A few weeks back I got asked to help a couple of new hunters sight in their new rifle. I was guiding them along and letting them shoot and it wasn't going so well. So I suggested I fire a few shots as a control.
I fired two shots and immediately knew there was an equipment setup fault, as I just do not shoot that badly with the two shots 4-5 inch apart. An examination found a fault with the scope rings.
Forward to this week and Im tuning a new bow... ( Pictures of that to come.) and things are not going to plan. Arrows consistently hitting left. Ok too stiff a spine, so I drive an hour and half to nearest bowshot and pick up the last 6 Trad hunters in the country one step weaker. Still left even when I stack the weight on the front.
Now to confuse things I go back to my old bow and arrow set up and its shooting left as well.
At that point I start thinking its me and am getting frustrated trying to get off clean shots.
I head inside and decide im thinking too much, so have a beer or two and then head back out in a more relaxed attitude. No change but I get to thinking about the rifle incident and decide to stop thinking its me, and go over my gear again properly.
I grab a bow square and check my brace height on my old bow and well look its off my mark. Fix that and old bow is shooting straight again.
Then I start increasing the brace height on the new bow and watch arrows move right until I hit a coke can at 40 with a bare shaft.
Over the years I have often fallen into the trap of thinking its me with the bow and chased my tail until I start looking for other answers. Got to learn to trust my own abilities more.
Yes sir. Been there as well. But it takes time and success to get to that spot where you trust yourself and your abilities.
On the other side, we have seen a number times when shooters shoot high and/or left from tree stands be the shooter's flaw. Not canting into the shot enough and holding the head up off line of the shot. Sometimes a secondary sighting reference can come in handy.