I have recently began practicing for shooting out of a ground blind and seem to be running into a problem. I consistantly shoot low from a hunting stool. It is not as bad from my knees but I can't seem to figure out what is causing me to do this. Any advice?
I found the same problem. I hunted all last season from the ground.
I practiced a lot from my hunting stool. Shot at 7 paces for the longest time to get used to it. Now I am to the point that if I can hit the target standing up, I can hit it even better from the sitting position.
I would venture to say the reason you are hitting low is because your brain is seeing the same distance as if you were shooting standing up. You have to account for the three feet drop in elevation. But considering that you shoot decent from your knees it has to be a form issue.
You must try and make yourself shoot with the same form as if you were shooting standing or kneeling. With Kneeling it is much easier b/c your torso is in the same position as if you were standing. With sitting, your waist is at 90ยบ so make sure that you don't let your back slouch forward. I stuggled with this for a long time.
I practice quite a bit from my shooting stool as well. When I first started, I don't think I was drawing the bow as far as when standing. I was hitting my anchor correct, but I believe my bow hand was not extended as far. For me I guess it is just a physiological thing, I simply can not pull the bow the same way sitting as I do standing. That being said, I actually shoot more consitantly sitting, than standing.
OkKeith
Have you tried putting your feet behind you while sitting, so that you are in a posture similar to kneeling? It seems to open your upper body more like a normal standing stance. I hope I am explaining myself understandably.
sharris10- Good question! A lot of people have trouble with this. I found that there are two problems. One was already states that the perception to the target has changed and mind is confused. If you stand at 10 yards and shoot in the kill and day long, pull up a chair and sit your find is confused by this different plane, just as shooting up and down hill, but once you understand that not a big deal, because the biggest reason is #2. We have a tendancy when we sit or shoot at angles, to not come to the draw as we do standing. We either short draw (sitting or shooting uphill) or long draw (shooting downward). we have to remember, that the draw is the same from the waist up!!!! No matter sitting,standing, bent over, up or down hill. If you bend at the waist the actual draw stays the same. Try it, go to your target stand up, come to draw shoot and arrow, then draw another, come to full draw and bend at the waist foward while at draw and bam you will still be in there. Just don't preload your shot!!
You are most likely not getting to full draw or at least the same draw as when you are standing. Your brain has the sight picture for the standing draw and when you don't have the string pulled back as far sitting your brain isn't adjusting the difference and your shot goes low.
oh boy the chair kills me, i shoot well standing kneeling or whatever else you can think of. i just got back from texas and my first oportunity i was able to stand up in my stand and hit heart. the next 5 i repeat 5 chances i wasnt able to stand and all went high, i have never hunted out of a stand before this. needless to say i have been doing alot of shooting from a chair, i think thats all a guy can do.