Don't mean to brag or anything...

[JohnnyThunder]

...but I think I'm getting pretty darn good at this archery thing.

I just came inside from putting 6 arrows in the heart of my deer target 3 times in a row from 46 steps. Thats pretty good for someone who just started this last fall huh ?

I used to shoot a recurve all the time when I was younger, but never shot a compound before this fall and haven't picked up a bow in nearly 20 years before that.

Seriously though, 46 steps out - six shots and six arrows in a group smaller than a silver dollar, and did it three times in a row. I'm thinking thats pretty darn good, but well I really don't know if its that good compared to anyone else or not. It seems pretty easy to me.

I sure would like to try some of those 3d shoots that I read about online, but I've never been to one before. Never even seen one. I bet its a lot of fun though.

I shoot a hundred shots or more a day now. When I started, I could only shoot three or four before my arm and shoulder was sore, now I've got my bows turned all the way up to the full 60 pounds and I can shoot all night if I want too.

I shoot a couple of dozen arrows at my deer target, then I go out and move him to a different place, or turn him around quartering away and then shoot him some more. I shoot him from standing on my front porch, or I climb up on a ladder and shoot him standing on the roof of the back porch.

The only bad thing is that now that I've got him moved all the way out to 46 steps, he's at the end of my property since we live in the city limits and I'm kind of limited in how much farther back I can move him and still not shoot towards someone's house or car.

I think when deer season is over, I'm going to take the target out to my farm in the country and practice shooting him out of the tree stand and stuff like that.

I sure wish there were an archery course where I could go and shoot every day.

I think I'm on the verge of getting really really good, but I'm kind of limited by not having any better place to practice. I think I've got the back yard variety target shooting pretty much mastered at this point - sorry if that sounds obnoxiously like bragging - I'm just kind of excited and enthusiastic about how my shooting is going.

Just felt like sharing for a minute - lol

Now, I'm off to shoot a few dozen more.

[Spiker]

Tomorrow morning, soon as you open yer eyes, grab your bow and run out into your yard 30-40 yards from your target in a spot you havent shot from before (no cheating!!!) - shoot one arrow and tell me where you hit.
Cool ?

--- no stopping for coffee or fruit loops just grab yer slippers and go.

[bfisher]

John,

That doesn't sound too shabby. It sounds to me like you need to find a nearby archery club and do some field shooting--------NFAA Field shooting. Do this and let us know your score for a 28 target course.

You may be pleased or you may come away eating humble pie. When your done with this I'll tell you what my scores used to be when I was your age.

You also might consider going to some ASA pro-am shoots. There's money to be made in this sport of 3D.

Anyway, keep it up. Nothing can make you shoot better than your own confidence.

[JohnnyThunder]

Well I looked into finding some kind of contests near where I live. Only thing I can find is down in Pratville they shoot dots every Monday night. Its about an hour drive from where I work in the opposite direction from my house, so I could leave after work get there about six, shoot for a couple hours then get home about 10-11 at night.

I understand they shoot from 20 yards everytime indoors, so I think I can do really good at that game.

At lunch I shoot indoors at Mark's in Vestavia, but the indoor range is closed till after christmas. Anyway its a 20 yard shot there and I almost never miss the spot by more than an inch.

I wish we had some archery clubs. There is a Calhoun County Bow Hunters club thats the next county over from me, I just don't know if its still an active club or anything. The only information I can find about it are some old forum posts - nothing that seems to be up to date.

Anyway, I'm not trying to brag too much or anything I'm just excited that I'm getting good. Just a month ago I was having a hard time making 30 yard shots consistently, now I'm making most everything I shoot at and missing is down right rare. All that practice really pays off.

I got a quiver of 36 arrows less a few that I've broken, and I'm shooting my way through that full quiver 6-7 times a night. Usually when I'm online posting here its because I'm taking a little break in between quivers.

You remember I was going to work my way up to 60 ? Well I've got both my Martin bows turned all the way up to 60 now and shooting them better and better every day.

And this is kind of weird, but building the muscles in my shoulders and neck has helped more than my archery skills -- I haven't been to see the chiropractor since September when I started training hard every night. Thats definitely nice because my upper back pain has just gone away entirely.

The only drawback to it is that since I've been eating extra while I'm staying up late and shooting till the early morning hours, I've put on a few extra pounds. I'm kind of a thin build person anyway, but aside from my shoulders, back and arms building up I've gotten a little thicker around the middle - lol

[timtim146]

Yeah the thing is it is like any other type of competitive sport. You get pressure put on you and that causes mistakes lol But good luck with that :D

[ezbite]

try different shooing styles now. shoot from your knees, one knee, from a chair or sitting on your butt with your legs spread out in front of you<(thats a tuff one)

[Spiker]

Tomorrow morning, soon as you open yer eyes, grab your bow and run out into your yard 30-40 yards from your target in a spot you havent shot from before (no cheating!!!) - shoot one arrow and tell me where you hit.
Cool ?

--- no stopping for coffee or fruit loops just grab yer slippers and go.

John-
I was just reading thru some of the older posts and seen this reply I gave.
I just want you to know that in no way was I razzing you or being a smartass.
Back from about 1990 up till about '96 I was totally obsessed with shooting. If I didn't shoot a couple hundred arrows a day - something was wrong.
On weekends I would shoot for 8-10 hours a day.
I had a range that went out to 90 yards, a 3-D range in the woods behind my house with 30+ targets and could shoot 18 yards in my basement with a paper tune stand-broadhead target-bow press-arrow fletching stuff etc etc.
One thing that I learned about shooting so much is that it is easy to pick up bad habits without realizing it.
One of the things that really worked for me was the 'wake up and shoot one arrow drill'.
There was no second chance so if that first arrow in the morning was good -
it gave me a ton of confidence in my ability. If I missed the mark - then it made me really concentrate on my form when I went and shot again and made me think about EVERY arrow.
I agree with EZBITE - try shooting from different positions.
Go to other places to shoot besides the place you are familiar with. Even if that is just taking an arrow block out on some public ground and shooting it.
If your limited to distance at your home - shoot at different targets.
Balloons arn't just for kids. Try a golf ball from 27 yards then a golf tee from 37.
I found that mixing things up and doing really off the wall shots really helped me overall.
Oh yeah - - always keep it fun !

[JohnnyThunder]

hey guys - i just discovered that there is a contest called the Reinhart R100

you probably already knew about it, but in case not - its a 3d shoot with a bunch of different Reinhart 3d targets

anyway, its going to be within driving distance of me in May, so I'm taking the kids and we're all going to compete and make a little camping trip / archery expedition out of it

also, I'm going to get a 3d deer target so as to have something a little more interesting to shoot at

[Carlton]

Try different style of shooting as discussed by other members.I hope you will get off the problem and will enjoy.

[Destroyer]

Anti spam bump.

[MLN1963]

JohnnyThunder

How did the competition go?