Shots going to the left

Relentless Sportfishing · February 03, 2011, 03:25:00 PM

Just started to shoot traditional just starting to get my bow set up Smaick Red Stag 45lbs at 28 3555 GT full length 160grn field points. Both bareshaft and fletched go left by 3-5". Fieldpoints are hitting almost straight out little nock up and they are slighty under and right at times and other times they group right with the fletched arrows. How do I go about learning to aim. Thanks for your help.
Mike

pauljr · February 03, 2011, 03:31:00 PM

Sounds like your setups right. I have trouble with that when im getting tired i pull my string hand away from my face just slightly prior to releasing causing my shot to go left. Make sure you pull through the shot. As for learning to aim, just keep practicing, it will come.

**DONOTDELETE** · February 03, 2011, 03:33:00 PM

are You left or right handed? If Your right handed, try a lighter point weight...

Stinger · February 03, 2011, 03:45:00 PM

I'm not sure I understand the question. The first part of your post talks about grouping bareshafts with fletched arrows and then you ask about how to aim. My first thought is that you have to learn to aim first before you can worry about whether or not everything groups together. In other words, if you have them grouping now, then you must be using some sort of aiming method and it is working or you are just getting lucky.

My recommendation for aiming would be to read some of the posts in the Shooters Forum on that subject and then try one or two of them out. Most prevalent is probably instinctive followed by gap. Once you have the aiming and form all sorted out, then you can worry about grouping. If your form is out of whack and you don't have a consistent aiming method then your arrow groupings won't really tell you much.

Relentless Sportfishing · February 03, 2011, 03:46:00 PM

Yes I am right right handed. I will try some lighter points. And also pay more attention to my release and try to pull through more. Can't find anyone in the New Orleans area that shoots tradtional to learn from. Thanks for the suggestions. Also I realized I put this in the wrong section sorry about that.

flycastr · February 04, 2011, 01:49:00 AM

Shooting left you could be dropping your bow arm. Re aiming, I would suggest getting Rick Welch's DVD the "Accuracy Factory" and then attending his shooting school. Do it before you develop bad habits and I think you will find you will shoot better than you ever imagined you could!

Montanawidower · February 04, 2011, 10:25:00 AM

You may go crazy with all the advice. Search out O.L adcocks bow homepage. He has an arrow tuning link that is great. I believe shooting left if you are right handed is a stiff shaft. You actually go up in weight to counter that. I have 35-55 GTs and have to shoot nearly 200 grains to get them to fly out of my 45# longbow. Also, pay attention to the alignment of your three fingers in relation to the cant of the bow. You need to draw and anchor in the same plane as the cant of the bow. Often a twisting force is exerted away from your face with your ring finger. This casts the arrow left. The twist is just in form or sometimes just in release. (assuming arrow is tuned correctly). Again its a long road to shooting well with stickbows. Enjoy. (OL's link) http://bowmaker.net/index2.htm

Lumpytradshooter · February 06, 2011, 10:28:00 PM

Your spines weak lower point weight or stiffer arrow. You can slow your string down by more weight on string ( heavier string silincers)

JrsyBowHunter · February 08, 2011, 09:14:00 PM

from what i have just read on O.L adcocks site, for a right handed shooter arrows hitting left are over spined, add more point weight to lessen the spine

Relentless Sportfishing · February 09, 2011, 03:58:00 PM

I ordered som 175 grn field points to try and some 50 grn weights for my inserts. Will see what this does for me. Thanks for the advice.
Mike

kennyb · February 09, 2011, 06:25:00 PM

RS-don't forget you should utilize Stu Miller's 'Dynamic Spine Calculator' and the reason for that is if you follow it you will end all of your bow/arrow setup problems! Stu helped me and I was shooting great the next day! Can't thank him enough!! PM me if you need more direction. Good luck.
Kenny

smokin joe · February 09, 2011, 10:16:00 PM

It could be that you are hitting left because your arrow is pointing left. Is your eye over the back end of your arrow when you are at anchor? Double check your form before you change your arrows, especially since fletched arrows and bare shafts are both shooting left.

Relentless Sportfishing · February 10, 2011, 10:18:00 AM

Smokin Joe will take a look and see if it is. Thanks for the advice. KennyB sent you a PM also.
Mike

trick00 · February 10, 2011, 02:03:00 PM

Personally, when I hit left it is usually because of a bad release.

maineac · February 11, 2011, 02:15:00 PM

If fletched and un-fletched arrows are hitting the same place your spine and tip weight are fine. I read that the arrows are grouping, just to the left of where you are looking. Some of that could be corrected by canting your bow so the upper limb tip more to the left. Other than that over time your brain should start to adjust if you are shooting instinctive, and not trying to use the tip to aim. Or t east that is how it works for me.

Lechwe · February 12, 2011, 06:07:00 AM

I'm going to go with Maineac on this one. Sounds like the bow is set up well. I think everyone is maybe trying to fix something that's not wrong. RS said he is just starting. If the arrows are grouping then he just needs to shoot and train his brain. Like was said above, getting "Accuracy Factory" or "Masters of the Barebow 3" would be good DVD's to get to learn a little about consistency. Just get out and shoot. Don't try to shoot from too far back for a while either. 10-12 yards is plenty until you are comfortable with what you are doing. I tried going back to 20 and beyond way before I was ready and it just caused me more problems.

Good luck. Half the fun is this learning stage you are in. Enjoy it!

Relentless Sportfishing · February 12, 2011, 11:53:00 AM

I have been trying different suggestions to get my bow and arrow combo set up just right. I used the Stu Miller Spine Chart which KennyB sent to me. And my arrows are 1.5 heavy for my bow. A 10grn weight at the back of my insert will put me 1/2 or so weak. Which is where you want to be from what I understand. I just need to send back the 50 grn weights I ordered and get them to send me the 10's instead. Now for shooting I did find that if I canted the bow less I shot better. And if I pull through on the shot I shoot better. If I do it right my fingers pop me on the cheek. The biggest thing is I was pointing the tip where I wanted it to go. But now I put my bowhand where I want the arrow to go. And the results are much better. The tip of my arrow is a little left if lining the string up with the center of the bow. I do have the entire Masters of the Barebow set coming hopefully they will help. My goal is to hunt the entire deer season next year with my recirve only. I have till Oct.1 to get confident. Thanks for the advice everyone has given me keep it coming.
Mike

no nothing · February 13, 2011, 06:34:00 PM

I am having the same problem....let me know when use figure it out. I shoot to the left 55% of the time. straight 30% right 15%. Dont know what to do. I am thinking it is my release.

kennyb · February 13, 2011, 07:50:00 PM

RS-it seems things are working out for you and as suggested ealier, you need to give yourself more time to learn and train your brain and eyes! Good luck!
Kenny

dragon rider · February 13, 2011, 08:26:00 PM

At the risk of really screwing things up - if you're consistently hitting in the same place and it's left, try thickening, assuming you're right handed, the riser pad - sometimes that'll move your arrows right. 3555's full length should not be too stiff for a 45# bow. The trick is to set up your bow so it shoots where you're looking - I think both of Rick Welch's last two videos have some pretty good instructions on using the side plate thickness and hardness to do just that.