Lets discuss your tips for accuracy on a compund bow

[hflier]

There is alot of experience on this forum. I was wondering if you all would like to put down some tips you have learned over time on how to improve your accuracy with a compund bow. I am not having any particular issues, I just want to see if any of your pointers can make me even better, tighter groups at longer yardage. Also what is accuracy for the western style hunter? How do I judge myself? 1" group at 20 yards? 4" group at 50 yards? What is good? What is great?

Thanks,
Ron

 

[Hardstalk]

My biggest help has been consistency. Not so much form i kind of feel everyone has their own. but a consistent hold,release, knock point, breathe out everything i do while shooting an arrow is the same every time. It has helped alot. Forget about hitting the small circle for a while and focus on doing the same action every time. Muscle memory.

 

[Ross]

I agree with Hardstalk....muscle memory is key....additionally focus on shooting 20-30 arrows exactly the same, versus shooting 100 arrows with maybe not the same focus....and mental thought process, as I recall they say archery is something like 60-70% mental and 30-40% physical.

 

[Hardstalk]

One more thing i will add is Once you have a routine and everything is consistent. Nothing can compare to a adrenaline pumping shot on an animal. I like to occasionally shoot a dozen arrows. And then literally run to the target. Get the blood pumpin a bit more than normal and increase the heart rate than attempt to still apply all as before by instantly going into relax mode and shooting again.

 

[Titaniumman]

Practice, practice, practice. And paper scores don't always translate to good hunting shots either so practice hunting situations too. Do something to get your heart and respiratory rates up and then see how you do.

 

[justin davis]

Practice at long ranges. 60-80 yards. Inorder to make these shots form has to be really good. Shooting these yardages will make you more accurate.

 

[Jimbob]

1. EQUIPMENT.
First is to have your equipment in order. Proper draw length is key to feeling comfortable and being consistent. Have someone take a picture of you at full draw so you can detect any flaws that tweaking your draw length or changing your form can help with. A good stabilizer is worth its weight in gold, weight being the key thing . something like a 12" 11oz b-stinger can really shrink groups at long range. Next is a good release. Just look at how important a good trigger is on a rifle. You want a trigger the breaks like glass, surprise release to get the arrow off.

2. ROUTINE
Like mentioned above a good shoot routine is critical. I actually wrote out my routine, it was about 12 steps and even included when i would breathe. Now this routine is habit.

3. TWO EYES OPEN
Once I started to open both eyes my shooting ability went up drastically, especially in 3D (which resembles hunting quite a bit). Being able to see the whole animal clearly allowed me to place my pin EXACTLY where I wanted. Looking through a 1/4" hole and lining up a pin 2.5' from my face with an animal 60' away with one eye is just not a good idea. Opening that second eye was key.

4. AIM
Your mind can only do one thing at a time. If you decide to start pulling the trigger then your mind is not aiming anymore. What develops from this is punching the trigger. Holding your pin and aiming then quickly punching the trigger when your pin is in the right spot = BAD NEWS. What you should do is go through your whole shot process and then start SQUEEZING with your back and aim until the shot breaks away. The last thing you want to be focused on is aiming not pulling the trigger. This is why a good heavy trigger is great for archery. If you can't shot a heavier trigger its probably cause your punching the trigger and flinching at the shot, a light trigger will mask this problem. I get a good hold of my trigger and start pulling then aim and let my pin float around that bullseye, the less I can make my pin float the tighter my group will be. NEVER try to hammer the trigger while your pin is in the right place. This advice about aiming was in an article from Randy Ulmer

 

[jmez]

Take some shooting lessons from a professional. Best thing I ever did. Had been involved in archery for 20+ years and all I had accomplished was to get pretty good at shooting bad. Made a huge difference in my groups 40 and out.


Get your own press and learn how to work on your bow. When your peep needs move a little you will do it rather then getting by so you don't have to go all the way to the shop just to move the peep a little, etc etc etc..

 

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

Take some shooting lessons from a professional. Best thing I ever did. Had been involved in archery for 20+ years and all I had accomplished was to get pretty good at shooting bad. Made a huge difference in my groups 40 and out.


Get your own press and learn how to work on your bow. When your peep needs move a little you will do it rather then getting by so you don't have to go all the way to the shop just to move the peep a little, etc etc etc..

Great advice everyone - I will second this one. I have coached several archers and it's amazing how much they were able to improve in a short time. I know it made a huge difference in my shooting when I worked with some great coaches and pros early on - and it's never too late... Also getting to know your own equipment and learning to tweak and fix it is a really nice asset for any bowhunter. Good stuff jmez!

 

[RosinBag]

I will second jmez and darin's remarks. I started shooting my highest scores when shooting with better shooters and being around some of the pros. Not so much getting lessons, but absorbing what they were talking about, how they did things, etc. I will also say if you start working on your own equipment make sure you have take notes on what you do, so you can return it to your starting point and also have the number of a supreme bow engineer to help you through the frustration that will undoubtedly come.

 

[squeekieslayer]

Backtension release, no safety, no clicker learn to use it CORRECTLY and you will never ever regret it. There is NOTHING that you can do that will help you shoot better. End of story.

Here is why... you cannot shoot it properly with the wrong DL, so it will force you to correct that. You cannot command your shot, so you will learn to RELAX while aiming. You learn to use proper form or you will never be consistent, you learn follow through. the list goes on and on.

The TRUE problem is this. You cannot learn backtension overnight, in fact, I would say to learn to properly shoot it, it takes at least 1 full month if shooting 5 or more times a week. People cheat, they roll their wrist, they set it light, they pull with their pinky, they relax their hand. If you cheat, you can be just as good as you can with a trigger...but whats the point in that? IF you want to get better, you must get worse with backtension first. thats that.

Joe

 

[Evan Williams]

Get your lessons!!! Let someone who knows what they are doing take a look at you...take some pictures so you have them as a later reference. Have a shot routine! Under 10 steps! Consistent shooting build positive muscle memory make the best shot that you can repetitively. Build confidence like no other!!!!