Long Range Shooting

[PSUBowhunter]

I think what bill is referring to is knowing how to shoot long range for a follow up shot, ie. you get a second shot at a wounded animal.

[NothingHappenedToday]

Originally posted by LocDoc:
For long range practice of 60 + yards I use a yellow tennis ball. For closer practice I switch to yellow Ping-Pong balls.

Damn! I'm impressed!

[LittleBen]

I don't usually shoot much past 35yards. Thats about point on for my current setup.

I do really liek that it gives me plenty of time to see the arrow flight. Helps with tuning etc.

[Traditional-Archer]

I love this post. I like to see guys throwing those arrows out there. You know the love of the game. I once was stumping with my son Zach, for the fun of it Zach wanted to keep score. Zachary was about 7 or 8 at the time he was shooting a long bow as long as he was. Anyway as fate would have it Zach was winning all day I just couldn't catch up to him      

[Flying Dutchman]

Every time when I train I shoot between the 15 and 60 yards. I learned that shooting at long ranges improves my accuracy at shorter distances.
I do so at my archery range where you can practice that in a safe way.
We shoot at balloons, that's more fun. There is no substitute for the sound of a popping balloon shot at 60 yards!

But sometimes I train on 3d animals. Here under you find some pics my pupil made when I demonstrated how to shoot at 60 yards. Unbelievable enough I shot that vulture dead-center in the inner kill with my 1st arra (the vulture is the one with the beak...)! Bow is a 45 lbs Cari-bow Peregrine, a 6-strands SBD string and 10 GPP home-made Sitka Spruce arrows, 9.5% FOC.

Enjoy!

     

     

     

 


     

[Traditional-Archer]

Nice shooting Mr. Dutchman.      

[Hoyt]

I don't shoot past 35yds or so these days, but back when Field Rounds were popular..out to 80yds., I shot regular in 3 states and practiced at the range regular.

I shot Hunter Class..over 40lbs I think it was. No sights, stabilizers, etc. I used the point on system from my point on and would use the tip of my field point as a front sight to aim from point on and past.  

Anything under point on I would shoot just as I hunted. Aiming by looking where I wanted to hit and seeing my arrow in peripheral vision adjusting up and down as needed.

Shooting Field Rounds regularly made hunting distances seem really close. Although, I do remember we call the 30yd shot.."The dirty 30". It looked pretty close but could be tricky.

[gnihsifnamk]

I wonder how the English longbowmen did it back in the day, I bet they took some long shots out of those castles.

[Nativestranger]

Ad, your posts always inspire me though I can only dream of getting that good. Are you shooting instinctive or gap or both? What does your typical group look like at 33 yards? At that distance, I am happy if i can get my arrows within the blue on an 80cm Fita target. Noticed you need to aim quite high on the third image. What distance was that?

[Flying Dutchman]

Hi Jimmy that was something like 55 to 60 yards, I never measure it exactly. But it was defenitely above the 50, because there is a mark at that distance. I added another pic from me walking towards the target after the shot,maybe that gives a better idea of the distance.  

When I shoot like that my style developes itself. When it has been some while, it is more like gap. So I look at the point of my arrow and "put" that on the place I want it to be; a little bit above the target in this case. You see that happen between pic 2 and three indeed! After a few shots I move automatically over to split vision, so 90% focus on the target and maybe 10% on the point of my arrow. This happens naturally. When I train more often and feel secure on long ranges, it moves over to completley instinctive, so I don't see my arrow anymore (but I feel/know where it is) and focus on the target only.
Again, that all happens naturally from my unconscious. I just let it happen and don't think too much about that. I think that's the way it should be.
The aiming looks quite high indeed. I was surprised too when I saw the pics. I am not sure however if this was the position just before the release or I was still searching for the right hight. But keep in mind that it is 55 to 60 yrds (that is FAR!!!) and I am shooting 10 GPP woodies here. I am in the process of moving over to carbons, which will give me 9 GPP or even as low as 8.6.

[Nativestranger]

That definitely look around 55 - 60m. I would lucky to hit the board itself!

[Flying Dutchman]

Jimmy, when I think it over, it was 60 meters, or 66 yards. The board itself is on 50 meter and the vulture is standing further. But I also can remember now it was on 60 meters. My pupil challenged me to shoot on 60 meters,she won't do that again I think!     Darned, I was proud on that shot!