Bow Accuracy - When do you call it good?

[Buckmaster81]

Anyone have a beestinger on a xforce?

 

[KDM]

IMO, practice never ends. Overconfidence is just as bad as underconfidence (if that's a word). I feel comfortable in a hunting situation when I can put 4 out of 5 arrows into a tennis ball sized circle at 20 yards. I really don't like shooting more than 30 yards, even though I know my bow can shoot much further than that...accurately.

 

[Mr Nice]

My favorite method of practice is 1 arrow at 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 and go for a good group running up the ladder.

 

[powerman]

Shooting at farther ranges will make you better and magnify form flaws. I like to practice out to 80 yards and hope I don't have to shoot at an animal over 30. I like to keep pushing myself to practice farther or tighten the groups at longer yardages, it seems like there is always room for improvement.

One thing that helped me a few years back was adding a side bar to my existing setup. So I have to bee stinger with one weighted more out in front and the other pointed back under my forearm. This really helped with leveling the bow as I came to my anchor. Rarely is my bublble off on my sight as I settle into anchor and really reduced excess pin movement.

Good luck guys, season is almost here!

 

[Whisky]

Screw group shooting with FP's. You want real practice, and build confidence, unscrew the FP, screw on the BH and go shoot one arrow from various field positions at different yardages. Kill shots, or not... My bows haven't seen a field point in about a month now. Practice how you hunt. Now obviously I don't do this year round or my target bills would be outrageous (and arrows, and broad heads), but leading up to season it's a good way to go.

 

[dust in the wind]

I'll disagree with you Whisky. If one can't get their broadheads to group with field points, somethings out of tune with the bow or you don't have the right arrows or arrow length/tip weight combination. It all makes a big difference.

I am not going to adjust my sights for broadheads and then reset them for field points for 3d shoots. Not gonna happen.

Once I know the bh and fp impact the same, I can shoot all I want with fp and not tear up targets. So far from all my shooting and testing, the wind affects my fp the same as my fixed blade heads.

 

[Whisky]

I'll disagree with you Whisky. If one can't get their broadheads to group with field points, somethings out of tune with the bow or you don't have the right arrows or arrow length/tip weight combination. It all makes a big difference.

I am not going to adjust my sights for broadheads and then reset them for field points for 3d shoots. Not gonna happen.

Once I know the bh and fp impact the same, I can shoot all I want with fp and not tear up targets. So far from all my shooting and testing, the wind affects my fp the same as my fixed blade heads.

Hey I agree with you a tuned bow is crucial.

So with that said, I never said anything about adjusting sights or BH/FP POI....Practice how you hunt was the point I was making. A 4" 5 arrow FP group at 60, shooting from a comfortable standing position, at highlighted vitals on a square target doesn't mean shit if you can't put 1 arrow with a BH into that vital every time, from field positions.

Since you brought it up, when most say they have the same POI with BH and FP I guess i take that with a grain of salt. What's your definition of same? Pie plate at 40 yds? Robin hooding arrows at 60? Did you spend 1 whole night BH tuning to come to this conclusion, only to never touch a BH again until you go hunting? Did you shoot BH and FP's with gloves on? Did you shoot BH and FP at angles? Did you shoot BH and FP kneeling? Are you shooting mechanicals. Are you shooting with a drop away, or a biscuit? All these factors affect each set up differently. FP's are way more forgiving then BH's and if there are issues your BH's will tell you very obviously.

Admittedly, I used to be the anal OCD sum bitch that spent more time tuning then shooting, chasing that perfect tune where BH and FP hit the same. I've since realized my time is better spent practicing how I hunt. And if I can achieve repeatable kill shots from field positions with a BH, i guess I consider that the true test of equipment and confidence.

 

[dust in the wind]

Since you brought it up, when most say they have the same POI with BH and FP I guess i take that with a grain of salt. What's your definition of same? Pie plate at 40 yds? Robin hooding arrows at 60?
5 arrows with fp and bh mix - 2 inch group at 60 yards. 70 yards does open up a bit more but I have had bh and fp touching at 70. Can I get that tight of a group each and every time - Nope but the more you shoot the better you get.

Did you spend 1 whole night BH tuning to come to this conclusion, only to never touch a BH again until you go hunting?
Every year, several times through out the year. I destroyed several targets getting my arrows and bow this way. Now that they are this way, I ease up on it so I don't tear up targets.

Did you shoot BH and FP's with gloves on?
I have.

Did you shoot BH and FP at angles?
I have

Did you shoot BH and FP kneeling?
I have

One question you didn't ask, Yes I have shot at elevated positions too.

another question you didn't ask, I have done this with cross winds, head winds, tail winds to see how my arrows with fp and bh react to the wind conditions. Winds anywhere from 5mph to 20mph.

Are you shooting mechanicals.
Nope, don't care for them. Fixed blade broadheads

Are you shooting with a drop away, or a biscuit?
Drop away on both bows.

All these factors affect each set up differently. FP's are way more forgiving then BH's and if there are issues your BH's will tell you very obviously.
Yep and Yep

Your statement about screw grouping fp and bh lead me to think you simply sighted in your bow for BH's and called it good.

Too many people don't bother having a bow that is tuned correctly and wonder why they can't get bh don't impact the same as the fp and don't bother to find out why.

Having the correct bow tune, form, Arrow, arrow length and tip weight all play a big factor in being able to do this

- - - Updated - - -

I'll also add in that since I have the bows shooting this way, when I do shoot my bh, it's more to verify that things are still on. I can shoot my fp all I want in any conditions and have a great deal of confidence that bh's will react the same.

 

[Whisky]

Look bckhntr I wasn't trying to put you on the defensive, as most all of my questions were rhetorical and i didn't need you to answer them. I should have stated that, as I trust a man that builds his own stabilizer knows his way around a bow

I know we agree there are a lot of factors to consider and I too feel too many people neglect some or a lot of them. Which is probably why I advocate to practice how you hunt. Because that's what it all comes down to in the end, making killing shots with BH's, not group size with FP's which is what the OP was asking about. In order to make those shots with a BH you obviously need to be tuned, to some degree, both the bow and shooter. Building confidence.

 

[dust in the wind]

Look bckhntr I wasn't trying to put you on the defensive, as most all of my questions were rhetorical and i didn't need you to answer them. I should have stated that, as I trust a man that builds his own stabilizer knows his way around a bow

I know we agree there are a lot of factors to consider and I too feel too many people neglect some or a lot of them. Which is probably why I advocate to practice how you hunt. Because that's what it all comes down to in the end, making killing shots with BH's, not group size with FP's which is what the OP was asking about. In order to make those shots with a BH you obviously need to be tuned, to some degree, both the bow and shooter. Building confidence.

Not really in defense mode, it may have come across that way but questions were presented and I answered them. All good stuff. Hopefully, it opens up some eyes that there is more to it than buying arrows and putting some point on it and thinking they are good. I'll admit, when I first got into archery many years ago, that's exactly what I thought.

Several years ago when I got into figuring out all this, It was an expensive year. Targets, arrows, different tip weights, etc... A really good learning experience for me. Because I went through it with that bow, when I picked up a second bow a 2 years ago, the whole process become much easier and less expensive!

Heck, I even took my bow press with me to the location I shoot to be able to make adjustments and shoot and see how things changed.

 

[Coyotefool69]

When I hit a paper plate at 70 she's good. It dont matter much when I'm shaking trying to shoot the deer anyways

 

[SDMF]

Last yr I got a call 3 days before season opened. I stuck in the earbuds and continued the phone call whilst I dug my bow out from under a mountain of other hunting stuff I'd piled on top of it. While still conversing with the pard who invited me, I set up a target @ 20yds, shot 1 arrow @ each of the 5 diamonds on my target, hit them, and accepted the invite. In fairness, I havn't touched my rest or sights in over a decade.

 

[johnr]

My question is if my bow has been sitting in a climate controlled area, but not been used in several years(7) should I have it restrung?

 

[dust in the wind]

My question is if my bow has been sitting in a climate controlled area, but not been used in several years(7) should I have it restrung?

If it were my bow, Yes I would.

 

[Tiller man]

My bows get a new set of threads every yr no matter what. As far as groups if im within a 3 inch group at 60 im happy, but I shoot a ton! Always working on tunning draw length weight ect! So im really picky on my groups and always trying to find that magic set up. FYI im still lookin!