Nearly straight down shots.

How do you aim? We discussed this before. Does anyone use their 30 or 40 yard pin for very close shots to make up for the rise that must occur when an arrow is 3 or 4 inches below point of aim? Does failure to do this account for the unexplainable misses many archers experience at deer under their stand? Yeah... has happened to me plenty. Thoughts?

 

A deer under you stands a VERY good chance at giving you a 15 yard quartering away shot at some point.

 

I wait until they walk out about 10 or 15 yds and introduce them to Mr Muzzy MX3

 

I shoot them for 35 yards. The first one I used my 20 pin and had a very long blood trail. The next 3 have been for 35 and they have dropped in their tracks. One required an additional arrow to finish him off. While I had rather wait for them to be broadside at 15 to 20 yards, some of the areas I hunt are thick enough that you take what you can get. If that happens to be straight down then I'm comfortable with it.

 

I'll never cease to be amazed at the deer that just appear under my stand and I don't know how they got there. I hunt a lot of fence rows so very close shots are common and even 5-10 yards out is still likely to put you several inches low if you don't understand your arrows trajectory. From the rest, an arrow has to rise to the point of impact at 20 yards which may be anywhere from 2-4 inches. The greater the distance between your resting arrow and your 20 yard pin, the easier to miss at very close ranges... especially for those of us who like heart shots.

How well do most of us know our arrow's true trajectory?

 

Not very well from most of the conversations I have had.

I agree with Ben but, with that said, it is very easy to understand the arrow's trajectory and where to aim at any yardage.

Stand 5 yards from the target and aim using whatever pin you want and see where the arrow hits in relation to aim point. That should give you the info you need for deer under your stand.

Do that for any yardage. Part of my regular practice is to get at some random non-pin yardage and aim with the pin I think I should use and see where the arrow hits.

I think most would be surprised at how much actual arc there is in their "flat shooting" bows. Then they might realize that "flatter trajectory" is a marketing term used to sell them something they don't need or really understand. The desire for a "flatter trajectory" usually leads to someone using crappy hunting arrows.

 

There is a huge difference between a straight down shot and a 3-5 yard shot from a deer stand.

Straight down has sight parallax playing a big part because the arrow never comes up to the line of sight/ aim so using the bubble as a sight pin or looking down the arrow may be the best option.


A 3-5 yard shot in my experience should be shot with your 20 and you will still be slightly high from a stand. Reason is the arrow travels far enough for the arrow to reach your line of sight/aim. From a stand and from the ground are slightly different here. Longer shot from stand.


The key is form, most struggle with flat ground shots. Put them in a stand aiming down and they struggle even more. It is a crucial to practice these shots if your going to be taking them in the woods.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

I was hoping you (the voice of common sense) would jump in again on this one. I like my first pin set at the top of my trajectory, not an arbitrary distance. For my setup, that is about 18 yards and with my next pin at 30 or so, anything between those two points should be in my 4 inch point blank range. If one's arrow rises higher than the first pin, its easy to shoot high at 23 or 24. The situation is reversed at closer ranges.

I am assuming the desire for a flatter trajectory that you referred to includes shooting underweight, under spined arrows with low FOC and that are too easily steered by the BH.

 

I tend to shoot just under them at 3-5 yards if I don't aim a bit higher. Bending at the waste is a big help but knowing your trajectory and practicing odd shots are important and responsible keys to success. Well said.

 

That shot has been my Nemesis. Shot a small buck last year 2 steps from my tree. The year before I missed one under me in 2 feet of water that ran 20 yards and stopped... heart shot him on the second shot. The thing is; I nail the shot in practice, then miss it while hunting and everytime I seem to miss low.

 

Shooting straight down is still with my 20 yard pin. from 20 and in the only weird spot was around 12 yards where my arrows was hitting around 3 inches high

 

Around 12-13 is the apex of an arrow shot from a bow.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

I've played around with a foam target directly benenath me and for my setup, the 30 yard pin is dead on.