Forest practice

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

I have been trying to get a reliable 30 yard shot, but it seems to spread out in all directions.  My 20 and 25 yard don't always go right where I want them but they are usually grouped.  I am shooting through light cover for 30 yards and I am wondering if my brain is picking different things to range in on.  Anyone else have a shot fall apart just 5 yards further?

Thanks,
Michael

[reddogge]

Shooting through gaps in trees and brush WILL make you concentrate more so it's a good thing.  You'll find lots of 3-D targets set up like that.  Don't let your eye wander off of the spot you are aiming at or your arrow is toast.

Shooting over and under branches will teach you how much an arrow can arc at 30 yards too.

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

Thanks, sorry I change my post because I read it a few times and couldn't make sense of it.  I like your tag line, I get my boys out shooting with me all the time, they are 10 and 6.

[dragon rider]

Reddogge is right, but you have to force yourself to concentrate on the one spot you're trying to hit.  

If you let your focus wander at all, your brain may well pick something more interesting to look at.  I've had it happen when I was shooting through cover and realized from the shot that I hadn't been focused on the target completely, but also partially on some branch I was worried about clearing.

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

Thanks, yeah that is the issue I have been finding.  I can hit well at 25 yards but through light cover my groups go crazy.  I will have to find some way to narrow my focus.

[zetabow]

If you can shoot well to 25y it sounds like form is good and it just Focus or Confidence problem or maybe both, try and extend your practice distance to 40y then when going back to 30y it feels much easier and you will likely shoot it with more confidence.          

As a IFAA Field tourney shooter a lot of my practice is walkback 10y to 80y, over the years I've found my accuracy has grown on longer distances (as with my confidence), now I'm consistently scoring out to 65yards, 70y and 80y can be a struggle some days but I'm getting there.

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

When I say hit well I mean I can put most of my shots into a 9" box that I consider the "vitals".  I am by no means making groups, but at 30 yards I am all over corner to corner and only recently am I getting all of my shots at least on the target.  In my back yard I don't have a 40 yard option, I will go down to the local archery range and see what I can't work out.

Thanks Zeta,

Michael

[zetabow]

Originally posted by Northwest_Bowhunter:
  In my back yard I don't have a 40 yard option.

Thanks Zeta,

Michael

That sounds familiar, I had 40 yards in my backyard and was deadly out to this distance in tourneys but as soon as I got past 40y my accuracy suddenly dropped off.

Now I walk out my front door to a full IFAA Field, Animal and 3D range and my accuracy has become a whole different story (Paradise        ).

Keep working at it, sounds like it wont take you long to zone into that distance.

[Tom-Wisconsin]

Zetabow

Can you tell us if Estonia has bow hunting and what do you hunt?

[zetabow]

Tom Bowhunting is not allowed but you can go next door north to Finland or south to Latvia, the Gov has been petitioned to allow but I dont know the progress on this.

The EBA has a list of countries that allow bowhunting in Europe, which is growing.

Estonia although small with population of 1.3m its countryside is very much unspoilt woodland with lots of game, we live 13 miles from Capital, Tallinn and have Moose and Wolf walk though our woods, pretty cool for me as I'm English and everything is a new experience, inculding the -32C winter this year. lol

As Bowhunting isn't allowed in UK as it's an overpopulated country, really no wild enough places except maybe Scotland, I dont mind my focus is 100% on tourney shooting and dont miss something I never had.

    http://www.europeanbowhunting.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16&Itemid=30

[Gunnar Mullins]

yes i have that problem.. out to 20 yards im grouping pretty well.. 25 on a good day.. but once i hit just a few feet past that distance, my grouping gets drastically worse..
Gives me something to work on  

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

I am going to the Bob Wesley shooting class next week, that should help me out over 30 yards.

[cbCrow]

I have this problem alot when I go stumpin in the woods. My problem is I try to watch the flight of the arrow and move to see it before it arrives.     Had a friend help me with this problem and all he said to cure this was"dummy your moving as soon as your shootin the damn arrow"