Why is 10 different than 30?

[old_goat2]

Form issues in the form of varying draw length can really hinder shooting at longer distances. Twenty yards and in, I can pick up just about any bow I'm strong enough to draw and shoot fairly accurately to twenty yards, past that and accuracy drops off with a bow I'm not used too! A lot of people poopoo on shooting through a chrono but it can be very beneficial to practice and see how consistent your speed is. Releasing under increasing tension (back tension) is another huge help in shooting longer distances in mine and a lot of my friends experience!

[old_goat2]

I'm not sure how old you guys are that say your vision is going south, I'm 51 and started taking the eye vitamins nine years ago when the optometrist noticed very early signs of macular degeneration in one of my eyes, I see extremely well still and my prescription changes very little now from year to year like they did before starting to taking the vitamins! I'm a total believer in them! I buy the cheap store brand ones too so it doesn't have to be expensive!

[30coupe]

Originally posted by old_goat2:
I'm not sure how old you guys are that say your vision is going south, I'm 51 and started taking the eye vitamins nine years ago when the optometrist noticed very early signs of macular degeneration in one of my eyes, I see extremely well still and my prescription changes very little now from year to year like they did before starting to taking the vitamins! I'm a total believer in them! I buy the cheap store brand ones too so it doesn't have to be expensive!

What vitamins are you taking? I've not seen any labeled as eye vitamins, but I'd sure be willing to give them a try. I don't have MD, but my eye doctor says he's seeing signs of cataracts beginning.

[old_goat2]

Originally posted by 30coupe:
 

Originally posted by old_goat2:
I'm not sure how old you guys are that say your vision is going south, I'm 51 and started taking the eye vitamins nine years ago when the optometrist noticed very early signs of macular degeneration in one of my eyes, I see extremely well still and my prescription changes very little now from year to year like they did before starting to taking the vitamins! I'm a total believer in them! I buy the cheap store brand ones too so it doesn't have to be expensive!

What vitamins are you taking? I've not seen any labeled as eye vitamins, but I'd sure be willing to give them a try. I don't have MD, but my eye doctor says he's seeing signs of cataracts beginning. [/b]

Wally World, they are in the general area of the multi vitamins! They aren't a miracle cure but seem to slow down or stop aging of the eye to an extent.

[macbow]

Totally agree it starts with vision.
Once it is hard to see a small spot the mental focus deteriorates.  
One way to practice is to shoot with a friend and compete trading shots on leafs etc at longer distances.
What I mean is practice focusing on small spots farther out and not on your regular 3D target.

[longrifle]

Bear bowman I agree with you 100%
It's all about the focus , I to have seen my longer distance shooting suffer and I finally figured out that it not my shooting ability it's my focus ability.

[Jakeemt]

For me it is form and more form. At 20 you can get away with minor variations in draw length, a release that's a little sloppy, grip not quite prefect, ect. but, the further away you go the more and more perfect your shooting has to be. I started regular practice at 40 because of how well it translates to tight groups at 20. It changed my comfort zone from 15 or less to 25 and maybe 30 if everything is perfect.

10 is different than 30 because 10 is only 1/3 the distance that 30 is! Any glitch at 30 is going to show up way worse than it would at 10.

Bisch

[Gdpolk]

For me I fall apart at 25-35yds. Under 25 I consistently do very well. Over 35 on stumps out to 50 I tend to do fairly decent. From 25-35yds all bets are off. I either NAIL it or send a Hail Mary and all I can figure is that I maybe don't do the best job focusing at those ranges underestimating my shot.

[John146]

If you are not focused on a spot then you would have no way of knowing if your form is off or if your mistake in form is being multiplied because distance has increased.

Totally agree with macbow it starts with vision. The other things come into play not doubt BUT you must be shooting at a spot or you could just be shooting a perfect shot in the wrong place.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Originally posted by VA Elite:
I can't shoot dots to save my life. I could not even do it when shooting a compound. I just shoot at vitals on 3d target mostly.

If you were to spend all winter shooting dots at 20 yards you will eventually adjust your form to become efficient at it.... I HATE shooting dots myself.... but i'll tell you one thing. Once you start shooting dots well, you'll be shooting 12 rings on the 3D course at 20 yards or less. and 10 rings consistently....    Shooting dots is very good discipline for your form.

This same theory works for long distance shooting. a dime at 20 yards is 2" at 30 yards..... practice & discipline will get you there if you so choose to do so.

[Archie]

I love to take long shots when practicing.  I probably shoot more at 40 yards than I do at 20.  It has helped me to be comfortable out to 40-50 yards, and now a 25-yard shot feels like a "gimme", although I'm no Howard Hill.  I like to shoot at fallen leaves in the grass in my yard, and can shoot 80 yards if I want to.  80 is a little far though...!

Originally posted by Kirkll:
Shooting dots is very good discipline for your form.

I hate shooting dots! But I can tell you this; DOTS DON'T LIE! You either hit the dot, or you didn't.

When most folks shoot 3D, and they miss by, say 6", they are relieved and happy to see that they are still in the very liberal 8-ring on the target. When you miss a dot by 6", the suckiness of your shot is very evident!!!!

Bisch

[Bowwild]

Imagine a cone from the point of your arrow at the bow to the target. The cone's base (your group) expands the further from the point it goes.

Imagine the "robin hoods" at 2-3 yards and then the expanding group as the arrow moves downfield. The "cone" would be quite large a 200 yards.

Of course the reasons for the expanding cone are many and outlined very well above; form, shot execution, follow-through (all are different and required aspects of the shot), focus, etc. Here's a big one, some (most?) get down on themselves when the result (target) is less than desired. Focus on the process and let the result come to you. Be positive and reflect after each shot about how to improve the process. It is a never ending road to improvement.

[J. Holden]

I'm not sure what the answer is.  But I've noticed past 20 yards that I start to focus too much?  It's almost like I can't stay focused and my eyes are bouncing all around, ready to watch and see where my arrow goes.  I start thinking "you're gonna miss dummy, why are you even bothering to take this shot?!"  Then sometimes I take it and hit it, sometimes I'm diggin' through the leaves.

However, when I focus more on making a "kill" shot I feel less stressed as my focus area seems to be a little bigger.

I don't know, just my experience.

-Jeremy  

[Jakeemt]

I think kirk and Bosch nailed it. No magical formula or seeing vs concentration vs form ect. It's really just practice and discipline. If you dedicate yourself to getting good at 50 yards bet you will. Same with 30 or 70 or whatever.

[Dalton63841]

Definitely vision first. At 30 yards, the tip of the arrow takes up much more space on/under the spot you intend to hit.

Ironically, I currently have the opposite problem. I just have some AXIS Trad's (way too stiff) that aren't matched to my bow(waiting for a good set to come in the mail). At 15 yards, I make about 8-10" groups, but when I step back to 25-30 yards, every shot is inside a 2-3" group. That having been said, I'll wait for a good set of arrows before I make determinations on that.

[Sam McMichael]

30 yards is a very long distance for most traditional archers. As stated in numerous previous posts, all form faults are magnified greatly. Yes, it is more difficult to maintain focus and to pick a small spot. (Hell, at 30 yards I have difficulty seeing the deer, much less pick a small spot). That is a bit of a joke, but it is hard to do, especially as I get older. The average archer usually doesn't practice enough to really develop the muscle memory. For every shot we make at 30 yards, most of us have made many hundreds of shots at 15 -20 yards. However, skill at longer distances is possible. I practice the long shots knowing full well I never intend to take such a shot in the woods, but it is true that long distance practice does tend to make the closer shots seem easier.

[BWallace10327]

I think the easiest way to shoot 30 yards (or more) is to not know exactly how far away the target is.  I guess the strict gap shooters may not find this helpful, but split vision and instinctive shooters may agree.

[mangonboat]

I'm sort of the opposite. When I'm sloppy at ranges inside 20 yards I back up to 30 or more, as I find that I focus better knowing that attention to detail and concentration are more critical and I invariably see my arrows flying better.