I check to make sure that my nock is lined up directly under my arrow and my arrow is lined up with whatever I plan to hit, then shift my focus to the smallest spot I can make out on the target and let hand-eye coordination take over from there.
It’s the same way I shoot iron sights on a rifle make sure the bead is settled in the notch and then shoot where I wanna hit. Difference is I’ve shot so many thousands of arrows in practice that checking the alignment at normal hunting range is not strictly necessary.
The guys who talk about “ignoring” their arrow are basically telling you to mount the sights on your rifle with chewing gum.
And if you’re not too fussy about what Is or Is Not “Trad”, a peep sight is a hell of a learning aid. Smaller the better; you simply can’t NOT anchor in exactly the same place that way, and that is the #1 most important step toward not having to check. ,
I like split-finger, but we have a guy at the club who came over from a compound and shoots 3U and DAMN, did he get good FAST! I’d even consider switching if I weren’t so dang stubborn, and besides… My buddy at the club told me that he thinks I’m better between 25 and 40 but I am at 25 and in, and that is 100% because of where my point on distance is. Three-under shortens it up quite a bit and is probably the better choice for Whitetail distances.
I don’t use a conscious Gapping method, so that’s what I still have to work on. Like I said - I’m a work in progress...
Gap with either split finger of 3 under. I have on occasion with a glass bow shot 3 under with a 20yd crawl but I still gap off that. Your going to lose speed pulling more of bottom limb for most guys. You can cheat it somewhat and drop you 3 under anchor to gain some elevation and PO.
3 under and SW with a selfbow is a big no go. You can do it, but one day in near future you'll have a big surprise it front of your nose. If you like your selfbow and want to keep it a one piece, shoot split.
Look forward to seeing you GF at the IBO stake in 2020.
KH~
String walking creates tuning problems and doesn’t allow you to properly shoot a truly “traditional” bow. These new mettle riser ILFs are almost as ugly as a compound lol
For all the people saying that instinctive isn’t a good method I’m kind of surprised because it has worked very well for me both in tournaments and the field.
I mean I’m not stupid about it, I have a clue what my gaps are and have a lengthy sustained hold
First of all, there is really very little difference between gap and fixed crawl. In fact, fixed crawl shooting is gap shooting. All you are doing with a crawl is changing your point on yardage. You still need to know your gaps for all other distances. Would you like to have a 40 yard point on? Then shoot gap with you fingers against the arrow. Or, would you rather have a 25 yard point on? If so, simply slide down the string a little.
The notion that shooting pure gap is better for unknown yardages than a fixed crawl seems like total nonsense to me. I mean what good is it to know my 25 yard sight picture (gap) if I don’t know whether my target is actually at 25 yards? Do the laws of physics change once when my index finger touches the underside of my arrow nock, then gravity and velocity no longer come into play? Or does that only happen once I cross the Mississippi. Am I missing something?
It doesn’t matter what aiming method you use, knowing the distance to your target is important. Even guys with pins and peeps use range finders.
The only real difference between using a crawl and the other methods is the tuning issue. How big of a factor this is depends on a number of variables. Elevated rests certainly can help. As can having a bowyer tiller a bow specifically for a fixed crawl. You certainly don’t need an ilf rig to shoot a fixed crawl. Nor does your bow need to be any less traditional. Seriously people, archery has been around a long time. If you think nobody ever figured out they could get a different, perhaps, more practical sight picture by changing where they grab the string or where they anchor until metal risers and tiller bolts came out must be a goofy.
Give it a try, see if it works for you. Face walking is another very practical method for bow hunters.
LOL
JMO - If you’re not concerned about being disqualified from certain competitive classes at a 3-D shoot, it’s a really good idea to experiment with a whole bunch of different approaches to the problem. I’m pretty sure I will never feel bad about having made a clean kill on an animal by use of a technique that is not “traditional“ enough for some people…
