How good is good enough? Broadhead shots
Equipment
So at what point do relax a little bit and say I am shooting well enough to hit the field and hunt? For the debates sake let limit Compound guys to 40 yard and Trad guys to 30.
So what is your personal goal for shooting that allows you confidence in the field?
For myself, I always want tighter and tighter groups... However there is never enough time to tweak, or practice or ...
So for my personal goal I want to hit 90% of my shot into a spot about the size of a small grapefruit. That means 9 out of 10 arrows. With field tips not a big deal with my broad heads I struggle just a bit at 40 with my average usually around 7 out of 10. Luckily the 2 that miss are really close. As a side note my 50 yard practice shots are hitting 9 for 10... I think I have a mental block with 40 right now...
So where is your line? When are you ready for the season? Is there a certain goal that lets you sit back and say I am ready...
6 arrows inside of a playing card at 45 yds. That way when reality hits I know for certain I'll be inside a paper plate at that distance.
I shoot compound and for me its always been 6 shots (1 more arrow than I carry to the field) within the size of a salad (appetizer) plate at 40, I always strive for penny size groups because the better I can get it the more comfortable I will feel, I too have a mental block but it's at 30, the way i see it, is if I'm hitting salad plates at 40 I'll feel comfortable enough to try to make an ethical shot during the season, I've started seasons 2 weeks late because I didn't feel I could make an ethical shot.
I'm not shooting groups right now. I take one shot and walk away for an hour or two. I'm ready when this single shot hits it's mark every time. It's anywhere between 5 and 35yds and don't use a range finder before the shot.
This first "cold" shot is all I care about at this point in the yr and how I will practice until the end of season, or if my setup dictates that I need a tune-up.
I shoot at 30 or less so it's a little easier.
My standard is a little different. My first arrow needs to hit the "grapefruit" as mentioned above 90+% of the time. I used to do a group of shots but when hunting it's about your first shot not second, etc.
So if my first shot is true 90+% of the time I feel very confident.
I take one shot at a time as well, but I want all my shots in a grapefruit sized area at 45 yards (center of 5 pins) with broadheads, which is my most practiced-at distance. I also want some dead bull's eyes.
When the season opens, I go hunting. The whole dang thing with shooting a compound is the aides it allows to be consistent. There is little need for me to stress over groups. I know my limit for the day I am shooting. And, it changes by the way I am seeing, feeling, the animal, etc.... I've purposely head shot squirrels with trad equipment farther than I can shoot them some days with a compound.
So, my gist is this. I get ready in spring. Tuning, finalizing gear choices, etc.... I practice hard through early summer. I'm shooting broad heads by May every year. I know my busy time is August and September so, I get my stuff ready way before then. I may not touch my bow hardly from the end of June until late August. And, when I pick it up again, I know all I have to do is execute. Confidence is EVERYTHING in bow hunting. God Bless
My personal accuracy standards are I must keep 9 of 10 shots with my fixed blade broad heads or a true 90% in a 6" circle out to 40 yards while simulating as close to actual hunting shot situations as I can recreate. Buy simulating I mean making my shot as quick as I can at every position I can recreate while on stand. The hardest deer hunting lesson and mistake I have ever had to learn then live with it I made second year I started bow hunting while on my first mornings hunt during what was IMHO the peek of pre rut on a text book perfect morning. Had a true B&C 10 pointer come in and tend a scrape barely 17 yards from my position +/- 20' up in a tree. I calmly came to full draw aimed and released only to experience what I thought was someone grabbing the chest area of my heavy insulated 1-piece and trying hard to rip it off me. I had broken a cardinal rule of hunting in an article of clothing without ever having practiced while wearing it first. As it turned out my bow string had snagged the left breast pocket causing the arrow to thankfully miss the buck completely. The same buck was later killed during gun season and scored well over 180".
I take one day a year, which just happened to be yesterday, and shoot broadheads on each of my hunting arrows to make sure there are no tuning issues. They were dead nuts on, 9 shots each at 35 and 55. The rest of the year I shoot field points.
As far as groups, baseballs at 20, softballs at 40, and dinner plates at 60. With my compound I can honestly hit all of those pretty easily in practice sessions even after a decent layoff.
The key is "good" practice, simulating hunting to the realest extent possible, which can be difficult to do. I realized I've missed a few shots over the years trying to thread the needle in a way, shooting over or under something and getting psyched out by it. Including my only crack at a decent bull last year. So that's something I am going to hammer these next few weeks. Work on your weaknesses, don't pat your own back.
consistently getting 3 arrows into a 6" circle at 60 yds. Then I try to limit myself to 30-35yd max while hunting.
Quote: "Work on your weaknesses, don't pat yourself on the back" Better bow hunting advice has never been stated. I will in grain these words into the very fiber of my bow hunting.
I also don't shoot groups,I will only shoot one broadhead at 40 to 50 yards. Always believed that first cold shot was the only one that matters. I will do this even throughout hunting season as well,really helps me to see how I'm doing when it's in the dead of winter.
Hitting 6 -1" dots in a row with BH's. I'm a 30 yd max hunter.
The only time I shoot groups is when I work on my form. I have a 5 spot target bag in my basement and I shoot one arrow at each spot at close range. With the 5 spot it's like shooting 5 separate arrows instead of getting into a "groove" slamming them into one bullseye. For me the 5 spot is also harder because changing my focus to the other spot breaks the concentration. But that's a good thing. When I do shoot outside in my fields I just take one judo tipped arrow and take just one shot at whatever I choose to shoot at. My "how good" standard? For my effective hunting range (25 yards and less....recurve) I want to see that arrow either hit exactly what I'm aiming for or at least brush by it. If my form is solid and I concentrate like I should that's where I'm at.
The formula I use for my effective hunting distance is to take the range I can consistently (i.e. 4 out of 5 times) sink arrows in a standard paper plate, then cut that distance in half. So if I want to be proficient at 30yds, I practice to consistently hit the plate at 60 yards, 80yds equals 40yds, etc The theory being that when an animal walks out and I am attempting to function under adrenaline my motor skills naturally deteriorate and I know I will not be as proficient as I am on a calm day at the range. As the season nears I supplement practice with live broadheads and mark any specific arrows that are "fliers". At that point, I double check my 3rd axis and I'm good to go. When it comes to martial endeavors human beings don't rise to the occasion, we fall to our level of training. Add on top of that the adrenaline dump and the 50% rule has proved to be true in my experience.
One arrow cold at 40 yds in a 12" circle.
Anything after that is because I like to shoot.
When I screw on a broadhead, its a whole different game. It aint practice anymore, its shoot to kill. When you draw back and those razors come to a stop at the edge of your fingers, it all comes together
I shoot one shot at various ranges but no more than 3-4 in a setting
I am really spotty with shooting groups. One day I can shoot tight tight groups. Next day I can't.
I like the 1 shot way to do things. If I can set the target up and walk back. Range the target and put the arrow in a 4" circle between 40 and 60 yards I am ready for hunting. The kicker is it will be odd yardages. 53, 47, 61 etc.
Another thing I will do is take 6 arrows and start in the 70's and work my way up to the target. Always shooting an odd range. I like to finish at 1 yard. 70 yard pin is good for 1 yard on my set up.
I don't practice with broadheads, once I'm sure they hit with field points. My effective yardage for practice is the kill zone on a Glendel buck in my yard. He's 30 yards from where I stand. If I back up to the garage door, he's 40 yards. That's as far as I will shoot at game, and I'd rather it be 20 and under. Im pretty bad about picking up the bow, three arrows, and shooting them two or three times a day. If they all catch the kill zone, I'm good.
I should clarify. I shoot a 5 spot target and then refer to the arrows As a group as if they were all over laid on a single spot.
I also do like others and make my first shot At each range my "one" chance to kill.
Since I have to travel To shoot I just can not justify a single shot then wait.
Good info, sounds like we have some Common ideas.
Each response has a lot of sense...I'm aim to shoot one Minute of Angle; 1" groups at 10 yards, etc out to 6" at 60 yards shooting Slick Trick Magnums all the time, unless I'm at an archery competition [yes, I have shares in Rinehart's Block target!!] That one MOA includes my point of impact; so if I'm aiming dead centre at 60 yards and I'm 5"-6" high/low/left/right, as long as I'm inside of the 13" circle on my paper elk vitals target face, then I'm content...as I get closer, I endeavour to shoot tighter to the point of aim The photo was taken the other Sunday [I get to shoot once a week on average]; arrow on the left is my first [BH] shot at 60 yards, the arrow on the right is my FP Good luck and good shooting when the season lands!
X2 HDE 1 arrow cold at distance between 40-60 yard. I shoot pigs all summer long so the shot making process is tweaked come fall. I am more concerned about actions taken when shooting an animal than shooting a target. Typically I shoot 2 to 3 times a week but only shoot 5 groups of 3 or 4 arrows. Perfect practice makes perfect shots. I do not give much thought a flyer and mark it off as a non hit and never say the word mi$$...
5 arrows in the yellow at 80-100 on an Olympic target face. The rest is all 3D at various yardages. I work on form and consistency from 80-100. The rest is gravy. If you can keep them all in the yellow at those ranges the shorter shots are automatic as long as you use good form. Developing that consistent, repeatable form is critical at the moment of truth. It should happen without thinking about it. As the season gets closer I like to start shooting odd angles and severe ups and downs to mimic hunting situations, etc.
1" circle per 10 yards of distance.
20 yards = 2" 50 yards = 5" and so on.....
I care nothing about groups, never had a live animal allow me to shoot a group. I had seven targets at various distances. I had my son place seven arrows on the ground at various distances. I then ran in a circle and allowed myself five seconds to draw, aim and shoot, once at each target. If all seven were kills-not bullseyes, kills. I was ready. An hour ago, I shot three times-20, 30, 35-yards. All three were within an inch of the + I shoot at. I'm good.
1" per 10 yards with field points on level ground with no wind should be everyone's goal.
For fixed blade BH's "I" just need to hit a 4" circle 100% of the time with my first arrow at 30 yards or less.
I really enjoy shooting my bow so I shoot a lot. I have broadhead and field point targets next to each other in my back yard so I can shoot both and I can shoot back to 120 yards.
This is an 80 yard group that I shot last weekend with a combination of Slick Tricks, Wasp Boss and Shuttle T's. I know the group is a little to the right of center but with a little more adjusting I should get it dialed in...
What X-man said. Hunting aint no tournament.
My limits are set by my conscience and knowing what "archery" hunting is. My shooting ability exceeds both by far.
Well said ELKMAN. I also like to shoot a lot but due to the heat here in the valley of Az I time it to get enough shooting in just before its too dark. I disciplined myself into shooting 40 arrows at 40 yards in 40 minutes and the last 10 arrows at 20 yards to finish up. Gives me a lot better shooting temps. By the time im down to shooting at 20 yards it's getting dark which is when the light on my sight is a big help.
"I do not give much thought a flyer and mark it off as a non hit and never say the word mi$$... " That rather appeals...
