How often do you shoot?

[D_Eightch]

What do you do to stay brushed up on your archery skills?

I just joined our local Archery Club Monday and have gone in the past 3 mornings before hitting the gym.


What does each session typically consist of for you? Wondering if there are drills out there to help with any issues people may face.

 

[PMcGee]

I shoot a few arrows in the basement everyday and shoot indoor leagues twice a week.


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[elkguide]

At least a dozen arrows everyday in the basement this time of the year. Once things thaw out, I try to get in a half hour of shooting in the field behind the house at least 4 days a week.

 

[Felix40]

I feel like you can stay proficient with a compound just shooting once a month or so. I probably shoot less than 20 arrows a month. When the season gets closer I'll probably shoot 2-3 arrows a day just to make sure I haven't bumped anything while out in the brush. Traditional is a whole different story. A couple times a week is the minimum for me.

 

[blackovis]

2-5 days a week depending on the time of year. I like to start out shooting up close to warm up while focusing on proper form, execution, and follow through. The key being not concentrating on aiming while doing this. 10 ft-10 yards. Then once I feel like I'm executing shots well, I will move back to start shooting 20 yards. If I'm not getting good results at 20 I won't start shooting longer distances. If I'm making small mistakes at 20 they will be magnified at 50 and beyond. Just shooting X number of arrows isn't going to help you become a better shooter IMHO. Overshooting can lead to problems like target panic in my experience.

I like to live by the mantra of quality over quantity. If you aren't concentrating on making every shot count in practice when you have plenty of time you will not be able to make the shot count when it NEEDS to. If you start to get really fatigued you should just put the bow away rather than wasting your time with imperfect shots and the frustration that will plague your mindset.

I somewhat agree with what Felix40 said but not entirely. Yes it's true you can dust off your bow and get decent results with a compound even if you haven't shot in months. For me, I put too much time and money into my hunts to settle for "decent" results. I like to be so confident that when I draw back my bow on an animal, there isn't a shadow of doubt in my mind that I can make the shot. Missing an animal happens even with good preparation but why not put the odds in your favor by erasing any doubt.

 

[elkyinzer]

I haven't shot since late October when I tagged out on whitetails. I'll shoot again when it gets nice again in the spring. I only hunt and don't do any of the competitive stuff, and I don't think the winter layoff adversely affects me one bit.

I try to shoot a couple times a week throughout the summer and almost daily as the season approaches. I usually only shoot a dozen or so arrows and sometimes I'll only shoot a couple. I see the biggest form breakdowns when I get tired. Most of that practice is in my backyard where I can shoot to 35. Once a week or so I'll drive to where I can shoot farther. I aim for my groups to be an inch for every 10 yards and usually can achieve that, even after a long layoff.

Always a big focus on that first shot, it's the one that counts. I also make sure to occasionally practice from a treestand and in my heavy whitetail clothes.

For me one of the toughest times to get practice in is during actual hunting season. My time is spent either working, hunting, or with my family that time of year and it gets tough to find daylight hours to shoot. I think that bit me in 2015 when I choked on an easy shot at a beautiful buck the last week of the season.

 

[Felix40]

Guess it takes a different approach for different people. If i shoot a single softball size group at 60 every month I feel like that's as good as I will ever shoot and a heck of a lot more than "decent". I don't see a reason to stand out there and shoot the same size groups over and over.

 

[D_Eightch]

2-5 days a week depending on the time of year. I like to start out shooting up close to warm up while focusing on proper form, execution, and follow through. The key being not concentrating on aiming while doing this. 10 ft-10 yards. Then once I feel like I'm executing shots well, I will move back to start shooting 20 yards. If I'm not getting good results at 20 I won't start shooting longer distances. If I'm making small mistakes at 20 they will be magnified at 50 and beyond. Just shooting X number of arrows isn't going to help you become a better shooter IMHO. Overshooting can lead to problems like target panic in my experience.

I like to live by the mantra of quality over quantity. If you aren't concentrating on making every shot count in practice when you have plenty of time you will not be able to make the shot count when it NEEDS to. If you start to get really fatigued you should just put the bow away rather than wasting your time with imperfect shots and the frustration that will plague your mindset.

I somewhat agree with what Felix40 said but not entirely. Yes it's true you can dust off your bow and get decent results with a compound even if you haven't shot in months. For me, I put too much time and money into my hunts to settle for "decent" results. I like to be so confident that when I draw back my bow on an animal, there isn't a shadow of doubt in my mind that I can make the shot. Missing an animal happens even with good preparation but why not put the odds in your favor by erasing any doubt.

Great response. I am not shooting for decent results either.

I have really been focusing on form and paying attention to my body more than just where my arrow hits. So I can feel what may have been different if the shot is off and I have already seen quite an improvement.

It's amazing how quickly the small stabilizing muscles in the shoulder start to fatigue. So in a sense I am working on training that as well.

Also, shooting archery for me is a bit of a release. You just get to empty your mind and focus on the task at hand, so it's almost like a form of meditation if that makes any sense. Because I have also noticed if you have a bunch of shit running through your mind, good luck getting a tight group.

 

[5MilesBack]

I somewhat agree with what Felix40 said but not entirely. Yes it's true you can dust off your bow and get decent results with a compound even if you haven't shot in months. For me, I put too much time and money into my hunts to settle for "decent" results. I like to be so confident that when I draw back my bow on an animal, there isn't a shadow of doubt in my mind that I can make the shot. Missing an animal happens even with good preparation but why not put the odds in your favor by erasing any doubt.

I agree with Felix from an accuracy standpoint, to me it's like riding a bike and I can do it well regardless how often or when the last time was I did it. However, I do agree with BlackOvis in regards to having everything down to the subconscious by the time September rolls around. I'll probably shoot 8-10k arrows from June through August just because I enjoy it, and love getting out during the summer. But what that also does is lock in my brain every single one of my 7 pins for every different shot opportunity, and any and all adjustments I might have to make for yardage and obstructions etc. By September I don't even have to think about it.

The biggest thing for me is yardage estimation. If I have a good yardage, I have no doubts the elk is going down. So practicing yardage all summer helps too.

 

[elkguide]

Once I'm outside shooting, until I get close to season, I only shoot at 30 yards and longer. That way when a 20 yard shot presents itself, it is truly a chip shot, you know, the old muscle memory idea. The farthest I've ever taken an animal at was an elk at 37 yards but if he had been at 50 yards, I'm very confident that I could have made that shot too. Several older guys that I have shot with recommend just shooting one arrow a day throughout the winter, but before you release that arrow draw and let down several times and make sure that all of your mechanics are in perfect form and when you do release that one arrow everything is as perfect as it can be.

 

[Sam's dad]

I try to I shoot a couple times a week in the backyard all year long. I can't always so that because of work, weather, training at the gym, whatever, but that's my goal. Beginning in the spring, I shoot two to four times a week at a range and on a 3D course. Shooting, like exercise, is a great way for me to clear my mind, like the above poster mentioned.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

I slack off from Jan to March and then 4-7 times a week getting more and more as season draws near.

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[Gumbo]

Everyday in my basement to work on form and pulling through. Techno league once a week (no spot league here). Outside during winter whenever wind is minimal and temps aren't too cold (around freezing). Once spring is here I shoot outside every chance I get, usually about 5-6 times a week. If you can't put that first arrow on the money you might as well not hunt, so I try to do everything I can to be the best shot I can. I'm pretty obsessed.

 

[Bmcox86]

Right now maybe once a week, cant shoot in my yard because my target is under snow. I try to shoot our indoor club on Wednesday and do a techno shoot with the wife once a month, when there's no snow I try to shoot every night


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[elkguide]

Call me crazy but just came back inside from shooting.

Must be winter is getting old because at 34*, with no wind and the sun shining it feels like summer!!!!!

 

[Bmcox86]

Call me crazy but just came back inside from shooting.

Must be winter is getting old because at 34*, with no wind and the sun shining it feels like summer!!!!!

Wish I had that problem

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[307]

2 to 4 times per week in the winter, double that once snow is gone.

 

[5MilesBack]

Wish I had that problem

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You just need a portable target that you set on top of the snow.

It's funny.......when it's below zero I seem to be the only guy at the range. Not sure what that says.

 

[DWinVA]

Dusted off the recurve a few months ago and shoot almost every day in my basement. I shoot close for form and strength and some at 12 yards. I've been stump shooting/squirrel hunting at least one day during the weekend. Just waiting on spring gobbler in a few months.

God Bless.

 

[timekiller13]

4-5 days a week, try to shoot minimum of 20 arrows in a session. When it's cold like it is now, I don my cold weather hunting gear and practice with it so I can get used to shooting in bulky clothing.