3-under vs split finger

[jvs9932]

Hey guys,

When I started shooting years ago I "aimed" instinctive and shot split finger. Over the last 2 years I moved to 3-under. This was great for my sight picture and gap aiming, which is what I do now. The problem was this caused incredibly painful finger pinch with the short recurve I was shooting. My draw is 29" and my ring finger actually started to go numb. So I purchased a longbow from the guys at RMS Gear and it's been smooth sailing ever since...

...well at least until I tried shooting it out of a tree stand last weekend in Oregon. I simply could not get to my clicker if my life depended on it. A big part of it is that while I practiced angled shots prior to the hunt, they were from a standing position so I wasn't prepared for the cramped feeling of shooting the bow with a steep angle from a seated position.

I love the longbow and it will definitely be my primary choice but since I still own the recurve and thought it would be a good tree stand bow, I tried shooting split finger and it alleviated the finger pinch a LOT. The bow is actually very comfortable to shoot split finger. The problem is that now I can't see the target nearly as easily as when I shot 3-under. I will spend time sighting it in and seeing if it will work but I wanted to know a few things. My apologies if these questions are asking the obvious!

1 - does shooting split finger almost force you to shoot instinctive because the sight picture doesn't easily allow for gapping the target and the point of the arrow?
2 - I'd like my anchor to be where it is for 3-under but maybe this isn't realistic? If you are a split finger shooter, where do you like your anchor to be?
3 - I have the brace height set within the parameters of bowyer's recommendations but it's still a lot noisier than the longbow. I think I've seen some guys put the soft side of velcro on their limb to lessen the string slap. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

[Roy from Pa]

TTT

[Charlie Lamb]

Split finger doesn't make you have to shoot instinctive. Be more flexible with your anchor if you want to use a gapping system. You may have to forget the clicker. The use of multiple anchors for gapping was very common back in the 60's. It works.

I've shot with lots of guys that anchored right up under their eye and most were deadly. For those close in shots at game below you, cant the bow. I mean really lay the bow over. It will work for you.   

[jvs9932]

Thanks Charlie. So your buddies who shot split finger anchored high?

[McDave]

As far as putting Velcro on the recurve limb tips, some bowyers advise against it, because they feel that it might promote limb twist if the string doesn't seat in the string grooves.  I have two bows that came with Velcro on the limb tips, a Dakota and a Hoyt Satori.  The Velcro forms it's own groove soon enough, and as long as you are careful to seat the string over the groove until the Velcro forms its own, I think you are fine.  I really haven't noticed that much difference in noise, and I probably wouldn't add Velcro on the limb tips of a bow that didn't come with it.

[jvs9932]

Thanks McDave. Actually I meant I think I've seen velcro on the belly of the limb, not the tip. The string loop is seated normally but where the string makes contact with the belly is where I've seen it. Does that make sense?

[McDave]

Yes it does.  I probably shouldn't have used the term “limb tip” to describe where the Velcro was.  The Velcro is on the recurved part of the limb near the limb tips, but not on the limb tips, like this photo of my Hoyt Satori.  The Satori actually appears to have calf's hair rather than Velcro, but I guess it's supposed to do the same thing.

[jvs9932]

Yes! That's exactly what I was trying to describe. Did you find it helpful or not really?

[GCook]

Mountain Muffler sells bow hush and string wraps.  They'll make a big difference in noise for you.  I anchor high and shoot split.  Works well for me with a large nose and limited neck rotation.  However it gives me a relatively close "point on" range.  Even though I don't use my arrow point after about 20 yards I have to aim high.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[jvs9932]

Thanks GCook. I'll check out Mountain Muffler. From one big-nosed fella to another, I'm glad to hear this method works for you. Would you mind posting a pic of where you anchor?

Thanks again!
John

[GCook]

This is an older pic.  I don't lean into the bow now.  Try to overlook the second chin.

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[McDave]

Yes! That's exactly what I was trying to describe. Did you find it helpful or not really?

I’m sure it reduces the noise a little.  Not enough to make any difference to me.  I took the Velcro strips off my Dakota so I could do something or another with the limbs, and when I was finished, I didn’t bother to put new ones back on.  On the other hand, I’ve still got them on my Satori, which came with them and I don’t have any reason to take them off.  I remember reading something from either Black Widow or Bob Lee saying that they didn’t recommend you put them on their bows, because it increased the possibility of limb twist, if the string wasn’t seated in the string grooves.  I notice on the Satori that the string is often out of the grooves when I first string the bow, but if I put the string in the grooves it seems to stay there.  So the bottom line is, they’re okay, but I wouldn’t put them on any bow that didn’t already have them.

If you’re concerned about string slap, I would avoid waxing the part of the string that is in the string grooves, because the wax makes the string sticky and increases limb slap.  Not saying remove the wax that’s already there; just don’t add anymore and let the old wax dry out.

[jvs9932]

Thanks guys. I've really gotta mess around with that different anchor point. It feels really weird as of now.

[pavan]

For shooting out of tree stands, canting the bow gives one a much better 'feel' for the shot.  Considering your anchor?  Jerry Hill's book, available on Amazon, has the best explanation of gap aiming and finding the correct anchor point that i have ever found.

[jvs9932]

Thanks Pavan. Do you mean "Howard Hill's Method of Shooting a Bow and Arrow" by Jerry Hill?

[pavan]

Yes. Some will disagree and say that instinct is what they do.  This method can remain in its initial mechanical state or in time it may develop into a more automatic response, which may seem like instinctive, but once the eyes are trained in the manor as described by Hill, it remains as part of the shot, even with fast shooting.  There are some fine points, just like with any other method, that may seem foreign to most, but it is a very convenient and quick method for developing a versatile target or hunting shot.  The trick is to start out very slowly and only increase the speed or fluid development that fits you as an individual.  I believe that everyone has their own best tempo at any given time.  There is no fundamentalist law that must be followed right from the start, when it comes to shooting tempo, but with the Hill secondary aiming that 'imaginary' aiming point is reached with a bit of subtractional math.  You draw in a hook that comes a bit above the target and then slightly comes down to achieve the position of the chosen 'imaginary' aiming position, versus additional math that has one coming from the bottom up or awkwardly extending the bow arm prior to the draw.  I hunt the rolling corn barrens of Iowa, my shots tend to be longer than what most tree stand users take, this aiming method can enhance one's effective range by quite a margin.   One additional point, in Jerry's book, he goes into detail what 'not' to do with the ring finger.

[jvs9932]

Thanks, Pavan! I'll get the book and check it out!