What can one do to make shooting fun again?

[ncsaknech1ydh]

I had a fellow trad ganger tell me to shoot one arrow at a time a few months ago, that was in answer to a question I had about ideas on improving accuracy, but I also found shooting became alot more fun, I shoot one arrow, walk to the target, then walk back a ways, always different distances, then take my next shot, doing this makes me more accurate, gives my muscles more time to relax between shots and also clear my head, thus more fun, I have not had so much shooting in years. DK.

[Mitch-In-NJ]

Can't beat the advice everyone here has posted.  When I get bored I get the flu-flus and judos and shoot at pretty much anything but a "target".

That said, skip the hornet nests hanging from the trees.  Learn from my mistakes.

[Thumper Dunker]

Cheep stuff doggie toys . Hang somthing from a string. Plastic soda bottles with the cap use blunts on them real noisy and they bounce all over.little water ballons. Get out somplace and shoot an arrow up in the air and try to hit it with another shot while its still in the air.Just go play.

[KentuckyTJ]

Go hunting

[Wal]

Something I really enjoy is an old tennis ball just thrown around a paddock and shot at where ever it lans, I guess it could be called golf as someone eluded to earlier. My kids love it with me, got kids ? ever thought of having a young bloke tag along with you ??

Cheers

[hayslope]

Originally posted by Sam McMichael:
Remember that we don't need to be that serious all the time. When we go out to shoot, we are going out to play. Just let yourself be a kid, and have fun. Maybe stump shooting might be better than a lot of hard concentration on form. A brief layoff might not hurt, either. When the juices start to stir again, you will remember where you stored your archry gear.

Pretty great advice from the "gangers"!  Picture in your head that "mental photo" of a kid the first time they let loose an arrow.......you can't get that smile off their face!

I have a couple of old Bear Kodiaks that are lower poundage than I normally shoot.  When I find that frustration is rearing its ugly head, the next time I shoot, it will be with one of those old light bows....not many things are a sure thing in life.....but drawing and shooting one of those bows ALWAYS puts a smile on my face!

Targets have a tendency to bring on frustration sometimes.....there's always that mental stress resulting from the need to have those tiny groups.  Stumps, leaves, etc. are "targets" as well, but never seem to produce the same stress.

Go kill some dead wood or leaves and have a blast.  This is meant to relieve stress....not produce it!  Have fun again!  

[hayslope]

Originally posted by Mitch-In-NJ:
That said, skip the hornet nests hanging from the trees.  Learn from my mistakes.

You HAVE to share THAT story on another post!!!!

It made me cringe just thinking of the outcome!

[Doc Nock]

Boy, there are lots of good suggestions here and some I want to remember for myself...

I would, however, take you back to ole Ricketts post above: If you're over-bowed, things can go to pot in a hurry! Things change with time.  

I had shoulder surgery, dropped weight and shot so much better, I never went back to my old 'hunting' weight... now shoot better design limbs and less weight and have more fun and am more accurate and haven't lost any killing power.

I also got the Masters Barebow III and made one of those danged Formaster things. Whew... talk about realizing some bad habits have krept into one's form!?!      :eek:  

Yes, accuracy shouldn't be the only criteria for enjoying archery, but when one is trying hard, used to shoot better and then 'poof' doesn't... it's hard to use some "distraction" to make it more fun.

Go find if there is a ROOT CAUSE to your more recent accuracy issue: see if your form is suffering in any area, work on that (whether draw weight or not) and then watch the fun come back when you're staring at a spot and the next thing you know, there is a bright nock sticking in that exact place! Now THAT always gets me juiced back up!  

[Papa]

Thanks for all of the great information!  

[hydrasport205]

find a friend that can shoot with you so he can watch you.. they may notice something you are doing wrong. If you cant find anyone film yourself with a video camera play it back  or even post it on here and assk if anyone can notice something your doing wrong

[inthere10x]

Think of yourself as a kid and make it fun! We shot ballons blown up and filled with some bady powder. The kids love the puff of smoke, when they hit the ballon.
We also shoot clay pigeons, Cabelas sells a clay pigeon holder (half circle holds the clay w/ a metal rod to stick in the ground), think it's called a Rooster Holder. Made for 22 target practice. Once again big smiles when the kids break that clay.
Hang a gallon milk jug ful with water, shoot away.  
If shooting w/ friend and want a little competion, make urself a "T" w/ pulles (two) and a rope . Hang a gallon jug (Quart container, water bottle or whatever size plastic bottle) on either side of the "T". The both jugs haning in the air at same height first guy to empty the jug...wins. The 2nd place winners jug will hit the ground.
My wife says I'm the biggest kid, always have a smile when shooting w/ the kids.

[mcgroundstalker]

I have a second home in The Catskill Mountains with lots of wooded area for stump shooting, but... Can't get up there as often as I'd like to. Living and working in the city leaves me to "hunt animal crackers" in my backyard! That's Right! Makes for good bird food when I'm done.

... mike ...    ...

[Cottonwood]

Originally posted by lpcjon2:
Friend,focus ,fun,and form.shoot at small ping pong balls and add things to get you on your game again.

This last Saturday, I got together with about 12 friends, we had a great time, most of them had the "Other Type Bows" but I shot on the same line as them at 30 yards.

 

We were trying to see just who could nail the wiffle golf ball with just one arrow shot.  I have nailed them at 15 yards kneeling, so I tried to do the same at 30 yards kneeling.

Oh well, I got close anyways.

[cohutta orange]

Fun? Ever try bowfishing? Just my two cents. If you do I believe you will not be able to take the smile off of your face.

WARNING: If you take out a bunch of worn out, mostly weird, stuffed animals, hang them from a tight rope in front of your large targets and then have the neighborhood kids shoot at them, there are whimps that will get into your fun.  My argument was that it is ok for kids to play death and destruction video games, but a stuffed dragon that my dog chewed up?  How cruel, but fun; it is 3d small game practice.  I have another collection ready to go, kids and adults have fun shooting stuffed toys, especially if they are free hanging. I would agree that carp shooting is fun, but everything around here is flooded this year.

[Icandraw]

Originally posted by Mitch-In-NJ:
Can't beat the advice everyone here has posted.  When I get bored I get the flu-flus and judos and shoot at pretty much anything but a "target".

That said, skip the hornet nests hanging from the trees.  Learn from my mistakes.

That brings back some painful memorys from when I was a teenager! There was just somthing about a big ol grey hornets nest that said try and hit me if you can. I guess I also made a good target for the hornets!!      

[Mitch-In-NJ]

Originally posted by hayslope:
 

Originally posted by Mitch-In-NJ:
That said, skip the hornet nests hanging from the trees.  Learn from my mistakes.

You HAVE to share THAT story on another post!!!!

It made me cringe just thinking of the outcome! [/b]

This was a long time ago and the story has been embellished with age, but here it goes.

I was about 11 years old and had just graduated from my yellow, glass, shoot from either side bow (my first ever) to a Browning 45# recurve.

I lived in Union, NJ back then (around 1975) and for those of you who know the area, there were woods still.  Today, those woods are all gone.

There was a wooded lot about a mile and a half from my house that bordered my best friend's house.  That's where we played Army, cowboys and indians, etc.

So I get my new bow and decide to go "hunting" with my best friend, Eric.  Pulling about 30# at my draw length and carrying around some old Gamegetters my uncle gave me tipped with blunts, we set out.

Must have killed me about a dozen skunk cabbages and missed a couple squirrels when I see this hornets nest hanging about 15 feet up in a tree.

This is where I prove that adolescent boys are truly brain damaged.

In my mind, those hornets would never know that "I" shot at them.

Yup.  Brain damaged.

Let me pause for a second... Eric started backing away as soon as I started to draw.  Why?  I don't know.  Perhaps he had intuition or experience.  Regardless, he was almost at his house when I loosed that arrow.

And missed.

The first time.

Arrow number two hit its mark with a satisfying "thwack!".  I jumped and did my happy dance (I don't really have a happy dance, this is one of those embellishments I spoke of) and turned to see Eric hopping over his fence and into his yard.

The satisfying "thwack" was followed by a disturbing "thump" as the nest hit the ground at my feet.

My happy dance quickly turned into my panic run.

I remember little else except for the buzzing and stinging and what I was told after.

Seems Eric ran inside and got his father who saw me running off toward my house.  Fast.

Faaaaaast!

He hopped in his car to chase after me but I was in my house (over a mile away) before he could catch me.

It was two weeks before the swelling went down and I could go out and play.  It's been 35 years since I've shot at a hornets nest.

I still give them a wide berth when I see one in the woods.  Hell, it could just fall.

Lesson learned.

[lpcjon2]

You can always go REAL trad and shoot in the buff! That ought to keep it interesting,at least for the neighbors...LOL      

[Slasher]

When my accuracy falters... I get back to the basics. I put my bag target up on the bench.. I shoot in the garage... No aim... just blind baling and concentrating on my basic form from addressing the target, through draw and release...

By going slow and blind-baling so to speak... I fix my lil lazy spots in my shot routine... I find my accuracy recovers...

I think shooting a bow is like dealing with women, if you have confidence, it works so much better and goes much smoother! And not to mention is much more fun!!!    

[Gatekeeper]

Bring in the Belly Dancers!     This sounds like it would be fun.