How important is archery practice?

[Weldabeast]

U guys better tighten up....I only shoot 1 arrow at a time....too expensive and time consuming replacing all those busted arrows to be shooting groups.....hahahaha
But seriously....not bragging cause I'm not the best shooter but when shooting groups I'd have lots of damaged arrows.
I don't practice as much as I probably should but I kinda feel like it's riding a bike.....once u got it, it only takes a couple shots and and ur good to go..IMO
I built all my arrows and tuned last year so no changes for me. Standing and shooting arrow after arrow at a bag target is no fun to me. I practice shooting awkward positions, shooting thru palmettos, etc that are more realistic to hunting at 3d target

My range stays the same rusty or well practiced....short hahaha

 

[Jpdarby2]

Practice is exponentially important as distance increases with any weapons system but especially with a bow, that's why I cast my vote for 100%. When I shoot out to 60 if I haven't been practicing at all my groups are terrible, if I have consistent practice even if only at 20 yards those groupings typically tighten up by half, and if I have been doing distance latter practices consistently I get down right lethal. For me the importance of practice can not be over emphasized.

 

[Camelcluch]

I did mention distance and do think it is helpful. However, I also think you can get better with out it. Archery is repeating form and that can be practiced at any distance. With distance I also shoot at about 5 yards with my eyes closed and 10 yards for repetition. Shooting 100 yards is the same as 5 if your form is good. Site pictures change but the act should remain the same. So, in short, practice long and short. If you only have 5 yards, still shoot. Oh, don’t forget to let down and not shoot every once in a while.

 

[HuumanCreed]

It all depend on the quality of practice sessions. Also what you defined as 'practice'. I try to shoot once a week but its usually just for fun or relaxation. I feel that it does help over all but I'm not getting the return that I would get if I was practicing like you should be, which is focusing on improvement. I'm not trying to achieve a goal to fix things like forms or practice 'situational' shots from a saddle at different angles. But usually a month before deer season I usually focus on shooting from a saddle. This is a decision that I made due to realization that I'm not going to be able to put in the time needed to focus on archery at this stage in life. I have 4 pins, highest at 50 yards, I can hit within a 6in group at 50yds constantly. So I'm in the 'good enough to hunt' camp. Practice double your killing range.

I don't think anyone would disagree with the fact that practice is always going to help. But the variables that come into play like access to coaching, individuals' skill level, type of practices, etc....Will affect each person differently and will yield different % results.

 

[gcr0003]

@kyler1945 is gonna have us doing the Wim Hoff breathing method while practicing bow shooting before we know it.

 

[MattMan81]

U guys better tighten up....I only shoot 1 arrow at a time....too expensive and time consuming replacing all those busted arrows to be shooting groups.....hahahaha
But seriously....not bragging cause I'm not the best shooter but when shooting groups I'd have lots of damaged arrows.
I don't practice as much as I probably should but I kinda feel like it's riding a bike.....once u got it, it only takes a couple shots and and ur good to go..IMO
I built all my arrows and tuned last year so no changes for me. Standing and shooting arrow after arrow at a bag target is no fun to me. I practice shooting awkward positions, shooting thru palmettos, etc that are more realistic to hunting at 3d target

My range stays the same rusty or well practiced....short hahaha

Agree 100% For hunting purposes I think this is the best thing to do. Shoot from every angle, position, around stuff, and everything else you can come up with. On one of Zach's podcasts on THP he talked about shooting through sun flowers, and other weeds just to see how is arrow reacted. Practice for real world situation. Unless your on a feild edge, 30+ yard shot with no obstruction, zero wind, perfect broadside not moving locked down deer is not gonna happen often. Practice the 6 o'clock saddle shot around that branch right there that deer will be behind. Off side down with your tether yanking at you. 60 yards on the ground with perfect form is great. But can you make 20 half behind a tree leaning out?

 

[boyne bowhunter]

U guys better tighten up....I only shoot 1 arrow at a time....too expensive and time consuming replacing all those busted arrows to be shooting groups.....hahahaha
But seriously....not bragging cause I'm not the best shooter but when shooting groups I'd have lots of damaged arrows.
I don't practice as much as I probably should but I kinda feel like it's riding a bike.....once u got it, it only takes a couple shots and and ur good to go..IMO
I built all my arrows and tuned last year so no changes for me. Standing and shooting arrow after arrow at a bag target is no fun to me. I practice shooting awkward positions, shooting thru palmettos, etc that are more realistic to hunting at 3d target

My range stays the same rusty or well practiced....short hahaha

I typically shoot 4 arrows per flight but I'm not a fan of groups either after I unknowingly nicked an arrow once and had it blow up on release the next time through. You'll notice the worn areas on my block are at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions around the ring. Those are the points I aim for during my practice sessions. It sure beats scrapping arrows and saves me some trips back and forth to the target.



Edit, I voted 10%. I limit my hunting range to under 40yds (really try for under 35yds) as a personal preference. IMO there's just too much out of my control between the time the arrow is released and gets to its target at longer ranges. To each their own, and I'm not going to judge or be holier than thou if you choose to shoot farther, its just my personal choice not to.

My at home practice range is set up at 25 yds and that's about the best I'm comfortable setting up within the confines of the neighborhood. I shoot off my back deck into the open door of my back garage. That keeps the neighbors safe and happy. If I miss badly the arrow is contained by the garage. After all I'm certainly a capable enough archer that I can hit a barn door at 20 yds.

 

[kyler1945]

@kyler1945 is gonna have us doing the Wim Hoff breathing method while practicing bow shooting before we know it.

given our community’s ability to follow directions, we’d have more people hyperventilating, anxiety riddled, and coughing all over the deer than finding their happy place.

 

[kyler1945]

I typically shoot 4 arrows per flight but I'm not a fan of groups either after I unknowingly nicked an arrow once and had it blow up on release the next time through. You'll notice the worn areas on my block are at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions around the ring. Those are the points I aim for during my practice sessions. It sure beats scrapping arrows and saves me some trips back and forth to the target.

View attachment 48626

Edit, I voted 10%. I limit my hunting range to under 40yds (really try for under 35yds) as a personal preference. IMO there's just too much out of my control between the time the arrow is released and gets to its target at longer ranges. To each their own, and I'm not going to judge or be holier than thou if you choose to shoot farther, its just my personal choice not to.

My at home practice range is set up at 25 yds and that's about the best I'm comfortable setting up within the confines of the neighborhood. I shoot off my back deck into the open door of my back garage. That keeps the neighbors safe and happy. If I miss badly the arrow is contained by the garage. After all I'm certainly a capable enough archer that I can hit a barn door at 20 yds.

I gotta know… have you badly missed? And if so, how much pinballing did the arrow do?

i live in the classic neighborhood, but moved from a house with a 350’ deep lot to one with a 200’ lot. I put an arrow through target, and through fence and into back neighbors yard. I went and bought a 3’ square bag target and pulled two full sheets of plywood out. Now it looks like a junk pile. I’m thinking that golf driving ranges would be an excellent place to add lanes for archery practice. They’ve got the real estate, and they could cross pollinate sports that require some serious repetitiveness.

 

[MattMan81]

H

given our community’s ability to follow directions, we’d have more people hyperventilating, anxiety riddled, and coughing all over the deer than finding their happy place.

How did you know I have anxiety?? I might benefit more from breathing techniques than actual practice....

 

[woodsdog2]

I believe with proper form, release and shot execution sans target panic, most people with modern shooting equipment (compound with high letoff, sight, mechanical release aide etc.) and a tuned bow with matching arrows could quite readily improve their maximum effective range by 100% plus for normal east coast hunting ranges of say up to 40 yards. I actually voted for 50% to take into consideration other unknown variables. After I voted I noticed the OP qualified the poll question by stating how you yourself could improve with that specified practice regiment in the poll. In addition, because we are focused more on hunting than target archery or 3d archery, I am assuming "effective range" to be defined as a bowhunter's ability to consistently group 5 or 6 arrows into an average kill zone sized target of a whitetail deer. Some people will use 6 inches, personally I believe the vitals of most deer sized game to be the size of an 8 inch circle or pie plate sized target. If I routinely was grouping within 8 yards at 40 I do believe I could increase my maximum effective range to 80 yards. I am not certain I could do that if I was trying to improve from 80 to 160 yards however. I do know that the more I practice at 40 yards or even 60 yards, the 30 yard shots seem like 10 yard shots. Now many people will say, "I never shoot a deer that far so why should I do that." My answer is you will have the confidence to take a shot at most set up distances we find as ambush hunters if you spend some time improving your long distance shooting form.

 

[Weldabeast]

H

How did you know I have anxiety?? I might benefit more from breathing techniques than actual practice....

Spray some spray paint into a bag ...inhale deeply a couple times...set down the bag and grab ur bow and let them fly.

 

[gcr0003]

H

How did you know I have anxiety?? I might benefit more from breathing techniques than actual practice....

I think it would be fun to find a way to dump adrenaline into your system to simulate the adrenaline dump you get before you kill an animal. I’ve done the run around the yard and do push ups etc to get my heart rate up but it’s just isn’t the same as that feeling you get before you take a shot. I wasn’t joking about the wim hoff breathing method. The way he was describing it is that you’re stressing your body out yourself and it dumps that adrenaline into your body. Might work if I don’t pass out.

 

[Goldentriangle85]

I have a 60 yard archery range practically in my backyard and I would say my effective range has doubled since shooting on a weekly basis year round minus winter. Now does that mean I would shoot a deer at 50 yards, never have but that’s another conversation. The confidence in your weapon that you develop from shooting so much is the real reward. One less thing to worry about during the moment of truth as it becomes so instinctual. I personally would put more weight into shooting with good form year round than shooting 5x/week for a few months.


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[kyler1945]

Guys I’m not making any implications about hunting, ethics, or kill percentage with this exercise.

we’re just talking about shooting inanimate objects in your backyard. If you must define “effective range” as how far you can poke a deer, fine. But you’re really overthinking it. Pick a level of accuracy at, say, 20 yards. Now picture in your mind’s eye, how much 3 months of steady practice would increase the distance you are that same level of accurate. Express it as a percentage.

I do enjoy all the banter, let’s keep that going. But this is supposed to be a simple quick thought exercise.

 

[NATHAN]

My vote was a total guess. I will say that on the first few shots after a long spell of not shooting, I struggle to hold the bow level and still. After just a couple of days, the muscle memory improves to where I can squeeze thee trigger off instead of punching it. At 30 yds, I damage arrows. At 50 its pie plates, I just can't see good enough to get past that. Maybe this year.

 

[Goldentriangle85]

Guys I’m not making any implications about hunting, ethics, or kill percentage with this exercise.

we’re just talking about shooting inanimate objects in your backyard. If you must define “effective range” as how far you can poke a deer, fine. But you’re really overthinking it. Pick a level of accuracy at, say, 20 yards. Now picture in your mind’s eye, how much 3 months of steady practice would increase the distance you are that same level of accurate. Express it as a percentage.

I do enjoy all the banter, let’s keep that going. But this is supposed to be a simple quick thought exercise.

Well to me 3 months ain’t much. If you were already a good shoot with good form it’s not going to do much for you maybe 5%. If you just started concentrating on becoming proficient and had a lot of improving to do then it could make a significant 25% -50% difference depending on how bad you were. Again important part is not just shooting 3 months a year.


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[phatkaw]

I do enjoy all the banter, let’s keep that going. But this is supposed to be a simple quick thought exercise.

That didn't last very long. lol

Here's a little bit of how my brain works...
I used to shoot for High Country Archery in in the IBO 3D circuit. I could pretty much drill any target in the eyeball out to 70 yards no problem...

A few years ago I'm sneaking along in this woods where I knew a BIG bruiser 8pt. lived.
So, I pop over this little hill and see a big buck down below. I slither within 60 yards or so before I realize this thing is a GIANT. Not the big 8pt.
I put my glasses on him and imeadiatly start to shake like a moe foe!
I grunted him in to about 17 yards Broadside and took a nice strip of fur off the top of his back.

All of our skills are individual, but sometimes, you just never know... lol

 

[kyler1945]

Well to me 3 months ain’t much. If you were already a good shoot with good form it’s not going to do much for you maybe 5%. If you just started concentrating on becoming proficient and had a lot of improving to do then it could make a significant 25% -50% difference depending on how bad you were. Again important part is not just shooting 3 months a year.


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right. That’s the idea behind the poll. We’re taking everyone’s subjective thoughts, piling them up, and getting two types of good information: a more accurate assessment of how important practice is; and a good description of how wildly different everyone is.

 

[Gator]

Practicing at distance consistently during the offseason makes hunting distance shots very easy when the time comes. I can also walk out of my house and shoot just about any distance I want but not everyone has that capability so readily available.