This year my shooting accuracy has really improved. My form has become a second nature process. Lately i've found myself putting alot of thought into how target accuracy transfers to hunting accuracy. I can go out on a given day, without warm-up, and put 4 arrows in a 6'' circle at 60 yrds consistantly. Once warmed up I can do it in about 3". However, that is on the same target, in the same area, with the same stance day in and day out. How can you better prepare yourself for the "moment of truth?" I think most of hunting accruacy is pure mental. The muscle and memory is there, but the mind has to be there as well. I spend a lot of time outdoors in close proximity to the animals I pursue so I can get used to them, so to speak. The more comfortable you are with them in the off season the more comfortable you will be during hunting season. Albeit, with all of the mental training you still have to be able to shoot from a crouched/bent over/ twisted/etc.. position. I have no 3d courses close, no archery ranges, just my range in the backyard. What do you guys do to change up your shooting? I've given up on stump/spot shooting. With modern bows all i'm doing is tearing my arrows up. Thanks
I don't know about everyone else but what I do is walk around my target range and drop a arrow. I do this with a couple arrows and where my arrow lands is where I shoot. I try and put obsticals in mt way. The obsticals provide me with something that I have to shoot around,over,under, and threw.
take your target into different woodlots and practice there. can you shoot the same groups at 60 yards with your broadheads?
The way I was brought up from my dad was to practice like your hunting. 90% of the time when I'm practicing I treat It like It's a hunting situation. I draw slow, etc. In my opinion not many practice like this and It hurts them come hunting season.
I practice the same way, bow straight out in front of me with a steady fluid draw. None of that pointing my bow in the air stuff, lol. VA Bowbender, yes my BH's are hitting at 60 as well
Good to hear BC!! It comes as no surprise either to me. I like your style as a bow hunter and enjoy reading your post's on here but I am a tad jealous of the country your In 24/7!!
Thanks! The compliments are sincerely appreciated. I am absolutely blessed to live in the country up here. I'm also not afraid to share it a little bit I believe everyone has to make it out west at least once! One of my many favorite quotes is "If you don't do it now you'll be one year older when you do" This line was taken from a Reckless Kelly song and I have thought of it many times while in the woods.
I've been preaching about this subject for a lot of years. Happens to be a specialty of mine in a slightly different manner, but very similar concept (golf). Target interaction and the mental preparation involved to achieve ultimate performance. Again, I really get into it with golf (almost obsessive lol) but golf and archery are clones. Anyway. I'll practice like a lot of people. Shooting multiple arrows from different yardages, working on my form etc.... But, that is minimal in my practice. Just to sight in bow, work on form etc.. I've had a practice routine for a lot of years that I really believe gives me the best chance at the real deal. I have some practice stands and targets set up in the woods where I work. Every single day I set my target, climb a stand and take ONE arrow. Then you simply simulate the hunting scenario. I move my target every day to every conceivable yardage and angle there is. I vary the time I actually sit there before I just stand and draw. Vary the time you are at full draw. Different light/weather conditions. All my hunting clothing being worn. Anything and everything you can think of to make it real. I've actually ran before I climbed the stand to get my heart rate up and practice holding her steady with the heart thumping lol. The real key IMO is the one arrow. Just like in hunting... you only get one shot (usually). It puts your focus in an entirely different light when you're practicing. Knowing you can't just reach in your quiver and shoot another 10 arrows if the first one went bad for some reason. You get ONE shot to stick a double lung on backyard bucky. May sound like a stupid routine to do, but I really think its worked wonders for me. I am as calm and confident as can possibly be at the moment of truth (until after I shoot hehehe). Have only lost one deer in over 20 years.
Get someone to shoot with and start playing "horse". You'll start challenging each other to take weird and marginal shots under pressure. The more you've got riding on the game the greater the pressure and the harder the shots you're going to challenge each other to.
Thats a great idea Rob, thanks! My shooting buddy, dad, has been on vacation the last week in Oregon, I will run it by him when he gets back.
Had alot of fun shooting today! My shooting range basically consists of a 10yrd wide X 80yrd long clearing in the middle of two wood patches behind the house. I just swept back and forth across the shooting lane picking out the smallest, nastiest holes I could find to snake an arrow through. I was using a method I read about in an article written by Randy Ulmer. He stated that when picking shots through heavy brush and you use your sight pins as a guage. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Arrow+trajectory+101:+precision+aiming.-a0228451486 Its a great read and I encourage everyone to read it. It helped me out alot!
