aiming a longbow

[alanesq]

I have been using a longbow for a couple of months now and getting some reasonable groups (at times) but I am still not convinced I am aiming the bow correctly ?
Any advice would be gratefully received

i.e. When aiming the arrow should I be trying to line the bow string with the centre of the bow then aim the tip of the arrow at my POA?
I have been trying to do it this way but I am finding that to get the string in line with the bow very difficult, in fact I am finding the only way to do this is to swing my bow arm out to the right or tilt my head forward both of which I don't think is a very good idea ????

Also, should I be holding the string with the tips of my fingers or should I sit the strings in the fold of my first joint in my fingers ?

BTW - I draw to the corner of my mouth

[Macbow]

I shot a nice Bickerstaffe longbow at the weekend and the same methods for shooting my AFBs apply. My advice Alan is concentrate on form and don't put too much emphasis on aiming. If your form is good you will have a consistent shot process and get decent groups - the aiming bit is just a case of adjusting elevation and windage to put those groups where you want them. There's a great book called Instinctive Archery Insights by Dr Jay Kidwell that I'd recommend with regards to aiming.
Personally when I aim I have both eyes open. I am aware of the shaft but without actually looking down at the shaft I line it up with the target while at the same time placing the tip of the arrow above, below or on the spot I intend to hit. It sounds slow but it's all calculated in a second. It's an "instinctive" gap system with the focus on the target and not on the tip of the arrow. Once the gap is roughly set I try not to think anymore about aiming. I look at the spot while mentally (and slightly physically) pushing my bow arm towards the target while relaxing my draw hand. If I actually think about letting go of the string I nearly always get a poor release. I use a deep hook but some very good archers happily shoot off the fingers. The advantage of a good deep hook is being able to use back tension to hold at anchor while keeping the hand relaxed. Once the arrow is released keep holding the bow arm solid until you hear the arrow hit. I am seldom aware of the string's alignment with the riser although it does make a difference as my groups impact differently depending on whether I use a tab or glove.
Concentrating too much on the aiming process gives me target panic - good form more than anything will help your accuracy.
You know your own shooting best but to me 60 lbs is quite a hefty draw weight for learning and maintaining good form although you'd probably get a nice crisp release. I shoot a 50lb flatbow but i have a 35 pounder for practising form.

[gino]

I'm definately not a pro with my longbow. I'll be the first to admit that I need more practise but I know one thing for sure. If I aim my arrow I'm guaranteed to miss. If I think about it, I'll miss.

however, If i draw up put my arrow in the right direction and let it feel 'right' then it'll be a good shot. I get my best ends when I shoot when it feels right and not when I've aimed it where I should have.

I don't know if that helps but it sounds similar to what macbow was saying about instinctive gap and such.

G.

[stevezodiac]

Hello Alanesq, are you shooting field or target?,( or even both) , if target what distances are you shooting ?
There are almost as many ways to shoot a Longbow as there are archers and most folks have their own style, if it works effectively then no one came say it's wrong. I use several different styles depending on whether I am shooting field or target and the particular round I am shooting, tell me what you are after and I will happily tell you what I do, it may work for you too.

[geoffretired]

I don't shoot longbow, but I think the string picture you mentioned is caused by the corner of the mouth anchor.I imagine when you draw normally, the string appears to the right of the bow. You see the string on the right because the string is not directly in front of your eye, it is over to the right.
Moving your bow arm over to the right is simply putting your arm out of line and that, as you guessed, is not good.
To get the string line to be in the middle of the bow would require form changes. The drawing hand , if arranged to be under the jaw and not along the side, would bring the string with it and therefore further left and into line with the bow. That would also change the elevation of the arrow so that the aiming positions would change.Put another way, you would shoot further for the same arrow tip position if the draw length remained the same.
Whether or not you want to get the string line onto the bow is your choice. In aiming terms I feel it is simpler but perhaps you would be better advised by longbow archers on that one.

[alanesq]

Thanks for the replies

I have been shooting at a target archery club but I have recently also joined a field archery club (which is a very different experience!)

I am only shooting at 30 yards most of the time (at target) but I don't seem able to improve so I have been wondering if I am doing something fundamentally wrong - sounds like my trying to line the string and bow up may be just that?
I will experiment with not worrying about this and see what happens ?

[English Bowman]

For target you do need to find a method for aiming. At outdoor distances I use an under chin anchor, line the string up with the belly of the bow, and aim the pile of the arrow below the target.
For field archery, I look at the target, then draw the string to a side of face anchor, and loose. I don't worry about the aim.

The most important thing is to get consistant in your style, once you can get a group, then worry about moving it to the right place, until you are grouping it doesn't matter where or how you aim, you won't hit it.

Daniel

[kernowtom]

Hi Alan - The above is all good advice - and what I have seen of SteveZs other posts suggest he is a particularly good source of advice. My very minor contribution is two points. One is to add to the comment about bow weight. I have just returned to archery after a 10 month lay off. I can still draw my 52lb bow - but I am finding it easier to get my form back using one of my lighter bows, simply because it is much easier to control (and at 30yds you dont need a lot of arrow speed); of course if you strong enough that this is not an issue - then it is not an issue:-) My second suggestion is to get somebody to watch you shooting. It always amazes me to discover the things I don't know I am doing.. good luck!

[stevezodiac]

Leaving aside the issue of arrows because I shall assume your arrows are good, if there ever was a secret to archery it really is about developing the muscle memory and consistency to replicate a shot over and over, Target archery is wonderful for developing this skill, (field can be misleading sometimes as each new shot is at a different target at a different distance and we don't get enough comparative input to allow the brain to assimilate the info it is being presented with).
Try this, take away the target face and shoot at a bare boss, at this distance I would draw to a position at the corner of my mouth using the middle finger as my anchor finger, I look to group as tight as I can so I standardise everything in the simplest way, so that I can replicate it with ease- now you mention POA so I take it you, like me shoot using this method at Target- I don't use a rubber band just the tip of the arrow. So the first thing is to place a target pin at the 5 o'clock position on the edge of the boss- this is your POA. Your bow is the same, your arrows are the same and the POA is the same.
Stand with your feet just a little outside your shoulders and imagine you are standing against a wall with both shoulders touching it- so you are straight up and down, you are facing front so you are looking at an angle of 90 degrees to the boss- make a mental note of how everything feels, for Target I hold the bow so the lower limb of my Longbow is in front of my shins with the bow pointing at an angle of 45 degrees and the tip pointing above the target, first move only one thing, your head, just turn , keeping it upright so you are now facing the boss.
As you raise the bow draw it up so that at the end of the draw the tip of your arrow is on the pin, if it's not just slowly move it there remembering

• Not to grip the bow tight
• not to raise your left shoulder (keep it tucked in its socket and low)
• not to hunch over the arrow
• but DO keep your right forearm in line with your left bow arm so you make a perfect T
• Do feel for the tip of your finger
• have the bow straight up and down with no cant and TAKE YOUR TIME!!

This next bit sometimes gets a strong response but you CAN hold an ELB much longer than most tell you you can- all this malarkey about a bow being 9/10 broken at full draw is nonsense, it might have been true of Medieval L/B's which drew full compass but 99.9% of bows being shot today are of a Victorian design with as much in common with a Medieval bow as a Ferrari and a bowl of semolina- most bows form nothing more than a gentle curve when drawn, and I have found very few which move anywhere near the handle (not a slur on the ELB of today or their makers, I have plenty and love them)-- so don't loose the arrow until you have the point where you want it, which is on the pin-- don't be daft about it, if after 3 to 4 seconds it won't go there then come down- my average shot time on hold is about 4 sec for target- which is a quite long time. Move nothing until it whacks home, don't fling your arm backwards let the string come off your fingers like snow off a leaf.
So you have now shot your first arrow, it went somewhere on the boss, possibly a little high and left of centre- shoot the others in the same way
What you are now looking at is the state of your form, you standardised everything until the only thing that changed was your draw and your loose.
if the arrows are not snug up tight with at least one knock off ;-) then this is what you need to practice- when the group comes, and it will if you stay in control of when you loose and concentrate on making each shot a new event- never be satisfied with letting an arrow fly when it is not exactly where you want it in terms of the POA, like I said when the group comes just adjust your POA until they fall in the middle.
I tend to use 45LB to 55LB for target with an ELB, depending on the round, for me 60LB is too much at 30 yards- but then when I shoot Target it is to score the highest score I can (without rubber bands or marks on the ground).
That is what I do and you may find it works for you, others use different methods and may score very well, so you can take or leave this , as you see fit.
For distances from 50yds up I use a different method- but as all my posts tend to turn into novels I will leave it there- however you mentioned Field and nowadays 90% of my shooting is field so I shall come back and give you my version of Instinctive archery.

[alanesq]

Thanks for that lengthy reply - it is very interesting and VERY helpful (just what I needed to know)

I shoot at a target club where no one uses traditional bows so I am never sure I am doing it right - I have been trying to do pretty much as you suggest (i.e. concentrate on trying to get a decent group) but your description of how you do it is very helpful. Its also good to "hear" you say its ok to hold the bow at full draw as I tend to do this but I have not seen anyone else do this so I have recently been trying not to do it.

At 15 yards (the length of my garden) I am getting groups of around 5" (when at my best) but I don't seem able to improve on this. I make my own arrows which are reasonably weight and spine matched and occasionally I will shoot 3 or 4 which feel good and are touching on the boss so I am pretty sure the arrows are better than me at the moment ;-)
BTW - Since taking up field archery I am getting lots of practise at making arrows ;-)

I have only had a couple of goes at field archery - this is a very different experience and I have not worked out any kind of successful technique for this yet. I am trying to guess where the point of aim would be before drawing the bow then just aiming as I would in target archery at this POA ?

As soon as I get a chance I will give some of the suggestions a go and let you know how I get on

Cheers
Alan