Accuracy how long?

[Jakeemt]

My bow  draws 50@28 my drawling is 27 when measured from the belly. I can draw and hold at anchor for a good 5 seconds without shaking but typically I only hold for 2-3. I am right handed and r eye dominant. Perhaps my problem is I have mostly been informally practicing "flinging arrows" maybe it's time to step up to a mor regimented practice routine and to begin keeping track of my progress. Also if I let my concentration slip (easy to do in my backyard) my form suffers badly so as noted above a more regimented routine until form becomes second nature would be best.

[goingoldskool]

Great advice from all... and I can't add much, but here is what has worked for me...

Shooting at small targets REALLY gets you concentrating and your groups will shrink quickly.

Also backing up to your 25-30 yrd line and shooting will shrink your groups at 15-20 yrds.

My son came with the idea of throwing an old baseball out in the yard (15-25yrds) and has me shoot it (at it) with blunts....  extremely hard to do, but great fun!  He calls it backyard baseball..

The key point is to have fun with your shooting!

[jackdaw]

I've been shooting recurve for about 5 years now.....5 days a week..an hour each session for the last 2 1/2 years and its now that I feel confident that I'll hit the red/yellow zone in a standard archery target with 80% regularity.(You know the ones with the white, black, blue,red and then yellow center..),  that's approx 5" in diameter.(the red/yellow part of the target).. at 20 yards. It takes a while. People will tell you they can shoot the baking powder out of a biscuit at 30 yards with great regularity.....some can...most cannot. Keep practicing at 10 and 15 yards and get a coach or someone who knows what they are doing to critique your form...then master it at those distances.
 A few 30-50 yard practices for good measure wont hurt you either, but mainly keep your yardages on the short side and master them first....your on you way......good luck son.....KEEP IT FUN !!!!!!!!!!....jackdaw

[HenrikBP]

I've spent (and wasted) a lot of time trying to "hit", when what I should have concentrated on was getting good, consistent form.

[dougedwards]

I am starting my 5th week of shooting a recurve after years of shooting compounds.  I just looked at the diagrams of the proper shooting alignment in the Terry's clock thread.

My question is this......it seems that the archer must cant his head down to achieve this alignment. Is this correct?

I am shooting with my chest out and head straight up and am constantly shooting to the left.  Could this be my problem?

 Doug

[Terry Green]

Originally posted by dougedwards:


My question is this......it seems that the archer must cant his head down to achieve this alignment. Is this correct?


 Doug

No....you don't have to lean your head down,....canting is just my style...good form can be taken to various cant angles and positions.

 Over the Pond.....Click Here.

[dougedwards]

This fellow appears to be shooting with his head in a more upward position. It would seem that if he were to reposition himself with his shoulders parallel to the arrow that his head would have to turn much more counterclockwise and he may be more prone to hitting his forearm at release.

 

Same for this guy if he were to stand straight with his head up above his shoulders.

[dougedwards]

Wow....I just clicked on that Over the Pond video.  I guess that answers my question about head position.....lol

Oh well....maybe I will just start aiming to the right.

 Doug

[moebow]

Doug,

In your posted pictures, that is Terry Green in the second picture. He's the one that did the "form clock" and he has excellent form!

If you feel that you need to aim to the right though, you probably are not getting the arrow under your eye -- often caused by drawing too far back along the side of your face.  You shouldn't have to aim to the right to hit!  To a certain degree, your head position (straight up or tilted) is not a factor as long as you do it pretty much the same each shot.

Arne

[Terry Green]

Doug...a video would be more helpful.....from drawing side and overhead and rear if possible.

You could even have a spine isssue...too stiff sometime if out of alignment will push the arrow left.

[dougedwards]

Originally posted by Terry Green:
Doug...a video would be more helpful.....from drawing side and overhead and rear if possible.

You could even have a spine isssue...too stiff sometime if out of alignment will push the arrow left.

I will see if I can get my wife to stand on a chair behind me while I shoot and take some videos as well as behind and beside me.

I don't think that I am over spined with Heritage 75 arrows with 125gr tips shooting out of a 45#@28" bow and only drawing about 27 1/4" although I could be wrong.

I did try pointing my bow holding shoulder toward the target and drawing the arrow directly beneath my eye yesterday and things got better even though it felt weird.  I have had bone graft surgery on my neck and have limited side to side range.  

Below is a picture of the typical type of group that I was shooting at 20 yards yesterday after concentrating on both shoulder placement and arrow under the eye placement.  The orange paint is 3/4" wide and 1 1/2" tall.  The red circle area is where I usually hit while aiming at the orange dot.  At least it is improvement.
  I will keep practicing this technique until it feels more comfortable.  

Not trying to highjack this thread but would like to shed some light on the frustrations of a new trad shooter.

 Doug

[ARCHER2]

Are those vanes you're shooting or feathers?

[dougedwards]

Originally posted by ARCHER2:
Are those vanes you're shooting or feathers?

Four inch feathers on Carbon Express Heritage 75 arrows with 12gr insert and 125gr tips.

 Doug