It was 7:15 AM and I saw him a couple minutes before he entered my shooting lane. A nice racked buck stood on the other side of the road contemplating his crossing. I was on the opposite side of the road about 40 yards in. He was heading from his feeding area towards his bedding area and I was waiting for him. Earlier, I had ranged the tree where I knew the buck would pass by and I was all set for a slam-dunk 22 yard shot. I was prepared.
I was already at full draw as he entered my shooting lane. I let out a little bleat to stop him and he came to a halt broadside right where I wanted him to. I settled behind my peep sight and began lowering my pins from above him to drop them into the kill zone. I was confident.
And then suddenly, it all went horribly wrong.
As I pulled down on the buck and the top of his back came into view throughmy peep sight, the “connections” between my eyes, my trigger finger, and my brain all seemed to abruptly disconnect. Without conscious thought, my finger tightened on the trigger and the arrow was sent on its way. I watched in horror as the arrow sailed harmlessly over the top of the bucks back (in perfect vertical alignment with the kill zone I might add). He came unglued and bounded further into the woods, now hurrying a little faster than he had planned to. If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I shoot indoor archery leagues and indoor archery tournaments. I’d be willing to bet that I shoot between 8000 and 10,000 arrows each year at targets that are at a fixed distance of 20 yards. So it’s not like I don’t know what to do when I come to full draw. Let’s just call it a form of buck fever or target panic (Ah…another topic) and leave it at that.
What I want to talk about is what to do after a miss. In archery, we have the luxury of not spooking the deer too badly on a missed shot. There are many instances of a deer being missed with an arrow, only to bound a few yards, stop, and give the archer another chance. When something like this happens, our mind does not have a chance to go over what happened with the miss. Our bodies go into action in an attempt to notch another arrow and try it all over again. But usually, as was the case with my buck, when we miss, the deer will not present itself with another shot. Now our bodies have nothing to do and our mind takes over. We all react differently over a missed shot. For me, the adrenaline rush is quickly overpowered by disappointment. But we must get over a missed shot and get over it quickly because another opportunity could be just down the trail. Getting over it does NOT mean we should just forget what happened. If something in our mechanics, concentration, or thought process went haywire, we have to analyze that and make mental adjustments while we’re there in the tree stand. We should mentally go over the sequence of events that led up to our miss beginning with the deer’s approach and ending with the missed shot. Identify what went wrong and make the adjustment in your head to do what you’ve been practicing in the backyard for the past several months. The same concept holds true if we are shooting paper targets in a league or tournament, 3D animals on a club course, or bag targets in our back yard. Don’t dwell on the miss. Rather, analyze it and make the necessary mental corrections.
As I tried to stop my right leg from shaking violently from the excitement, I had to sit back down in my stand for fear of falling out. I had to concentrate on calming myself down to try to get my body to resume its normal heart rate and breathing. As the heart rate and breathing slowly came back to safe levels, I went over my miss on that buck. I knew what I had done. I’d done it many times on paper targets. My pin was not on the spot I wanted to hit when I triggered my release. I had failed to pick out a spot on the deer and wait for my pin to settle on that spot. I was focused on the deer as a WHOLE rather than the SPOT I wanted to hit.
Ten minutes later, a nice doe came into another shooting lane and I forced myself to let the pin settle behind her front shoulder. I picked out a tiny spot and smoothly trigged my release. She ran 40 yards before expiring to a heart/lung shot.
Mentally recovering after a missed shot is one of the hardest things I think there is to do in archery and it’s something that you must overcome in the backyard as you practice on paper targets. You won’t experience the intense adrenaline rush like you do when you miss a deer during archery season but you’ll have an idea on how to make your mind and body overcome that miss so you’re ready for the next shot.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Video - McLane's Corner - Parts of the Bow
This video was produced and sort of edited by myself and McLane.
Friday, April 24, 2009
A Developed Obsession
My boys think I have an obsession with archery hunting. My wife calls it a developed interest…God bless her! I think they are all kind of right…I call it a developed obsession! I took the family with me last night to help set up my turkey blind for the upcoming gobbler season which opens on April 25 (tomorrow). I’ve got a spot where I have seen several gobblers over the past couple of years. This year though, I’m moving my blind closer to where they roost. But even though I was consciously in turkey hunting mode, that deep “developed obsession” I have came bubbling up from within me before we even hit the wood line. Bubbling might not be the correct word to describe it though. It was more like it erupted from me like a volcano. I had decided to take my family to my turkey spot by the easiest means possible so we drove about a half mile behind our house and parked the van on the side of the road. We had to walk through about 50 yards of sparse woods before we got on the field that would take us about 400 yards back to my turkey spot. But as I led my little troop towards the edge of the woods, I suddenly stopped. When my wife asked if I was lost (we weren’t 20 yards from the van yet), I pointed out all the deer trails. As my children milled around like fawns do when the lead doe comes to a stop, the eruption inside me occurred. Now, we’ve all heard the stories, read the articles, and seen the pictures and videos that show some deer trails that look more like cattle paths. I was of the belief that these special types of trails were only created on property where hunters had VERY limited access. But I am here to tell you that we were standing near not one such trail, but three…and they converged to a point where all three were in bow range! Suddenly, I had transformed into archery mode and was looking for that special tree in which I could hang my stand. Now remember, here I was on my way out to set up a turkey blind in April and I had instantly “fast-forwarded” to October! I could already picture myself perched up in atree watching these three trails that you could easily ride a motorcycle on. As my fawns…um…children started to get restless, I decided a quick scouting session was called for. As we moved through the area, I was quickly able to determine where the deer were bedding and where they were feeding and that this little travel corridor was the perfect bottle-neck that all hunters seek. I carefully looked at all three trials and could see tracks moving in both directions so I knew they were using the same trails to access the field in the evening and vacate it in the morning. The set up is perfect because thanks to a large and steep hill across the road, I know that even the bucks would prefer to cross at this point. Especially since the property they bed in across the road is untouchable to hunters. The steep hillside on one side of the road and the field on the other funnels the deer to this pinch point. After setting up the turkey blind (my troops were under strict orders to maintain radio silence), we stepped back out into the field. As I looked down the wood line, I saw a deer standing in the field watching us. Is that a sign or what?! Here it was 6:30 in the evening and the deer were already hitting the field to feed with two hours of light still left. I knew right away that the deer in this little corner were very much at ease. I did not have the chance to find that “perfect” tree yet but I’ll be back. Oh yes, I will be back.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***
SHOOTING UPWARDS AND DOWNWARDS - Where to aim when shooting upwards or downwards on a target is a question that always seems to rear its ugly head. To make this very simple, regardless of whether you are shooting up or down, you need to aim low. I’m not going to bore you with why this is…all I’ll say is that is has to do with the pull of gravity at a linear distance and the PythagoriumTheorem (yuck!).
What I will tell you is how to adjust for this phenomenon when you’re sitting 7 yards (21 feet) up in a treestand and wondering what your aiming distance should be when that buck walks by a tree at 15 yards (45 feet) from the base of your tree.
Here’s what most hunters do that explains why so many archers shoot over the top of an animal (not accounting for string jumping…another topic later on). They get in their stands, get settled, pull out their range finder, and start shooting distances to trees, bushes, rubs, scrapes, or other markers ON THE GROUND. If you ranged that tree in the example above (see photo) from your stand to the base of the tree, believe it or not, your range finder would show almost 51.5 feet. That’s a 6.5 foot difference than the actual linear distance. Your arrow would have to travel 51.5 feet while the actual distance of the animal is only 45 feet. That also means that gravity is only working for 45 feet while your arrow is actually traveling for 51.5 feet. Remember, we’ve sighted in our bows and adjusted our sights for gravity on a flat surface meaning gravity was working on the arrow for about the same distance the arrow traveled in relation to the actual distance to the target. Since all of our shots in archery are at a relatively close range (linear distance) and we’re not all that far up in our stands, our sight adjustments need not be that great UNLESS the animal is very close to tree we are in. While we want to avoid these types of shots (nearly straightdown) due to the reduced area of vitals at that angle, it’s still something we should be prepared for.
If you are 21 feet up in your stand and a deerwalks under you six feet away from the tree you are in, the linear distance is only six feet but your arrow will actually travel a distance of about 21.8 feet. Guess what? Unless you aim low to compensate for this upward/downward phenomenon, you will shoot right over the top of your deer.
So what do you do?
I submit to you four options and highly recommend numbers three AND four.
1. If you’re really good (and fast) at math, you could range the deer and calculate your aiming distance using the Pythagorium Theorem (yuck!). An inefficient choice.
2. You could go out and purchase a pendulum sight that pivots with your bow to give you a true aiming point from a near vertical aim out to about 30yards. An expensive choice.
3. Once you are in your stand and you’ve located the tree or trees that you think your deer will pass by, range that tree horizontally from the height you are at. In other words, range that tree at the same height you are sitting.
4. Practice. This is something we all should do. Get in your stand and set a 3D animal at varying distances from your tree and start getting the feel of where your aiming point should be. And remember that we always want the arrow to pass through the vitals (see ***Archery Tip of the Week*** –posted 4/8/09).
Remember, most archers do about 90% of their practicing at ground level. Figure out a safe way to get up high in your practice sessions and start practicing.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
CROSSBOWS AND ARCHERY HUNTING
I’m not a traditionalist in the strictest sense when it comes to archery equipment. I like the latest electronic gizmos, I read about and study new hunting tactics, and I like my bow to be relatively current with market innovations.
But when it comes to the TYPE of bow to be used, I believe that archery hunting should involve the act of having to manually draw a string and hold that string until the arrow is to be released.
Maybe it’s the challenge I prefer. Maybe I enjoy the enhanced quality that a compound bow brings to the hunt. Maybe the kill isn’t the greatest reward I seek.
When using a recurve, long bow, or compound bow to hunt with, there’s a certain strategy involved in when you decide on the moment in which to draw your bow. It must be done when the deer can’t see your movement and it must
be done soon enough so that you’re ready when he’s in range but not too soon so that you have to let down before you’re ready for the shot. Once you come to full draw (ideally when the deer is looking away or he’s behind
something) you must hold the bow at full draw until the shot is presented.
Sounds simple, right? Well, that little tidbit of archery hunting strategy has been the saving grace of MANY whitetails over the centuries. And it’s hard enough when only one deer is in the area. If your buck comes in with a
few does, you now have to deal with that many more sets of eyes that are very adept at picking out the slightest movement.
When using a crossbow however, that strategy is eliminated. You no longer have to make a decision on when to draw your bow. You simply hold the
crossbow like a shotgun or rifle, wait for the deer to get in range, and pull the trigger.
Now don’t get me wrong. I think there’s a place for crossbows in archery hunting. There are many archers who are physically unable to draw a
compound bow back and hold it. For these types of hunters, the crossbow is the perfect alternative.
I’m not advocating the elimination of the use of crossbows in archery hunting. Nor am I in favor of allowing them to be used by anyone who
desires to do so.
But it boils down to one reason why so many states have passed laws permitting the use of crossbows even though there is overwhelming support against it, and that is money.
The trend across the nation has been a decline in the number of hunters and the aging demographics of hunters hitting the woods each fall. With fewer hunters, that means less license revenue. Less revenue, means wildlife
agencies are not as able to sustain established programs or create new ones.
One other issue I’d like to address is the power and range of crossbows.
Many people are under the assumption that a crossbow has an effective range of 60, 70, or even 80 yards. Don’t be fooled! While many crossbows may have a peak draw weight of 125 to 175 pounds (compared to 60 to 70 pounds for compound bows), due to the weight of the bolt and the crossbow’s somewhat inefficient design, the feet-per-second (fps) you gain is really not that great compared to today’s compound bows. If you are adamant about using a crossbow, please take the time to practice with it at varying distances. You’ll quickly see that you’re not gaining that much over a compound bow.
For me, using a compound bow is not all about the kill. It’s about the challenge of developing and implementing a “draw and hold” strategy on that deer that is approaching my shooting lane. Yeah…I will get picked off sometimes as I’m coming to full draw (something that won’t happen with a crossbow) and that buck may hang up JUST out of compound bow range, but isn’t that what makes this sport so great? When those things happen and I analyze what went wrong, aren’t I making myself a better hunter?
The decision to use a crossbow in states that allow them is entirely up to you. Just know that you may lose a little part of the suspense that hunting with a compound bow brings. With that loss, the thrill may soon be lost as well.
But when it comes to the TYPE of bow to be used, I believe that archery hunting should involve the act of having to manually draw a string and hold that string until the arrow is to be released.
Maybe it’s the challenge I prefer. Maybe I enjoy the enhanced quality that a compound bow brings to the hunt. Maybe the kill isn’t the greatest reward I seek.
When using a recurve, long bow, or compound bow to hunt with, there’s a certain strategy involved in when you decide on the moment in which to draw your bow. It must be done when the deer can’t see your movement and it must
be done soon enough so that you’re ready when he’s in range but not too soon so that you have to let down before you’re ready for the shot. Once you come to full draw (ideally when the deer is looking away or he’s behind
something) you must hold the bow at full draw until the shot is presented.
Sounds simple, right? Well, that little tidbit of archery hunting strategy has been the saving grace of MANY whitetails over the centuries. And it’s hard enough when only one deer is in the area. If your buck comes in with a
few does, you now have to deal with that many more sets of eyes that are very adept at picking out the slightest movement.
When using a crossbow however, that strategy is eliminated. You no longer have to make a decision on when to draw your bow. You simply hold the
crossbow like a shotgun or rifle, wait for the deer to get in range, and pull the trigger.
Now don’t get me wrong. I think there’s a place for crossbows in archery hunting. There are many archers who are physically unable to draw a
compound bow back and hold it. For these types of hunters, the crossbow is the perfect alternative.
I’m not advocating the elimination of the use of crossbows in archery hunting. Nor am I in favor of allowing them to be used by anyone who
desires to do so.
But it boils down to one reason why so many states have passed laws permitting the use of crossbows even though there is overwhelming support against it, and that is money.
The trend across the nation has been a decline in the number of hunters and the aging demographics of hunters hitting the woods each fall. With fewer hunters, that means less license revenue. Less revenue, means wildlife
agencies are not as able to sustain established programs or create new ones.
One other issue I’d like to address is the power and range of crossbows.
Many people are under the assumption that a crossbow has an effective range of 60, 70, or even 80 yards. Don’t be fooled! While many crossbows may have a peak draw weight of 125 to 175 pounds (compared to 60 to 70 pounds for compound bows), due to the weight of the bolt and the crossbow’s somewhat inefficient design, the feet-per-second (fps) you gain is really not that great compared to today’s compound bows. If you are adamant about using a crossbow, please take the time to practice with it at varying distances. You’ll quickly see that you’re not gaining that much over a compound bow.
For me, using a compound bow is not all about the kill. It’s about the challenge of developing and implementing a “draw and hold” strategy on that deer that is approaching my shooting lane. Yeah…I will get picked off sometimes as I’m coming to full draw (something that won’t happen with a crossbow) and that buck may hang up JUST out of compound bow range, but isn’t that what makes this sport so great? When those things happen and I analyze what went wrong, aren’t I making myself a better hunter?
The decision to use a crossbow in states that allow them is entirely up to you. Just know that you may lose a little part of the suspense that hunting with a compound bow brings. With that loss, the thrill may soon be lost as well.
Friday, April 17, 2009
FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCTS
We all know what instincts are…it’s where our bodies act or react without
conscious thoughts from our brains.
We’ve all had someone toss us something when we weren’t expecting it. Our reaction (our instincts) is to catch the object with no conscious thought about it.
I was at a baseball game with my family last night when I noticed how the people sitting behind home plate instinctively ducked when a foul tip came back towards them even though there was a protective net. Their brains
didn’t have to tell them to try to avoid the ball, their bodies reacted instinctively and immediately to get out of the way even though there was
there was no possibility of them getting hit by the ball.
This morning, I read an article that talked about making our brains work better. One part of the article described how we should listen to our feelings. You know, that gut instinct that tells us the phone call we just
got telling us we won a million dollars, just doesn’t feel right and that we shouldn’t give out our credit card number to the caller.
This all got me to thinking about how this applies to archery. Yeah, yeah, I know…archery is about all I think about. So? Anyway, I came to realize that through practice and repetition, we can make our bodies know what to do, without conscious thought, every time we pick up an arrow and snap it on to our string.
Why is this a good thing to try to accomplish? Because our mental energy should be focused on one thing and one thing only when we come to full draw…and that is aiming.
If at full draw our minds start to think about things like our stance, our grip, or our release hand, we’re taking the mental energy away from aiming, which is where is should be directed.
I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday who is in a bowling league. He told me he had bowled nine strikes in a row the night before but blew the tenth frame because he got nervous. And guess what he told me. When he got into position, all he could think about was getting a strike. His body knew how to approach the line and deliver the ball…he had just done it nine times in a row. But his brain betrayed him. He stopped thinking about where to aim on the lane, missed his mark, and left the 10-pin standing. He was so flustered, he even missed the spare. Had he focused on hitting his mark
(AIMING) and just let his body do what it knew how to do, he may have had his first perfect game.
We’ve all heard the horror stories of that big-racked buck that enters a shooting lane at 20 yards and stops broadside only to bound away unharmed because the hunter was looking or thinking about the antlers rather than
focusing on aiming for a spot and letting his body do what it’s supposed to do. I once watched a video of an Olympic Silver Medalist archer miss a nice buck at 18 yards. He had literally shot tens of thousands of arrows in his
life but his mind failed him because he simply didn’t focus on aiming.
Now don’t get me wrong, we still need to think about our stance, our grip, or our release hand but when we come to full draw, we need to re-direct all of our conscious thought towards aiming while our body instinctively and
automatically goes through the mechanics of sending the arrow on its way.
conscious thoughts from our brains.
We’ve all had someone toss us something when we weren’t expecting it. Our reaction (our instincts) is to catch the object with no conscious thought about it.
I was at a baseball game with my family last night when I noticed how the people sitting behind home plate instinctively ducked when a foul tip came back towards them even though there was a protective net. Their brains
didn’t have to tell them to try to avoid the ball, their bodies reacted instinctively and immediately to get out of the way even though there was
there was no possibility of them getting hit by the ball.
This morning, I read an article that talked about making our brains work better. One part of the article described how we should listen to our feelings. You know, that gut instinct that tells us the phone call we just
got telling us we won a million dollars, just doesn’t feel right and that we shouldn’t give out our credit card number to the caller.
This all got me to thinking about how this applies to archery. Yeah, yeah, I know…archery is about all I think about. So? Anyway, I came to realize that through practice and repetition, we can make our bodies know what to do, without conscious thought, every time we pick up an arrow and snap it on to our string.
Why is this a good thing to try to accomplish? Because our mental energy should be focused on one thing and one thing only when we come to full draw…and that is aiming.
If at full draw our minds start to think about things like our stance, our grip, or our release hand, we’re taking the mental energy away from aiming, which is where is should be directed.
I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday who is in a bowling league. He told me he had bowled nine strikes in a row the night before but blew the tenth frame because he got nervous. And guess what he told me. When he got into position, all he could think about was getting a strike. His body knew how to approach the line and deliver the ball…he had just done it nine times in a row. But his brain betrayed him. He stopped thinking about where to aim on the lane, missed his mark, and left the 10-pin standing. He was so flustered, he even missed the spare. Had he focused on hitting his mark
(AIMING) and just let his body do what it knew how to do, he may have had his first perfect game.
We’ve all heard the horror stories of that big-racked buck that enters a shooting lane at 20 yards and stops broadside only to bound away unharmed because the hunter was looking or thinking about the antlers rather than
focusing on aiming for a spot and letting his body do what it’s supposed to do. I once watched a video of an Olympic Silver Medalist archer miss a nice buck at 18 yards. He had literally shot tens of thousands of arrows in his
life but his mind failed him because he simply didn’t focus on aiming.
Now don’t get me wrong, we still need to think about our stance, our grip, or our release hand but when we come to full draw, we need to re-direct all of our conscious thought towards aiming while our body instinctively and
automatically goes through the mechanics of sending the arrow on its way.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***
UTILIZING THE PINS ON YOUR SIGHT - Most open pin sight set-ups come with three pins usually “stacked” on top of one another. They vary in color and sizes. Experiment with different combinations to find the set up that works best for you. The top pin is to be sighted in at the closest range, the middle pin sighted in at mid-range, and depending on the power of your bow, the bottom pin sighted in for long range. My pins are set at 20, 30, and 40 yards respectively. I have a pin set at 40 yards because I constantly practice at that range and am confident that I can hit what I’m aiming at from that distance. Plus, my bow is fast enough that the animal won’t have that much time to react to the sound of my arrow being released. Don’t get me wrong though, I’ll still take the 20 yard shot over the 40 yard shot any day! If you aren’t comfortable at the 40 yard range, do yourself, your fellow hunters, and the animal a favor, pass up the shot. I like to get the game I’m trying to harvest in close. Since I am the most comfortable taking a 20-yard shot, my top pin is centered in the sight housing. For a shot within 22 ½ yards, all I have to do is center my sight housing in my peep sight (which centers my pin in my peep sight) and put the top pin on my target. But this also means that my 30 and 40-yard pins are below center in my sight housing. But that’s ok…for shots using those pins, simply raise your bow to use either your 30 or 40-yard pin and center the pin in your peep sight. Remember, your pins won’t be centered in the sight housing but since your pin is centered in your peep sight, you’ll know that your pin will be where you want it.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Cabin Fever?
The weather is getting warmer (slowly) and buds are starting to appear on plants...Mother Nature is beginning to emerge from her winter nap.
While I look forward to the leaves turning into their various colors, the weather turning more crisp, and the deer beginning their mating rituals each fall, there's something about spring that gets the archery blood pumping in me more so than normal.
Maybe it's the fact that I can get out of the indoor ranges and out onto the 3D courses. Maybe it's the spring scouting excursions that I love to do. Maybe it's the promise of yet another archery season on the horizon. Maybe it's knowing that millions of fawns will soon be born. Maybe I'm looking forward to matching wits with a new generation of mature whitetails this fall.
Whatever it is, I know that spring brings with it the anticipation of a new round with nature.
What that means for archers that haven't touched their bows since the end of last season is that it's now time to get them out, get them ready, and start practicing.
Go over your bow and make sure all the bolts and screws are tight. With an odorless lubricant, go over those cams and wheels. Ensure that your string and cables are in good condition and wax them up. Replace them if they are in need of it.
The weather is soon going to break and now is the time to begin practicing for the upcoming archery season even though it's only April! Don't wait until a few weeks before the season opens to dig out that bow. Even if you think that'll be enough time to be ready, it won't be...trust me!
So dust off those bows and get out there...nature is beckoning and it's a call I can't resist.
While I look forward to the leaves turning into their various colors, the weather turning more crisp, and the deer beginning their mating rituals each fall, there's something about spring that gets the archery blood pumping in me more so than normal.
Maybe it's the fact that I can get out of the indoor ranges and out onto the 3D courses. Maybe it's the spring scouting excursions that I love to do. Maybe it's the promise of yet another archery season on the horizon. Maybe it's knowing that millions of fawns will soon be born. Maybe I'm looking forward to matching wits with a new generation of mature whitetails this fall.
Whatever it is, I know that spring brings with it the anticipation of a new round with nature.
What that means for archers that haven't touched their bows since the end of last season is that it's now time to get them out, get them ready, and start practicing.
Go over your bow and make sure all the bolts and screws are tight. With an odorless lubricant, go over those cams and wheels. Ensure that your string and cables are in good condition and wax them up. Replace them if they are in need of it.
The weather is soon going to break and now is the time to begin practicing for the upcoming archery season even though it's only April! Don't wait until a few weeks before the season opens to dig out that bow. Even if you think that'll be enough time to be ready, it won't be...trust me!
So dust off those bows and get out there...nature is beckoning and it's a call I can't resist.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***
3D TARGET PRACTICE - A lot of archers utilize 3D targets to hone their skills prior to archery hunting season. This is a good thing to do for a number of reasons. It gets you outside into nature, you get some exercise (which we all need), you get to work on your shooting form, and you get to shoot at targets that are life-size and in settings that most represent real shots you will be taking. Personally, I’d like to see more 3D courses that offer shots from elevated positions to give us more practice shooting from stands but that’s another topic for later on. If you’re shooting a 3D course for a score, you always want to aim for the bulls-eye. But, if you want to actually practice realistic shots on 3D animals, you don’t always want to aim for the bulls-eye. The ideal position for a deer to be in when you release the arrow is exactly broadside. On most 3D targets, the bulls-eye is near the spot you want to aim for. I say near because I feel a heart shot taken on a real-life deer will be much lower on the animal’s body than where most bulls-eyes are on a 3D target. The second best position a deer to be in is quartering away. In order for our arrow to pass through the vitals of a deer, out arrow must enter the deer’s body further back. Please excuse my poor illustration above but it serves the purpose. The red line (A) shows the arrow path if you were to aim where the bulls-eye is on the 3D target. Notice that all vitals are completely missed. But the green line (B) shows the arrow path if you aim a little behind where the bulls-eye would be on a 3D target. Notice the vitals pass-through. While it’s important to select an aiming point on the outside of the animal, it is of more importance to picture the path of your arrow as it penetrates and passes through the animal. And remember, the narrower the shooting angle, the more compensation needed. When shooting 3D targets and you’re faced with a similar situation, make a quick mental calculation of your arrow path to determine your penetration point.
Monday, April 6, 2009
PA State Indoor Archery Tournament
Not only do scores count but so do bulls-eyes. I took 4th place in the PA State Indoor Archery Tournament. I missed out on taking home a medal because I tied for third but didn't have as many bulls-eyes as the other guy. My son McLane didn't get a medal this year either but in fairness to him, he moved up an age group and classification. We had fun but were exhausted after the shoot was over.
Sometime this week we'll change our bows over to our hunting set-up to shoot 3D.
Sometime this week we'll change our bows over to our hunting set-up to shoot 3D.
Top - Half of the lanes at the tournament.
Bottom - The foursome on our lane. My son, McLane and I are on the right.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***
Adjusting your sights - The ultimate goal in archery is to get a consistent three-arrow grouping in the middle of the target. Ideally, each arrow should hit in the exact center of the target. To get closer to that goal, we need to sight in our bow by adjusting the sights.
NEVER adjust your aiming point to compensate for where your arrows are hitting.
ALWAYS aim for the exact center of the target and adjusts your sights accordingly.
Once you have attained a relative grouping of arrows WHILE AIMING AT THE CENTER OF THE TARGET, then you'll need to adjust your sights. For our demonstration, let's assume a consistent three-arrow grouping that is hitting above and to the right of the aiming point. To bring the grouping closer to the aiming point, move the front sight up and to the right.
Always move the front sight in the direction from center where the arrows are hitting the target.
Shoot more three-arrow shots and continue adjusting the sights in this manner until the grouping is centered on the target.
Remember, if you are relatively new to this sport, your grouping may be quite large. Keep working on your form and shooting until you get a consistent three-arrow grouping that you can cover with your hand. Once you are at that point, it's time to start adjusting your sights. Keep practicing and you'll see your groupings getting tighter and closer to center.
NEVER adjust your aiming point to compensate for where your arrows are hitting.
ALWAYS aim for the exact center of the target and adjusts your sights accordingly.
Once you have attained a relative grouping of arrows WHILE AIMING AT THE CENTER OF THE TARGET, then you'll need to adjust your sights. For our demonstration, let's assume a consistent three-arrow grouping that is hitting above and to the right of the aiming point. To bring the grouping closer to the aiming point, move the front sight up and to the right.
Always move the front sight in the direction from center where the arrows are hitting the target.
Shoot more three-arrow shots and continue adjusting the sights in this manner until the grouping is centered on the target.
Remember, if you are relatively new to this sport, your grouping may be quite large. Keep working on your form and shooting until you get a consistent three-arrow grouping that you can cover with your hand. Once you are at that point, it's time to start adjusting your sights. Keep practicing and you'll see your groupings getting tighter and closer to center.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Last Night of Archery League
Last night was the final night of our indoor archery league for 2009. I shot a 579 out of 600 and finished in 4th place...missed 3rd by 1/2 game. The good news is my anchor point was more stable but I'm still working on it. My son McLane, shot a 557...his second highest score ever. Shortly after the PA State indoor tournament this weekend, we'll change our set-ups over to shoot 3D. It's the same set-up we hunt with.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)