Deadly at 12, but ........

[Drawknife]

If you are good at 12yds then you can kill all kinds of critters. I would be willing to bet that my average shot is right around 12yds.

Bisch

This. The last 10 deer I have shot have been 12 and under. All from tree stands. It's all about stand placement. I've shot 2 straight down and those were really hard shots for me for some reason.

[jreyna920]

Try shooting 1 arrow at a time and put all your focus on that one spot you're looking at. The shot is the same if it's 10 yards or 50 yards, only difference is 50 yards will show your flaws faster and mentally it seems tougher even though it's the same shot. Don't worry about it, if you have good form the distance will come. Never stop learning and while you are don't be afraid to try something different.

I find 1 controlled arrow at a time helps keep the mental focus sharper than 10 arrows fast and loose. Quality not quantity.

I can't beileve I'm quoting BRAD but he hit it on the head for me.... 90% of my kills are 8-12 yards and although I've shot them further and closer that's the distance there at when to arrows start flying. A lot of times new shooters will pump a lot of arrows downrange trying to get better, when a lot of times that's the exact issue keeping you from doing so. My most critical shot of the day is the first shot, because at that point wether that bow is tuned to you or not shows. After a period of shooting your mind will tend to shoot off of muscle memory and timing, if your mind can figure out a shortcut it will every time, so you have to learn the difference in just shooting and good shot execution. Reputition has it's place in Archery but you need to understand what your doing and reinforcing when you do it. If your noticing you have a wall at 12 yards then you need to first diagnose why and solve it, it's the name of the game and every step forward is lost unless you understand why you've progressed. Don't be afraid to experiment but isolate changes to the best of your knowledge and learn to look for patterns between what you do (good or bad) and its effects.

Try to avoid shots from the same spot, change up distance and target backdrops and shoot every arrow with a purpose. You also can't be afraid to miss, you can talk yourself into mistakes. If you force a shot on a critter it ends up bad every time. When he's close enough you'll know... But wait on it!


Good luck

[shortstroke 91]

[QUOTE=jreyna920;5634487]I can't beileve I'm quoting BRAD but he hit it on the head for me....

I'm honored JIMMY...

[RTC]

Thanks guy's. Looking forward to opening day.

[Phillip Fields]

I usually shoot 5 arrow groups. I stand at the target and throw the arrows by hand to distances of 5 - 30 yards. I then walk to the arrow, and shoot from where I pick it up.

[Free q2]

I practice at 30 mostly. Sometimes I will step back to 40 then shooting 20 after that is a piece of cake.

[Hoggslayer]

When I first started I would shoot for about an hour a day. Now I keep my bow sitting by my front door and every morning I step out on my porch and shoot 5 arrows @ 18yrds. When I get home from work I shoot 5 more @ 12yrds and pull them for the next morning. This really seems to make me slow down and think about the shot. I also shoot at a large backstop that has 9 bull-eyes on it from about a foot off the ground to around 5 ft. This makes me have to aim differently and keeps me from forming a habitual aim point. It seams to work for me.

[SHORTY]

If you can move your target back 1 step, then shoot from were you or used to shooting from mental block couldn't hurt might work.

[Draco]

Practice at least some, at twice the distance you plan on shooting. If you only practice to 15 and then shoot at a deer at 15, then you are shooting at the extreme of what you have shot. Practice to 30 and a 15 yd. shot looks like a piece of cake.

[RTC]

Great advice, I am starting to inch back.