I made the switch to 3under a couple years ago and felt I had a good thing going. I especially like it for hunting from a treestand and being able to use my arrow tip as a referrance point on the deer.

I continually have a couple problems though. One is I continually hit my nose with my bowstring (not all the time, but it comes and goes). Second is I battle hitting a couple inches right all the time (I'm a lefty).

It seems when I go back to split fingers, these little problems disappear......aargh what to do!!!

I went back to split after shooting three under for 5 years. Its quieter and for me, it took some string pressure off my lower finger.

"I continually have a couple problems though. One is I continually hit my nose with my bowstring (not all the time, but it comes and goes). Second is I battle hitting a couple inches right all the time (I'm a lefty)."

I was just discussing this with someone else in a different post.  Like you say, the nose hitting "comes and goes" and finding a definite cause seems elusive.

Less so with the hitting right (or in my case, left).  I think I can almost always trace that to having my shoulders alligned to the left of the target (for a RH shooter).  When I allign my shoulders properly, the shot moves right.

There can be only one "cause" of hitting your nose with the string, and that is that you are not coming off the string cleanly, and so the string is deflected into your nose. Of course, I can think of more than one error you might make that would cause you to not come off the string cleanly, but that's what they are: form errors.

So, under the glass is half full theory of life, you can look at these two problems as blessings: whenever you hit to the right (in your case) or hit your nose with the string, it is an early warning that your form is falling apart somewhere, and you need to correct something.  Would you rather not know about it, and just keep making the form error under the ignorance is bliss theory of life?  I know, it would be nice if the message could be sent differently, perhaps by a little buzzer going off instead of the string hitting you in the nose.

In answer to the question you pose in the title of your post, it's not likely that I'll switch back anytime soon.  It was too darn much trouble retuning all my bows for 3 under!  The main reason is that I really do seem to be shooting better, so I guess I'll just accept the "early warning system" for what it is.

Thanks guys! I've done a lot of reading on people who have similar problems to mine.

McDave, now that I think about it more, I think both of my problems arise when I've been shooting for too long.

Maybe I should just shoot less....oh my wife will love to hear that!!  LOL

Allen,

I too sometimes have both problems you mentioned.  They seem to show up as I tire after shooting for quite awhile.  I've come to believe that both are indicators for me that my form is starting to collapse. I usually take a break and rest a little. I shoot so much better with 3 under than split that I would never switch back. Man, that does smart abit after that string whacks my nose a few times!

I with you Fritz. I just love to shoot so much, it's hard to stop sometimes!!

I do think that is my main issue.

"I just love to shoot so much, it's hard to stop sometimes!!"

Me too, Me too!!

i started split, but put a finger in my table saw and had to switch to two under while the medical repairs took time to heal.   I really liked it so when I could go back to using that finger, i went three under.   shot that way for quite awhile and liked it.    then i hit the drug side effects lottery and lost about half of my physical strength, having to drop down to shooting bows in the 20's and low 30's.   This shortened my range so much I went back to split to move my point on further out.

I never had any problem re my nose, but I sure do go left when i get tired...

You know, it occurred to me that there might be a simple thing a person could do to reduce the problem with string hitting the nose.  I'll bet it's not really the string that is hitting the nose so much as it's the metal string nock, particularly if it's hitting hard enough to make your nose bleed.  I'll bet if we used a string nock made of a piece of tied-on bowstring rather than a metal string nock, it would work better.  At least it wouldn't hurt as much.

MCDave, I use a tied on string nock. I've wondered if that is the cause before. I think I just have to keep my big nose out of the way!!

Dick, hope all goes well with you.

You could just put a pc of duct tape on your nose. LOL. I have the same problem  once in awhile,Allan. It usually (for me)happens when searching for the elusive,perfect achor point that will (when I find it) never allow me to miss my mark again. I do have left(2-3 inchs) at times. Mostly when shooting my heavier bows for too long. see ya soon. DB

Thanks Don. I guess there's always something to work on when playing this game!

I'm definately going to start trying to shoot a bit less. Somedays I shoot 2 hours easy!

I think that the string for a righty can come off a little left if not pulling through the release taking a little bark off of the old snoz.
At least that's how I stop the bleeding.

Is there some kind of nose guard like an armguard? Maybe a nice leather one?

I read on another thread something about a bunch of the really good three under shooters (like, nationally competetive good) hitting their noses.  Seems like someone wrote that if you see a guy with a bloody nose, you better watch out, cause he can probably shoot!  One well known guy, can't rememeber his name, uses some kind of clear medical tape on the tip of his nose when he shoots.  Norm Johnson, of Blacktail fame, told me he hits his nose when he's really shooting well.  Allen, I don't shoot 3-under, but have been playing with it some, and I always shoot considerably left (right handed) when I try it.  It's one thing that has stopped me from continuing with it.  A guy here went to Rick Welch's school, and he said that Rick recommended building the side plate out and using some kind of soft, fluffy material, like velcro or rug rest, for the side plate. He claims that you can move the arrow back to the spot (left for you) by doing this.  The gentleman who said this did that very thing with his ACS; it wasn't really a spine thing, as I recall, so I don't really know the mechanics of why it works, just thought I'd pass it along.  Paul.

Most of the Masters of the Barebow series shooters shoot 3 under, esp the target shooters. They never mention hitting your nose, but I did notice that they held the bow very upright with little cant. Also generally were using a lighter pull bow, not always. Maybe if you reduce the cant of the bow there's less chance of hitting the nose? That has to really sting.

sam

Sometimes when I start getting tired I will hit my nose.  The reason is that I'm not coming to full draw and turning my head too much into the bow so my nose gets hit on release.  Might be something else to think about.

Paul, thanks I may replace the strike plate on my bow. I did notice it was getting worn. I remember when I first got this bow that my right misses were gone. Maybe the worn strike plate has a little to do with it!

I'll give it a try today.

Hey, don't really know if it works or not, but one thing is for sure: Rick Welch is a lot better shot than I am, so I'll try it if he said it!  Good luck, Paul.

I just found this post after doing a search. I just got a longer bow(60") than what I had been used to shooting(56") and now I'm hitting my nose severely with the string nock. I tried replacing the metal nock with one I tied on, but still I'm bleeding after the first shot or two. I know it's the string nock hitting my nose because it has much blood on it! Maybe I'm trying too hard to get my back muscles into it and overdrawing? I tried lowering my anchor point a bit but then the string hits my nose but it doesn't hurt near as much as the nock does. This is driving me insane as I was shooting pretty good before this started. Now I'm self conscious of it and it's really causing me problems with my grouping. I've tried about everything mentioned to no avail. I may just give up and put some tape or something on my nose when I shoot.