Accuracy with traditional bow

[Hornseeker]

That sucks! But anyhow, you got some skilz... and they will carry right over to compound shooting... Good Luck.

[packmule]

Hornseeker, thank you very much for your post, those are exactly the benchmarks I was trying to obtain....will help greatly for setting my skill development goals!  Yes, it is a fun challenge...and addicting.  Late last night I was moving my wife's car out of the garage so that I could shoot from the driveway into the lighted garage.  A great new hobby....

[RadSav]

Softball sized groups at 30 yards should and can be accomplished by just about any serious traditional archer.  The big obstacle in traditional shooting is concentration.  Ever hear the term, "Aim little - miss little, aim big - miss big"?  It really is true when shooting without sights!

The other two things that really get most when shooting traditional is follow through and relax release;

Most archers want to see their arrows hit the target.  When shooting without a sight it's so dang easy to jump from aiming to looking.  For a right handed shooter this usually leads to those low left flyers.  Try to keep your bow and focus on center and watch the spot for your arrow to appear.  This should greatly increase your consistency. 

The biggest form related mistake most traditional archers make when shooting is to try and open the fingers on their drawing hand.  I guarantee you will never open your hand exactly the same six times in a row.  I'd say it is such an impossibility that most guys who do this and shoot 10" groups at 30 yards could easily shoot 3" groups if they would simply stop trying to let go of the string. 

To properly release when shooting fingers try thinking of your fingers as the hook or pin on a mechanical release.  You don't try to throw those open.  The string does that!  When you are ready to shoot the release sear is to simply relax the hand and fingers together.  The tension of the string will then just push them aside like they are a mere annoyance.  And best of all this is an extremely repeatable action.  Even more repeatable if you switch to a good quality tab instead of finger gloves.  A tab with an anti pinch devise even better!

[GermanShorthair]

On accuracy it depends on your style of shooting.. Are you instinctual or seeing down the arrow. For instinctual that is some good shooting

[carpsniperg2]

That's pretty good shooting right off the bat. I don't really shoot my trad bows past 30. I will at 3d shoots but I practice to 30 with them constantly.

[RadSav]

You are going to be amazed at how good you are with a shotgun once you master this whole traditional archery thing!

I see a Beretta Silver Pigeon in your future 

[packmule]

Radsav, thanks much...the relax release makes great sense.  I'll give that a try.  I think my shooting form and follow through are ok, I took an archery class in college and had a good friend who passed away a few years back who was very serious about traditional archery, they both were very helpful to teach me some of the basics, but that was at least 15 years ago and I've never had a bow of my own to shoot, so the past month has been a real learning experience.

[scotsman]

Form is perhaps even more important with trad bows then compounds because the arrow takes longer to clear the rest or shelf. Most archers realize that, but ignore the equally important fact that the bow and arrows must be tuned. Why?

Because if the equipment isn't well matched and tuned the arrow may not be consistently be going where the archer is pointing it. Without consistent grouping you can't tell wether a miss is your fault or caused by mismatched equipment.

To see an example, go to a YouTube post I did recently. For some reason this site won't accept a direct link from my iPad. Its worth a look so do a youtube search for '30 yard bare shaft test'. If someone can get it to post here I'd appreciate it!

Thx,

Dave R

[packmule]

OK scotsman, I will look for that.

To everyone who has posted, thank you for the advice and perspectives, I've received a lot of good information from you all.

[scotsman]

If you would like some person to person tutorial, I have done quite a bit of coaching traditional archers. I'm in Gig Harbor and have a range at my house... No charge of course.

I'll try that link again. Check out this video on YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OofNpoc9lU8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Dave

[TONTO]

 Form is everything, consistancy. I don't like a brass knock point on my recurves, but started tying a knock point with some braid fishing line, I think it's 130# power pro, anyway I just tyed one nail knot and knock above it. I eyeballed my knock point for a long time just trying to lay the arrow square with each shot. When I went with a consistant knock point, even though I thought I was knocking the same each shot, my groups tightened up quite a bit. Don't even notice the power pro on there. I shoot one over two under with a calf ear tab. Before release I relax upper finger and pull through the release.
   Arrows do make a big differance too. I went to WallyWorld and bought a fistfull of Carbon Express wolverines with the 2" plastic vane just to get some shooting in. Damn you can watch those things wag on their way to the bag but they were cheap @ $3 an arrow and I have got a few robbin hoods out of em, but not too hard when your shooting dozen arrow groups if you can get a group out of them you can shoot about anything. For my hunting arrow I went with a 340ics and 5" feather fletch after shooting the woverines all summer theese things are like darts.
   I shoot out to 30yrds but try not to think about yardage and wander back and forth from the bag shooting differant distance and angles just trying to get the instinctual thing down with an occasional 40-50yrd from the deck or porch. It's a good feeling not relying on a pin Ilike to keep a few judo tips mounted up too and shoot empty milk cartons, love the sound of that WHACK and bounce em all around the field. With these short days I've been shooting with some lighted knocks, I know not too traditional, but it's kinda cool and another bonus of not needing a lighted pin. Put a light in the milk carton and have at it with some tracer rounds

[RadSav]

Tonto hit on something very key in learning to shoot traditional.  That is not shooting at a set distance all the time.  If you have the room do a lot of roving.  Your subconscious mind really needs that additional input of watching the full arch of the arrow to get full use of instinctive shooting.  He also touched on using milk cartons and judo points - hallelujah!  When space is limited not allowing much roving practice you can experience the same thing using milk cartons and Judo points.  We would stuff them with old sheets, towels or stanky shirts and britches.  Take four or five of them and from a single point throw them in all safe directions near and far.  Who cares what distance they end up at!  Shoot one or two arrows at each one and then start over again.  I can't think of a better way to practice traditional instinctive shooting.  It's super fun and super cheap!  Nice post Tonto

[Hornseeker]

Some good info on this thread, since I last read it. Wanted to bring it back up for the traddys...

On the milk jugs.... fill them with spray foam is good too! another good target is an old basketball!

I love the analogy about the sear being "relaxing" your fingers... then letting the string do the work... nice.

[Special T]

Hit arrows together every shot at 20 yards? Damn dude... you ever think about serious competition? If you can do that, you can win the indoor worlds... easy...

I have witnessed other members on this forum put near 60 arrows in the 5 ring of a blue face target at 20 yards which is 2" in diameter or so with a recurve.. There are some very good shooters out there but slapping arrows won't win you world even with a recurve...

[sakoshooter]

 

You might want to try feathers instead of plastic for your vanes.  Feathers are a lot more forgiving.