Instinctive shooters, How do you aim at longer distances?

[Turkhunter]

I have noticed that my arrow drops about 18-20 inches when shooting at 30yds vs 20yds. My question for the instinctive shooters out there is if you are shooting at the longer distances (over 20yds do you still look at the spot you want to hit or do you pick a spot above and let the arrow drop in? I just look where I want to hit out to 20 and let my brain do the compensating but so far I cant compensate for the drop past 20 without picking a spot directly above where I want my arrow to go and then let gravity do the rest.

[Killdeer]

I shoot at a lot of unknown distances.
I miss sometimes. I shoot until I hit the mark, and then press "save".
When my brain computes correctly, it goes where it is supposed to.

Killdeer

[Eugene Slagle]

I like your responce KillDeer...

Me up to 40-ish yards I'm a split vision or instinctive shooter, I look at the spot I want to hit & let my mind tell me where to point my bow arm, many times I'm real close to where I wanted to hit, sometimes I hit exactly where I wanted to & sometimes my arrows gets a time out because it did not go anywhere near what I had planed it to go.

After 40-ish yards, well I see my point so why not.
That is not part of the question.

[Chris Shelton]

How do you aim at longer distances? . . . instinctively of course, lol.

No really I just do exactly what killdeer said, I hit that tiny save button forever ago and now my body knows not only how far 30ish yards is but how high to compensate. Now I NEVER shoot at known distances, or at least, they are not consciously known until after I shoot.

[Wannabe1]

I don't! 30yds is my max and that's pushing it for me. If an animal is further than that well, I guess my stalking better be good or that animal just gets to live 'til another time.  

[getstonedprimitivebowhunt]

Have not shot at a deer over 20 yard since ..Heck ..I don't know when... No interest unless I can see stem comming out of it nose.

[Tajue17]

my brain doesn't wurk wight!!!!  no really my head is locked on at 20-25yds and if I shoot 30-35 I have to pick a spot high so at 30 if its a medium sized deer i have to look at the top line of the body and it should "and this is a strong SHOULD" fall right in there...

for you guys that have converted from wheels imagine your old compound only having 1 pin set at 20yds and you then shoot to 30 or 40 and so on.

[Hill Hunter]

Killdeers answer is good, its just like when you throw a baseball when you throw a longer distance you look where you want it to go and let your brain so the adjusting. you have to practice it to train it. I shoot out to 45 - 50 yards, that does not mean I have to shoot deer that far, but what i find is when you are shooting pretty good at 40, you are drillin at 25 and 30.

[Bill Tell]

I gap shot until I got used to the flight.  I suppose that I still have that in me with out thinking about it.

[Precurve]

I do alot of shooting at unknown distances on a private range that lets me shoot out to 70 yards.  What I always do is just stare at the target and hold for a couple of seconds at anchor until release, then try to stay locked on until after the arrow hits.  I don't pay any attention to what the yardage might be.  Kind of strange but that's how it works for me.  Without ridgid concentration on "the spot" I have no consistancy at any distance.  My max hunting range is about 1/2 of my max practice range.

Dave

[njloco]

We went out to the range the other day and I was shooting at the 20 yd. target and hitting it right off with no problems. This is the range I usually practice at. I then switched to the 30 yd. target and hit it right off. I try to practice at distances I would shoot wild game at but I think 20 -25yds. would be my limit. I concentrate on a spot and let my body and brain go on automatic.

[Cherry Tree]

I look at the spot i want to hit and watch the arrow find its mark. Simple as that.

[foamkiller]

I don't shoot instinctive but my understanding of it is that you look at a spot then pull back and let fly. So "aiming" at 10 yards or 100 would be basically the same just look at the spot you want to hit, pull back and let fly.

[Turkhunter]

I understand the whole "throwing a ball" concept but for me it hasnt translated over to archery yet. My brain seems to be pretty well locked on at 15yds I always hit about 2in high at 10, 3in low at 20, and as I said about 18-20 low at 30. How can I break through and get my bow arm to adjust automagically. I like to practice at longer ranges because it lets me focus on my form but I wouldnt shoot at an animal past 20.

[ksbowman]

I guess I don't shoot truely instinctive past 20 yards or so, after that I know where to look in the sight window for guesstimated ranges. If I think it's about 35 yds. I know where to look in the sight window for that yardage. At 20 yds. and under I actually look thru the bow limb, Therefore the only way I can shoot is with both eyes open. Close one eye and I can't see the target.

[Mudd]

Originally posted by Cherry Tree:
I look at the spot i want to hit and watch the arrow find its mark. Simple as that.

I don't think I could have explained how I shoot any better than Cherry Tree but I have to add in a twist of Killdeer actions/thinking routinely.

God bless, Mudd

[Red Beastmaster]

Never look at a spot other than the one you wish to hit. Give your brain something to work with and it will catch up.

[Living_waters]

I have found good practice is to never step off yardage. I set up 3 or four targets different yardage and shoot from different spots with out thinking about how far the targets are. And I never shoot more than three times at one target in a row. Frustrating at first but after "A LOT" of misses suddenly your brain takes over and does what you can't do by trying.

My worst time at a 3d shoot this summer was when I got stuck with a couple of guys that were shooting in the open class and they were constantly discussing what their range finders were reading.

The more steady your focus is on one spot the better it can compute what you need to do.  When I do stop to think about I see the angle of the arrow and try to visualize where I have to hold it to make that arc hit the target.  when I do it that way I need to hold for a second or so.  when it just feels right i bite into the anchor and let go.  Somehow I can remember where things were and how it all looked when I did it right.  I cannot remember a thing when I did all wrong.

[S.C. Hunter]

Turkhunter, if you have the space and can next time you shoot don't shoot from the spot you normally shoot. Your brain takes in all the info associated with that given target and when you adjust to shoot your brain is trying to recreate the results you had at 20 yds. When you shoot instinctive there is still a sight picture. You may not have an awareness of it but the brain sees and calculates from info gathered. Throw objects into a field some small some large walk to unknown distance look where you want the arrow to go, and only where you want the arrow to go. You will surprise yourself, remember only look where you want the arrow to go don't try to make it go there. There is a difference and it does work I made 2 shots on a bale a few weeks ago last 2 shots of the day. I walked away at a angle from the bale to simulate a quartering away shot turned nocked the arrow looked at a spot on the bale and let it go. I followed with another shot turning my back to the target and twisting my upper body toward the target let it go and the 2 arrows were less than 3" apart. I took out my rangefinder I use for golf and I was 32 yds. I don't check my yardage before but after the shot when I feel I am over 25 yds keeps me on my toes.