Why do some people cant there bow

[Landshark160]

I usually shoot with some cant while on the ground, just because it feels more natural, but as deer season approaches, I switch to vertical for shooting out of a treestand. It is a more forced position, but it has advantages.

I hunt high and get a lot of close shots(under 10 yards).  For me, it's easier to get to a true full draw with a vertical bow on those steep downward angles.    

It also gives you a near 360 degree arc for shot opportunities because, unlike with a canted bow, you can take shots to the rear without having your bow limbs interfere with the tree or stand.

Practice it all and be prepared for anything.


Canting the bow has never done anything to open up my sight picture.  Reguardless of how much you cant the bow, unless you change your anchor, you have to cant your head and equal amount.  This keeps your eyes on the same plane with the sight window, regardless of whether you're shooting the bow vertical or horizontal.  

For you guys that are seeing more of the field, are you canting the bow and not your head?

[BEN]

I think it feels more natural, and allows me to adjust to varying terrain/obstacles. When I  match my head cant to my bow cant, I can shoot around alot more diversions------

As far as more natural----I was taught in 8yrs. of martial arts that the arm/hand alignment is much better, less torqued when your arm is outstretched, if your punching hand is at about 45 deg. angle.( hold your arm out naturally with a loose fist, same as you would hold your bow, and see how your hand is positioned----and then turn your hand to be horizontal and then vertical; feel the lack of tension in your forearm when your fist/hand gets around 45 deg.)
Just my 2 cents worth of course!!  

[cacciatore]

I think it is very important to lear to shoot in very different position with a canted bow because this is iportant when you are hunting.The closer i am to the games the more I cant my bow,but it is natural and don't ask me why.When I am farther than 30yards my position is with the bow straight up.anyway I don't want to have anything on view from my eye and my target.

[rickshot]

‘Cause I was self-taught as a kid and there was no one around to even suggest some people only shot their bows vertically. My sense is the “natural” feeling would have also been applicable to hunter-gatherer based cultures; shooting game from only one position just wouldn’t make sense…or even been a topic for conversation. Rick.

[joevan125]

rickshot thats what i do is practice from all kinds of different positions but i prefer to shoot straight up and down.

[George D. Stout]

Well, all zen aside, I can shoot both ways with little issue....and I have short legs 8^))).  I always shot with a vertical bow, and amazingly was taught that way by my old hillbilly mentor, in the mid 60's...vertical bow, open hand.  I shot that way until the early 1980's when I began to "try" the canted bow.  Nowadays I shoot mostly a canted bow as it seems more comfortable in the woods and field.   If I go to the range I may shoot both ways....more vertical for longer ranges, or sidehill shots.

There's no wrong way as long as you are accurate, there is only difference.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I cant my bow....not sure if my arm can go straght up and down.  

[MarkE2006]

I cant the bow more as I start to draw the string to aid in keeping the arrow on the shelf.  As I draw my fingers roll into the string and I bring the bow to a slight cant at full draw.

[amar911]

My bow is at whatever angle feels best given the circumstances, whether that is straight up and down or severely canted. The conditions at the time dictate what feels best, like tree limbs, brush, pop up blind height, etc. When I am shooting at a target I usually have a slight cant because it is the most relaxed position for me. But I don't ever try to think about what the angle of the bow is going to be, I just let it find the angle that feels right. I don't really aim at the target either, I just think of where I want the arrow to end up. These two aspects of shooting are connected in my opinion. Obviously, a gap shooter or someone shooting with some other form of sights would want to shoot with the bow straight up and down.

I agree that the objective is to hit the spot you want to hit, no matter how you hold the bow.

Allan

I cant my bow because it feels natural that way. If I try to hold the bow dtraight up and down, it does not feel right. Also I have found that it is much easier to make things work while sitting in a tree atand if I cant the bow.

Bisch

[KSdan]

Gets the bow out of the way of the sight picture.  I cant even more for very close shots from treestands.  Never worry about shooting high.

[PAPA BEAR]

canting to me lets me see where i want to hit better.i started at around three oclock but now i stay at two.it just seems so natural.i used to look at pictures from the old days that my grandfather took when he was a boy.i think every one of them canted their bows also.pretty cool stuff them old pics of the indians on the oregon coast.

[easyup]

I have trees, hills, dogs, you name it in the yard and shoot from all over so canting is required just like in the field.  Someday when there are no dogs to hit or people to laugh I might even try one of Terry's unreal reverse cants.

[shadman]

If I don't cant when shooting out of a treestand I have a tendency to shoot high. As a matter of fact, the closer the shot, the more I cant.

[Frank]

I cant the bow because it allows me to shoot a variety of spined arrows.

As far as shooting style, depends on the bow.  Glass recurves I shoot just like a compound, straight up and down, draw, anchor, aim, release.  With selfbows, depends on the bow, ponybows I cant a bit more.  Normally, it's just a little tilt, I can def. tell when it's to much.

[Over&Under]

Originally posted by Ben Kleinig:
Same as what Terry said, but also it just seems to cant itself, and for me it takes more of a weird conscious effort to shoot it vertically. I think it has something to do with the natural alignment of the wrist bones, or arm bones.

That is the same take on it for me, I just couldn't have put it as well... Thanks Ben.   :D

[lpcjon2]

I thought that when you can't the bow it cuts down the site distance to the target.

[hydrasport205]

I cant my bow because im right handed but left eye dominant so I try to get my dominant eye as close as i can to the center of the riser

[jonathan creason]

I know I'm new to the game, but when I first shot my recurve it just felt more natural with a cant.

[Cootling]

If I anchor with my middle finger in the corner of my mouth and hold the bow vertically, my glasses interfere with my bowstring and my eye is way inside the line of the arrow.  The choice, then is to go with a lower anchor or cant the bow.  I prefer canting the bow.

Have to say, though, that a vertical hold would be really nice when hunting from treestands.