beginners questions..

47studebaker

Hi,

Local archery shop is closed right now so I hope you will bear with me. How many shots should I take during a practice session? I just started with a compound this year, it's set at round 60#, has 30" draw, whisker bisket and a Tru-fire release. 6 arrows in 6 inch group at 20 yards, usually do three groups of 6 arrows. Not enough? Shot a recurve in highschool, which was more than 30 years ago. How often does the rubber holding the peepsite break? Mine has snapped twice in 2 weeks. Is that something I should keep on hand? It was replaced when it was tuned, a new string, and the bisket installed 2 weeks ago.

fishermanben

quote:How many shots should I take during a practice session?
I like to shoot until my group gets really poor. It helps to build and train your arm and back muscles.

quote:How often does the rubber holding the peepsite break?

Not often. Your rubber might not be long enough, or you may have a sharp piece of plastic on your peep sight(I assume it is snapping the bow as opposed to your cheek).

quote:Is that something I should keep on hand?

Yes, they are cheap to have extra, and not having one will ruin a hunt.

Ben

Welcome to the forum and to the sport.

salzo

I practice until I start missing. I shoot for saucer sized targets. I get out of the target I stop. You say you are getting six inch groups at twenty yards-may I suggest that you start closer, like ten yards. A six inch group isnt bad, but it isnt great, and if it s spread all over six inches, you really arent geting an accurate picture with respect to needed adjustments. At ten yards, your groups will be much tighter, and you will see where adjustments are necessary(windage, elevation). The way to be a good shooter, is to shoot good(or great). If that means in order for you to get a tight group you have to be ten yards away, then that is what you do. After you are confident and consistent, move back a few yards. You should not have to make new adjustments to your sight-it should be just a question of getting confident and comfortable at that distance. Then you move back a little more. This way, you are ALWAYS shooting well, and that is how you become a good shooter. Think of it this way: If you take 100 shots, and you miss on all of them, you are not going to hit on 101. The way to shoot well is to shoot well,or as I tell my students, "practice doesnt make perfect-perfect practice makes perfect."

"Waiting tables is what you know, making cheese is what I know-lets stick with what we know!"
-Jimmy the cheese man

Lmbhngr

"Perfect practice make perfect."
I shoot as many good arrows as I can. When I begin to feel muscle fatigue and/or my form starts to get a bit sloppy, I stop. There is no point in trying to compensate for fatigue by "learning" new bad habits just to be able to hit your target. It doesn't matter whether I shoot 10 good arrows or 50. If I go out and the first few arrows are below my standards, I quit. For me the mental game during practice is just as important as the actual practice itself. Sometimes a bad day at work or an argument with the spouse or maybe even a negative state of mind does not make for a quality practice session. There is always tomorrow.

Lmbhngr

hornet

I build up to 30 arrows per day. I shoot 10, 15, 20, 25, & 30 yards. I shoot off the ground until a few weeks before the season starts then move to the roof of my shop to get the since of being in a tree stand. I also shoot a few broadheads at this point to make sure they will fly and hit right. I do reward my self by quiting early if I make perfit shots at the different yardages with all 10 of my arrows. Practice now and you won't miss later. The smaller the target you shoot at the more accurate you will be. I try to pick a hair out on my target to shoot at. Like one of my favorit moves says aim small, miss small.
You can stop the rubber tubing breakage problem by having a true peep sight installed. It will take you a few shots to get it centered where no strings will be in your line of sight but it does away with the rubber tubing. I think they cost about 6 bucks. If you like the tubing by all means keep some on hand because it will break sooner or later.
Hornet

buckeyboy

My advise is to shoot inside "your" limits which is different for everyone depending on expierence and muscle tone. Overdoing it is only going to fustrate you. Know when your not relaxed and becoming uncomfortable. listen to your body. You will know when you have had enough. What I try to do is shoot three or four arrows at 20 yards then move to 28 to 30, 35 yards (5) or six arrows from each distance works for me, more important if your not in the right frame of mind to concentrate. wait till tommorrow. This is what works for me. I have some friends that shoot only six or seven arrows with good groups then start to fall off they start to blame the bow check for bent arrows ect. Bad habbit. Good luck keep practicing you will fine.[;)]Some one on the forum stated perfect practice makes perfect. they are exactly right.[:)][:)]

47studebaker

HI,

Thanks for the info. I've been thinking of going to the "red dot" type of sites. The first time I tried the pin sites I saw 6 pins instead of 3, but this site has crosshairs and seams to be working fine. Do any of you use the "red dots"?

Lmbhngr

Hey '47...

Take a look at Trophy Ridge sights with their VIP pins..."Vertical Inline Pin" technology. The vertical pins allow for a much improved and larger sight picture. IMHO they are the finest line of archery sights available today.
Personally, I save the red dots and scopes and such for my firearms, though they are very popular. I think scopes on bows for hunting conditions are much more suscepible to getting "bumped" out of alignment than the normal sights on a bow, not to mention broken, dirty, wet & foggy in inclement weather, etc. I don't see how a scope could be mounted as solid and sturdy on a bow as they can be on a gun. That's me. Scopes for 3D shooters are a better application due to the level of accuracy required.

Lmbhngr