[OTHER] Instinctive convert

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drummo

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OK I'm a compound shooter for the last two years but recently started to shoot other styles, bought a recurve and enjoy it but...

Last week I picked up an American flat bow, made some arrows ( wooden arrows are really time consuming but really fun to make).

Got to say I'm hooked had so much fun over the last ten days used to shooting 60+ yds with compound at 3 spots, but haven't had this much fun in ages

I'm a convert here's my best from the last ten day at around 25yds





Really looking forward to shooting... This weekend

Also planning my next set of arrows:)


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drummo

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Yeah really enjoying it a few kinks in my form... Consistent release and will have to see how distance goes but yeah really having fun,

Be good to get some tips off people who shoot instinctive though..

Bows aside kits way cheaper than compound awell lol



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WillS

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Are you definitely shooting instinctive? Sounds like a stupid question I know, but there are a lot of people shooting longbows/trad bows who think they're instinctive but are actually doing a gap hybrid type thing. I don't know for sure, but I would imagine if you're a compound archer you're probably carrying habits over to this that you may not realise. If that comes across as presumptuous then I apologise! Don't mean to be.

Might be worth running through roughly how you shoot to see if it's instinctive or more gap style. Here's how I shoot (I consider myself more or less instinctive, but if you read threads in the longbow section you'll see it's a grey area!)

I nock the arrow, and from that moment my eyes never leave the target - I can't consciously see anything happening around me so I'm not aware of the bow or arrow or string at any point. With full focus still on the smallest point of the target I can find, I draw up, pause for a half second or so and loose, still never looking away from the target until I hear the impact. Whole thing from nocking to dropping my arms takes about 5 seconds.

If you're finding yourself standing there watching the arrow point, or sorting out distances and raising/lowering the arrow point to adjust etc, that's not instinctive but gap shooting. Both are just as good as the other, but to get tips/advice it's important to know which you're doing.

This could all be premature and you could be very well aware that you're shooting truly instinctive of course, in which case ignore all of the above and carry on as you are! :)
 

drummo

New member
Ooh, now that was a good question I shot 12 arrows in an average 2mins 50 sec, a check my stance first before I draw a first arrow focus on the target aim as I draw second finger anchor on my mouth and release, but on reflection on you post I revisited the whole shoot if I have wayward shot I would close one eye after drawing the bow use the arrow end to aim shoot, decent shot the back to aim as I draw.. I think, still a new form of shooting so finding my footing but I think that describes my two outings so far...

One question is arrow length, I have a really short draw for a man (25.2)on compound 26 recurve so arrows are usually 26 1/4 to 26 1/2" when at the store I bought 32 Inc shafts spoke to the guys and they said full length was fine for my first set just about to make my proper set what length would be right?

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WillS

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In simplest terms, any arrow hanging over the back of the bow at full draw is wasted weight BUT it can be nice to have extra in case you need to do a repair or two.

Take your 32" shaft and put a nock on it. Then take a small square of card with a hole in the middle and push it onto the arrow at the other end. Push it down to about 24" and draw comfortably as you normally would. Let the card slide back against the bow until you're at full draw and take the arrow off being careful not to move the card. That will give you the optimum draw length. You can decide then whether to have the arrow exactly that length or leave maybe one inch for safety and repairs.
 

drummo

New member
Thanks ill try that I was gonna go around 28, the 32 " are going where I want them, but feel like spears lol

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WillS

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Yeah for normal target/field stuff 32" is a bit OTT. Even for me, shooting warbows with a full "medieval" draw getting the full 32" right back to the arrowhead can be tough work. It's quite something though, having a half-inch thick arrow sitting in 100# or so of bow at full draw...! Makes those 11/32 arrows feel like cocktail sticks.

Hope you sort out your arrows for the next set, and its always nice seeing compound archers getting excited about the trad stuff! Best of luck. I wouldn't worry too much about whether you're instinctive or not either - if the arrows end up where they're meant to, you've done your job properly. If somebody calls it instinctive and somebody else says its gap who cares? It only matters when getting advice I suppose, but apart from a few little differences in where you focus I have a feeling the form and stance etc all remain the same across the board anyway!
 

drummo

New member
Yeah for normal target/field stuff 32" is a bit OTT. Even for me, shooting warbows with a full "medieval" draw getting the full 32" right back to the arrowhead can be tough work. It's quite something though, having a half-inch thick arrow sitting in 100# or so of bow at full draw...! Makes those 11/32 arrows feel like cocktail sticks.

Hope you sort out your arrows for the next set, and its always nice seeing compound archers getting excited about the trad stuff! Best of luck. I wouldn't worry too much about whether you're instinctive or not either - if the arrows end up where they're meant to, you've done your job properly. If somebody calls it instinctive and somebody else says its gap who cares? It only matters when getting advice I suppose, but apart from a few little differences in where you focus I have a feeling the form and stance etc all remain the same across the board anyway!
Even worse when youve got the dl of a small child lol, the first set was just me wanting something to shoot, New shafts arrive tomorrow, so ill be taking my time Getting these done properly and sized Correctly, only shot it in the back yard so far going to take my flat bow to the club this weekend, wanted to make sure I can hit a target before I took it to the club and got rounds of I told you it was the bow (compound) that Was accurate lol

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Simon Banks

Active member
OK I'm a compound shooter for the last two years but recently started to shoot other styles, bought a recurve and enjoy it but...

Last week I picked up an American flat bow, made some arrows ( wooden arrows are really time consuming but really fun to make).

Got to say I'm hooked had so much fun over the last ten days used to shooting 60+ yds with compound at 3 spots, but haven't had this much fun in ages

I'm a convert here's my best from the last ten day at around 25yds





Really looking forward to shooting... This weekend

Also planning my next set of arrows:)


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Good for you, sometimes I think people forget to enjoy themselves shooting and a simple bow and traditional style is often the way to go..

You'll get faster at producing wooden arrows ;-),

Enjoy..
 

Microphonic

New member
I too am a recent convert to 'traditional' archery. I started with Olympic recurve, then went to barebow stringwalking, now I have a KG Cobra (similar to an American flatbow, but shot off hand not shelf, so more primitive in a way) + wooden arrows.

I would say my aiming technique is something Howard Hill called 'Split Vision' It's semi-instinctive, semi-gap. Essentially I stare at the smallest spot I can find on the target, but I concsiously see the blur of the arrow and use it to adjust windage. (i.e, make sure the arrow is running straight to the target) I don't consciously gap the distance with it though, so it's like I'm instinctive for elevation, but not for windage!
 

Simon Banks

Active member
I shoot ELB pure instinctive (not sure there is any other type).. Shot freestyle for 5 months, then I wanted to shoot ELB and was introduced to Instinctive ordered my first bow and converted my freestyle to Barebow. Had my ELB for over a year now and shoot NFAS field and am very happy. My scores are steadily increasing and I got second place in the last.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1406182243.155509.jpg
 
D

Deleted member 7654

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Great to see some converts to traditional, it sounds like you are feeling a lot more connection with the bow :)
Regarding how fast one can shoot, at a roving marks shoot we had one speed target. A flag at 120 yards (representing the approaching enemy) 30 seconds to get off as many arrows as you could, but scored for proximity to the flag. Most people got off 6 arrows, I got a couple that scored if I recall and one only just out the scoring zone which was about a 3yard radius circle. The interesting thing was the lack of aiming time, nock, point at the flag, elevate to whatever (I went to approx tree line on the horizon) and loose. Only watched the first arrow land, after that just nock and go.
Right, having gone trad' your next task, should you accept it is to make a self bow from a bit of tree :)
This post will self destruct in 30 seconds...
Del
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
The thirty seconds is up!
Or should that be "are up"?
Great to see some converts to traditional, it sounds like you are feeling a lot more connection with the bow
At the club where I shoot we have had over a dozen archers change over from recurve to longbow. They say it is more fun; more relaxing. It shows in their faces, too.
I forgot to wear a bracer when I had a go, so tension was building at the same rate as the swelling on my wrist.
 

Simon Banks

Active member
The thirty seconds is up!
Or should that be "are up"?
At the club where I shoot we have had over a dozen archers change over from recurve to longbow. They say it is more fun; more relaxing. It shows in their faces, too.
I forgot to wear a bracer when I had a go, so tension was building at the same rate as the swelling on my wrist.
Fatal not wearing a armguard with a ELB.. I remember one time forgetting to put it on at target archery and thinking "I'll be ok for one end" ;-), My first shot proved me wrong and I ended up with a purple arm for a week.. ;-)

I love the simplicity of a primitive bow.. There are no gadgets, nowhere to hide, its completely unforgiving with technique and wooden arrows break very easily. Love it. Best feeling in the world when your arrows fly true and hit the target spot. :-D
 
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Deleted member 7654

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I often shoot without a bracer, but one time I got a whack fairly low on the wrist (brace height was a bit low and it was a Dacron string).
It came up immediately like half a boiled egg (I'm not eggsagerating either!) ... I was just lobbing arrows on an empty sports field (back in the days when you could that sort of thing).
As I went to get the arrows I pressed the lump down firmly with my thumb. By the time I'd strolled the 220 yards and had another look, the lump had gone and there was never even a bruise! Weird...
Del
 

Simon Banks

Active member
I often shoot without a bracer, but one time I got a whack fairly low on the wrist (brace height was a bit low and it was a Dacron string).
It came up immediately like half a boiled egg (I'm not eggsagerating either!) ... I was just lobbing arrows on an empty sports field (back in the days when you could that sort of thing).
As I went to get the arrows I pressed the lump down firmly with my thumb. By the time I'd strolled the 220 yards and had another look, the lump had gone and there was never even a bruise! Weird...
Del
Weird.. Are you sure you didn't use superglue? ;-)
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
As I went to get the arrows I pressed the lump down firmly with my thumb.
It works like some of those fancy balloons used for making animals and such. Squeeze the balloon at one end, and a swelling pops up in another. I'm not going to ask the next question.
 
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