Can't cant

[R.W.]

Having a bit of hard time with consistently canting my longbow. I tend to change the cant angle, which in turn, affects my arrows impact point.

I was thinking about placing a small spirit level on my upper limb, right above the shelf cut-out. If I set this at which ever angle is best for me, and I can get consistent with my bow cant, my shooting should really improve.

Once I 'train my brain' the level can be removed. (I will stick it on with bath tub sealer (silco-set)

What are your thoughts on this, and any pointers on how to be more consistent with cant?

(Yeah, I know! Practice)

[Tom Leemans]

I try not to think about how much I can't it. It's usually enough to hold the arrow on the shelf. (not hard to do with a patented Ferret's Floppy Arrarest) I just try to be comfortable. Just keep shooting, just keep shooting....

[Bowmania]

Why do you have to cant?  Your obvious not comfortable with it.  Olympic shooters don't can and they'll beat the pants off cantters.

Your better off with consistant bad form, than good form 50% of the time.

Bowmania

[BobW]

Each has to find what works best for themselves.  I also prefer (read: I shoot better) straight-up.  Yet I know of some who cant (no pun intended).

Remember, this isn't modern techno gagetry, and each of us is a little different.  There is no "one size fits all" here.  You have to find a mix if what works for you and what techniques are necessary to "correct" the issues with your comfortable form.

I too thought I had to cant the bow to keep an arrow from dropping off the shelf.  After reading a segment in TBH by G. Fred, I realized it was my hand form imparting a torque on the string.

Shoot, shoot, shoot.  If you are having problems that are constantly repeating, seek the correction for that aspect.

As far as "teaching aids", do what you see fit.  Unless it is something dangerous (like bare shafting broadheads), nobody should tell you that you are wrong to try it.  I also used things like a clicker and a thumb sling to gain a comfort and teach my brain.  Your approach is correct, help get the basics engrained in, and then move on.

Good Luck!

BobW

[Jim Godden]

Randy, I had a similar problem when I switched from recurve to longbow.  I used to cant the recurve way over, almost 45 degress and shot comfortably.  It took me a little time to figure out that I shot the longbow better if it was upright or with a slight cant.  

I found that if you stick your bow arm out and relax it, your wrist falls into a natural cant of about 10 or 12 degrees.  You'll notice that I cut the thumb groove lower than your finger groove to take advantage of this.  I find that is about the right amount of cant for accurate shooting.  

You've noticed the first difference between a longbow and recurve and that is that the amount of cant does effect your accuracy, especially if you use the "low wrist" grip.

Try shooting with this relaxed, natural cant.  Try not to force your wrist into an upright position, but by the same token don't try to force it way over.  It seems to work for me.  I do practice shooting at different cants as hunting season approaches, including tipping the bow right over to horizontal and reverse cants 'cause you never know....

Good luck with the bow
JIM
Crecy, Poitiers, Agincourt

[Steertalker]

R.W.,

As mentioned above...Why do you feel the need to can't?  You're having trouble with it because it is not natural.  Keeping your shot simple is the key to good shooting.  Everytime we add something to our shot it must be practiced and maintained to keep it consistent.  Remove the cant and that is one less thing you have to worry about.

There is a reason the olympic shooters shoot the way they do      

Brett

[aromakr]

R.W.
If canting your bow at various angles changes your point of impact, then a couple of things are wrong. 1. your not moving your head angle to match the bow cant 2. or the spine of the arrow is not correct. you should be able to shoot from absolutly verticle to horizontal without a change in your right to left impact. Elevation is different that's just shooting a lot of arrows.
Its nice to say "Keep it simple and shoot verticle" however some situations require canting the bow to make a shot. If you don't learn to shoot under various conditions your limiting your capabilities and yourself as a bowhunter
Bob

[indianalongbowshooter]

I

[indianalongbowshooter]

I agree with Bob, should be able to shoot from any position and not change point of impact..I prefer to cant my bow to about 2 oclock just feels natural to me.

[rnharris]

i agree with Bob in that if you are a hunter you will at some point have to move your bow in some weird way as to put a shot on the animal dont worry after a couple of thousand arrows you'll be telling others that you can cant lol Ralph

[Pullonmylimb]

I cant my bow so that the arrow is under my eye.  It feels good to me that way.  Straight up feels stange but I practice that way in case I need to make a shot in that fashion.  That's what I found works for me and it took quite a while to arrive at that conclusion.  Only you can decide what way will work best for you.  I prefer to just shoot my bow without gadgets but I can find no fault in you using them because I think it will help establish a base line to work from.  Good luck and good shooting.

[cvarcher]

Put it to the test. Fire off 6 arrows with the bow straight up and down.Then fire 6 arrows with enough cant so that both eyes can see the target without the bow splitting it in half. Which ever group comes closest to the mark wins.

[Steertalker]

Any canting that would need to be done for a hunting situation can be done at the waist.  However, the angle of the bow in relation to the upper body can remain vertical.

The olympic style form works just fine in hunting situations.  Again...keep it simple.

Brett

[George D. Stout]

I can cant, but I can't can can.    

From 1965 until 1980'ish, I always shot a vertical bow...and did very well, doncha' know.

I like a slight cant, nowadays, because it gives me a better picture of the shot.

[R.W.]

Thanks for all your pointers. A little clarification on my "problem."

I don't drop the arrow off the shelf-this does occasionally happen when I tense up my "draw" hand, but it is not a major malfunction.

I am canting the bow, normally, about 5 degees to my right side. This is where I seem to shoot my best. If I hold the bow vertically, as I do my recurve, my accuracy is not as good as when I cant the bow.

The "problem" is "training" my brain to hit the same cant consistently, ergo, the spirit level idea.

The pointer about changing the cant angle to practise hunting conditions makes a lot of sense, as I don't think deer will always be perfectly broadside, stc. This is something I will work on.

My point of impact change, is usually 4-6 inches from my normal aim point, this, to me, isn't acceptable accuracy (18 yards) for ethical hunting accuracy. If I can trim down the impact point change to 2-3 inches at the same distance, I will be a happy camper..er hunter.

Thanks again for all the idea's and suggestions.

Jim Godden..ain't you supposed to be chasing swamp donkey's ? Git out there after them long noses!
Have a great hunt!

[Jim Godden]

Randy, we don't leave until Sept 20.  Thanks for the support though...

JIM
Crecy, Poitiers, Agincourt

[aromakr]

Brett:
Bending at the waist is canting the bow, and that is not Olynpic style!!
Bob

[R.W.]

OK, I did it. Put a little spirit level on the belly of the bow with a dab of silicone bathtub sealant. Used my inclinometer to set the limbs at 3 degrees.

15 arrows flung, 3 nocks blown. (18 yards)

So this "kooky" idea works. BUT this level will not stay on the bow. Having JUST started with the longbow, I believe that my little pea sized brain will soon put the bows necessary position into whereever it stores important things like that, and I will rid my bow of the level!  

[Terry Green]

Bowhunting is NOT target archery.

If you only have one 'olympic' shot, you WILL miss out on opportunities in the field.  I can give you example after example of kill shots I would have missed out on if I had to stand or cant in the same position.  I have also witnessed many kill shots by other hunters that were way outside the box of an olympic archer.

As bowhunters, we do not get the perfect shot all the time, and we must manufacture and create shots as the terrain and vegetation throws everything in the book at us.  The bowhunter needs more than one shot in his trick bag....he needs to be versatile....but that's up to each individual if he so chooses.  I choose to dictate the shot, and not let the shot dictate me.

Get out there and mix it up.....its a lot of fun.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Terry,

Well said!