What makes a person a good shot?

[boinky]

I picked up the recurve a few months ago (6 to be exact)and consider myself pretty good after months of practice.

What do you consider a good shot?

Somebody who can hit a paper plate every time at 20 yards?  15 yards? 10 yards?

I can put an arrow in a paper plate at 15 yards every singe time.....and most of the times at 20 yards.

Would you experts consider this ready to hunt?  I feel very confident about my shooting as well.

[Ray Hammond]

Someone who can replicate how well they shoot at paper plates while shooting game is a good shot.

I recommend finding a game farm if you have not spent a lot of time around close quarter animals....go and sit with the deer, feed them...get used to being close to them...and practice shooting from an elevated position if you are going to hunt that way.

[boinky]

Thanks......oh I am very familar with hunting.....I killed many animals with one of those fancy wheelie bows for years...lol

[tim roberts]

Being a good shot on a target, and being a good shot at an animal, are closely related in some ways, and vastly different in so many others.  Also, shooting animals with a traditional bow is very different than shooting them with the other type.  A good place to start, is to know the distance you are very comfortable shooting in, then, limit yourself to only shooting animals with in that range.  Once you start to see and understand the differences in equipment, then start to push your limits, this though could take many animals?
Thanks,

[stagetek]

I'm no expert, but no sense in over thinking this either. If you can consistently hit what you shoot at, I guess you would be considered a good shot.

[boinky]

Thanks for the reply!  My farthest I am comfortable with is 15 yards at an animal and I REFUSE to take an iffy shot!  I passed a doe at 10 yards yesterday because it was not broadside......she was quartering away.....but the angle was too steep for me.  She left....leaving me without a shot.

[boinky]

Originally posted by stagetek:
I'm no expert, but no sense in over thinking this either. If you can consistently hit what you shoot at, I guess you would be considered a good shot.

I learned this a few months back when I was all over the place I realized I was thinking too much about shooting.....I also understand the importance of being confident in your shot more than ever now!

[Babbling Bob]

Confidence.

What about shooting inside a 45 rpm record at 10 yards.  Used to be a lady, Betty Grubbs who shot barebow who did demonstrations on TV with 45 records and ping pong balls in the early sixties.  She won several field archery nationals so she was a good shot.  She had very short archery career and started shooting with her husband when she had cancer. Had to get to the top in a hurry and she did.  Won her first nationals just after 3 years of shooting.  Bet she was good because she had  had confidence she was the best shooter out there and usually was and shot higher scores than the mens divisions. She's in the Oklahoma Archery Hall of Fame.

Same with an old friend in golf who won the Masters in '57 (Doug Ford).  He told me lots of stories about his " best pigeons" but one that was interesting was when his uncle (a golf pro) lost a lot of money to some gamblers.  Doug just got his uncles money back by skinning the culprits pretty good,like no big deal. I'd say that was  confidence.

Seen artists friends and other atheletes do the same to make a living and they had confidence they could.

[VA Elite]

I couldn't tell you. There are days when i think I am good, then the next I feel like I have no business with one of these things in my hand. I am fairly consistent out to about 17 yds. That is, about 90% of my shots hit the vitals on a deer target. But I really won't know until I get in range of a live deer. I have practice a bunch and put in many hours of shooting, i pray it comes together if i am able to get a chance.

[TOEJAMMER]

Lots of practice and confidence.

[AZ_Longbow]

If you know you can make the shot and do.

[DanielB89]

Originally posted by boinky:
I picked up the recurve a few months ago (6 to be exact)and consider myself pretty good after months of practice.

i'd definitely say you are on the right track.

What do you consider a good shot?

I consider a good shot hitting what i'm looking at or within a certain area of that spot majority of the time.  For example, putting 3/5 arrows in a 4" circle and the other 2 in a 6" circle at 15 yards is good to me.  at 20, I'd say a 6 and 8" circle.  

I shoot a lot of competitions and I heard a buddy say(he is a VERY GOOD SHOT), "everyone misses from time to time, but the better shot will just miss by less".  So no matter who it is, they will miss their spot probably more times than hit it, but the better they are, the closer to that spot they will be.  

Somebody who can hit a paper plate every time at 20 yards?  15 yards? 10 yards?

Not exactly an answer to your question, but if you can't shoot a pie plate consistently at 20, then do NOT shoot a deer or live animal at that distance.  

Would you experts consider this ready to hunt?  I feel very confident about my shooting as well. [/b]

I would say yes, if you can stick it every time!  but you would have to limit yourself to a closer distance than that.  


As stated before, hunting live game is so far from shooting a target.  The targets are moving, breathing, looking for you, jumping the string, etc.  I find the hardest thing for me to do when dealing with live prey is remembering to pick a spot.  It gets tough to pick a spot when your worried with where is this animal looking? are his buddies looking at me?  am i going to get busted?  when can i draw? etc.

[Stump73]

I guess it would depends on what your doing. Like 3d, field archery,  hunting, aerial and more. Some can be good at all some could be good one or some.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Being a good shot and being a good hunter are two different things. You can be a good shot while practicing in your backyard, but you may not shoot so well at a 3-d course, when people are watching, or while shooting at game.

I think everyone's archery expectations of what is accurate enough for them differs greatly. For me to be a good shot, I expect to stack arrows on top of one another at 20 yards. I'll let you know when I get there        

Good accuracy begins with a repeatable shot sequence and the ability to replicate that shot each and every time, no matter the circumstances.

[NY Yankee]

Good shot? Someone who can consistently hit what they are looking at, every time. That said, we have many variables to contend with. Wind, distance, angles, tree branches and bushes,etc. Therefor, I advocate that bow hunting is a short range sport. The shorter, the better.  If you KNOW your limitations and FOLLOW THEM, I don't see how you can go wrong. There is no law that says you must kill a deer when you go out. There is no shame in coming home empty handed. Wounding an animal because you didn't follow your personal limitations is just despicable.

[ChuckC]

Regarding hunting ready.  I always say go hunt.  

If you can only shoot 5 yards well, then keep your shots 5 yards or less.  THAT is your responsibility, and you CAN do it.  

Once you graduate to 10 yards, then you expand accordingly. Etc.

All of us are different in ability and equipment.  Doesn't mean I shouldn't hunt, but it does mean I need to keep it inside MY limitations, not yours.  

This is one, maybe THE reason that I am very against having shooting tests to be allowed to participate.  


ChuckC

[RC]

I agree with Chuck!RC

[BOWMARKS]

As far as hunting I would say being on a very secure surface!!!!      
Every time any animals big or small get in my sight the ground where I am sitting starts to vibrate so hard I have to hold on so I do not fall over from a heart attack.    

[Cavscout9753]

"Good" shooters often send their arrow buzzing harmlessly over the backs of close and calm critters. It happens. As said, hunting is so much more than being a good shot, as you know. You already passed on a 10 yard shot. Perhaps therein lies a piece of the answer; the "best" shooter is the one who knows when he or she should take the shot. There's no magic range number to put on it. A 10 yard shot could be a chip-shot, or it could be as impracticable and improbable as a 100 yard shot depending on so many factors. I think you're on the right road, don't forget to enjoy the ride!

[FAV 52]

DETERMINATION . and well tuned equipment !