canting your bow, is it bad???

[$bowhunter$]

ive always canted my recurve since as long as ive been shootig.ive never noticed a bad accuracy effect. will this hurt my accuracy in the future?

thanks,
steven

[Stumpkiller]

Shouldn't.  I do notice if I lay the bow almost flat it puts my arrow higher - probably due to the difference in shelf vs. riser pad.

[dragon rider]

No.  As long as you do the same thing from shot to shot it won't hurt at all.  If you start varying the cant from shot to shot it'll mess you up, but keep it the same and you'll be fine.

[sagebrush]

I practice with mine in all different positions, even laying down. I have never noticed any difference in canting the bow. The shelves on all my bows are very close to my hand though. Gary

I need to vary the cant all the time when shooting game.  It is part of being prepared for a multiple of situations when hunting.  With a longbow and probably any bow, canting more when shooting down helps keep the arrow on target. Hunting does not allow very often the chance to control everything in the situation, that is was makes it a challenge.  Hunting and your back yard are not the same.

[champ38]

As long as my alignment is good, cant doesnt seem to matter much.

[PAPA BEAR]

i keep mine at around 1:00 to 1:30 every shot.

[Mike Bolin]

I have a pretty strong cant, but I practice with the bow straight up and different degrees of cant. I had to pass up a shot on a bull caribou in '99 because the brush I was hiding in wouldn't allow me to cant my bow. Came to full draw, but the shot didn't feel right so I passed on it. Depending on the length of bow I am shooting, I have to cant my bow a bit more than usual when hunting out of pop up blind. Mike

[sagebrush]

Another shot to try, backwards cant. Lay on your left side (if you're right handed) and shoot. Your fingers will hold the arrow on the shelf. Gary

The backwards cant is a good for shooting out trees when the shot is more to the bow side than planned.

[PowDuck]

Originally posted by sagebrush:
Another shot to try, backwards cant. Lay on your left side (if you're right handed) and shoot. Your fingers will hold the arrow on the shelf. Gary

I always liked to show compound shooters how the arrow will stay on the shelf with a reverse cant once I get to 1/2 - 3/4 draw.
I cant the bow however I feel like depending on brush etc.

[Txnrog]

I have about a 45 degree natural cant - it just feels right when I rotate my elbow out. Get a few comments, but doesn't seem to effect accuracy with most bows. Some off-center bows are a little more picky if I vary the cant a couple degrees.

[ArkyBob]

I practice with all degrees of cant.  The backwards, or reverse, cant is the most challenging but it can be done.  I like to practice a completely horizontal shot bending down like I'm shooting under brush. Never know when that shot will appear in the hunting world.  

BOB

[Bowmania]

OK, as long as you don't bend at the waist, too.  Shortens you draw too much and makes to too hard to bend the same each time.

Bowmania

[Terry Green]

Canting the bow should not shorten your draw....Also, bending at the waist should have no effect on draw length.  I demonstrate both in The Bowhuners of TradGang DVD.

Here's a few other clips...


 Cant Never Could - Click Here

[charles m]

I agree, not sure how that wives tale got started about canting shortens your draw.  

I liked the "taking a nap" shot Terry did in that DVD    

[straitera]

Try canting your bow a little at a time until you find a comfortable spot. Switching from straight up cmpnds to trad cant feels tricky at 1st. There is relatively little difference in the outcome but the comfort level from canting breeds trad shooting confidence.

[arrowflight]

Some degree of cant is more comfortable for me to draw/hold/shoot.If my anchor is consistant (i.e. draw length),degree of cant does not change where my arrow goes.Everyone is built different and shoots slightly differently.Find what is comfortable , works for you ,and strive for consistency.Try to learn from each arrow you release.

[GO Rogers]

1:00 OR 1:30 MAKES SENSE!♠

[Ed Q]

I can't seem to shoot well when I cant my Bear Montana cut to center.  The arrows tend to go to the right for some reason (shoot right hand, split finger if that matters).  But when I shoot my selfbow off the knuckles with no shelf, I can't seem to shoot it perfectly vertical - the arrows tend to go to the left for some reason.  So I cant that bow and the arrows usually hit more to the center.  I'm too much of a newbie to know what's going on, but was wondering if anyone had an explanation for that.