Practice

[Dave Nash]

#7103

How often do you guys practice and at what distance? I shoot just about everyday in the backyard maybe a hundred arrows 15 to 25 yards.My accuracy seems to vary at times.Am I shooting to much? Thanks for any input and God Bless

[David Petersen]

#58215

That’s a lot of shooting, Dave. I used to be that way and in the process blew out my left shoulder and had to drop a whopping 10 pounds in draw weight. But that turned out to be a left-handed blessing since it put me on the road to heavy arrows, etc. I really don’t think the number of arrows we shoot in practice has any direct bearing on consistent accuracy and at times can work against it. Fewer arrows, each shot with deliberate intent, I believe is better. But then, shooting arrows is fun and if you have an urge to do it and it doesn’t harm your body or lead to sloppy form, why not? I have so many aches and pains I am forced to be judicious about how much I shoot … but when there’s something special, like shooting with other people or at one of those on-screen live-action targets, it’s easy to get carried away. I believe all in all, when it’s possible that stump shooting provides both the best practice and the best pacing … a shot or two, then some walking, then more shooting, rather than just whipping out a quiver full one after another. IMHO

[David Coulter]

#58277

I’m still pretty new at this and from a learner’s standpoint I have to pretty much agree with what Dave said. When your really working on something, I’d say shoot until you’re either tired physically or when your mental concentration begins to slip. Then take a break. That’s hard to do though, because it’s just so much fun. I love to stump. Some days I’ll shoot twenty arrows while stumping and other days only two or three, depending mainly on how I’m feeling about it.

Check out the threads and videos on long range shooting. That’s one of the best things going. enjoy, dwc

[Dave Nash]

#58549

Thanks guys for the input. My old body is hanging in there. Still working on what’s between the ears. So glad I have found the longbow at this stage of life. Makes getting out of bed each day a whole lot of fun.Dave P sure enjoyed your new book. Looking forward to the next one.

Dave

[Arne Moe]

#58820

Dave said it pretty well! When you go to shoot for “fun” go ahead and shoot as many arrows as you want. BUT when you “practice” go with a PLAN in mind about WHAT specific thing you want to practice. Each “practice” shot should be done with a specific goal in mind and concentrating ONLY on that goal.

Just “flinging” arrows with no thought about what you are trying to accomplish WILL NOT help you improve. Has NOTHING to do with “how many arrows.”

Arne

[Dave Nash]

#58881

Thanks Arne I hear what you are saying. Focusing is the key to it all for me. Going to get more into stumpin soon. Learning has never been more fun.

[Ptaylor]

#58891

Great advice already up here, which I will listen too as well.

I’ve recently figured out how to set up some long distance shots with my targets in front of some old redwood stumps so I can’t lose the arrows. I’m really having fun shooting at 40-60 yards. Its really difficult and my arrows really start dropping. But then when I go up to 15 yards the target looks SO CLOSE!

Anyway I second “having fun” as the best part!

[Dave Nash]

#58908

I shoot 25 or so and 15 seems close.Will give longer shots a try.Forty seems quite challenging.Where do you live that you have the redwoods?Damn I miss those big trees. Lived in Santa Cruz for thirty years. Now stuck in flat land. Take care

Dave

[WyoStillhunter]

#58933

Aging bodies aside, short sessions of high quality practice are my choice. I am shooting two or three times a day in my yard most days. Ranges are only 10 – 20 yds., plus or minus, due to space limitations. I only shoot 15 or 20 arrows at a session with concentration on my form.

As I have been building strength in my archery muscles I tried to avoid getting physically tired. I shoot two or three arrows before pulling them. I always try to end with a good two or three shot group. This leaves a positive mental image and builds confidence.

Stump shooting in the mountains once a week allows me to concentrate on “first shot” accuracy at unknown distances. When stumping I rarely shoot more than one arrow at any one “target.” In September the elk won’t wait around for a second shot.8)

[Dave Nash]

#58963

Makes perfect sense to me. I also try to stop with a good shot group.I don’t hunt big game but envy those that do. Thanks for the advice.

[Alexandre Bugnon]

#59069

From 2 yards eyes closed for form, all the way to 2-300 yards in hay fields for form and follow-thru, and everything in between.

At least One arrow a day keeps the doctor away! 😀

[Dave Nash]

#59184

I like your style Alex

[William Warren]

#59344

WyoStillhunter described my practice to a tee. I have come to the same conclusion – quality over quantity. I probably wouldn’t be worth a flip on a 3D range with alot of targets.

[David Petersen]

#59378

Duncan — how about a translation on your end quote. My Latin-English translation dictionary didn’t even come close. My best guess is “It is what it is.” But I’m sure it’s not. 🙄

[William Warren]

#59477

Dave,

It is the NC State motto. “To be, rather than to seem”

I’m no Latin Scholar either.

Duncan

[Ptaylor]

#59577

DaveNash- I’m in NW CA, we still have some of the original redwoods left.

Alex- 300 yards…! That would be fun to do! Just to see those feathers in flight, I’d love that.

[Jason Wesbrock]

#60149

Arne nailed it, as usual. There’s a world of difference between simply flinging arrows and actual practice. I’d go even further by stating that “flinging arrows” is counterproductive to improving one’s accuracy. Engraining bad habits in the name of watching a bunch of arrows fly is not something in which I have any interest.

Some weeks I may shoot scarcely a hundred arrows; other weeks I may shoot closer to a thousand. I try to spend a fair amount of time at our local archery club since it’s only about ten minutes from my house. Sometimes I shoot indoor paper rounds at 20 yards (Vegas 300 rounds or 450 rounds) to gauge my improvement (or decline) in consistency. Other times I’ll do indoor walk back drills where I hang an NFAA indoor 5-spot target, and shoot in five-yard increments from 10 to 30 yards until I hit the bullseyes. The idea is to get through clean in five shots.

Our club also has a field range, so I spend a bit of practice time on those too. If I’m trying to really fine tune my bow and myself, nothing works as well for me as field archery. Twenty-yard shots seem easy after spending time on an NFAA 80-yard walk-up target.

For working on distance estimation and picking a shot (both critical for bowhunting, in my opinion) I head to the 3D range. My routine there is to estimate the distance to a target, shoot it twice, range it to confirm my estimation or see where I misjudged, and shoot it one more time. Not only does this practice pay off for me at 3D shoots, it helps a lot when putting meat in the freezer.

The previous routines notwithstanding, I spend most of my practice time in my 13-yard basement range working on nothing more than the fundamentals of shot execution. A couple weeks ago I noticed my bow hand was a little weak on my follow through, which was causing my groups to open up side to side. So I stayed away from the archery club and stayed in my basement working on proper expansion through the shot. Last Saturday morning our club was hosting an NFAA field round so I decided to show up and support them. My basement practice paid off; I shot my personal best half round score of 248.

Regardless of whatever practice routine you find works for you, make sure you take every shot seriously. Sloppy practice yields sloppy results. Putting your total concentration and effort into every arrow you send downrange will pay huge dividends when you trade your field points for broadheads and scorecards for deer tags.

[Stephen Graf]

#61141

There is just one thing I can add to all this good advice.

When I practice, I bring just one arrow. I find that if I bring more than one I am tempted to start flinging arrows if things aren’t going well. Which reinforces bad form.

Shoot an arrow, think about what happened while retrieving the arrow, try to do better on the next arrow.

It helps with the hunting mindset too, knowing you only get the one shot.

[codger]

#61286

Im shooting about the same distance in my yard then i go out to the creek next door and shoot i limit myself to 40 yards.

Im now warming up with a 70+ # longobw then jump up to my 85+ bow for a bit. as my strength comes up im doing better.for me theres just something about how a high poundage throws an arrow.

I have a fourth degree seprated left shoulder and dislocated my right arm many years ago so i had to learn to shoot right handed im a lefty and am doing pretty well once the left shoulder stopped huriting i had to move my anchor point back a bit to compensate due to the seperation the bone pops up and my socket moves backward about an inch or so but i learned to work around it. Im suprised at 62 years old even at this age you can still put on muscle pretty rapidly. I use free weights but the biggest improvment came when i picked up the higher poundage bow ans just started shooting it at first it hurts a bit but it loosens up then im fine. my goal is to shoot 100# well before i have to back down again just so i can say i did it.

[grumpy]

#16048

Malcom Gladwell in OUTLIERS explains this. He explores how sports greats, and Beatles (the band not the bugs) get so good, and why we never forget how to ride a bike. Remember in Building the Bow, how the first arrow I shot hit the tree? That was the result of the years of practice I had as a youngster. I wasn’t thinking about shooting, I just wanted to see if the bow worked. Btw it is a big tree, and I missed with the second arrow. Archery, fly casting, and riding a bike are stored in some part of the brain that gets the stuff that is repitive. My Dad called the Army wany of teaching. Drill, Drill, Drill. When the sports great “cluches” he is actually thinking about how to throw the ball, when the automatic takes over, it flies right. Watch a tradsman, he dosn’t think about how to drive a nail, he thinks “Nail there.” the rest is automatic. Was at a concert, and the lead guitarist was playing George Harrison riffs while he talked to me. His conciouse mind was conversing, while his sub (or semi) concious played the riffs.

[James Harvey]

#16257

I reckon depending how you hunt, it can be important to condition yourself to consistent shot execution under fatigue as well. There are a few ways you could go about that, but the key is, like JW said, to take every shot seriously.

[Wolfshead]

#16407

Steve Graf wrote: There is just one thing I can add to all this good advice.

When I practice, I bring just one arrow. I find that if I bring more than one I am tempted to start flinging arrows if things aren’t going well. Which reinforces bad form.

Shoot an arrow, think about what happened while retrieving the arrow, try to do better on the next arrow.

It helps with the hunting mindset too, knowing you only get the one shot.

This is basically how I practice too.

Once in a while I’ll take three or more arrows with me to shoot but it will be for a specific reason not to just fling arrow down range.

I usually start with my first shot at different distances with the intent that it is a hunting shot on an animal. Then I’ll go from there.

I also play what I call “around the world” I start at ten yards and need to shoot a bullseye. If I do then I can start. I’ll take a step back and now I have to get the shot in a 6″ circle. If I do I continue back, if not I start at the beginning. I keep going back to a specific distance that I choose and if I make it all the way back I am done. If not I will figure out what I think is the cause of poor shooting and try and work that.

I also have a range in my basement about thirteen yards and I will turn off the light by the target and shoot at a tennis ball suspended by a string. The darkness really makes you have to focus on the target.

Maybe not perfect but it has been working for me so far….

[Bowgnome]

#16433

Practice does NOT make perfect — Perfect practice makes perfect. Do it right a few times then let it be. Shoot for fun all you want. This motto has taught me many things.

Hope it helps, it can’t hurt.

[Spirittrakker]

#16477

I really enjoy these topics. I can learn so much more by reading these than if I were to muster a question of my own.

I’ve been setting up a roving range through the woods behind my house. I also struggle with consistency when shooting at times, but clearing my mind of other things before I start makes a huge difference in my shooting.

It’s always fun to hit the mark, but I also enjoy challenging myself to improve.

Thanks everyone!

[Greg Ragan]

#17341

I have spend the last 3 weeks shooting about an hour a day. Just working on form and my anchor/ release. Sometimes with eyes closed….sometimes open but trying not to aim. Going to keep it up for another week and start tuning my broadheads. We’ll see if it pays but I suspect it will.

[Jason Wesbrock]

#18692

two4hooking wrote: I have spend the last 3 weeks shooting about an hour a day. Just working on form and my anchor/ release. Sometimes with eyes closed….sometimes open but trying not to aim. Going to keep it up for another week and start tuning my broadheads. We’ll see if it pays but I suspect it will.

I can’t see how it wouldn’t pay off. Concentrate on the fundamentals and accuracy will follow. That’s why I spend as much time at short range working on form as I do with a target in front of me. 😉

[archer38]

#18734

Steve Graf took my answer with just one acception. After pulling the one arrow from the target, I throw it on my way back and shoot from wherever it may land. Almost never the same place or distance twice. I don’t always practice this way but quite often. It really fine tunes the “cold shot” focus.

[mhay]

#19476

Great subject and fine comments.

During the hottest days of last summer I would wait till after sundown to shoot , so I didn’t expose the bow to too much heat . Would do the one arrow thing ,,,,stumping fashion , in the yard , one shot, then return back inside the house where the AC has me spoiled . 30 minutes later would repeat, and so on till too dark .

This really helped me in consistency .

Having degenerative disc disease and arthritis I find that anytime I attempt to stick more than two consecutive arrows in the foam target my group will fall apart on the third arrow . Like others ,,stumping does me more good ,,,and only use one arrow. Sometimes 5 shots ,,,sometimes 25. If the first few are spot on I’ll quit .

I generally have a small brushpile out back . Taking shots at elevated targets , like the dried up maple leaves on the brushpile edge and even a tennis ball size pear hanging on the limb is one way of mixing more type shots into practice. The 250 grain Hammer is very impressive on pears . Kinda like the 17HMR and a can of coke .

[Author]

Posts