MCgunner
Member
I have this old bow. I got it in 1973 when I was working near Pearsall, Texas on a summer job when I was in college. I traded a guy 4 8 track tapes for it. I still have the bow, my last 8 track player is full of dirt dauber nests on the back porch... Anywho, this bow is a "Colt Plainsman", 50 lbs draw weight at 29". My draw length with it is 28". I never could shoot the thing worth a toot and just finally gave up on it after a while. In the mid 80s, I stuck a bow fishing rig on it and got all into shooting gar with it for a while, then lost interest.
Well, so, not long ago I just started thinkin' about that old bow, about how I could better shoot it, actually AIM a shot. What I did was mark elevation lines on the bow to reference and put a nock stop on the string to align with my eye on the marks. I also began to realize after thinkin' about it, consistency of the draw was crucial, too. I'd never really concentrated on that in the past, but it makes sense. I put a kisser button on the thing to help me get it in the right spot on my cheek each draw. I don't see well out of my right eye and can't see sight pins very well through a sight on a compound, so I just never got interested and didn't wanna buy a compound just for fun since they're rather expensive. I sorta like the traditional, anyway, even getting all into my old Hawken BP rifle again for some odd reason.
Well, after about a week of practice, I've gotten to the point I can hit a 1 gallon Quaker State can out to 25 yards with it with regularity. A fish at 10 yards, forget about it! He's stabbed. Okay, with gar, getting time on target is the problem, but I'm a lot better using this technique than I was just trying to judge elevation instinctively, I can tell ya that! At 10 yards, I'm hitting the EDGE of that oil can!
So, I know my major steps in improvement are due to the fact I sucked to badly to begin with, but this technique works big time for me and I'm getting to the point now that it feels right and when I miss, I know why, just like with a rifle or handgun. I can call the shot by knowing what I did on release to cause it. If I concentrate and follow through, I am scaring myself with the accuracy I'm getting. Just never did good with bows before.
So, I'm already thinkin' about actually trying to HUNT with this thing next bow season. I'm going to keep practicing and working my range out to maybe 40 yards max eventually. I'm thinkin' if I can get inside 35 yards, with more improvement, I can score.
So, I'm wondering, does anyone here hunt with a recurve? I really like the recurve and figure if I'm going to use a compound, I might as well use a rifle. What does a compound give you, but a few more yards, anyway? I figure I can set up a ground blind 25 yards or so from my feeder, maybe one of those tent blinds, but I'd rather just gather up some brush and set up in an oak mott all camoed out. Whadda ya think? One problem I could have is mosquitoes that time of year. Man, we got 'em when it's wet especially and I can't stand it without my deep woods off.
Hell, it's something new. I had totally written off the possibility of bows knowing how I sucked with the recurve and my bad eye and all (I shoot long guns left handed), but I'm sorta getting excited over it again. In the past, I've killed deer at 30 yards with a handgun. I'm not sure why I couldn't do it with the bow if I keep practicing.
Well, so, not long ago I just started thinkin' about that old bow, about how I could better shoot it, actually AIM a shot. What I did was mark elevation lines on the bow to reference and put a nock stop on the string to align with my eye on the marks. I also began to realize after thinkin' about it, consistency of the draw was crucial, too. I'd never really concentrated on that in the past, but it makes sense. I put a kisser button on the thing to help me get it in the right spot on my cheek each draw. I don't see well out of my right eye and can't see sight pins very well through a sight on a compound, so I just never got interested and didn't wanna buy a compound just for fun since they're rather expensive. I sorta like the traditional, anyway, even getting all into my old Hawken BP rifle again for some odd reason.
Well, after about a week of practice, I've gotten to the point I can hit a 1 gallon Quaker State can out to 25 yards with it with regularity. A fish at 10 yards, forget about it! He's stabbed. Okay, with gar, getting time on target is the problem, but I'm a lot better using this technique than I was just trying to judge elevation instinctively, I can tell ya that! At 10 yards, I'm hitting the EDGE of that oil can!
So, I know my major steps in improvement are due to the fact I sucked to badly to begin with, but this technique works big time for me and I'm getting to the point now that it feels right and when I miss, I know why, just like with a rifle or handgun. I can call the shot by knowing what I did on release to cause it. If I concentrate and follow through, I am scaring myself with the accuracy I'm getting. Just never did good with bows before.
So, I'm already thinkin' about actually trying to HUNT with this thing next bow season. I'm going to keep practicing and working my range out to maybe 40 yards max eventually. I'm thinkin' if I can get inside 35 yards, with more improvement, I can score.
So, I'm wondering, does anyone here hunt with a recurve? I really like the recurve and figure if I'm going to use a compound, I might as well use a rifle. What does a compound give you, but a few more yards, anyway? I figure I can set up a ground blind 25 yards or so from my feeder, maybe one of those tent blinds, but I'd rather just gather up some brush and set up in an oak mott all camoed out. Whadda ya think? One problem I could have is mosquitoes that time of year. Man, we got 'em when it's wet especially and I can't stand it without my deep woods off.
Hell, it's something new. I had totally written off the possibility of bows knowing how I sucked with the recurve and my bad eye and all (I shoot long guns left handed), but I'm sorta getting excited over it again. In the past, I've killed deer at 30 yards with a handgun. I'm not sure why I couldn't do it with the bow if I keep practicing.