How's your paper-plate consistency?

[Tradtiger]

Most traditional shooters would like to hit at least an area the size of nine-inch paper plate from 20 yards consistently. Some say this is too big to be reliable for hunting deer-size game, much less smaller game, like hogs. But, a paper plate is still a common and easily available target to practice on. Personally, I think it's up to the individual hunter to know his own yardage and situational limitations. In other words, maybe 15 yards is where you need to be to keep the vast percentage of shots on a paper plate -- which, of course, is generally simulating a "kill zone."

In Aron's sticky "Strugglestick" articles, he recounts his realization of the vast range differences between compound and trad gear. I never shot compounds, but went directly from a rifle to a recurve. So, that's an even bigger paradigm shift of tactics and mindset.

Trad shooters also know that practice is the best way to hone accuracy, consistency and confidence. Target shooting at a static range -- particularly with guidance of some sort -- is great for developing form; many trad guys like to shoot 3D for the more realistic practice on simulated game animals as well as the competitive aspect.

For any wanting to test their paper-plate accuracy, here's a link to a fun and free competition on a site founded by a longtime dedicated traditional archer and hunter. The challenge starts today. Here's the link:
http://barbeearchery.boards.net/thread/365/traditional-bowhunter-proficiency-valentine-challenge

Simple deal involves 20 shots from 20 yards. See how you do. May help guide your hunting set-ups.

Tradtiger
Ellis

 

[Tradtiger]

Okay, boys and girls. You have til tomorrow night (2/16) to shoot and post you shots on the Valentine Challenge on Rick's forum. You are probably aware that Rick Barbee is a guy that can hit a swinging aspirin tablet from 15 yards. Anyway, I posted a Fun Round of 85 today, but many of you can shoot a 60 or better to qualify for the nice prize I have ready for you.

In other words...... Choot it

 

[Mow1954]

I've always set my hunting distance to where I can hit the paper plate every time, not just consistently.

 

[Jbehredt]

I've always set my hunting distance to where I can hit the paper plate every time, not just consistently.

Consistently: In every case or on every occasion; invariably

 

[CatlinBrewer]

Simply shooting at a paper plate does nothing for a traditional bowhunter, and in many cases can cause really bad habits if you are just shooting at the plate and not "picking a spot." With that being said it can be a useful tool in the whole "picking a spot" mentality.

Instead of looking at a 3" circle on your block target, or the 10 ring on a 3d target, put a paper plate over it. Then put a handful of dots on it with a marker fairly tight together. Then start trying to focus on individual dots to shoot at. From there you can even put a blank plate up and try to pick an individual spot within it. This technique helped be immensely from a hunting standpoint. I could shoot circles all day long, but found myself just looking at the whole shoulder on a game animals vs. picking out a hair in front of the heart.

A legendary archer named Owen Jeffery showed me this about 17 years ago when I started my trad journey after I had made quite a few bad shots on hogs. It really turned me into a much better archer, although I still catch myself not "picking a spot" all the time when flinging arrows and the impact shows it!

 

[Kevin Dill]

I've never done it, but I've often thought:

Set up 2 backstops at 20 yards. One has a 9" white paper plate target. The other has a ping pong ball target. Shoot 5 arrows at each and measure the spread from center target. Do this ten times over ten days and see if a pattern develops. I suspect the difference would be noticeable if not actually dramatic.

I personally don't practice for hunting by shooting groups. I have the luxury of being able to step out my door and shoot my bow. I typically step outside and take one 'cold' shot at the target; the same idea as making a shot on an animal. If you hunt, the first shot is THE shot you must make. Everything after that tends to be corrected for error or involve stretched muscles.

Good luck to those who take the paper plate challenge. At our house they are a protected species and typically impossible to find.

 

[Beendare]

Good challenge.

I do a combination of shooting practice.

I do shoot for groups. While shooting those I pay attention to where each shot went...and the why. So for example.....my bow arm sometime collapses a little and I tend to shoot a little right [I'm a LH shooter] For me to correct this, I have to remember to rotate my bow arm elbow up....plus be sure to point my bow hand at the target in the beginning of my shot sequence....and I'm golden. Shooting for groups has shown me that a tiny variation in my grip and my release make a big difference.

Shooting for groups helps me work out the kinks in my form to increase my accuracy.

I would agree with Kevin and others....shooting groups isn't the best hunting practice.

I like roaming around and shooting on arrow at foam animal targets fro a different distance, body position, etc every time- One arrow for all the marbles if you will. Do something like that and it reinforces the need to pick a spot, clear your head of the second guessing and noise and just focus on shooting one good arrow.

Dang, now you guys are getting me fired up to go shoot something!

..

 

[Kevin Dill]

fwiw: I do shoot multiple arrows at times but I don't consider the group result. I still focus on the individual arrow. I'm typically doing this during summer while working on form, strength and focus. But when I'm getting down to knuckles before a hunt, I switch to shooting broadheads. At that point I step outside now and then to shoot one broadhead arrow. I absolutely like how that one arrow really makes me think and focus on getting it right. I know most guys can't avail themselves of doing that.

I'm still looking for a paper plate.....

 

[Btaylor]

Kevin just hang an empty Mountain House bag and call it good

 

[LostArra]

When I started shooting a bow the only targets were stacked bales of hay. My dad would put a paper plate to the right of center and to the left of center (deer walking each direction). He would never let us shoot the middle of a hay bale. "If you shoot the middle of the hay bale, you will shoot the middle of the deer".

Smaller targets like paper cups were for wagering.

 

[Btaylor]

Thought I would bump this one back up. Trying to knock the rust off from a long layoff from trad bow. Feel like I am moving from 60 grit to 100 but season is still a good bit off. Drew a 6x8” box with a 3” circle and shot 75 shots this evening from 20 yards. I like to do a volume shoot every so often cause it will show me how often I still have a pluck or drop my bow arm or torque the bow. In variably I can go right back to focusing on just pulling through the shot and I get right back tight to center. You can’t hide from the truth and that pic says I still got lots of reps to go to clean my shooting up to the point I want it by season.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LostArra]

I will shoot a scored 30 arrow round at a 3 spot Vegas target about every week or two in the summer. Those rings don't lie about accuracy.

By late August a lot of my practice is from a treestand at 3D targets although I plan to do more ground hunting for deer this year.