How do you shoot?

[BorderBows]

Do you gap or are you instinctive?
Do you string walk, gap, face walk?
Or do you just pont and shoot?

Love to hear your feedback

[Desert Archer]

I am (and always have been) a barebow recurve shooter. I started out (1958) just pointing and hoping with little or no instinct (LOL). After a 25 year hiatus I came back to archery and picked up where I left off. And like all those years ago my shooting was very inconsistent. Some days it seemed I couldn't miss but on other days I couldn't hit a wall from inside the building and didn't know why.

About 5 years ago I started working on an aiming system and eventually came up with a combination of face walking (4 separate anchors) and point of aim. I am predominantly a field shooter (both IFAA and FITA) and have worked out aiming points on the target faces for each distance.

I shoot a little over 400 on a 28 target IFAA field rounds and have twice broken 300 on 24 target FITA field rounds. Not record setting but I'm still working on that part. (smiley face goes here)

Dave

[Joester]

Same here, always been a barebow recurver.

Pardon this long-winded explanation, but there's quite a few different techniques I use depending on what I'm doing...

I started in NFAS, where (for barebowers at least), you have to maintain a fixed anchor point, and a fixed nocking point, so no face or string walking.
(Though actually I've only become aware of those techniques since starting target archery).

In the field, I shoot part-instinctively.
For >20 yard shots:
I don't try and figure out the distance (Byron Ferguson says most people are rubbish at gauging distances in woodland), but rather I see what trajectory my arrow must take to hit its mark.
Then, at draw, I'm staring at the precise point I want the arrow to land, whilst, in my peripheral vision, gauging the angle of the arrow in relation to the target to get the desired trajectory.
After 6 years with the same bow, I've become reasonably good at this (I think), but it does make me useless with any other bow and arrows than the ones I always shoot with.
I have a new bow - but it's the same poundage with the same length arrows.

For nearer distances, where the arrow will follow a reasonably flat trajectory, then my drawing arm is used to 'point' at the kill zone.

This technique translates quite well to indoor target (20 yrds), where gap shooting would require placing the arrow tip somewhere on the gym floor, which, unless there happens to be a handy painted line (etc), is hard to repeat.

For outdoor target, instinct is no good for me, so I've been forced to gap shoot. I find the rear leg of the target is very good for lining-up the whole length of the arrow on. Both eyes open, looking 'through' the arrow, and at the arrow point in relation to the boss.

I have always anchored in the corner of my mouth and used the med. loose.

[Windknot]

Out to about 30 yards I shoot instinctively. At 35 yards I hit my point-on distance, from there on I start to gap.

My shooting style used to be pure gapstinctive, but lately I can't say I pay much attention to the arrow at all until I reach the magic 35 yard mark. Then it's 100% gapshooting. I 'spose if I get more practice at 35 yds + my instinctive range will increase. Maybe.

[bkupris]

To be perfectly honest the only shots I really, really am motivated to do my best on are the ones out of a tree stand bowhunting every October in the states. I will not take a shot past 20 yards. So my system is 3 fingers under and figure out the point of aim at 15 yards. A little practice tells me what adjustment (which will be minor) for a slightly shorter or longer shot. This system has worked well for me in recent years

On the field course (Fita) I shoot recurve trad bowstyle, med release and do the Byron Ferguson method as mentioned (good book by the way). I am just starting to try barebow target archery (outdoor) and still experimenting

[dtalbot]

With my Mongolian its a consistent anchor point on the corner of my jaw bone then just point it where I think it needs to be given how far away the target looks! Mos arrows land somewhere on the target so I'm happy!!

[Araglin]

I shoot longbow, so string- and face-walking are out.
For target, I gap.
For field, I gap for any range of 20m or more. At shorter ranges, I gap if I can find something in roughly the right place that I can focus on, but shoot semi-instinctively if I can't find anything.

[Desert Archer]

Originally Posted by Araglin

I shoot longbow, so string- and face-walking are out.

Not trying to seem argumentative but why can't you use more than one anchor shooting a longbow?

Dave

[BorderBows]

Those of you who do shoot some sort of gap system, how many use the point of the arrow, and how many use a part of the window shape to gain a point of reference?

[robtattoo]

Honestly, not a clue.

I'm aware of the tip of my arrow, in my peripheral vision, but I'm never conscious of where it is in relation to the target (elvation wise)
My anchor pont is middle finger on my right lower molar, my index finger wedged against the vertical portion of my cheekbone & my thumb knuckle at the back of my jawbone, but I'm never really aware of any of that when I'm shooting (I'm sat here now, imaginary bow in hand, right hand wedged against my face!)
The ONLY thing I'm concentrating on when I shoot, is a 9/32" spot where the heart is. Oh, I only really practice for hunting these days. My 3D targets are set out from 5-25yds. For NFAS field, I just kinda point 'n' pray! (Although it seems to have worked so far!)

I've never tried to work out my 'point-on' range, to be honest. I try NOT to judge range or distance as I find it very offputting. I have no point of reference as to where I need to shoot at any given distance anyway, I have found that if I consciously try & work out the yardage, my shooting goes to pot.

I would guess (after all that!) that I'm probably completely instinctive, but I really, really don't know!