Bowsite.com

What poundage to start with?

What spine arrow for whatever poundage and arrow weight you recommend at 28"?

Instinctive, gap or other for aiming?

Shoot off the shelf?

Any info in general is appreciated.

Dont tell me to go here or there for the info, I want some real world opinions from actual hunters right here in their own words.

Thanks

Poundage depends on you, and spine depends on poundage and spine. I like a 60-65# bow. Many nowadays say that is heavy though. Go figure!

Very few that shoot “instinctive” are driving tacks. The more consistent shooters gap to some degree. I’ve been to trad shoots, shot trad bows for years, killed with trad bows...so, I’m over the naievity of praising “instinctive.”

I’d definitely shoot off of a shelf. More consistent nock alignment is one of several advantages.

At one time I could hit a pie plate at 80 yds 5 out of 6 shots. I was shooting caps off 20oz bottles at 20 yds. Out to 30, I was deadly on game. I’ve lost it though, with two careers, family, and working in the community here taking so much of my time.

You gotta commit to it. You can do it, but commit to it.

Get a bow that’s about 40-45 pounds at YOUR draw length. If you have been shooting compounds you should have an idea of arrow spine but figure 600 or 500 most likely, depending on the bow and your draw length.

That’s all I’m going to say. I can’t tell you how to shoot it, what style, off the shelf etc etc etc......practice proper form and enjoy, make your own way.

Have hunted and killed critters from Argentina to Alaska with a longbow and critters up to moose and buffalo with bows from 57# to 60# draw weights. Killed a lot of deer, turkeys and pigs with a 40# bow when I was a kid.

Finding a traditional bow that fits you makes a huge difference in how you well you will do with it.

You will want to start at a reasonable draw weight and definitely lower than your compound. Hard to say what that will be and it can vary a lot from bow to bow.

I would recommend a minimum of at least 40# and not more than 55#. A good rule of thumb is to drop 10-15 pounds off what you are shooting with a compound.

Your best bet is to go to a good traditional bow shop and shoot a bunch of different bows before you decide which bow fits you best.

If you shoot 28” with a compound, expect to lose a little draw length going to a recurve and certainly lose draw length to a longbow. You will need to get an arrow that spines out with a point weight to tune to your bow. That will change some over time as you get more consistent.

I have a lot of different arrow shafts that I can tune to my bows by adjusting point weight. It is super easy today with screw in points off the shelf from under 100 grains to over 300 grains and weighted inserts for arrows. I have arrow setups from 400 to over 800 grains that all tune to the same bow.

You will want to shoot an arrow that is tuned to your bow with good FOC and enough mass for good penetration with a good broadhead. I prefer 3- or 4- blade broadheads but also will use 2-blade broadheads for heavier animals.

You will have to figure out what works for you for aiming method. It will help a lot to get some coaching to get started out. I just started out pulling a bow back and letting go of the string. Didn’t have the internet back in those days to get information and didn’t even know about archery clubs or shooting ranges until I was in college.

You are in Colorado. Do yourself a favor and go to Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear in Denver. Probably the best traditional bow shop in the country, if not the world. Let them get you started right. They have more traditional bows from different makers, new and used, hanging up on racks than any one else. They have all the equipment to get you set up right and will spend time helping you get started on the right foot.

I have a lot of different arrow shafts that I can tune to my bows by adjusting point weight. It is super easy today with screw in points off the shelf from under 100 grains to over 300 grains and weighted inserts for arrows. I have arrow setups from 400 to over 800 grains that all tune to the same bow."

I quoted Treeline in the above paragraph. Please don't take this the wrong way but that paragraph is the exact reason I haven't switched to traditional. I don't have the money to go out and buy 40 different arrows trying to figure out the right combo especially when I don't have a clue what I'm supposed to be looking for.

Crankn101 ask that specific question about what spine arrows to get and so far it's just like the other thousand post I've read over the years on this topic. No one ever gives an answer. Is it some kinda special club secret that you have to be invited in to be given the secrets?

Please forgive my ignorance.

Just vary the point weight to get them to tune off my bow.

You can probably use the same arrow you are using for your compound, if you want to.

Shave off the plastic stuff on the back end that passes for compound bow fletching.

Then start working up in point weight till they fly straight off your traditional bow. Your compound arrow will probably be too stiff off the trad bow and you will need to go up in point weight.

Standard screw-in point weights are available at 125, 150, 175, 200, 250, and 300 grains. There are other weights available if you look around a little bit.

Once you get your bare shaft flying straight, put some real feathers on the back (I prefer 5 1/2” shield cut left helical, 3-fletch) and shoot it again. Should fly really well.

Strip off the rest of the plastic stuff off the other arrows and put feathers on them. Match up point weights and go give em hell!

Usually, I will adjust my brace height by twisting the string until the bow gets quieter and hand shock is minimal. Measure with a bow square and twist the string to make 1/4” adjustments in brace height till you hit the sweet spot. Most of my bows like 7 1/4” to 7 3/4” but every bow is different and will be different for different shooters.

You will also want to tune your nock point so you are getting good straight arrow flight. Use your bow square to set your nock point at 3/4” high then adjust down till your arrow hits the target straight.

I shoot 340 spines out of a 56# recurve. 150 grain head. Keep my brace height at 8 3/4 so always checking it. Still learning, but lots of very good guys on here to help you out

Without any formal training, I was doing a lot of things wrong for a lot of years and didn’t even know it. With the right direction starting out, you can avoid a lot of headaches and be successful much faster than us poor slobs that had to learn on our own.

By the way, the Colorado Traditional Archery Society annual banquet is coming up February 8th and and 9th in Lakewood.

You can look it up at the CTAS website or shoot me a PM.

Great get-together with a bunch of guys and gals that love traditional archery.

Heck, you might even get lucky and win a top-end new bow to get started on!

There are always several up for auction or raffle.

Jimmy sometimes posts over on the 'Leatherwall' section of Bowsite. Fine shooter and very good at explaining from the ground up.

I really do appreciate it.

Assuming that your bow fits you and is tuned correctly, then the 10 most important things about shooting a stickbow are.....in order of importance........

Form, Form, Form, Form, Form, Form, Form, Form, Form, and Form.

Part of the beauty of stickbow shooting is that 95% of the time if you aren't shooting right it's YOU, not the equipment. Essentially YOU are the "equipment", especially if you shoot instinctive. If you have to think about your form when you shoot, then you need to work on your form more. When I made the switch I figure it took me about 10,000 arrows or so before I was that solid. After that you still have to keep up with it, for muscle tone as much as anything, but once you're at that point you don't have to shoot that much unless you change your form.....or you become addicted...!!!

And I know, as I haven't even looked at my compounds now for over 10 years.

Learn to gap shoot and don’t read Fred Asbell’s books on instinctive shooting. Again speaking from 30 years experience and doing it wrong, ignoring the good advice and listening to the wrong. There’s nothing worth knowing in those books and lots of bad advice on form and “aiming”. Good form is good form, whether your shooting receive or compound. I’ve been shooting trad for a long time and I can’t tell you one person in that time who was consistently good who shot instinctively or with the poor, hunched over form Asbell promotes.

I used to do as Nick does but, I've done it so much on so many bows now, I can pick what I need after seeing the bow and, knowing the string material. But, I 'd recommend you do this until you get some experience.

So, let me compress this into a little better explanation. Three things will affect your tune besides your draw weight. Draw length and arrow length, shelf cut, and string material. If your bow is center cut and, you draw over 28 with a skinny string, bump the aluminum and wood recommendations 5 pounds at your draw. Carbon will shoot fine with no regards to string material.

I could type 20 pages just like many of these guys on how they do things. The rest from here is up to you. Get you a cheapo bow off ebay that is cut to center. Which is usually any recurve or modern deflex/reflex longbow. Then, get some arrows and start. You can move on to the romantic longbows cut short of center after you have developed your tuning skills. They tend to be a lot more finiky.

My last piece of advice is to order your point weights from braveheart archery. Cheap prices and they charge an actual shipping charge. Not some outlandish $7 kind of thing for $5 worth of field points.

I will say this though. The way guys talk about shooting trad you’d think you need to quit your job to make it work. Not necessarily. I’m not trying to be pompous but for myself and the only couple others guys I know that took it up recently, al three of us could shoot accurately to 30 yards or so very quickly. Maybe for some people it has to be “full time” but definitely not all. I can pick it up after months of sitting on the shelf and shoot pie plates in a week to 30-40-maybe 50 yards. 50 might be two weeks. And honestly it was like that the first time I started. Don’t get me wrong pie plate isn’t “hunt ready” for me but getting decently accurate happens pretty quick. My brother is the same way, and so are others I’ve talked to so I’m not some wonderchild. I did start by watching a video on shooting and didn’t start overbowed, which for sure is key.

Been shooting these things a long time and it is funny but I can pick up about any trad bow and shoot it pretty damn good even if I haven’t shot in a long time.

What aiming method do you use?

Once you find that bow and arrow combo and it's throwing darts, try not to deviate from where your success comes from.

By the way, if you have bad days on the foam, keep pushing... get back out the next day and smash some more. That's where you'll learn your form flaws and you'll fix them innately.

I shoot three under and aim with somewhat of a gun barrel. But, 15 and under, it's all instinctive. I rarely hold more than 1-1/2 seconds. For what it's worth, I've been shooting traditional since 1997 off and on. After killing numerous does and pigs, I killed my first and one of my best bucks with my recurve this year by 100% dedicating to it.

Best of luck!

BTW.. I've also got a 2005 bowtech tomkat for sale... :)

DEFINITELY! Form is important for ANY method of archery, but for a stickbow, and a stickbow shot instinctively especially, it's pretty much all you have if the set up is right.

-Mitch

You may as well say “Don’t confuse me with Facts from actual Professionals - I want to believe some guaranteed BULLSCHITT!!””

Of course, that DOES seem to be in the fashion these days…

Too busy SMH to ROFL, I guess....

“Please don't take this the wrong way but that paragraph is the exact reason I haven't switched to traditional. I don't have the money to go out and buy 40 different arrows trying to figure out the right combo especially when I don't have a clue what I'm supposed to be looking for.”

Well, not having a Clue IS CURABLE, you know....

At this rate, I’m gonna shake my head clean off and IT will be rolling around the damn floor...

REALITY CHECK, fellas....

You really don’t have to worry all that much about spine as you are getting started, because having the spine Just Exactly Right is nowhere near as important as having a release that is Good Enough that bare-shaft testing will be able to tr you something more useful than that your form needed work.

So first things first...

Just about everybody who wants to end up hunting will start off at too much poundage and will eventually either quit or wish they had started off lighter. I knew one guy who used to shoot an awful lot of deer with an #80 compound, and when he picked up a recurve, he told me #35 kicked his ass.

Your mileage may vary, but don’t be a Moron; you might be able to manage #40-#45, but no professional coach is going to be happy to see you try it.

If you’re not willing to seek out qualified instruction, at least go to RMSGear and let them help you some. They’ll let you find out how much weight you can actually learn from (less IS more!) and they will set you up with arrows that will get you more than close enough to send one exactly where you pointed it.

At that rate, you just need to learn how to point them where you’re looking, and sights are not a bad option. Next best is gun-barreling the arrow so you know that you’re anchored with the nock plumb under your eyeball and you know that the point of the arrow is centered under the target. A tall target with a bold line running vertically down the middle is your best friend. Don’t worry about elevation errors - just learn to hit the line.

How long it’ll take you to learn to shoot depends on how stupid you’re willing to be. “Instinctive” shooting is an END, NOT the means. If you check your aim & anchor every time you come to full draw, you’ll EVENTUALLY stop needing to adjust much to be on target. At THAT point, you can just anchor and release, and you’ll be fairly accurate “instinctively”.

We have a guy at the club who just switched from compound/sights to 3-Under recurve. He was shooting better than most “Instinctive” shooters I’ve seen in about 2 months, but that’s what can happen when you can calmly and confidently hold the weight at your anchor while you settle your arrow into the correct plane.

If you want a few good books to read, try Shooting the Stickbow by Tony Camera (posts as Viper on LW), along with Guitar Zero and The Talent Code.

DO NOT screw yourself up reading Asbell. Just.... Don’t. Tilz ain’t kiddin’. What Asbell promoted in his first book is akin to adjusting the crosshairs in a rifle scope based on the impacts of shots fired from the hip.

my best, Paul

I don’t want to muddy the waters with more opinions and advice from a fairly recent “convert”. Pay attention to Treeline’s advice, he’s a hunter that has proven to be a straight up killer with his weapon of choice.

I would just also like to encourage you in that, if it gets frustrating maybe put it down for a bit and enjoy your compound. First time I tried to “switch”, I did just that. I made it up in my mind that I wouldn’t shoot a compound again, and then got really frustrated when it wasn’t working as I felt trapped. I put it away for a year, bought another compound and took the pressure off. A year later it clicked, and I haven’t hunted with a compound for the last few years until I was forced to this fall with a torn rotator cuff. Point is, I do this because I enjoy it not because I have certified myself “TRAD” LOL

In my opinion all trad shooting is instinctive, (regardless of aiming method) and anyone who can point to a spit on the wall can do it.

Tom is not a fan of Fred Asbell, who promotes "instinctive aiming". Tom will get your form and equipment set up right.

There are many dependable ways to shoot a traditional bow. Personally, I learned a lot from Fred Asbell's books. I've killed plenty of critters shooting with the method that he teaches. But not everybody will pick it quickly so Tom is your best bet.

I limit my shooting to 20 and under, and shoot all the time, and I also shoot my compound,,,, I love it all

go to a trad shoots , and stuff, shoot some bows, have some fun,,,,, its not that hard, and as said, above, not all bows are created equal,,,, you need to find the one, that pulls smooth.....

I shoot 3 fingers under, off the shelf,,,,,, I have gone to smaller feather fletching,,,,,,

As for my part time comment, Im not looking to make the switch over to trad only for hunting. Ill start with a few of my doe spots where I know I can get them within 10 yards and go from there if I feel the need.

With the good information available today, you can leap over a lot of the pitfalls that some of us older guys fell into and get started right.

Tom is probably one of the absolute best instructors anywhere. He has gone through the head banging, target panic, and other struggles and then went through the courses for Olympic archery instructor coming at it from a bowhunter’s perspective.

Heck, I never could get the hang of compound bows - had a hell of a time trying to kill anything with one and finally just gave up. When I was trying to kill stuff with a compound, it hurt my trad bow confidence, but could still pull out a recurve or longbow and kill critters better with those than with the compound.

I just didnt want EVERYONE to say go here or there, I wanted to see how real people went about it so I could get a feel for whats "right or wrong" in the real world.

Don't let anybody tell you that there is only one way to shoot and hunt effectively.

What poundage to start with? At least 15 lbs less than your compound draw weight

What spine arrow for whatever poundage and arrow weight you recommend at 28"? Needs to be matched to the Bow and your shooting style.

Instinctive, gap or other for aiming? Which ever is most comfortable and accurate for you. Try finding some local Trad shooters to help you get started and see how they shoot but be open to figure out what works best for you.

Shoot off the shelf? I would recommend this but again it is up to you. Try finding some local Trad shooters to help you get started and see how they shoot but be open to figure out what works best for you.

Any info in general is appreciated. Try finding some local Trad shooters to help you get started and see how they shoot but be open to figure out what works best for you.

Elkstabber, ya' there is more than one way obviously, but most guys fail to achieve anywhere near their potential. I've been shooting trad bows for half a century and I can count on one hand the number of guys who really had it together. A very high percent of wannabes...but it's not their fault really. Same thing in golf and many other sports/endeavors. GIGO (garbage in garbage out). Heck the vast majority of trad. archers/bowhunters can't even get great arrow flight out of their bows and don't know how to tune. Literally a hit and miss proposition from the get go.

I’m not new at this. Some days I even shoot pretty good. I recently acquired a used bow from RMSG and even though o have been pretty damn successful bare-shafting with my low #50s and lighter bows, this baby is on the plus side of around #60, and I’m not even bothering with bare-shafts now, because o need to get used to the weight so I can have the stable bow arm and consistent release that will make bare-shafting worthwhile.

.

First recurve or longbow would be minimum 40 pounds to maximum 50 pounds.

Guessing a .400 spine should be close. I like Easton Axis shafts.

3 fletch with feathers, helical, 5" shield or parabolic.

Shoot off the shelf.

I would suggest shooting 3-under and using double nock sets to bracket the nocked arrow.

Get strong and master the bow completely.

Practice at 5 yards until you can put 5 arrows in a 5" circle....then move back to 10.

Learn to forgive yourself and keep the pressure off. Let the arrow teach you what it needs.

I don’t know how long it’ll take me to completely Own the new bow; my first trip to the range with it, I was grouping at about 8” wide at 65-80 yards, but I wasn’t happy on Saturday - doubtless has a lot to do with being sick as a dog for the past 3 weeks.

Was shooting under 6” wide at 40 today in a stiff crosswind, but wind or not, I seem to be pulling t my shots to the right, so I’m not going to mess with bare shafts ‘til I know the fletched arrows are running down the middle.

But I’ve been shooting low #50s for over 30 years now, and I’m pulling with technique, rather than just horsing it.

Well enough that he was brought in sick & starved near to death ;)

But +1 on 400s being overkill. Full length 500s are probably too stiff, but with 4” or 5” feathers out back, you can get away with them and 125-145 grain points.

Fred can outshoot you I'd wager.

Being extraordinarily proficient in a given discipline does NOT make a person qualified to teach it.

Asbell’s first book attempts to teach people to shoot using a set of skills which they haven’t got at their disposal. He just appears to have forgotten how he got to what he is recommending as a starting point.

And if I were just starting out and I had a choice between listening to the newest and best Brain Science or a book that was written 30 years ago by a guy who knew nothing about it way back then...

Why not just slap a good sight on your bow? Why insist on using the arrow as a half assed sight?

I don’t disrespect the man - I just think he provided & promoted a very poor method for learning how to shoot in the style that he was endorsing.

I can shoot pretty well “Instinctively” - bouncing tennis balls, running deer, etc. - BUT (assuming that we are both talking about subconsciously mediated hand-eye coordinated shooting by means of a fully-integrated neuromuscular circuit) there are VASTLY SUPERIOR techniques for growing out that circuit better, stronger nand faster than the technique Asbell described.

“Spoken like a dedicated gapper that lacks the skill set to use Asbell's method, so then proceeds the mock,ridicule and disrespect the man.”

Spoken like a NeoTrad True Believer who needs to feel like God loves him extra special and gave him a Gift that Some Got & Some Not.

Besides - doesn’t matter if I can outshoot Fred. All that matters is that I can shoot better (and or teach others to shoot better) by reading up on the science being done on the reality vs. blond allegiance to the leader of the Cult I’ve chosen.

But that is where this thread started - “Don’t distract me with facts from people who’ve made a thoughtful study of the subject matter - I just want to hear anecdotal opinions from people with no actual expertise and absolutely no skin in the game.”

Also, did I mention not to pay attention to Asbell’s books? I’m 100% confident he can’t the guys I shoot with who all gap shoot and I’m pretty confident I could beat him. BTW - I’m not a gap shooter but I do have really good archery form after getting sideways for 10 years after reading the crap he wrote on shooting. That hunched over, snap shooting crap won me a couple of 3D tournaments but it all fell apart when the competition got better and the ranges got past 35 yards. That said I really enjoy his writing style and I really like his other books. Tell me how many world class shooters with any type of bow hunch over, swing their bow arm up and release as soon as they hit the corner of their mouth? That’s right, zero!

No argument with that. I just happen to prefer a too-stiff, small-diameter shaft out of a modern recurve with window cut past center. And I do admittedly favor a rather heavy head. I'm far from a carbon shaft expert, but when I do use them I use a .340 from a 55-60 pound bow combined with at least 200 grains of head weight. I extrapolated that to believe a .400 from a 50 pound bow would be okay...depending on draw length and shaft length. My personal preference (assuming a guy's in good physical shape) would be to start at 45 pounds in a hunting bow. Thanks.

Anyone with experience watch it and care to comment on it's value? Particularly for those with not so much experience.

One thing to experiment with is how much to cant your bow. I don't like shooting a vertical bow, but find that beyond about 10-15 degrees, the point of impact changes, pretty significantly as I approach horizontal.

#1, I never said I could do that all day long, every damn day.... which is what it takes to be a Champion, and I am not.

Besides, my groups were still on the order of 6’ - 8’ TALL (and yes, I DO mean to say FEET and not inches).

But not bad for the shakedown shoot right out of the box.

And @Jeff - Chances are that you have a tuning issue - probably your nocking point height - which is throwing your shot high/low when the bow is vertical, but more & more right/left with increased cant. Either that or the cant is moving your nock off of the line below your eyeball.

Neither issue is insurmountable, but when I decided to learn to shoot prone, I had to be very conscious and deliberate about the fact that my anchor was moving from my cheekbone to under my chin.

It’s a 15-yard trick shot and I’m still having issues with elevation, but I’ve been caught out prone in hunting situations a few times when I could have used that trick to good effect....

Not really that hard to group somewhat decently at long range if you have a small, distinct spot to line up on; I use the leg of a 3D ram that's up the hill from the 80-yard NFAA butt....

These guys are amongst the world's best and they are shooting 6" groups at 20 yds. That's what we aspire to, and many claim much better, but the reality is hardly anyone can do it under pressure and with consistency arrow after arrow any day of the week. And these top archers cannot do it with a bow such as yours. Too heavy a draw wt, and insufficient mass. IN MY OPINION, these are two of the key reasons why almost every trad. archer will FAIL in obtaining consistent accuracy. Of course there are other reasons...poor form, lack of precise aiming method and on.

I'm sorry, but this is REALITY. Rather than blaming trad. archers, no no...it's not the fault of the archer talent or lack of...it is the fault of the method and equipment choice.

Now obviously, we don't want to hunt with tournament bows...a dilemma! Is there a solution? IMO, yes, but it involves compromises and of course, many will disagree with me. The whole thing is a beautiful mess...and it takes courage to tell the truth because so many people won't want to hear it. However, many will agree the vast majority of trad. archers are lousy shots. My opinion is it's not because of their innate deficiencies, however. We all have enough ability, actually.

Regardless, many people want trad. archery to be hard! You cannot make everyone happy!

Guess I should probably not get into the fact that there’s a significant chance that my third shot EVER with that bow came within a whisker of being a Robin Hood.... At 20.

Blind hogs and acorns being what they are, of course... but there it is.

I have am aiming system; you have an aiming system. Both seem to work well for each of us. Difference is that I don’t insist that mine is Guaranteed Magic for Everyone... and I’m not selling anything... and I’m not even promising to THINK about selling anything when I finally get around to it.

LOL

Seems to me that the most enlightened and experienced con pound cheaters that I’ve spoken to all tend to agree that bow hunting is an activity best conducted at 20 yards and i seems to me that the most enlightened and experienced compound cheaters that I’ve spoken to all tend to agree that bow hunting is an activity best conducted at 20 yards and in. Full Stop.

You don’t have to be 1/2 Cougar to get within modest bow range of a big game animal. And you don’t have to be a Genius with a longbow or a recurve to be able to plunk a small melon consistently at that kind of range.

I seem to have pissed of about half of the Leatherwall by suggesting that some folks might want to while away the off-season by improving their tune, but not even I would suggest that nock-splitting precision is a necessity for consistent, ethical success in the field.

So I’m not sure why you’re on a mission to sell bench-rest rifles to Skeet shooters here. We’re not using the “Wrong” equipment - we’re using the equipment that we LIKE and which adds joy to our time afield.

And we’re not shooting 300 round, where a single line-cutter can cost you the championship; we’re shooting animals that are all pretty much bigger than I am and on which the scoring is pretty much 1/0. In or out. You’re either responsible for getting it out of the woods in palatable condition or you missed clean.

The problem with Trad archery hunting accuracy is NOT among the guys who are picking up an 8-ring big or two on every other end; it’s with the guys who refuse to use the very most basic feedback mechanism to improve their accuracy when it is not only immediately available but UNAVOIDABLY and quite literally) right under their damn noses.

I just don’t happen to believe that “his” way is the only way to skin this cat.

And not-for-nothin’, but for a lot of Trad Converts, rigid Posture, releases and sights are three of the Top 5 Things they were trying to get away from in the first place.

Some of us kinda LIKE being able to shoot Standing, Sitting, Kneeling, Prone, or from whatever contorted position might prove necessary in the course of a hunt.

It’s a trade-off of Flexibility for Precision; some are happy to make it and some aren’t. David’s technique - depending on your perspective - offers either the Best Of Both Worlds or (more likely, IMO) sentences you to the worst.

But that’s why I practice target-form Point-On shooting from 50 to 80 yards, Gapping from 20 to 50, Instinctive from 0 to 20, and Stupid Bow Tricks from 0 to as far as I can get away with it.

Drilling itty-bitty groups with the compound is gratifying in its own way, but the Truth is that under hunting conditions, I’m just plain deadlier with a String Bow. If that costs me 10 yards vs what I might be able to do if I had time to use a rangefinder, I’m pretty OK with that.

Great shooting there GF.

Congratulations again! Heck of a critter to take with trad gear!

Pretty sure the hook got set deep there;-)

Damnit I need to move to Alaska...

Honestly, I would have EXPECTED it.

If you can hold #45 steady with good back tension and full expansion, a high let-off compound becomes something of a toy.

What I did NOT expect, after 20 years of recurve shooting, was that shooting a compound would improve my Stickbow accuracy. Maybe it was just the mind-set?? But when I started getting irritated by my lousy shooting when I was getting 40-yard Compound groups that were half the size of what I had been really happy with at under 20 yards with the recurve..... That was when I decided that maybe my standards just SUCKED...

And not for nothin’, but if you just check real quickly (on EVERY shot!) to make sure that your nock is directly below your eyeball and your point is directly below your target, it won’t be that long until you’re not “checking” (and correcting) but just CONFIRMING that you’ve done it the same every time...

At THAT point, you will have grown out the neuromotor circuit that enables “Instinctive” shooting to actually WORK (and it does work very well, at modest range, if you have built out the circuit carefully and thoughtfully).

Like the old saying... Practice does not make Perfect; Practice makes PERMANENT. Only PERFECT Practice makes Perfect.

So JMO, rather than building out a Shooting circuit without knowing where you’re aiming, try anchoring (and settling the entire length of your arrow in line with your eyeball and the mark), then close your eyes, settle really solidly into what that feels like, and release without opening your eyes until you hear the arrow strike.

Then when you develop a consistent miss that way, shift your feet until you start hitting down the middle.

But I often practice shooting at a bamboo garden stake, so best case for me would be one standing up tall so I could centerline him and get spine.

I’d love to get out and give it a shot, though...