explanation?

[snarkybull]

preface:  this is probably my fault.

i ranged a raghorn bull at 53 yards downhill today.  i put the 50 pin in the middle of the chest broadside (discounted for elevation).  then i flung an arrow 2 feet over its back.

what in the name of almighty crap happened?  was something wrong with my arrow? form?

he was confused (the arrow hit on the other side of him) and gave me a second shot.  i figured my range was off cause i just shot way too high, therefore i aimed for 40.  this one went too low.

upon post disaster analysis with my hunting partner, we determined my original range was accurate.  this bull was 50ish yards away.  the second arrow flew true, i just aimed too short.

so what in the name of almighty crap happened with my first shot?  this is eating at my soul.  i do not want this to happen again.

[Mike450r]

What was the angle? 

[duckmen1]

Maybe due to a downhill angle you bent your arm and not your hips on the first shot and that caused you to pull up on the shot. Who knows. Lots of things happen with bows. The best thing that can explain is replay the shot in your mind and see what you come up with.

[Mike450r]

I have shot extreme angles where my 20  pin was used for a 50 yard shot.

[snarkybull]

it was downhill.  not treestand steep, but i figure now that a 50 yard shot probably covered 45 yards horizontally.  so my 50 yard pin set low on the chest equals 45 yards which was still in the boiler room.  why 3 feet too high?  i've never done that in practice or anything like it.  my second shot was dead on if you discount the fact that i aimed at the wrong spot. 

i am going to shoot a couple arrows first thing in the morning to make sure the setup is fine.  i expect it is.

how could bad form derail in this fashion?  or a bad arrow?

[RadSav]

I have been working with a guy here having the same issues.  After watching him shoot it was determined his draw length is too long.  If he does not bend at the waist the length gets extreme and his right elbow points down.  Since the arm then can not go back any further upon release the elbow drops down hard.  And since the left arm always does the exact opposite of the right his arrows would consistently go high when shooting from his knees or shooting up/down hill.  Even though on the flat range he was deadly accuracy in the field he was filled with issues.

When we measured the true draw length we found out it was set 1.5" too long for his wingspan.  Seems when adjusting the bow to his draw length after getting a new bow he rotated the module the opposite way it was suppose to go.  Simple mistake, but it did cost him an animal or two.  Now corrected his confidence is back 100%.

[Duffer]

Yup. So many possibilities.

I have a friend who, in the heat of the moment, did exactly what you did at a nice bull at 20yds.

Re-living the shot, he realized that he 'forgot' to use his pins. He just lined his peep with his sight ring and then 'circled' the elks body with the sight ring.

If he had looked at his pins, whichever pin is in the center of his sight is the pin that was aimed. Probably his 30yd or 40yd. Shot right over its back.

Stuff happens. Don't let it eat you up