Was wondering if I need a lesson or not. Not going to hunt with it, but just shooting for the fun and zen of it. What's a good distance and group? For rifles it seems to be "MOA". Any such measurement of accuracy with a bow? Right now I'm putting 6 of 10 in a 6" circle at 25 yards and calling my 4 flyers. Remember, not competing, or hunting, just shooting in the back yard...

If you're shooting a modern compound bow with sights, that's abysmal accuracy and a lesson or three wouldn't hurt.

If you're shooting a bare bow with fingers, it's not bad but at 25 yards, you should be shooting more like 8 or 9 out of 10 inside a six inch circle. And I know some guys that would say that I'm being too lenient...

Collins: Get a few lesson. With practice you should easliy be putting 10/10 in a 6" circle at 25 yards. With today's compound bows, sights, etc... this is realitively simple.

What bow and setup are you shooting?

Well if you are calling your flyers, then you are on the right road.

I am fairly new to bow hunting, I have killed 2 deer, at 24 and 25 yards.

In practice I was shooting 6" groups as far as 35 yards, and mostly 8" groups at 40 yards.
However many times I was hitting my own arrows, so I now only shoot one arrow at one aiming point. It is amazing to me how accurate a modern compound bow can shoot. I use only cut on contact broadheads. My chosen head is the Mangus Buzzcut, but I have also been shooting some 4 blade Slick Tricks, for possible shots at longer ranges and for hunting in the wind...

For actual shots at game I have limited myself to 25 yard shots so far.

My goal in bow hunting is to never shoot, would and lose a game animal...

With bow shootnig I think the key is a smooth release and very good follow through.

Having your bow properly set up is vital.

The guy that set up my bow at the bow shop was very good.

After that is it practice, practice, practice.

I figure a inch for every 10 yards until I get over 50 then things open up a bit.

That said I like my game under 30 I killed a lot of deer in that 10 to 20 yard range.

Thanks guys that's exactly what I wanted. I'm shooting a couple times a year and this is only my second year shooting lefty. Improvements are coming pretty quickly. I'll keep you in the loop!

Thanks again.

I think with a bow you need to shoot more than a couple of times a year.

I even have a broadhead target at my lease.

I practice a bunch before the season, and I shoot a few shots daily while at the lease.

Collins:
I’ve been bow hunting for 43 years and have hunted critters with long bow, recurve, compound, and crossbow. My broadheads of choice are the fixed blade 100gr German Kinetics, although, I’ve taken a significant number of deer with the 2-blade Rage.
From a distance standpoint it is situational as there are many variables that come into play. The biggest factor is your confidence in making the shot. To that end, I have shot a number of whitetail in the 70 yard range; however, I find 30-50 yards to be the normal distances at which I take most deer and hogs.
In regards to practicing… I am fortunate to have a 3D range setup at my house (10 targets at various ranges and angles) and I shoot at least 5 days a week. I typically grab my bow and shoot 10 arrows before I leave for work and I’ll shoot another 10 or so arrows in the evening. A few times each month I’ll shoot 30-50 arrows in a day.
Bow hunting is very rewarding and glad to see you taking the time to ask questions and learn so as to reduce the time it takes to become proficient at slinging carbon fiber!
Good luck and PM me if you like.

I think it's a lot like golf (I own clubs, I don't golf...) Thanks much for the encouragement. I think the 10 arrows walking out to the car is a great idea. I'll keep ya posted on my progress

quote:

I figure a inch for every 10 yards until I get over 50 then things open up a bit.

That said I like my game under 30 I killed a lot of deer in that 10 to 20 yard range.

This post by p dog shooter is realistic.

Shoot broadheads at your target. I still don't understand the principle of "field points". You don't hunt with them so what is the point. Shoot with what you hunt with...enjoy it. Spend some time on it and enjoy it. Nothing as relaxing as archery.

I know this may be akin to heresy on this forum, But I don't hunt, (I shoot everything from pellet guns to BMG but never got the hunting bug) so the field points are fine, and my target lasts a year.

Also I like the 1" for 10 yards. That seems to make sense.

Collins if your shooting a lets say modern compound bow a sensible goal of 2'' groups out to 40 yards and 4'' out to 70 seems about right. Once you start playing around with fixed broad heads tuning your arrows become critical as does wind drift. Also having a bow draw length and a good trigger release helps out tremendously! Its kind of like riding a bike once you've figured it out you never forget. As with anything there are differences in quality when it all boils down. Practice lots and obtain a set up that matches your body and it will soon become enjoyable. Who knows maybe you'll even start to hunt with it! Practice hard and good luck, bud!

For those who are beginning in archery, I'd encourage you to shoot consistently, but don't shoot a lot of arrows each session.

Shoot 10-15 times daily for a prolonged period until you have good consistency and great habits. Form is key to this so shooting too much will cause fatigue when starting which leads to poor form.

Over time that session number can increase, but getting help with shooting form is crucial to success and confidence.

And as someone noted earlier, make sure your bow is set up properly and tuned well.

Thank you! great advice

The more you practice the better you will get.

Its good to have goals but to expect to never lose an animal......Knock on wood it never happens. I dont care what a person hunts with the unfortunate mess of losing an animal can be part of the experience of hunting no matter what you try to do to prevent it.