Weatherbyman Customs, Inc. - Archery and Rifle Performance

Shooting Mechanics and Techniques

2012-01-28T13:34:00.000-08:00

SHOOTING MECHANICS & TECHNIQUES

If you try to force a bow to perform in a particular way, or try to force an arrow into the target, you create muscle tension that makes it nearly impossible to duplicate the same form shot after shot. But if you learn to relax, your body will assume the same natural position each shot, and the result will be consistent accuracy.

A relaxed shooting form also cuts down on fatigue and muscle soreness and allows you to shoot for longer periods of time and with less chance of injury. Most archery coaches and top shooters agree that relaxation is the very foundation for all good shooting. You can see evidence of this by watching videos or looking at photos of the best archers in action. A top-notch archer is utterly relaxed - no tensed jaw, no squinted eyes, no clenched hands. While holding at full draw, expert shooters look almost drowsy.

Proper warm-up is essential to preventing overuse injuries, such as tendonitis and bursitis. Before drawing your bow, do some arm circles, shoulder shrugs, isometrics and stretching exercises to warm up your arm, shoulder and back muscles. If you shoot a bow with reasonable draw weight and warm up for a few minutes before each shooting session, you may save yourself years of arm, shoulder and back pain.

Mechanics of Shooting

Stance. A research project before the 1984 Olympics showed that leg strength was the single most important variable in predicting high tournament archery scores. If your upper body is swaying like a weed in the wind, your sights will be swaying too, and strong legs are what hold your upper body-and your sights-steady during a shot.

Strong legs are a starting point, but the stance itself can also affect your shooting. The Olympic study found that an archer can reduce sway and hold more steadily on target by making minor adjustments in stance.

Begin by standing with your feet spread apart at shoulder width, 90 degrees to the target. Then take a half-step back with the front foot and pivot slightly toward the target for a mildly open stance. Keep your weight evenly distributed on both feet, and stand straight up, with your head directly over the center of your body. Maintain this stance as you raise the bow to shoot. Don't lean forward or backward to pull the bow, and don't cock your head to the side to line up your sights.

Obviously, a perfect stance isn't always possible in hunting situations, but you can apply the same principles. In a tree stand, either assume a solid sitting position, or stand with the same posture described above. When you're forced to squat or kneel on the ground to shoot, position yourself for good upper body stability. If you're kneeling, plant both knees solidly on the ground rather than kneeling on one knee and extending the other. Practice different postures to learn which are most stable under various field situations.

BOW HAND. Slight variations in hand placement can greatly affect arrow flight. This can be demonstrated by shooting arrows through paper at the target range, a common tuning technique. Altering hand placement between shots will change the angle at which the arrow hits the paper, which will affect the sizes of your arrow groups. For tight groups and consistent accuracy, you must place your hand on the bow identically for every shot.

Consistent hand position is easiest to achieve with a grip that minimizes hand-to-bow contact-a grip generally called a low-wrist position. To achieve this natural position, hold your hand out at arm's length, as if pointing at a distant mountain, and notice that your hand is not held vertically but is tilted to the side. Keeping your hand in this natural, tilted position, place the bow handle into your hand. You should feel pressure from the bow handle only on the meaty part of your thumb. Avoid palming the bow, which creates two pressure points-the thumb and the heel of the hand. With your hand in that relaxed position, your little finger will not hang in front of the bow handle, but to the side.

As you draw the bow, your hand should stay totally relaxed, with fingers that hang loosely throughout the shot. Some archers extend their fingers stiffly or choke the bow handle. Such finger positions indicate tension in the hand and arm, which can torque the bow and decrease accuracy.

STRING HAND. Like the bow hand, the drawing hand should remain in a naturally rotated position throughout the shot. To ensure such a position, it's best to use a release aid with a rotating head that won't torque the string as you draw. With a wrist-strap release, you should feel a pull only on the strap, and your fingers should remain loose throughout the shot. With a finger-held release, your wrist should stay straight and relaxed.

If you release with your fingers, start by grasping the string at the first joints of your first three fingers, with the index finger above the arrow nock, the other two fingers below the nock. Like the bow hand, the string hand should be rotated slightly in a natural position. If you try to hold your hand absolutely vertical, your hand will try to rotate back to a naturally rotated position as you draw, torquing the string and producing a rough release. As you draw, the middle finger should hold most of the weight, and the other two fingers should float on the string. Some experienced shooters drop the index finger off the string at full draw to lessen finger contact with the string.

THE DRAW. With a solid stance and hands placed correctly on the bow and string, you're ready to draw and aim. Hold the bow at arm's length, roughly aiming at the target and begin to draw, pulling only with the muscles of your back. Your arm is merely the link between the bowstring and your back, and your wrist, forearm and biceps should stay relaxed even at full draw.

As you draw, don't change your stance or tip your head one way or the other to see through the peep.

If you find it necessary to crane your neck, it means that your draw length is too long or short, or that your peep sight is in the wrong spot. Your bow should be set up so the draw is as smooth and relaxed as possible. Don't conform to your bow; make your bow conform to you.

And don't hunch your shoulder (a common problem when shooting too much draw weight), because this means you are holding the bow arm in line with your shoulder muscles. To ensure a solid bow arm, pull your shoulder low so the arm bone presses directly into your shoulder, bone to bone.

When you reach the valley-the point at which a compound bow let-off reaches its lowest draw weight-anchor solidly and aim at the target.

ANCHOR. No one can prescribe a best way to anchor with a release aid. With a wrist-strap release, many archers anchor with the big knuckle of the index finger pressed behind the jaw. With a finger-held release, experienced shooters commonly anchor with the back of the hand pressed against the jaw. More important than the precise method is consistency. You must anchor solidly and identically every shot.

Finger-release shooters typically use one of two anchoring points. Most hunters anchor fairly high, with the tip of the index finger planted solidly in the corner of the mouth. Tournament archers generally use a lower anchor point, with the string hand under the chin. To anchor solidly, they press the big knuckle of the thumb behind the chin bone.

RELEASE. Whether you shoot using sights or shoot barebow, with release aids or with your fingers, the critical moment of releasing the bowstring should be marked by complete relaxation. As you hold at full draw, calm your mind and body and let your sight drift naturally across the target. Don't tense up in an attempt to hold the sight in the center of the target; let the bow travel through its natural arc of movement.

To achieve this kind of relaxation, the moment of release should come as a surprise. If you're using a release aid, shooting a bow is similar to firing a rifle, where you aim, relax and slowly squeeze the trigger until the gun surprises you by going off.

To ensure this element of surprise, you must avoid thinking about the release. Forget about the string, and focus only on pulling with your back muscles; as you increase pressure with your back-some archers call this "increasing back tension"-your hand will slowly tighten and trigger the release.

With the bow hand completely relaxed at the moment of release, some hunters worry about dropping the bow. If you find yourself anticipating the shot and unconsciously gripping the handle to keep your bow from slipping, equip your bow with a wrist sling. With a sling, you can keep your bow hand relaxed, even after you've released the string, without fear of dropping an expensive bow.

Finger-release shooters should also strive for relaxation at the moment of release. The release is a matter of relaxing your fingers and allowing the string to slip away. Never throw open your hand; instead, concentrate on lifting your elbow up and back, pulling with your back and allowing your string fingers to relax. As one professional instructor said, "Don't let go of the string. Let the string go. There's a big difference."

With a relaxed release, your hand will move straight back, near to your face, and your fingers should be limp and relaxed. If your fingers are stiff, you've opened your hand deliberately to get rid of the string. If your hand moves out to the side of your face, you plucked the string. If it moves forward, it has followed the string. Make sure your hand always moves back along your face and your fingers are relaxed.

Follow-through. As the arrow leaves the bow, your hands and arms should hold the same position and your bow should move very little. The shot itself is simply a brief interruption in the act of aiming. Once your arrow has hit the target, then you can lower the bow to see where it has hit.

If the bow jerks violently down or to the side, there is tension somewhere in your form. Try adjusting your alignment by opening or closing your stance, and work on your bow hand, bow arm and string hand to eliminate tension that could be torquing the bow or throwing it to the side.

Practice Techniques

As you practice your stance, draw, release and follow-through, shoot each arrow as though it's the only arrow you'll shoot that day. Building good form is the result of practice quality, not quantity. It's better to shoot 10 good arrows than 100 bad ones that do nothing but ingrain bad habits. If you do make a bad shot, analyze it briefly to determine the problem, then forget about it and go on. Always keep a positive attitude; if fatigue sets in and you begin to lose control, quit for the day and wait until you're fresh and enthusiastic to begin a new practice session.

Three basic training techniques can help improve your form rapidly and are especially useful for beginning archers.

First, shoot with your eyes closed. Stand 10 feet or so from the backdrop so you don't miss the target, then mentally inspect your bow arm, shooting arm and stance as you execute a shot. Focus on relaxing, pulling with your back and squeezing the release slowly (or relaxing your fingers). After the bow goes off, follow through, and before opening your eyes, again run through the checkpoints. Are you still on target? Are your hands relaxed?

As you're first learning, shoot this way regularly to develop and ingrain good shooting habits. And once you become an experienced archer, warm up before each practice session with some closed-eye shooting to get the feel of a good shot.

A second practice technique is to remove the sight from your bow and shoot at a blank target with no aiming spot. This routine allows you to forget about where your arrows are hitting and concentrate solely on form.

A final technique is to shoot at long distances-60 to 80 yards or so-a practice that helps build good follow-through. At release, resist the urge to drop your bow arm to watch the arrow, and hold your sights on the target until the arrow hits. Ingraining this kind of follow-through will improve your accuracy at any distance.

Along with these form-building techniques, practice regularly shooting at targets to develop your accuracy. If you can't hit an inanimate target under good conditions, you have little chance of making clean hits on game animals, either. Practice until you can shoot your arrows within a 2-inch group at 20 yards, 3-inch at 30, 4-inch at 40, 5-inch at 50. This precision accuracy will serve you well later in hunting.

Once you develop good form and precision accuracy, the systematic drills described below will help you adapt your skills for field shooting. If you practice these drills until they become automatic and second nature to you, you'll be well on your way to becoming a successful hunting archer.

Shoot slowly. The movement of drawing the bow may be the most significant limitation in bowhunting, because motion alerts close-range animals. But if you can draw so slowly that an animal fails to see the movement, even when looking your way, you'll rarely lose a shot opportunity.

With the herky-jerky draw cycle of a compound bow, developing a motionless draw isn't easy. To perfect it, hold your bow in shooting position, aim and draw as slowly as possible. Your sights should hold steady on target, and your string hand should come back steadily with no jerks or pauses. Do this six to ten times per session, building up to a full 10 seconds per draw. If you find it impossible to draw your bow straight back, the draw weight is too heavy.

Shoot fast. At other times, you must be able to draw and shoot quickly. Shooting quickly comes easiest for instinctive shooters armed with longbows or recurves, but with practice, a compound-bow hunter using sights can learn to shoot quickly. To develop efficiency, see how many arrows you can shoot in a 1-minute period. Then see how quickly you can extract and shoot all of the arrows from your quiver. These are great drills for shooting efficiency. But remember, all shots must be accurate; wild shots mean nothing.

Shoot in bad weather. If you practice only under good conditions, you'll be ready only for good conditions. To prepare for realistic hunting conditions, practice in wind, rain and snow. Not only will you learn how to shoot in adverse conditions, but you'll also learn how your tackle performs. In snow, you might find that your arrow rest ices up; in rain, you might find that water plugs up your peep sight or makes your cable slide squeak. Only by shooting in actual hunting conditions can you analyze and correct subtle problems.

Shoot in all positions. When hunting in the field, it won't always be possible to shoot from an ideal stance. You may have to shoot around trees, under limbs, straight up hills or down into ravines. Systematic practice prepares you for all contingencies. Practice shooting while kneeling, sitting, leaning to the side, and at steep angles up and down. If you find that you simply can't shoot accurately from some positions, you've learned a valuable lesson: eliminate these postures and develop positions that work for you.

Once you've developed proficiency at several shooting positions, go into the field and practice assuming and shooting quickly from these positions. For more challenge, train by running through woods or climbing slopes between shots. This is especially good practice for mountain hunting where physical exertion can affect your accuracy.

Shoot 3-D Targets. Prepare yourself for the pressure of hunting in the field. Participate in trail shoots and 3-D tournaments where you shoot at animal targets, not dots.

Practice in the field. "Stump-shooting" may be the most valuable practice of all. Whenever possible, roam through the woods and fields and shoot at rotten stumps, dirt clods and grass clumps. Stump-shooting is especially good for practicing while on hunting trips. Carry at least one practice arrow tipped with a rubber blunt or judo point, and any time you walk a trail or stop for lunch, shoot a few practice shots to keep yourself sharp for the real thing.

A proven, easy and effective way of setting your center shot

2011-03-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

A proven, easy and effective way of setting your center shot (on any bow) if you do not otherwise have access to a Pro Shop or alignment tools is still possible. Mounting your bow in a padded bow vice and plumb in both directions is necessary however and if you do not have a bow vise you can improvise with padding an inexpensive vice as long as you can hold true to vertical without movement.

STEP 1:
Nock an arrow and then place a straight edge against your riser. Another arrow held against the riser with a rubber band works great. Now, measure the distance between your straight edge and the center of the string and make note of this measurement... Now measure at the front of your riser from the straight edge to the center of your nocked arrow.

STEP 2:
Adjust your rest as necessary to get the measurements exactly the same as most cams do not center to align to the riser.

STEP 3:

Adjust your sights so that your pin/reticle is practically hidden behind the string. This is where it helps to have the bow in a vise. Sight "through" the string down the nocked arrow.

STEP 4:
Remove any target you have on your bale and replace it with a large sheet of plain white paper.

STEP 5:
Using either a level or a plumb, draw a vertical line on the paper. I like to use a large red or orange marker and make the line about 1/2" wide or use 1/2" Wide Orange Circle Targets posted to the paper.

STEP 6:
Stand very close to your target bale (6' to 8') and shoot for the vertical line. Do NOT concern yourself with the vertical point of contact (POC) as long as you're hitting the paper.

STEP 7:
Adjust your sight in very small increments, following the arrow. If you are hitting left of the line, move your sight to the left - if you are hitting right of the line, move your sight to the right. Again, follow the arrow.

STEP 8:
Shoot enough arrows at this distance to know you are consistent and until you can split the line.

STEP 9:
Now move back to a longer distance. For hunting bows, 35-45 yards is typicall enough - target setups 55-60+ yards. If you do not already have a mark or pin for these distances, gradually walk back with your only concern being that you can hit the paper on the bale.

STEP 10:
At this longer distance shoot for the vertical line again. Do NOT concern yourself with any aspect of the POC except the left/right.

STEP 11:
Adjust your rest in very small increments, opposite the arrow. If you are hitting left of the line, move your REST to the right - if you are hitting right of the line, move your rest to the left.

STEP 12:
Shoot enough arrows at this distance to know you are consistent and until you can split the line.

STEP 13:
Repeat steps 6-12 until you find the "sweet spot". This will probably only take a couple of repetitions, maybe 4 to 5 shots of three sets (arrows)

Just remember, when setting your center shot, move your sight at the close distance and your rest at the longer distances.

LASER ALIGNMENT:
WCG, Inc. sells a low-cost Center Shot, Nock, Rest and Sight Laser Alignment Tool and Kit to 100% ensure you are on at distance. You can purchase them here:

http://apps.facebook.com/shoppingmall/product/view/pid/1701851

Download the WCG, Inc. Laser Alignment PDF here > http://weatherbyman.net/tools/archery/lad.pdf

Ethical Archery Shooting Distance vs. Capability...

2011-02-13T14:34:00.000-08:00

Ethical Shooting Distance

Myths abound about how far archers should shoot at game. You hear then in almost any Pro Shop just a month or so before the season... Some bowhunters are opposed to shots beyond 30 to 40 yards. In reality, ethical shooting distance must be an individual choice -- not a rigid, mandated matter that you must or have to follow. Practice distance shooting (40, 45 and 65 yards+) and if you can place it, penetration on light skinned animals like SE Deer are an easy kill even out to 70-80 yards with a properly tuned bow and capable speed and good choice of broadhead and arrow shafts.

On average, a beginning bowhunter cannot hit a deer's vital eight-inch chest zone beyond 20-25 yards. Most of your intermediate and advanced bowhunters can hit an eight-inch target out to 40 yards easily.

I have always had a simple rule, 10-15 yards < yards =" ok">

A few bowhunters believe that longer shots increase the chance that target animals will move and take non-vital hits, however, studies indicate that closer animals are more intimately threatened by danger and thus likely to jump the string or duck under, or wheel at the sound of your bowstring. For this reason, there is no ethical objection to shooting at 50-yard or 80-yard deer, provided these animals are calm, and provided you are certain you can hit the mark on your quarry.

Broadhead Accuracy

Broadheads are prone to veer off target unless a bow is perfectly tuned, for this reason, many archers believe that broadheads and field points never hit the same place downrange. The truth is, a perfectly adjusted bow shoots all types of arrowheads in the same place. The key is using heads that weigh exactly the same. If your field points, blunts, and broadheads all weigh 125 grains, for example, your setup will theoretically produce identical point of impact. 2 Blade broadheads typically have a high flight path vs. a 3-blade and the more blades = more drag.

The real trick is practice and tune your bow for the intended arrow shafts and broadheads... Unfortunately, many bowhunters and even archery store owners do not offer this assistance, so you are on your own. The result is erratic point of impact and the reinforced notion that consistent accuracy is impossible. You need to clearly identify your three "touch-points" and repeat this always regardless of your stance.

By learning solid bow-hunting basics and learning your facial touch points or anchor point and in obtaining arrowheads of identical weight matched to the correct arrow shaft and fletching you can vastly improve your groups.

Forget speed, shoot for accuracy first then up your speed!

Corey B. James

a.k.a. the "Original" Weatherbyman - CBJ

History of Archery...

2010-09-19T05:49:00.000-07:00

Traditional Archery is known as one of the oldest forms of Archery.

The Longbow is known to be one of the tradtional bows used by early man. There are even traditions still being held in certain parts of our world that still practice this ancient form of archery. History tells us that battles in the 14th and 15th centuries were fought by using Bows and Arrows as weapons.

When Firearms were invented they took the place of archery quickly because they had a greater and longer range, to use them did not require a lot of training, one did not require to have any specialty skills and they were far more lethal.

Archery, as we know it today, has become a popular sport which required putting together the

International Archery Federation which needed to set guidlines for the sport and its equipment.

Archery bows are becoming more technically advanced but dont let that make you lose sight of the importance of gaining knowledge of the history of the sport, remember regardless to what features the bows are coming up with, the sport of Archery requires marksman type concentration and skills, and will forever be required if you want to master your bow...

Bloodrunner

2010-09-12T06:43:00.001-07:00

http://www.newarchery.com/gallery/23/media/38/bloodrunner-commercial.html

Still the best way to combine Archery & Paintball with the thrill of the kill!

2010-09-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

See our "Scotts2gator" - adaptation device

2010-09-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

http://weatherbyman.net/airow_gun.htm

Check out Foremost Hunting

2010-09-04T13:03:00.001-07:00

Check this site out > http://www.foremosthunting.com/

Elk Hunting with a bow

2010-08-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

Guess it is this time of year... we are all starting to think of hunting again as the days get shorter and the nights longer... nope, not deer hunting but Elk Hunting.

I am being asked by many what it takes to hunt elk with a bow and arrow. Beside this taking the skill, it simply requires a bow designed to kill a big animal.

This is really a special piece of equipment. So generally, one starts with a bow of a smaller model and then graduates slowly once it is decided to take up this sport on regular basis. A bow set at 53-60 lbs is fully capable of downing the largest of Elk, however, skill and shot placement are paramount to your success.

It is very essential to learn in detail about each feature and the capability of one's weapon including the arrow shafts, weights, type and broadheads that create massive wound channels. The arrows must be of a particular length and capacity (weight) to penetrate the tough skin and cartilage of the animal for an instant kill.

You need to prepare (practice) a lot to effectively shoot the arrow to kill the animal with a huge weight and practice at 45-60 yards is a must.

When hunting elk with bow and arrow, the hunter must pay full attention to every small detail. They do shooting practice in either coveralls or heavy coats and spend time learning about the food and water source for elk in the location. They also get to know their prey according to period of day and temperature and spend a lot of time reading local reports on wildlife activities in that area. In case hunter is utilizing tree stands for hunting, he can make use of two or three tree stands for gaining the right view of the location. All this will be done long before actual hunt starts. Ground hunting and stalking are the preferences of Western Elk Hunting, so practice at covering your smell is as paramount and vital as practicing with your hunting tools of the trade.

Those who take part in elk hunting with bow and arrow will definitely enjoy hunting, especially when it ends in winning a trophy. Even if they lose, they are satisfied with the learning experience. A good hunter is aware that learning is power which will give success in future in this field not matter the end result... after all it is hunting not killing...

CBJ

Shooting out to 50 yards with a Compound Bow

2009-09-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

How to Shoot a Bow & Arrow at 50 Yards from the Target -- Weatherbyman Custom Archery, Inc.

Bow Torque "Eliminated"

2009-08-30T12:56:00.001-07:00

Well... today (30 Aug 09), I am a very happy camper! Got a new shooting block ("the six shooter") -- hit my little red circles at 45 yards! Look at the results of this group of 5-6 arrows.
This is rocket hot! -- gawd, I love this bow and these Radial X-Weave 300's shoot as good as my 200's... this group is the best ever shot at 40+yds.
CBJ

What Bow Torque looks like and DOES NOT LOOK LIKE! :)

2009-08-23T15:04:00.001-07:00

Here is an example (bottom picture)... of "Squeezing the bow grip" -- this creates what is known a "torque" -- this is NOT GOOD! Too tight a grip on the bow handle opens up your groups and causes flyers to the left and right.

Open that palm!

The results of the target (top picture) is shooting with an Oblique Stance and Open Palm ... takes lots of practice, but you can clearly see the results.

This is at 40 yards.

300 Grain Carbon Arrows 27" with 125 Grain Tips...

2009-08-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

These 300gr. Carbon Express arrows shot equal to my 200gr. arrows with proper tune and adjustment to .5" increase in draw. FPS was almost 300 fps! Yes, even the short-draw bows are rocket hot when "Crackerized" :) - CBJ

Proper Bow Shooting Techniques

2009-08-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

A major part to accuracy success in archery hunting or target shooting is learning the proper shooting technique.

With the proper shooting technique, your accuracy will greatly increase and you can begin to watch your group sizes reduce dramatically.

First, you need to choose the accessories that are most comfortable to you. Basic accessories could increase accuracy, or reduce accuracy such as with the arm guard and the finger tabs vs. a good release aid device. Many errors in shooting techniques could be overdrawing a short arrow, items in pockets (such as a pen), poor stances, improper mental programs, bad follow through, poor anchor positions, poor vertical body alignments, and no mental focus.

Practice holding the bow and learn the correct positions. Don’t worry about not hitting the target. Focus on the correct form and the follow through. Then, slowly develop your own mental program and positive mental habits.

It is important for a good archer to stay focused and concentrate on their shots. Great archers practice and rehearse mental programs often that begin to form good archer habits.

The body should be aligned according to the independent stances and must not lean or fall in one position. Workouts are available to improve upper body muscles for better bow hold support.

The experienced archer knows that concentration and focus are the keys to success in competition or hunting. How do we keep our focus and concentration?

Many elite archers would tell you that, "It’s easy, but you need to develop your own Mental Program."

A mental program is a set of procedures that the archer follow through during his/her competition or preparing for that hunting shot. The mental program should be practiced and rehearsed regularly so that it may become easy during the time it is needed most.

This will help the archer to stay focused, concentrated and sometimes it helps to relax the tension. You should make a mental checklist and always practice and rehearse the list that best suits you.

Here is a example of a Mental Checklist.

Stance
A. Assume Stance
B. Nock Arrow

Draw and Aim
A. Set bow hold
B. Set draw hand hook
C. Raise bow and draw
D. Anchor
E. Align sight and level bow
F. Establish string pattern and sight picture
G. Focus, steady, and aim

Release and Follow Through
A. Tighten back muscles
B. Relax draw hand to release
C. Keep bow arm up and steady

The stances are important because the proper stance, means that archer will be able to distribute his/her body weight better. Proper stance keeps the archer’s shot consistent. View the stances below and notice how each stance is different in the feet placement.

Pros and Cons to Certain Stances
Type of Stance - Pros and Cons

Even Stance
Natural position
Small base of support in the front-back plane.
Easy to reproduce
Body isn't sturdy, so it can move if in high winds
Lowers area for string clearance, especially for large chested shooters.

Open Stance
Gives stable support base
Tends to make upper body twist towards target.
Reduces tendency to lean back from the target
Tends to use arm muscles more than back muscles to draw.

Close Stance
Gives stable support base
Reduces string clearance, so string may strike against body.
Gives good alignment of the arm and shoulder in direct line to the target
Tends to make archer lean away from target and overdraw the arrow.

Oblique Stance
Gives the greatest amount of clearance for the bowstring when arrows is released. Hard to maintain, so mainly used by expert archers. Body is in total equilibrium. Target can be seen clearly.

To begin practice, the exact placement of the feet on the shooting line should be marked. Some archers would tell you that stance deviations of even a few inches can cause sighting and aiming problems, which then in return could lead to accuracy problems.

Based on the scientific criteria, the open and oblique stances are better. But don’t base on your decision on just that. Individual choice is the pleasure of target archery. Many archers prefer the even stance. In this stance, the archer’s body weight is evenly distributed among both feet, and the heels and toes are aligned. The middle of the instep of the foot is aligned with the center of the target. However, the open stance is recommended for the beginning archer during their initial learning period.

In this stance, the feet should be shoulder-width apart. It is recommended that the archer should distribute his/her body weight evenly on both feet. The left foot should be moved backwards approximately six inches, as shown in the picture in stances. Some elite archers use the oblique stance.

In this stance the archer places his/her toe of the left foot nearest the target on a line and pivoting the left foot forty-five-degrees to the target.

The heel of the right foot is then placed in line with the toe of the left foot. This allows the bow arm to remain in a position where there will be optimum clearance of the bowstring when the arrow is released. The target should be seen clearly while using the oblique stance.

A closed stance. The shooting line is straddled and weight is evenly distributed among both feet. Left foot is moved forward a few inches so a heel-toe alignment exists between the left and right feet respectively. The four main steps in shooting are: Nocking, Drawing, Anchor Point, Release and Follow Through. These steps must be followed and done correctly to achieve greater accuracy. Look at the pictures below and observe the pattern. B. Nock Arrow
Nocking the arrow is the proper placement of the arrow in its shooting position on the bowstring.

Shooting starts when the archer holds the bow next to the hip near the target. Nocking begins when the archer has assumed his/her stance position. The arrow should be placed on the bowstring with the index feather upward at the serving.

The palm of the hand should never apply pressure on the bow. Relaxation is the basic fundamental of target archery. Expert athletes know when to relax under critical circumstances. Your mental program should help you with this and, thus, greatly increases your accuracy.

Draw Hand and Hook
Drawing: The act of pulling the bowstring to the anchor point on the archer’s face. Tip: Controlled breathing is important. A system should be developed for each archer so that the breathing is calm and the arms are stable during the total drawing, aiming, and releasing period.

Raise Bow and Draw
Before raising the bow, body position should be aligned and already assume the proper stance. Then gently raise the bow and look at the target. This is called nocking. Then simply draw out the arrows and aim at the target.

Anchor Point
Anchor Point is defined as the place on an archer’s face where the hand is placed consistently with the bowstring at full draw. Proper and comfort anchor points could increase the archer’s accuracy. It plays a great part in aiming and hitting the target. Anchor points are described as " high", or " low".

Pros and Cons to Certain Anchor Points

Low anchor point (Under Chin)
Two touch points provide consistency
Not comfortable for archers who have larges hands or short necks.
Stops overdrawing
Takes time to position
Low placement on face allows for long distances shots with less sight movement.
Tips: head control and position

Side anchor point
Quick position established
Allows overdrawing
Permits creeping

High anchor point (Release Aid)
Allows archers to partially sight down the arrow shaft and over the point if a bowsight is not being used.

Don't have bowsight.

The anchor point on or under the jaw bone is termed low. An anchor point on or near the bone inferior and also lateral to the eye is considered high. Depending on the facial contour and type of shooting, anchor points could differ among different archers. Many field archers, bow hunters, and instinctive shooters use the high anchor point.

When the bow is drawn, the sight level and bow level must be aligned properly to achieve maximum accuracy. Poor alignment could occur due to fatigue or possibly bad habit in practice.

Establish string pattern and sight picture
To increase accuracy. A young archer should never forget the importance of the proper string pattern and sight picture. First always mentally picture and visualize the target. Then assume the proper stance and arm yourself with the necessary gear for the draw. Check your nocking position and align your body position correctly.

Focus, steady, and aims
Once you have assume your stance and body alignment, then it's time to really focus. Steadily keep your bow hold position and aim at the target. During this whole process, keep the hand as steady as possible. If your bow starts to tremble the moment you lift it up, then that bow is too heavy for you. You must at least keep your bow from trembling for at least 5 seconds.

Release and Follow Through
Releasing the arrow properly is the most important fundamental in shooting. To follow through simply means to hold the release position until the arrow is safely launched onto the target. The key elements of success are: (1) Relaxation (2) and concentration. Here is a example of a good follow through: (1) The fingers on the bowstring hand are relaxed, (2) head and eyes are turned toward the target following the flight of the arrow,(3) the bow arm is extended toward the target, and (4) the bow hand is gripping the bow with the help of a sling.

A bow sling is designed to help the archer during the release and follow through. There are four different types of bow slings available. Any one of the bow sling will help the archer keep the bow from falling to the ground after the release.

Tighten back muscles
From this point on, it's basically time to shoot your first arrow. Tighten your back muscles and draw the bow string. Keep your back and arms straight at the target. Like any sports Archery also requires some muscle strength. Exercise regularly to improve your strength in both arms and back.

Relax draw hand to release
Keep your bow hold easy and relaxed. Never grip the bow too tightly. Your palm should only gently touche the nock. This could also reduce fatigue.

Keep bow arm up and steady
Once the arrow is released, you must still keep both of your hands and arms steady even after the release of the arrow, otherwise, the arrow might not be accurate after the release.

These techniques may increase your accuracy in shooting but it is up to the individual to practice and master the forms. As a new archer evolves, he/she might find new techniques and skills. No matter what the circumstances are either you are looking to become the Champ of Archery or just looking to improve your score.

I have one tip that will surely to help you.

Keep on practicing !!! There is no technique in the world that anyone could teach you to become the best archer. But with practice, you will definitely become one of the best archers in your world and enjoy the practice more.

Bow Hand Placement

2009-08-22T21:58:00.000-07:00

Hand Placement

Changing the location or pressure of your hand on the bow grip will cause the arrow to change point of impact. That is why some target archers tattoo a permanent line on their hand to line up with the center of the grip.

Wearing a glove in cold weather can also change hand placement. Adding a bow quiver will change bow balance and the way you grip it.

Changing hand placement can cause your groups to string out either vertically or horizontally, depending on how you change pressure on the grip.

Bow Torque

2009-08-22T21:54:00.000-07:00

"What is Bow Torque"?

This is one of the most common problems of archers and one of the most difficult to diagnose.

Gripping your bow too tight or tension in your bow hand or arm causes the bow to rotate in your hand.

Bow torque causes your groups to string out left and right. That is why controlling bow torque is so important."

Archery Chit-chat

2008-02-18T15:11:00.000-08:00

Archery bow hunting talk - what it is all about:

Now that brings me to the equipment and how to choose a bow for the choice of the hunt. I am NOT a brand-loyal archer. Sorry to the Mathews guys who know they have the best bows on the planet, or the cult BowTech hunters that know they have the best of the best (yeah, that would be me). Save the fact that Ross Archery, Inc., HCA and others actually make the worlds fastest bows on the planet and an arguement is sure to happen. I like BowTech because it works for me. I like to see others copy their state-of-the-art from this year to next.

The BowTech that I acquired in 2006 is still cutting-edge and at 306 fps, is among the fastest considering my draw length is short at 27.5" and set to 60lbs draw weight. Still, that is fast for this "little" bow.

But, hey... it is a beta-male thing this archery talk... mine is bigger than yours mentality sinks in and stays here. BIG DEAL! The techno-shooters brag at how well they did at the range but have little to NO meat in the freezer that really marks the true archer. Yes, I practice all the time... but give me a 3D deer, turkey or elk in the back yard vs. trying to beat your best buddy in a dark room with a bunch of other beta-males waiting to blast your accuracy by the numbers.

Again, BIG DEAL! Show me the meat!

The compound bow has allowed many people to stay in the sport and especially those with short draw lengths like myself. I have had too many friends or relatives that have lost the strength of their youth and can no longer pull back the heavy draw of a long bow or recurve bow but this is also now true of the really fast bows like Elite, HCA and Ross...

Do you need 80-100 lbs. to kill deer, elk, moose and bear? NO! But the rule of thumb here, if it is bear.. yeah, consider at least an 80 lbs if you can pull it and if not, consider one hell of a good backup plan besides running!

It was a long time before I could even pull back well on a 58-60 lbs. compound bow, but as my patience remained to garner upper-body strength, my patience gave me something better than strength. My patience gave me accuracy!

Just like in shooting a rifle, it many times is all about shot placement, not the size of the bore! Sure, more power helps but if you can not plant it where you need it, then it is simply wasted effort and wasted energy. Energy on the part of the weapon and your physical and emotional energy. Learn first to hit your target with confidence, then step up the performance curve with more lbs. to the limbs of your bow.

I’d much rather see a person using equipment that they can handle well and be able to shoot effectively, rather then having someone shooting a bow that they are not comfortable with and possibly wounding an animal during a hunt.

Whatever you feel comfortable with, will always be the right choice for you, do not buy into the fact that you need the fastest, baddest bow on the planet. I know many archers that trade up or buy many bows because the lastest and greatest just came on the market... but again, I ask "where is the meat". Many of these same hunters (pretend hunters), also try and pressure their friends into buying the latest 70-80 and even 100lbs draw weight compound bows becasuse they are available and you just have to have the best right? Just leave them alone! I had friends like this. Operative word here is "had" friends.

By this I mean, try not to pressure someone into something that may not be the right comfort zone for that particular person just because it works for you.

You should only make a suggestion to try and help someone, not talk them into your personal opinion. And don’t be afraid or too stubborn to take a suggestion from someone else.

I am always looking for a good opportunity to learn a better way of doing anything in life and its many paths that it has to offer. I have learned what I know from some of the best people you can imagine. I learned almost nothing on my own regarding deer or turkey hunting with a bow and I learned patience by some of the best in their field.

This brings me to another thought in my mind. I’ve been to the practice range (my back yard) when either an anti-hunter (my next door neighbors) or maybe a gun hunter (my best friends) asks me what are you doing with that thing (meaning my compound bow). Don’t you think you bowhunters have wounded enough animals? Most all my friends believe in only the crossbow to hunt deer or elk. That is a joke, that is not real archery!

Anti-hunters will never understand how the true meaning of fair chase rules work and why conservation by the hunter works so well for our great country. I’ve also had gun hunters say to me, I’ve seen way too many deer running around in the woods with arrows sticking out of them.

I’m here to tell you that in my 23 years plus of hunting with a gun or my archery equipment, I’ve never seen one deer running around with arrows stuck in it. It’s time to stop pointing fingers.

I have seen deer that have been mortally wounded by either a gun or bow and I don’t think I could point a finger without saying, someone made a poor choice of a shot or they just didn’t follow through with a good tracking of a blood trail.

It is time we stop pointing fingers and band together as one. The hunter, whether it is archery hunting or gun hunting, we need to stick together and help each other to conserve our rights to hunt and give fair chase to the animal being pursued.

A Bow Hunter Is…
A creature with stick and string attached.
One who smiles while water runs down his back—but complains if his feathers get wet.
A stickler for perfection in equipment—who is wearing baggy pants or a stupid hat
Someone with a talent to top the biggest tale you ever heard—or told.
A Hunter with a thirst for challenge.
One who screams bloody murder if the meals are not on time—but will wait for hours in one spot just to get snorted at or hear the gobbler about 80 yards out and still too far for the average bow hunter even inside of 50 yards.

This my friends is REAL hunting! Not with a crossbow, not a rifle or pistol but with a stick and string! Archery is back and needs to be taught in our schools!

Big Game Hunting - Why Archery is back!

2008-02-18T14:23:00.000-08:00

I love hunting big game. I almost can not get enough of it in a single year... My quest to enjoy more of the limited time in the field was to start by getting away from my super-performance and super-cost super .30 Caliber Magnums like my custom .30-378's. http://weatherbyman.net/

I cut my teeth on flintlocks, then inline muzzleloaders to extend my season and that worked for a while but there was still something missing from my enjoyment. Getting deer, elk and predators were never a problem for me, but the challenge of even today's muzzleloaders make it almost too easy where many of these "legacy" weapons are shooting straighter and farther than they did only 3 years ago. All the advances in materials, powders, bullets and such has made these weapons deadly accurate, but less of a challenge.

Ok, now enter Archery.. yes, many advances here too have vastly improved the compound bows and we even see custom carbon fiber composite materials being utilized on old recurves and long bows... but one thing is that it is still a challenge to hunt with a bow. I am talking a real bow here now, not the scope and crossbow combo. And at the sake of pissing some people off, I shall do so with excitement and no politically correctness here at all. I HATE CROSSBOWS!

You are NOT a real archer if you shoot with a crossbow. It just is not the same.

It’s archery when you think big game hunting... when you look down the shaft of your carbon fiber arrow that with broadhead costs you $30 or more, and center it on the broad chest of the deer. You simply marvel at the beauty of the oblivious animal. The way the sun glints off its hair and the restless energy of the animal is almost contagious. With a sigh, you let loose the arrow, and watch the deer stumble as the arrowhead penetrates its hide, bone and vitals... you feel it all.

This is the thrill that comes with big game hunting with a bow and arrow.

Archery big game hunting can be both exhilarating and dangerous at the same time.

For instance a wounded and angry bear can do some severe damage to a bow hunter. Even deer have been known to bludgeon a hapless archer with its hooves. Before you go archery big game hunting, you should be very good with your bow. Practice makes perfect, and although you may never be perfect, you want to be at the top of your game before you hunt a big animal.

Hell, if I hunt bear I will be packing heat also! You also want to be packing the right equipment to do the job. You want to have a bow that has a significant draw weight but one you can handle well and one that can still pack a punch big enough to make a clean kill. If you hunt deer you want about 58-60 lbs. draw weight. If it is Elk, Moose or Bear, consider 60-70 and even 80-100lbs.

You don’t want to go hunting a bear with a bow that has a fifty-five pound draw weight, because you’re likely to get yourself killed or you may harm the animal without actually killing it, exposing it to a horrible death by infection.

When choosing a broadhead or point for your arrow, making the right selection is critical. Go for the best made, and spare NO expense here.

To be successful at bow and arrow big game hunting you also need to understand the animal you intend to hunt. You have to know where they go, and what their habits are. You might stumble upon your prey, but that’s highly unlikely, and it’s a whole lot easier to hunt an animal you understand.

Most archers who hunt big game hunt from a stand or ground blind. You set up some bait in an area where the game is likely to find it, and wait in a tree or in a stand on the ground. You need to make sure your stand is comfortable enough for you to be able to stay in it for several hours. Archery big game hunting isn’t all glamour. It’s also hard work, determination and lots of patience. But nothing worth while doing, is ever easy.

If you take the time to hone your skills, you’re sure to be a successful big game hunter. Learn to Turkey hunt first with a bow will give you even a greater appreciation for the larger quarry as the Turkey hunted with bow require patience, long hours of preparation and skills honed and the utmost in stealth when hunting the BIG TOM!

My quest for the perfect (no such thing as perfect, but darn near close to it) began also with a passion for archery as true primative hunting with the twist of the best release. Not being able to find release aids that I liked on the market began my personal quest to try them all, modify the ones I liked best and convert to a D-LOOP and design custom one-up designs based upon true and tested products like James-Green Gator Jaw Release Aids, Scott Archery release aids and Carter Release Aids.

In fact, my all time favorite is the Scott's Shark with a .3 lbs trigger. I modified, honed and tuned that trigger to near glass-breaking feelings in my index finger. Then the quest began to look into the mechanical and back tension releases and as such, was my own evolution based upon both Scott's and Carter releases.

If you want to know more about these new release aids, call me at 731-412-0922, 731.926.6010 (Cell) or email me at: weatherbyman@weatherbyman.net

New back tension release for compound bows

2008-02-18T12:20:00.000-08:00

WCG, Inc. now produces custom made and engineered release heads & adaptation devices that allows use of the Scott's Archery Wrist Straps and the James-Greene, Gator Jaw release head.

http://weatherbyman.net/airow_gun.htm - Check them out here and the new AirowGun devices that are completely engineered by WCG, Inc.

Want flexibility to use Scott Archery Wrist Straps, with James-Greene's Gator Jaw? Then do it! Want to remain pure and use Scott Archery Release Heads for those of you that shoot string D-Loops? Go ahead!

Our devices allow complete and 100% adaptability from all major manufactures release heads. Move from James-Greene to Scott's, to Carter, T.R.U.Ball, and many other release heads of your preference.

Choose the style of strap and release you want, not what the manufactures leave you in their standard choices. One-up custom wrist straps can also be made for that special one-of-a-kind and one and only that is made to your exact specifications.

Also, check out these high-end releases by WCG, Inc.

http://www.weatherbyman.net/customcarters.htm