, yet when I beat him he moans about my bow or "target" style aiming method.

[zetabow]

It never seems to be the winners that moan and bitch does it.

I had a guy at the European champs last year, first day he took the lead, second day he shot a great score on a very tough course (Welsh Mountains) and I shot 30 points more and a new European record and took the lead, he started making complaints to officials that he wanted my Bow inspected again, they checked and said nothing wrong with the Bow, later he came and gave an apology and I told him not to worry, the next day he pulled out from the tourney he was 3rd place at that time, he gave some excuse that he had to move campsite because of the weather but seemed a strange excuse to pull from a tourney. I even offered to see the officials to see if we could wait for him while he sorted his camp gear but he declined my offer.

It's a shame when the winning becomes more important than the shooting, that attitude can spoil the fun for yourself and everybody around you. I feel for the top shooters that setting an example of good sportsmanship is more important than the actual winning.

[SteveB]

Just because someone is a good paper-puncher doesn’t mean they aren’t proficient on animals anymore than good bowhunters are lousy on targets. No, bowhunting isn’t target archery, but the two disciplines are far from mutually exclusive.
 

Post of the thread!!!  

[twitchstick]

Personaly I like this debate. I am I gess a gap shooter in sorts. I do walk my face and hold 3 under. Now I find it funny when I get greef for my stlye,but I am not offended. I did shoot instinctive for years so I do understand and belive it helps me with how I shoot now. For hunting most of my shoots are 25 and under and I shoot with both eyes open. It is still mostly instictive style shoot the arrow is still in the sight picture but not used as a mark. Longer yardges I do use an aim system. In my area I am lucky to even see another trad shooter most don't shoot 3-ds or at local ranges so I end up shooting against myself, evan at the state level. I shoot 3-d's where tagets can be out to 60 yards so the gap shooting helps me. It is fun to watch compounders faces when you hit your target at that range,not that I do every time. I have a long bow that I still shoot instinctive split finger and cedars and is alot of fun. When someone teases me for gaping I just switch to instinctive and still shoot good. I don't do it to inpress but to show there are many ways to shoot. I rareley ever turn in a score card unless the is a drawing for door prizes. I shoot for myself and no one else, if I don't like a shoot in a 3-d I will take a 0 and move up to where I can shoot it. I belive shoot how you want, just have differant classes.

[bigjono]

It's a shame when the winning becomes more important than the shooting, that attitude can spoil the fun for yourself and everybody around you. I feel for the top shooters that setting an example of good sportsmanship is more important than the actual winning.

Good comment Zetabow. Most of the top shooters I have encountered are very gracious and sporting but there are some I have come accross that are the exact opposite. Life and every sport has them I guess.

[BigCnyn]

I run into the opposite.
Shoot in a Barebow League, Shooters show up, all seem to be the TRAD clan about 13 of them. 1 compound guy, 3 string walkers and ME, full blown target rig, v bars, long bar elevated rest, big arrows, ANCHORING, 1 anchor point..
I shoot a 274 15x,  and I overhear a trad'er say    " but look at the NORMAL" shooter scores?
What the h#!!,
I shoot daily, been to some shooter schools, and I am the outcast? cause I shoot ok?
folks need to grow up..

[Wolfie2nd]

Originally posted by Incognito:
Iv'e never chunked a bow, but I have chunked a golf club or two.

Hey man there aint nothing wrong with that sometimes those damn clubs get outta line an need to get a little persuasion.. Lol

[zetabow]

One thing I like about living in Europe is good shooting is respected regardless of style, I've had many compliments from Compounds, Barebow etc about my shooting.

I know one top shooter, he's quite a nice guy but when he's in a tourney I really don't like his attitude (not just me) bit like some people when they get behind the wheel of a car.

Think you have several kinds of competitors, one that has to tell himself and everybody around them they're the best and will likely do just about anything to win and those that love shooting and a win is just the icing on the cake, the latter tends to consistently do well in tourneys over a long period where the other types tend to be one hit wonders and tend to crash and burn in a spectacular way at some point.

[rnharris]

havn't read all the posts but for me personally if i have to use the arrow or anything on the bow to hit my mark i lose the reason i shoot traditional bows i don't like aiming i will never win any tournaments but i am accurate enough at the ranges i plan on shooting at animals,i shoot split and shoot fast and love it!

shot a 15" group at 55 yds with my robertson recurve the other day 4 arrows,a note all the tournaments that i go to are won by 3 under gap shooters as far as accuracy goes it is a great way to shoot!

for me if i ever start aiming with the arrow i'll go back to wheels!

[R H Clark]

I don't think we should think of aiming as a dirty word as if aiming is only for compounds or rifles.

I also don't think we should think of instinctive a some magical way of shooting that just happens because we are in sinc with ourselves and the target.

There will alaways be arguements and discussion about what is best and why.Just learn to shoot well whatever it takes.There is no nobility in missing in a better way.

[Earthdog]

rnharris,,I like your style,I wish everybody could say it like that.
Just one thing though,if you were to come to NZ,you would find the NZ longbow champions in NZAA,IFFA and 3D all shoot split.
I'm actualy one of the few who shoots recurve 3 under,,but I do shoot longbow split so I'm not all bad ;^)

[rnharris]

Selwyn for me aiming just dosn't work,if everyone shot the same wouldn't that be boring lol

[Humming]

Most of my compatetors use the point of there arrows to aim,they need to know yardage and as long as their arrow is on the target they are good,I am an instintive shooter and when I get them off the target I pick up points,Its all fun.

[zetabow]

Originally posted by Humming:
Most of my compatetors use the point of there arrows to aim,they need to know yardage.

Knowing the yardage helps gap shooters get even better accuracy but sometimes terrain doesn't allow for accurate distance estimation, this doesn't mean the Gap shooter is lost and cannot hit the target, things like experience and feel for the arrow trajectory also come into play (same as Instinct) Howard Hill was Gap\\Split-vision shooter and he was one of the best Bowhunters ever.

I have very big short range gaps, 28" below at 20 yards so tend to shoot these short targets Instinctively and use Split\\gap between 30-60 yards where I will reach Point-on distance and switch to POA shooting for shots out to 80 yards.

Having such a big short range gap is a pain but adapting my aiming method to suit the type of shot presented has allowed me good success on short range 3D as well as long range IFAA Field shooting.

[canshooter]

Everyone but everyone aims...some systems are more efficient under some circumstances than others. If you are using a stick and a string then whatever works best for a given situation is the way to go.
I use point of aim for 10 ring indoors, I use instinctive out to about 35 yards outdoors and beyond that switch to poa. If you don't use the best available method within the confines of trad or barebow thats your choice but don't whine on those that do. Good shooting is good shooting end of story.

[Terry Green]

Originally posted by Jason R. Wesbrock:
I agree with ishoot4thrills. For me, it’s about being the best shot that I can be while using the equipment that I enjoy; nothing more, nothing less. There are many different ways of shooting barebow. I’ve string-walked, shot point-of-aim, gap, split vision, and instinctive. Eventually I settled on one method that works best for me on paper, 3D, and bowhunting.

Just because someone is a good paper-puncher doesn’t mean they aren’t proficient on animals anymore than good bowhunters are lousy on targets. No, bowhunting isn’t target archery, but the two disciplines are far from mutually exclusive.

I spend a lot of time at a local indoor range shooting groups into little circle targets. In the summer, I’m usually shooting into paper targets outdoors on a field course. Judging by the contents of my freezer, I’d say being a paper-puncher hasn’t exactly handicapped me when it comes to killing wild game. It hasn’t messed up my unmarked yardage 3D shooting either.

If anyone thinks being an instinctive archer isn’t conducive to winning target rounds, I can name at least two members of this forum who’s trophy rooms would prove otherwise. And if anyone thinks being a gap or point-of-aim archer is a handicap to bowhunting, I can name a few such people with more money in taxidermy than I paid for my truck.

The bottom line is this: what works for one person may not work for someone else. Find what works for you and do it. Just don’t confuse your individual experiences for a universal truth.