Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Learning to shoot instinctively

I'm getting back into archery after being out of it for several years following a tendon injury in my arm. I got the crossbow permit and thought that would be a silver lining to the injury. I killed a few deer with it but never really enjoyed it.
Just before I hurt myself I had picked up a used Bighorn recurve... I was getting tired of all the gadgets on the compound and was hoping to make the transition to traditional archery. That bow just gathered dust for the past 7 years... A friend had asked about buying it and I had reluctantly gathered it up.... I figured I'd try shooting it one more time and low and behold no pain!
I've been shooting it pretty much every day for the past several weeks and am seeing improvement. I bought a much lighter poundage bow to practice with <the Bighorn is 60# at my draw length >.
I'd like to ask for some input on how you all have learned to shoot instinctively. Here is a list of what I'm trying to do with each shot:

I try for that tunnel vision thing when looking at the spot I'm trying to hit

Lean forward at the waist and cant the bow over as I bring the bow up so that I'm looking over the arrow

Feel my middle finger hit the corner of my mouth

Release and follow through with out peeking, trying to hold the bow in place until the arrow hits... feel my fingers follow a straight path back over my shoulder

Shooting one arrow at a time and then walking to get it has been a big help<thanks Jim... that description of programing my brain with the visual data of the good shots and deleting it from the bad helped>

Stop shooting when I'm just starting to get tired



I have an area from an upstairs bedroom out over the bonus room above the garage that give me up to 26 yards to shoot inside. I seem to hit better when just the target is brightly lit. I'm thinking about mounting some spot lights that would better illuminate the path of the arrow in flight.

Can anyone else describe the process of learning to shoot instinctively? All comments and suggestions are welcome. It's just such a cool thing to "see" the arrow hit where I was looking

2nd wind,
For the draw, particularly on heavier stickbows,I have used a push-pull method for many years.
The bow starts arrow point nocked and down-forward.Bow arm is flexed at elbow.I never lock my bow arm even at full draw.
The bow, when held but not drawn should have the arm in such a position that IF you were to crook your drawing arm it would come back toward you on the horizontal plane, not vertically upwards.

The draw is done by pulling the string back as one simultaneously pushes the bow arm and brings the bow-arrow up CLOSE to shooting level for the target.I never draw up and above the mark line and come back down..

Then the back muscles do the final work of full draw to anchor and holding during the sighting.

You can feel the strength-tension in your back on the big muscles around your shoulder blades IF you've done this well.
IF you don't feel your back getting into the full draw and hold, chances are you are not getting into the bow and may even need a longer arrow.
Archers don't shoot with their arms..but with their back doing the bulk of the work.

The anchor you choose needs to be absolutely repeatable.

I have anchored with index finger pressing THRU the flesh of the cheek into the corner of lower & upper jaw( keep your mouth closed..:)

I slightly cant the bow, but not exaggertedly so.
As I get out to 50 yards and farther, the degree of canting lessens to almost nothing.

When drawn, my right-master eye is directly ABOVE the arrow shaft and my secondary vision runs down the shaft past the point and on toward the mark.
The loose is done by gradually INCRESING back tension as you SIMULTANEOUSLY QUIT HOLDING THE STRING.
The drawing hand should stay close to the face, and move slightly rearward in direct line opposite the arrow's departing path.This rearward motion needs NOT be contrived..ESP on heavier bows, IF you keep the anchor point strong and don't pluck the string, that's the natural direction the drawing hand will go when the tension of holding the string is ended in the loose.
All the loose must be done while maintianing your sight picture.

The sight picture is the spot you wish to hit, with arrow's point below on on the spot( The arrow's point is seen only in the secondary vision, don't shift from target spot to arrow back and forth.

edit add:
For myself, my heavier bows & arrows,my 'point on' distance is just at 70 yards on flat ground.
ANY distance closer than that and the arrow point as seen in secindary vision is BELOW the mark.This is one advantage to eavier, faster flatter shooting bows & arrows and why the craze over ultra light carbon arrows and superfast compounds is such a hit.
Less changes in elevation are required and errors in judging the distance are minimized.
Learn what YOUR point on distance is.

Once your strength and form get right and ingrained,you will be able to hit well even IF the target is all you can see.( IE shooting the flame out on a lit candle in the dark)

Your mind and body will KNOW where the hands are even in the dark with proper practice.

One of the KEY issues to practice is learning to shoot the vertical LINE consistently.This reuires strength, concentration, a crisp loose, followthru and well matched arrows to you and the bow.
Once THAT buggaboo is mastered, the elevation piece is learned by practice and learning to assess distances well.

I usually shoot ONE arrow per mark..or IF I have one target setup, change my position, kneel, or change-vary the angle or distance slightly so each arrow demands it's own concentration.

This lessens the breaking of arrows..:)
Lessens the subconscious panic that can come ( competitors know this) of throwing an arrow off because the first three are in a tight group..

............and will remind you always that the ONE arrow on the string is the ONE that needs to be shot well..particularly for the hunting archer.Jim

Thanks Jim, the satisfaction of seeing the arrow hit the "mark" is amazing...the increase difficulty of hitting a deer target off the deck vs a bulls eye on the level is also amazing.... not sure if I will try and take a deer from a tree stand this year or not.... maybe from a ground blind... I couldn't believe how much harder it seems to be to shoot down at a deer target.... sure am glad I tried the shot first.... I'm hoping that as I improve my form that the transition to different angles and targets will become easier.

Practice 'shooting the vertical line and master it!

Then, providing the game is positioned properly and you pick a spot, the arrow may go a bit high or low, but won't be very far off the vertical kill zone.
On 4 legged critters, the vertical corridor kill zone is taller than it is wide and a low or high shot will result in a minor wound or miss rather than a gut shot.

For shooting DOWN(or up) bend the body at the wasit so your upper body and arms shoulders-back are in the same position they would be for a standing straight shot on the flat.

DON'T lower the drawing arm to get on target below..

I guess folks can get good at that ?? IF that's the way and posture they practice in, but it'll throw ya off from an elevated stand.
Also, the distance you are really shooting is from the ground below you to the mark, NOT the longer side of the triangle..:)
A harness used in the stand allows one to lean outward safely for those downward shots where the deer may be in close under 20 yards..Jim

You don't need to lean forward at the waist...Fred Asbell made that popular because it worked for him, and a lot of people copied it. Whenever you see someone squatting and leaning forward, you can amost bet they bougth Asbell's book.

You just need to shoot a lot, and a lot, and a lot. It's practice that lets you hit the target, not instinct. At least not the way we shoot bows.

Some people show a natural affinity and like anyone with an affinity for doing anything (from throwing a baseball to doing crossword puzzles) they do it a lot. Howard Hill stood pretty well upright, bent his left elbow, and was an excellent shot.

But he shot bows most of his life. And shot a lot. So did Ben Pearson (they were friends) and Pearson shot differently than either Hill or Asbell.

A lot of the Hill films are bogus. I noticed this as a trained observer will notice things, sitting among a bunch of Hill-freaks and keeping my mouth shut.

Howard was a show man, and did what he had to do to make a living. He was probably the best bow hunter of the 20th Century, but don't take his films at face value.

Gene,
The only reason I advised to bend at the waist, or lean forward from the waist was for shooting down out of a treestand..:) or maybe up at geese like Ben used to do..:)
Better practice than just raising or lowering the bow arm..

When I shoot, I stand pretty normally...not necessarily as stiff-erect looking as an olympic target shooter, but just relaxed and erect..
Never read G.Fred's book or saw any of his vids..:)I heard stories about his somewhat exaggerated stance-style..reminiscent of old LEO Bill Jordan in a ginfighter's stance..:)Jim

Gene,
quote:

"You just need to shoot a lot, and a lot, and a lot. It's practice that lets you hit the target, not instinct. At least not the way we shoot bows."
_________________________________________________________

Couldn't agree more on that!!It is proper practice that makes the archer..couple of course with decntly matched bow and arrows.

Instincts aren't learned..and neither is good barebow archery instinctive, tho many use the term and I didn't want to start off correcting the fellow asking the question over semantics..:)

Was going to liken good barebow archery hitting with learning to play the outfield in baseball...but it slipped my mind on the earlier posts.

It takes practice and hand-eye-mind coordination to scoop up the ground ball or catch the fly and fire the ball to one of the basemen in the blink of an eye..
No stopping to wonder IF that's 40 or 65 yards...or IF I'm letting loos of the ball at the right time etc:)
Hitting the mark at unknown distances with the stickbow is alot like that..
AND, as you say, there are some who have more natural abilities than others in any sport, but most can learn to play baseball or shoot an arrow pretty well IF they get proper training and IF they practice properly..Jim

The advice to just shoot a lot is good.The more thought you put into shooting instinctive, the less it'll work.concentrate on the spot you want to hit, anchor, and then a smooth release.If you start getting frustrated, hang the bow up for the day.You'll just do more damage by pushing the issue.

+1000

Practice = perfect. The more you shoot, the more instictive it becomes. Shoot your tail off and everything else will fall into place. Easy peasy.

Caveat: Like Jim said, get the correct form dialed in. Correct form will lead to consistency.

Thanks guys, this may sound a bit odd but, I'm finding that it's like poetry when the arrow flies like a dart into the bulls eye.... that is happening more often but I haven't practiced shooting down at the deer target again yet.... I have a chance to hunt early next week, but I'll stick to a ground blind until I get the "shooting down" thing worked out.

There is something pretty fulfilling about putting mind, heart, eye and body into the drawn arrow and loose and seeing the arrow streak true to the mark..whether on game or target or just roving.

For me, shooting barebow with pretty basic bow and arrows helps keep me in good physical & mental condition and affords me much time outdoors with good friends..
Archery, no matter what equipment one uses, if a great sport..Jim

JoeK said it pretty well, but one small addition.

PERFECT practice makes perfect.

If you're having a bad day and can't shoot worth a darn, there is always tomorrow.

I used to love to shoot, but don't shoot so much anymore. Bad shoulders, attention going to other pursuits.

Was a time when I was an ace, though. I shot every single day, and shot at formal targets three or so times a week at a club I belonged to. Rolls of excelsior, and a coupld of 3-ds, especially coming on hunting season.

My problem was I kept changing bows. They say "beware of the man with one bow/gun/flyrod" or whatever. That's true. While I love longbows and am drawn to them, I do not shoot them the best, except for my 21st Century bow, which is long but not a true longbow design.

I Like making bows out of wood. I used to like making arrows, but now I dislike it severely. Got rid of most of my arrow-making stuff, including a feather burner and a bunch of jigs.

I also like knowing the principal behind traditional bows, how they work and how they work best. It's something I can make with a good peice of hardwood (Yew, osage orange, hickory, black locust, many others) and that's the only weapon I know that I could make on my own with no synthetic materials...that an an atlatl.

Gene..I thot I was the only 'paleo man' on here who made atlatls, 7 foot fletched darts, bannerstone weights, and knapped stone..:)

They ARE fun..and considering all the 'arrowheads' I've picked up which are really atlatl dart points, they were around a LONG time and killed a bunch of BIG critters( and occassionally Spaniard invaders down south of the border)..:)Jim

2nd Wind,
I didn't read the other responses so this may be redundant or it may be contradictory...neither is my intent. I'll just throw out a few things that changed my shooting forever and you can filter it. This is all about bowhunting; I know very little about archery itself. I've only shot recurves off the shelf, with wood, aluminum, and carbons. I've shot thousands of arrows and read everything written about how to shoot, and about how to bowhunt. I had a lot of trouble with arrow flight and accuracy until I did this:

Practice with the bow that you will hunt with. Shoot only one bow and one arrow combination.

Adopt the style where you start with bow arm extended before you draw the bow. The only movement that you should make before the kill is drawing the fixed bow. Also, practice various stances so that you can hit facing the target.

Keep your head turned so that both eyes see the target.

For at least two months before the season shoot only 3-D or life-sized targets. Forget judging distance. Find your limitations in real scenarios. (I never shoot paper or flat ranges anymore)

Use equipment so that you shoot big FOC arrows. This will mean heavy spines. As you increase arrow weight there will be a point of diminishing returns where arrow arcing is too much for the distance that you want to shoot. But go with the heaviest arrow that you can.

Practice alone. Be able to draw and hold the bow for several seconds. Fresh arms and fingers are the key to accuracy. So don't shoot alot at each session and make each shot count. Think for yourself and don't be afraid to develop your own style; you will find this most rewarding.

Shoot regularly, year around, but not too much at any one session--you will loose your concentration ability.

hope this helps. rz

Thanks rz, practice is on hold for a few days now because of a blister on on of my shooting fingers....I had been thinking that I would be ready to try for a deer this year...until I tried shooting at something other than a nice clear bullseye across a level range.... man what a difference.
The good news is, when I am "in the zone" and shooting well....it's an amazing feeling. I think I'll stick<pun intended> with it

Have shot instinctively since the 1960's, off and on. Not so much lately, too many irons in the fire. However, one thing that helped me dramatically shoot better with my 60 lb longbow has to do with my anchor pt. For years I anchored at the corner of my mouth because, well that was where I was told to anchor when starting out. I am of the opinion that may not necessarily be "right" for everyone. Once I started anchoring farther back on my jaw, I could feel my back muscles comming into play/taking more of the strain than my arms. I think my release is much better. For what it's worth.
Gary

Gary, yep.
A cornor of the upper-lower jaw pressed thru the cheek is a solid repeatable anchor spot that get the archer's back into play..where the true strength is for tha hold and loose..

I hit that spot with my index finger tip, use a 'deep hook' finger draw..
( where the three fingers are placed on the string so the finger tips point back to the elbow) and my drawing hand thumb lays lazily beneath the lower jaw..

Little finger does nothing but relax..
Drawing hand back thru wrist, forearm is a straight line.
Elbow is laterally aligned on the same horizontal plane.
Shoot with the back..That is where the power for the draw and anchor and the loose reside.
For the loose..AS you 'quit holding..:) you simultaneously put more force thru the back AS IF you wished to draw the bow farther..( but you don't)
That back tension slight increase coupled with the 'quitting holding-relaxation of the drawing hand-fingers is what makes for a clean loose..
The drawing hand stays close to the jaw-face, and IF a heavier bow, the hand and drawing arm will naturally move rearwad a slight bit when the tension of holding is undone for the loose.

Fascinating sport..:)Good for body, mind and spirit..

So I will not be accused of neglecting the esoteric side of archery and life in general, here is some Longfellow for you to consider..:)...Jim

"As unto the bow the cord is,
So unto the man is woman;
Though she bends him, she obeys him,
Though she draws him, yet she follows;
Useless each without the other!"

Thus the youthful Hiawatha
Said within himself and pondered,
Much perplexed by various feelings,
Listless, longing, hoping, fearing,
Dreaming still of Minnehaha,
Of the lovely Laughing Water,
In the land of the Dacotahs.

Here's a great DVD with a lot of tips for shooting bare bow.

http://shrewbows.com/moob.htm

Ron, IF you can, post that video clip of you shooting the longbow ..It was a good one..Jim