Canting

[rock_hunter]

I've been shooting a recurve for about a year, and a longbow for about 6 months.  I have found that I need to cant my longbow a good bit to shoot accurately, but only a little bit to get good accuracy from my recurve.  Is this normal?

[Whump]

Whump Sez; By canting a bow you are changing the problem of a stiff arrow from a left and right problem to an up and down problem. You could be shooting an arrow that is too stiff or weak if this is what you are talking about shooting more accurately. As you roll a bow into a cant the shelf shifts to a more vertical position and the arrow is bending in paradox up and down instead of left and right around the riser. It is a lot easier to correct an elevation problem than a windage problem, so hence the idea everything is better by canting. If you are shooting a longbow that is not as center shot as your recurve you could be experiencing this problem.  Hunt safe.

[Tilzbow]

rock hunter,

If you're shooting split finger it might be your bow's sight window. The longbow more than likely has a very short sight window and the recurve's is likely an inch or two or more longer. The short sight window on the longbow might be blocking your dominate eye from seeing your point of aim at closer shots. This could be the case no matter how you aim whether instinctively, gap or other method. When you cant the bow it moves the riser out of the way so you can actually see the spot with both eyes. At least this is my experience. I shoot split finger and my point on is 60 yards so at 20 yards the arrow is pointed a couple feet below the target. With this low of a hold the sight window on my longbows actually blocks the spot I'm trying to hit and I only notice if I close one eye. I know I shoot much better with the bow canted slightly when shooting close.

Try this - Come to full draw, get your sight picture, don't release the arrow, now close your left eye (assuming you're right handed) and see if you can see the spot. If you see the riser above the sight window instead of the spot you've discovered the problem.

If this doesn't help my friend Greg's post above might have more meaning to you.

[rock_hunter]

Thanks guys, I understand now.  My longbow is not centershot, so canting it makes it more accurate.  I appreciate your answers, I am learning a lot more here than through trial and error, that's for sure!

[Terry Green]

Canting should not change Point of Impact...the arrow should go where your looking no matter if its a recurve or longbow. In other words, you shouldn't have to cant your bow a certain degree just to hit your spot.

[TSP]

I'm with Terry on this one, but I also think there's a definate connection between how the bow is designed and how to shoot it with optimum results.  I've found the main reason to cant or not cant has more to do with what feels best to the shooter for achieving proper alignment with that particular bow.  And that feel comes mostly from the grip.  Some bows (like those with pronounced locators...like recurves) often feel better when held more vertical.  The hand fits 'into' the grip better in that position and makes it easier to achieve good alignment from draw elbow to spot on target.  But a straight grip bow (like a Hill, for instance) seems to do that better with a cant...because the hand fits 'onto' the grip better to maximize the alignment thing.  In both cases its simply easier to achieve a straight line to the target by gripping the bow in a specific way.  At least for me, the 'best' way to hold a bow is usually dictated by its grip characteristics, not by whether it has recurve or longbow limbs.