Are you a Monogamist?

[mscampbell75]

How many of you shoot only ONE bow, a month or so leading upto and during hunting season?

 Does shooting more than one bow seem to affect your accuracy?

I tried to tuning a recurve last night, with some new arrows I just recieved. After that, I thought I would get some shooting with my hunting rig (longbow) before it got too dark.  I have been shooting everyday, and have been consistanly shooting good groups out to 25yrs w/ the longbow.  But last night, after tuning the recurve, I was disappointed in my longbow shooting.  I don't know if it's the difference in the two bows or maybe I was just getting tired. I just put it up for the night so not to make things worse and let it go to my head.  

I'm scared to mess with the recurve anymore b/c it is so close to deer season.  I want to keep in tune w/ the longbow b/c that is what I intend to use for this season.

What do you guys think?

[Ricker]

I can shoot a few different bows all the time, but I do 90 percent of my shooting with just one.  I think if it makes you nervous to shoot more than one then do what your head is telling you to do.  In the woods it may give you that edge of extra confidence at the moment of truth.

[Winterhawk1960]

I can, and do.......shoot several bows on a regular basis. What I find is that the closer it gets to season coming in, is that I tend to concentrate on one or two bows. One of the things that "throws me" is the bows that are of a different "center cut". It doesn't usually take more than a few arrows for my mind to correct this, but if the grips on the bows want to be held differently........that causes the biggest problem.

I don't tend to keep bows that are "fidgety" (if that's even a word) on my rack to long. If I can't shoot them well on a consistant basis, I move them along to someone that will shoot them, because I won't.

A friend and I get together at least once a week and shoot for several hours at a club that we belong to.........I usually take at least two bows with me..........UNLESS........I have a recent acquisition, then until I get it tuned and shooting where I'm looking......I concentrate on that one.

It works for me...........    

Winterhawk1960

[hunt it]

All my bows are the same make model and length - Morrison Shawnee's with limbs from 60# to 75#. My theory is find the bow you like best and stick with it = more accuracy. I can't fathom guys shooting two different bows everyday on a hunt, but I see it all the time. I guess if your mission is just to have fun and your not worried about hitting what your shooting at then fine. I like having fun and killing stuff.

[hvyhitter]

If your bows have different points of impact I would just stick with one. With that said I have two recurves and a longbow that all shoot exactly where I look whenever I pick them up. There have been about another 2 dozen that went bye bye because they didnt, even though  I could shoot some really great groups with most of them. They just did not have the same natural point of impact.

[cbCrow]

I have several bows but shoot primarily with one. I could never switch from bow to bow and find consistancy, so I dance with the one I like best.

[bolong]

A month before the season it is one bow only for me.

[mscampbell75]

Thanks guys for the input.

I think I may try again tonight to see if it was truly the difference in the bows or if I was me just getting tired.

If I ,trully, cant shoot the two bows with out affecting my accurace, I will put the recurve up untill after the hunting season.  I like the confidence of knowing my arrow is hitting where I'm looking when I'm in the woods.  I think confidence is over half the battle.  I've choosen the weapon of choice (longbow) for this season and will stick with it.  No pun intended!!

[browndown]

It just makes sence to shoot the bow your going to hunt with the most to me but I love shooting so there is nothing like having fun with other bows.

[Mitch-In-NJ]

Until a couple weeks ago I only HAD one bow.  I recently bought a lighter weight bow and it shoots pretty much the same out to 16 - 18 yards so it doesn't mess me up.

I have no problems shooting my other bow daily, but I love shooting so much that sometimes I will shoot 200 or more arrows a day.  Back to back to back days of that can make my shoulder sore (rotator cuff injured 3 times) so having a bow 12# lighter should be nice.

I may also use this bow for bow fishing, frogging and small game.  Anything where lots of shots in the day is expected.

As for your question... I am not sure if shooting more than one bow will make me less proficient or more.  I think maybe the "throwing a baseball" analogy can be used again.

I can throw a baseball AND a football.  Why couldn't I shoot multiple bows accurately.

BTW - I spoke to Byron Ferguson a few years ago and he said he shoots both a 90# and a 60# bow at his shows.  He doesn't seem to have any trouble... but then again, he's Byron Ferguson.

[mscampbell75]

I believe it was the hadle difference in two bows.  I did not have a good grip on the bow.  The recurve has a low grip,(i think that is what it's called, a deep grip) and the longbow has a high grip (stright).

I just read "Istinctive shooting" by Asbell, I found out that I was not holding the bow the correct way.  The deep low grip of the recurve gave me a grip more the way I need to be griping.  I had been using a broken wrist style with my longbow.

Once I started using the same style of grip on both bows, it seems that I can shoot them back to back with good results.

I now seem to be pointing my bow better and therefore increasing my accuracy.

Long story, short.  I was screwing up.  Which seems to be common when it comes to archery. 9 times out of 10, i've have found it to be something i'm doing wrong when I have shooting issues.  Go Figure.

Thanks,
Mike

[brinkwolf]

I have to be(my wife won't let me have another wife).....

[smokin joe]

From after the season until about two months before the season starts I will shoot any and all of my bows just for fun. But, starting in July or August I get serious with one bow and set it up for hunting and then that is all I shoot until the cycle starts again.
Joe

[Ragnarok Forge]

Two identical bows for me and that is all I will own.  No problem switching back and forth since they match.

[pickaspot]

I always heard "beware of the man who shoots one bow"...but that is not me. Shooting different bows is just plain fun!

Not much difference between my favorite longbow & recurve - but the handle, length, and draw weights are similar. Back when I was transitioning away from a compound that back and forth caused consistency problems. Thankfully, I finally got weaned.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

It's strange how I found this post right after coming back in from my garage and had just experienced this very thing first hand.
I just finished my Osage longbow last week and that's all I've been pounding the target with since. I've finally started getting some good grouping with it and it's very comfortable to shoot.
Then I decided to take my Bear Grizzly recurve out and fling a few with it and everything was still grouping ok, but high and right?
So I put the Bear down and grabbed the longbow again and everything is back in the center of the target. I used the same method of shooting on both bows, and two different impact points.
Rather than get frustrated I put the Bear away because I plan to hunt with my own hand made Osage longbow and I didn't want to impede my progress that I've made with it.

Of course the recurve has a different grip and a completely different feel to it. I normally shoot it just fine, but evidently since I have only been practicing with the longbow I'm not one of those guys that can just drop one, pick up another completely different bow and put them in the center ring.  

[Tsalagi]

When I get "into" a bow I like, I tend to stick with it quite a while. Which for me is years.

[mscampbell75]

OK guys.  Played around alittle tonight with the two bows.  I discovered my longbow, when I shoot three under, it shoots right where i am looking.  My recurve shoots  below where i'm looking.

BUT, when I shoot my recurve split fingers, it shoots right where I am looking.

What gives?  Any explinations?

[Diamond Paul]

I shoot only one brand and type of bow (W.Wallace recurves), so the only difference is bow length (same poundage).  I am planning to hunt with my 60" bow, so that is what I shoot 99% of the time, with quiver on it as it will be for hunting.  I shoot instinctively, so the trajectory factor is a big thing.  If I shoot many different bows with different trajectories, it messes up my accuracy.

[WRV]

I should stick with one bow but somehow always wind up switching back and forth....Randy