How Do You Practice?

R

razorback

New member
Mar 11, 2014
876
I\'m late on my practice regimen and struggling a bit with my practice routine. I\'m shooting a whole new setup and some days I\'m on but others not so much. My normal routine is to take 5 arrows and just scatter them all over the yard at various distances and walk my way in shooting. I\'m shooting a heavier arrow now with different sights and it seems I\'m not near as good at gapping my pins inside 40. I\'m also shooting an index finger release that has a very heavy trigger trying to use Backtension. Sometimes I\'m knocking fletchings off and others days the release won\'t go off and I\'m just spraying arrows. Anybody shoot this using technique? Lately I have been using my rangefinder and I can dial my sight in past 40. That helps out a lot but under 40 I seem to shoot worse unless I am shooting exactly 20, 30 or 40.

Hopefully I\'ll just get used to it the more I shoot but first time I\'ve changed bows in several years and dang it\'s like starting over!
 
I shoot 3 at a time instead of 5. It keeps my arm more fresh.

I\'ll usually shoot anywhere from 3-9x at 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60.
I always change it up though so I can start fresh at each yardage to make sure I am spot on!
 
steve, that\'s way more complicated than I ever shoot..... I pick a spot and range it, if its in the middle, try either pin!
 
I shoot 3-4 arrows at 20,30,40,50,60. I do most of my shooting at 20 and 30 just working on form. I will stretch it out after I start feeling good at the closer ranges. I do split pins and shoot random distances. I don\'t worry about dime quarter size groups when doing that. As long as it is close and would do the job. Sometimes the harder you try the worse you shoot. Relax and just fling a few arrows each day. It will feel normal before you know it.
 
I\'ve got a couple different routines and they are for different purposes - first routine, shoot at known fixed distances ensuring arrow is impacting where I want it to. Second routine is move around the yard at unknown distances shooting one arrow from each spot - I will also mix up my time I hold at full draw to simulate real hunting scenarios. Sometimes I hold it while my son keeps time and after 60 seconds of holding at full draw, I\'ll shoot. Next arrow at a different spot I\'ll shoot while only giving myself 2 seconds from beginning of draw to release. Sometimes you\'ve got to draw and shoot immediately and other times you draw and hold forever. Don\'t want to get in shape and study maps and be good at fixed distances while holding my draw for 5 seconds during practice in the yard and then mess up all that when my actual shot at an elk is something I\'ve not practiced.

Just my 2 cents

--Mitch
 
Shoot mostly from 60 or 80 yards. It really helps nail down form on 40 and less. I also shoot a lot at 10-12 yards in my basement. Repetition is the key, even if its only 10 yards.
 
\"Bowfreak\" said:
I also shoot a lot at 10-12 yards in my basement. Repetition is the key, even if its only 10 yards.
Click to expand...


That\'s where I am now. It is time to start stretching out the shooting. I will work on some longer shots this weekend. 60 yds is my furthest pin. I am not sure I could see my target at 80 without my spectacles. :geek:
 
With these new sights I can dial my bottom pin to the exact distance. My farthest distance has been 76 yards. Sometimes I feel like Cam Hanes. Move in to 35 shooting in between pins and the target looks like it was shot with a shotgun :downthumb: When I\'m on I\'m on and when I\'m off its bad. Wasn\'t like that last year with my old bow.
 
My goal is to get close for elk and whitetails this year. So I haven\'t shot super long range as I have in the past. Focusing on form.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
A good way to practice is grab your bow and go shoot ONE arrow. That\'s all you are going to get when it counts.
 
In the past, I\'ve concentrated too-heavily on the longer-range stuff.

Then, when a small bull presented himself at 15-20 yards, I shot right over his back. \"Instant Replay\" showed that I had used my 40 yard pin.

In an \"adrenalized\" state, you will revert to what you trained for, and if you train for a yellow 40 yard pin, that\'s what you will (subconsciously) use.

I\'m training with my green 20 yarder this year.

(In fact, if I thought I had time and a budget for a new sight, I\'d consider a one-pin due to this experience.)

For elk in most situations, your shot is going to be closer that 35, and usually by a lot. Train for what you want to happen.
 
That\'s good advice. I probably read too much and listen to too many podcasts! For all of my WTs 25 yards is about my max distance.
 
\"bowhunter\" said:
A good way to practice is grab your bow and go shoot ONE arrow. That\'s all you are going to get when it counts.
Click to expand...

This, first thing in the morning. Unknown distance out the upstairs (master bathroom) window, nonetheless... :crazy:

Right now I shoot 30-40 arrows at unknown distances... 4 arrows at a time. I\'ll shoot 4, range it, shoot another 4 at known distance. Then I\"ll throw the target a different spot. I usually \'warm up\' at 20-25, then jump to 40-50, do the bulk of my shooting out there, then work my way in to build my confidence before I get too fatigued. Mostly trying to build muscle and drill in my form. As the season gets closer I start to change positions (kneeling, over branches/through trees), closing my eyes and drawing off target and visualizing, holding the draw for 60 seconds or more... The visualizing seems to be the most important of those exercises. It can really calm the nerves at the moment of truth if you\'ve already done it in your mind.

I also shoot as many rounds of 3D as I can squeeze into my schedule. Different wooded settings can really mess with estimating distances, it\'s great practice all around and fun. Way less frustrating than golf.
 
\"razorback\" said:
That\'s good advice. I probably read too much and listen to too many podcasts! For all of my WTs 25 yards is about my max distance.
Click to expand...

I have only shot 4 whitetails past 25 yards out of about 50 or 60. Average for me is probably 14-15 yards.
 
My Wife and I shoot regularly in the evenings. I have 7 targets, mostly 3D, scattered over hill and dale on my 15 acres. Not much flat ground, so mostly uphill and downhill shots through the brush and timber. Most of them we do as walk-ups, from various yardages. I\'ve got a Moo Cow target at the bottom of our driveway that we walk up from 100 yards, down to 20. So we probably shoot 40 to 45 arrows per session.

Since I\'ve managed to get my Wife up to speed...it\'s helped me be more religious about shooting.

It\'s certainly helped break up the dull routine that comes after 25 years of marriage :angle:

Here we are, winding down after the Mount Shasta 3D shoot last weekend...with our first place pins !

JeffnPatty_zpsamwa4y9k.jpg
 
Jeff that sounds like a heck of a setup. My son thinks I need to buy a 3D range. He is ate up with ASA tournaments. I may break down and buy a target or two. Have you ever shot Redding?
 
I try not to \'over-shoot\', but more like maintain.
I like to walk back and shoot - 20 then 30, then 40.
Then 15, 25, 35

Sometimes I concentrate out at 50 & 60 to see if my form and flight is still good.


But I can tell ya that there is just that once in awhile I shoot a couple arrows and realize - \'Nope! Not tonight\' No sense in practicing when it working\'
 
\"razorback\" said:
Have you ever shot Redding?
Click to expand...

Steve, this Year was my third Year shooting Redding, and I shot with my Wife for the first time. She had a blast, and I did very well compared to prior Years.

jeff%20plaque_zps1mjs3n9j.jpg


If you ever shoot it, hit me up...you will have a place to stay :upthumb:
 
My son would love to shoot it. I\'m nowhere near good enough. It looks like a lot of fun. I like to shoot long distance but just started. I do it mainly so the close up shots seem easy and the better I get I don\'t burden my son when we shoot together :D
 
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