I finally hit my 14"x14" target with all 5 arrows at 20 yards with my recurve! LOL. Noticed I said "hit" and not hit in the 3 inch ring..LMAO.
Gotta start somewhere. Good going, Brett. I'm just happy to hear you're giving it a go. When you learn your tendencies (on "misses"), you'll start to see what you need to work on. I don't like windage misses (left/right). That bugs the crap outta me. And, when I'm shooting a lot, the elevation misses (up/down) are few and far(ther) between. Keep up the good work! And yes.....hitting a 14"x14" target at 20yds IS good work for a fledgling trad. archer. What grain tips are you shooting?
100 grain tips Jeff. That is all I currently have in stock. Do you suggest I move up in weight? I would like to get some feathers on Monday, currently I am using plastic vanes. I am all over the place in terms of horiztonal/vertical misses. It seems like some days it is one or the other. I began shooting at 8 yards today and felt great. I moved to 15 and started sucking. I normally would move closer but I just realized that I needed to get out to 20 yards and shoot. So I shot about 30 arrows at 20 yards, some even hit the 3 inch ring. I immediately lowered my distance to 15 yards and shot better at 15 then I ever have in the past. After the success at 15 I went back to 20 yards and shot my best "groups" ever. I had a couple arrows touch each other straight vertical of the 3 inch target, at about 3-4 inches high. Overall I was very happy. I did not shoot for 2 days and my arm strength felt better today, plus I had hurt my right shoulder at work restraining an unruly youth.
Reason I asked about tip weight....is I have some 125gr judo points. I'll send them to you if you want. It's a GREAT way to spend time, while shed hunting....just picking out twigs/leaves/etc. to shoot at in the woods. The judo tips will save arrows. What I learned (and everyone's different) shooting trad is.....when you feel confident at 10yds.....it's time to go to ELEVEN yards....lol (not fifteen). Shooting longer distances is GREAT practice, though. It'll accentuate/identify form flaws. We shoot 70yds, sometimes (at a 4 FOOT x 4' butt). I'll talk to you, tonight. Good goin' on the shootin', though!
Off the shelf. Woodsman, I am a complete novice using a recurve. I really don't know what I am doing, but it sure as heck is a lot of fun.
Your accuracy will improve greatly when you get some arrows with feathers on them. Plastic vanes don't perform well at all off the shelf. You may already be doing this but until you get arrows with feathers you can make some improvement with the plastic vanes by shooting them cock vane in.. It seems a bit strange but plastic vanes will shoot much better this way.. I can shoot 4" vanes off the shelf this way with very good results. woodsman
Keep at it, I've been shooting since 1974 and I still have to refresh myself sometimes to the basics.
Woodsman, I am going to purchasing and refletching with feathers within the next week. I shot even better this morning from 20 yards. I also believe I need heavier arrows and heads. THANKS guys for all of your help and advice.
Brett, Aren't you near Quantico? I'm in Garrisonville and have access to some pretty good stump shooting grounds and a 3D course now and then. If you have 10 minutes I'll teach you everything I know from 45+- years of traditional shooting...lol
Shott what ya got, til you come down. We'll get your feathers right....and you can order what you need when you get back home.
I am very close to Quantico BowBender. I would be very interested in learning from you. Let me know when you are free and I will see if we can link up. I really appreciate your offer, it means a lot. Jeff, I will take you up on that offer. I need to get some feathers placed on my arrows. As I was shooting today I felt like my nocks were not the best for that type of bow either. It was like they were too tight. I tried holding my bow hand very steady like you said, and maintained that posture through the entire shot. My horizontal accuracy immediately improved. I shot so much yesterday and this morning that my arm was tired this afternoon and my accuracy sucked. I will be back shooting again Thursday. Thanks for all the help guys.
Everybody has their own preferences, Brett. I shoot what I shoot (shield cut) for a reason....as I use the tip on the end of my nose as AN anchor reference. That also makes me place them in a particular spot on the shaft (for consistency). I've got the line on my clamp marked. You may not like my method. Then again, you may. We'll find out. Bring your jig/clamp.
Rob, I returned your PM. This is the bow I am shooting. I bought it about 7-8 years ago for my dad and he never used it. Until a couple of weeks ago I had probably shot less than 100 shots through it over the past 7-8 years.
Sure is fun right! Keep at it, like the others said when you get feathers your accuracy will improve. Also, get the correct fitting nocks, this will help with arrow flight bigtime!
