Question about improving accuracy?

I am using an old Fred Bear that has a slight twist in the top limb. I have been using it since the snow melted this year. I am having problems with my accuracy. I usually start out fairly well, but after 4 or 5 sessions of 4 arrow shots, my accuracy gets worse. I like to hold my shot looking down the arrow to sight my shot. What mistakes might I be making? Dutchman.

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No man (or woman) will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself/herself, or to get all the credit for doing it. -Andrew Carnegie

hey Dutchman welcome to the forum. I am not sure of teh answers but Drummer Dave, Doug or a couple of others here can answer that probably.

Welcome Smile

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

Try shooting a 4 arrow set, note the accuracy.........then shoot a 4 arrow set but pause 30 seconds between the first two arrows and the 2nd 2 arrows.
It may be arm/wrist fatige just slightly throwing you off.

When you sight down an arrow do you close one eye?

It seems to me that if your first set is accurate, and grouping nice, but the next set isn't the only thing that could be happening is fatigue. When you get tired the first thing people ussually do is torque their bow hand. Not a lot, but enough to screw a shot up, also are you 100% possitive that you are setting up, and anchoring at the same spot with each shot. As little as one inch can throw an arrow way off target. You could also be putting torque on the string. Where are you holding the string in reguards to your hand? I ussually put the string on the fatty parts of the finger just behind the first crease. If you can, get a paint can with a wire handle, that will show you the correct way to hold a bow string. A simple test to see if you're torquing the string is to watch if your arrow falls off the shelf when you begin your draw. Fred Bear himself use to use the "thumb grip" in which he put his thumb up agains his temple, this may help, but it is now said to do more bad than good, but each person is different, and even Fred later stopped doing it. Many people will tell you to touch your thumb and pinky together and to use your other three fingers to pull the string back. Check those things out, and if you are still having a problem maybe start shooting more to get some muscle memory setup. I know when I don't shoot for a month or two I loose everything, and have to start all over again more or less. Sad

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Where the Eagles fly, and the Caribou lie is where I want to be, the Wolf waits there for me.....
-Les Stroud

There are 7 factors to a consistant shot.
Ive been shooting target for about a year & have improved by keeping the 7 factors in mind.
I shoot a 64" Ben Pearson Longbow. Really like it.
But from what you have said about a twisted Limb, thats bad news. Once this happens you will never get a true shot.
You will always want to compensate something to get the shot strait. Which in turn throws other factors out.
Can you remove the Limbs Dutchman ? if so i would replace both if you can. Storing a Bow is very important.
They should be hung up properly with the limbs supported. Cool

Cheers Dutchman & welcome to >> The Arctic Cove <<

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A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Thankyou Troopermax.
Tfisher, I take about 15 to 20 seconds between shots. I nock the arrow, I keep the bow tilted at about a 60 to 70 degree tilt. I have tried closing one eye but I usually keep both open. When I do that I see double vision and I try to sight using the left arrow tip.

Azarcher, When I nock the arrow I put my index finger above the nock and my middle and ring finger below it. I hold the string with the meat of my fingers on the opposite side of the finger nail, between the tip and the first crease. I am not sure if I torque because I keep the bow tilted. I also try to keep my left arm( which holds the bow) bent. When I hold the bow I try to keep my fingers open so as not to torque the bow. I pull the string back with my index finger in the corner of my mouth.

Drummer Dave, Your right that the twisted limb is bad news. It was an old bow my dad purchased years ago and has sat in my parents basement for years. I had hoped that by putting a string on it that the twist would staighten but it hasn't. I have put a clamp on it to pull the string in the opposite direction of the twist but after 20 or so shots the twist is as bad as before. It is marked as a 50lb bow but has weakened to about 43lbs. The good news is that I am purchasing a new recurve with removeable limbs and will have it by next Saturday. For the life of me I can't remember its name, but it will have a removable sight, wrist rope, etc...

For a target I have an Ames burlap outline of a buck that is drapped over some bales of hay. I stand at exactly 15yds straight on to the target.

Here's a couple of questions:
How much does fatigue figure into accuracy?

What do each of you do to improve your accuracy?

Has anyone considered setting up a topic for archers where people list a test or competitive trick to try and the readers attempt it? For example, I could say let's try to hit the target at 10 yds three times while walking. Then people could try it and write back.

Thankyou all for responding. Dutchman.

_________________
No man (or woman) will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself/herself, or to get all the credit for doing it. -Andrew Carnegie

Nice ! getting a new Recurve, good stuff. Thats to bad with the other bow. Once that it has a twist to a limb and not have removeable limbs the bow is really no longer useable. Because the laminations of the wood once twisted will never be able to straitend.
Fatigue - well if your hunting it isn't a factor cause you only draw the bow to make 1 shot.
But if your doing the target shooting it can make your shooting more challenging.
The most i shot at my target in a day was 165 arrows. I felt good that day. The next day, i only could shot 110 then i
started to fade, so i just call it quits then. Go with how you feel that day, dont force yourself to shoot lots if your not into it, it will just get you frustrated.
For accuracy improvment. Always make sure your stance is the same. If it's an open stance or a closed stance always do it the same. You got the grip right from the sounds of it. Relax your holding hand Left/Right dont crunch down this will make you arrows fly wild. open grip as much as you can while keeping control. Im going to add a link for you Dutchman it has everything for consistant shooting. I cant find it right now but i will edit this post and add it later today. There are 7 factors to a good strait shot. Cool

Hope this little bit of info helps, i cant wright them all down right now, lol, got to go & do some running around. Cheers.

> heres that link Dutchman. http://handbook.jousiammuntaseura-arcus.com/

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A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Last edited by Drummer Dave on Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:16 pm; edited 3 times in total

Fatigue will play a major part in your accuracy, and your shots later. When you get tired your body will try to take some shortcuts. Or you will just be fatigued and everything will suffer. Most of the time your bow arm will begin to shake a little or atleast become wobbly, you may not bend your elbow the same, anchor a little different, or any number of things. With all that you will also start to create bad habbits that if not corrected, will hurt you later. For a starting archer, or for someone who hasn't shot in a few months, shoot maybe ten time a day, or ten in the morning, ten at night. No more than that. Work your way up slowly to get the muscle memory back. After January I ussually take a couple months off from archer for other hunts, and just to relax. I try to keep shooting, but ussually don't then about April, or May I start up again. For the first few days I hurt, and it will take me a couple days to get my accuracy back. I will normally shoot 60 shots a day atleast, and when it gets closer to a hunt I will back off to about 20 a day, but strive for perfect first shots everytime. Some times I'll leave my bow on the table and sometime during the day shoot one lone arrow to see what happens. I've shot for eleven years now, but only started doing this for the last nine years or so and it works great for me.

_________________
Where the Eagles fly, and the Caribou lie is where I want to be, the Wolf waits there for me.....
-Les Stroud

Thankyou for the advice. Have any of you ever tried to make a bow? Dutchman.

_________________
No man (or woman) will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself/herself, or to get all the credit for doing it. -Andrew Carnegie

	Dutchman wrote:
	Thankyou for the advice. Have any of you ever tried to make a bow? Dutchman.

> No but i very much would like too. Im reading right now a book on making a self Bow, alot of work i tell ya.

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

All my compounds are mass produced, and my recurve was custom made for me. I have never made my own bow besides some green twigs and a bungee strap for the little cousins. Very Happy

_________________
Where the Eagles fly, and the Caribou lie is where I want to be, the Wolf waits there for me.....
-Les Stroud

A magazine I read is Primitive Archer. It usually has some good articles in it about building a bow. One article in Backwoodsman had a man build a bow out of fiberglass rods (like the ones used to hold reflectors in your driveway) taped together. He got the rods at a local hardware. Dutchman.

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No man (or woman) will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself/herself, or to get all the credit for doing it. -Andrew Carnegie

	Dutchman wrote:
	A magazine I read is Primitive Archer. It usually has some good articles in it about building a bow. One article in Backwoodsman had a man build a bow out of fiberglass rods (like the ones used to hold reflectors in your driveway) taped together. He got the rods at a local hardware. Dutchman.

I really enjoy reading Primitive Archer i have several mags. Really good reading i think.
And also read Backwoodsman Mag.

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

There are a lot of autions in the summer time where I live. You can usually find a fair to good bow cheap at some of these auctions. You can call the auctioneer ahead of time to find out what type of bow it is. Then call your local archery shop for information about the bow to see if it is a good type. Most auctioneers have an inspection day before the day of the auction so that people can look at what is up for grabs.

If the archery owner is helpful reward him/her by buying your accessories there. Dutchman.

_________________
No man (or woman) will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself/herself, or to get all the credit for doing it. -Andrew Carnegie

I tried shooting it at 15yds., and man I need some help. I was used to shooting (somewhat ok) instinctively with my old recurve. My new has a sight and it completely threw me off. I tried moving the sight to help me with tilting the bow at 45 degree angle, but it didn't help. So I got a book about competitive archery from the 60's and all of the pictures have the two experts holding their bows upright. I tried this and now my shots are somewhat level but are off to the right of the target. What would any of you say is the right way to hold the bow? Upright or angled. Dutchman.

_________________
No man (or woman) will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself/herself, or to get all the credit for doing it. -Andrew Carnegie

I tried shooting it at 15yds., and man I need some help. I was used to shooting (somewhat ok) instinctively with my old recurve. My new has a sight and it completely threw me off. I tried moving the sight to help me with tilting the bow at 45 degree angle, but it didn't help. So I got a book about competitive archery from the 60's and all of the pictures have the two experts holding their bows upright. I tried this and now my shots are somewhat level but are off to the right of the target. What would any of you say is the right way to hold the bow? Upright or angled. Dutchman.

p.s. It is a Kuda bow.

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No man (or woman) will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself/herself, or to get all the credit for doing it. -Andrew Carnegie

Hey Dutchman.
Hm ? i would say that if you are shooting to the right of the target one thing to check would be your grip.
If you are holding it to tight thats the result that can happen. Relaxed grip is what you want.
Dont hold it like a hammer hold it like your girlfriends hand slightly ferm but relaxed.
Another factor could be your string release, if you pluck the string when you release it also could make the arrow
go right. So if you have a tight grip & pluck the string your shots will go left or right, depending on if your left/right
handed. Cool

Cheers. Hope this helps.

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Relax the grip and let string slip from fingers also try moving pin to the right a bit at a time till your on the money , also a straight up and down bow position is best at least until your shooting good then you practice angles and kneeling etc. I shoot my compound with an open hand and use a sling on it my recurve and longbow I just barely close my hand enough to hold them .

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