Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Who shoots a compound WITHOUT SIGHTS?

i shoot only trad bows but was in a bow shop today and heard one fellow tell another he shot his compound without sights and used one of the rests that rise up as one draws the bow. so, does anyone shoot their compound without sights? do you "sight down" the arrow or "gap" shoot? how do you aim is my primary question?
thanks.

I used to shoot my compound instinctively, killed my first deer ever, with that bow, its was a small basket racked 7 pointer. Man you would have thought i killed a boon and crockett i was so excited.

I just sighted down the arrow shaft, i subsequently killed a six then a small eight pointer, but with the eight i hit him high and spined him. I was able to finish him off quickly but thats when i decided to go to sights. The decision was a sound one as sights are much more accurate and the animals deserve the best from me.

I shoot my compound instinctively and with fingers (therefore a dropaway rest like you're talking about doesn't work for me). I guess you can call my aiming style more instictive with some gap shooting at ranges past 30 yards (kind of a kentucky windage sort of deal).

I do shoot alot to keep accurate though (50-100 arrows a day) and wouldn't suggest this method to someone who doesn't have the time or patience to learn and practice their shooting to fine tune these abilities.

thanks men.

supermag - do you shoot off the shelf or use some form of flipper rest?

someone told me ted nugent does (or used to) shoot his compound without sights. i have never seen it done, so was just wondering how folks "aimed".

thanks again.

I use a Bodoodle Timberdoodle rest but a flipper rest would work very well too. I aim by checking side to side with the arrow. For up and down I simply point at the target (takes alot of practice for your subconscious to learn) from 15-30 and for less or more distance point either higher or lower than where I want to hit (another thing that takes awhile to learn).

Supermag is right on, it takes practice practice. I've shot all type of equipment but looking past your longbow releasing an arrow with your fingers and watching it fly to the target is the greatest. BTW I shoot of the shelf just to keep it simple and to keep the arrow closer to my hand. Good luck.

You can shoot without sights and NOT do it instinctively. It's called string walking and it doesn't matter what type of rest you use. I learned that way and my Dad and Uncle did it that way for a LONG time.

i killed a pile of critters with an older Hoyt compound my cousin built for me when Hoyt was in Bridgetown mo.i shot off flipper rest and finger release.
up until 4yrs ago went to single pin sight.just did not shoot every day .got to fling allot of arrows to be really consistent .i still shoot my stick bows 3or4 times a month.
been building fence at the new place till hunting season so it will compound this year i hunt with.

I shoot compound without sights. Used to use fingers too, but had too many bad releases in the past and switched to a release this year after a 10-12 year hiatus from archery.

I'm not sure on how I aim...I think it's down the shaft, but I've done it for so long that I just do it.

There was one year that I tried sights and got all screwed up. Took the damn thing off and re-taught myself to shoot without them.

This past year, I dug the bow out of the basement, had it checked over by a shop, and shot it. I thought I'd be all voer the place, missing the targets and rusty as all get out. However, that wasn't the case. While not pinpoint accurate, I was still "in the kill zone" at reasonable distances.

The rest is a plain-jane "pressure" rest that I left on from my finger-shooting days. I've got it tuned OK (I believe) for my release.

Looks like this:



Aqualung