Help...wandering groups

[canshooter]

I was shooting at 20 yards today, Im a fairly new shooter (less than a year). My groups were pretty good for me, 6 shots not too much larger than my palm most of the time. (I have big Hands)! problem is the groups will hit the yellow and red for a while, then next groups might be in the red and blue at 10 oclock. can anyone offer a suggestion as to why my groups are wandering?    

[McDave]

Do you use a double anchor?

[canshooter]

Eye tooth with index finger is my anchor

[sdpeb1]

Make sure your eye is over the arra exactly the same each time. It would seem to me if your consistent one group and then the next is consistent in another group, that that might be your problem.

[McDave]

As Stephen says, if you are shooting consistently each time you pick up the bow, but not from one time to the next, perhaps your eye is not in the same orientation with respect to the arrow each time.  It's not so much that your eye has to be exactly over the arrow each time, but if it's a quarter inch to the left one time, it should always be a quarter inch to the left, and your brain will adjust.  Having a double anchor will help you to always have your eye in the same orientation with respect to the arrow.  Your "eye tooth index finger" anchor is really a pivot which could allow you to cant the bow without an equal cant in your head, thus moving the arrow from one side to the other under your eye.

Terry Green recommends brushing your thumb along your cheek each time you draw the bow and finding an anchor for your thumb, in addition to the corner-of-mouth (or in your case eyetooth) anchor to maintain the same orientation of the bow to your head each shot.  Rick Welch recommends finding a thumb anchor, such as touching your thumb knuckle to your ear lobe, and doing away entirely with the corner-of-mouth anchor and instead touching your nose to the back of the cock feather.  You can probably find your own double anchor, but whatever you use should be for the purpose of eliminating the potential for the bow to pivot independently of your head.

[canshooter]

Thanks McDave that sounds like sage advise, I will try for a second anchor reinforcement that feels comfortable next time I am out.

[Whump]

Whump Sez; What kind of riser grip does your bow have or what kind of bow are you shooting? A long bow with a straight or slightly dished grip as Hill style bows have will be sensitive to you gripping the bow in a slightly different position on the riser. If your bow has a riser such as this do not release your grip between shots and this will keep your hand in the same position after each shot. If you have a a deep dish grip as recurves have you may be gripping the bow tight on one shot and loose on the other and this will cause wandering groups. The fellows above have also hit a home run with the anchor idea too. Hunt safe.

[toddster]

canshooter- How many arrows are you shooting at an end?  Have to watch it, cause we start to become fatigued and really don't realize it (small muscles and focus).

[canshooter]

I am shooting a Martin X-200 48 lb at my draw length, and I am probably shooting way too many arrows at an end. I let my enthusiasm carry me away...cant help it   :rolleyes:   Maybe I will grow out of that as I mature, I am only 50.

[canshooter]

I tried the multi point anchor thing...wang hit my nose with the string! Nice and red on the tip LOL. The grip though, I loosened up on the grip letting the grip stay in my palm under the pressure of the draw and circling my fingers just enough that the bow could rebound and spin around without flying out of my hand. I had a real good day...for me any way. I was hitting a coke can at 30 yards 2 or 3 out of five shots. I shot the whole 3d course and didnt lose 1 arrow!

[dragon rider]

If you've found a second anchor for your thumb and still like the idea of touching the cock feather, but want to keep your nose safe, try putting the cock feather in the very outside corner of your mouth - helps keep your face straight to the target, thereby saving your nose.  I've havent tried this approach but my best friend uses it and it works for him.

[Diamond Paul]

Could be your alignment.  If your feet, body, shoulder alignment (relative to the target) varies from group to group, your group location can vary as well.  This is one reason that indoor shooters often shoot x's on 3 or 4 of the five spot indoor targets (five shots per round) and have one or two just out of the x right or left: they don't realign their bodies/feet/shoulders for the slightly different locations of each spot.  Just a thought, Paul.

[Diamond Paul]

P.S.- I suggest this because if you did not have a pretty consistent anchor, and form in general, your group size would tend to be very inconsistent and quite a bit larger, rather than tight groups whose location moved around.  You would probably have some arrows right, some left, some high, some low, etc., rather than clustered together.  Paul.

[canshooter]

Thanks DP,

 I am shooting tonight and will pay careful
 attention to my alignment relative to the target.