# Distance for Accuracy



## golfingguy27 (Oct 15, 2008)

Ok, I will play.. I typically only shoot out to 80 which of course is the longest shot in field archery. I don't stand for hours and shoot groups at the 80 yarder, but I can say the more time I spend on it, the closer/easier the 50,60,65 yarders seem. I would say an average group for me at 80 is 8"-9" or so, with a really good group being 5"-6"


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## 3Dpeepsight (Aug 22, 2011)

Cool...how many pins are you using?...and is 80 your bottom pin?


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## golfingguy27 (Oct 15, 2008)

3Dpeepsight said:


> Cool...how many pins are you using?...and is 80 your bottom pin?


Well, funny you ask this right now. I am actually a freestyle shooter, so most of the time I am shooting my target sight with a scope. That being said, I just started playing with shooting pins, and mine are at 20,30,40,50,60.. I stack pins for the 70 and 80. Having a pin for 80 would be flat out stupid. Not going to waste a pin for ONE arrow of 112.


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## Unclegus (May 27, 2003)

I'd say he's using a moveable sight and scope. I do also. If you spend much time shooting the longer distances, you will learn how to hold better and when you get confidence in shooting these longer yardages, the 3D stuff will look like chip shots. I shoot a lot of 60/70 yard stuff at an NFAA 50 CM target. Sometimes as many as 250 arrows in a day.


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## 3Dpeepsight (Aug 22, 2011)

That's a bunch of arrows...I've thought about a moveable pin sight...but just rely on shooting enough to understand my in-between pin distances...I totally agree that shooting longer distances makes shorter shots easier...I've learned much more about my form etc at longer distances...


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## CarlV (Mar 12, 2008)

3Dpeepsight said:


> Anyone shooting longer distances in order to become more accurate at closer distances? If so...how are you doing it...how far are you shooting and what results are you experiencing?


Shooting longer distances to make shorter targets seem easier works quite well. It's a form thing. If you mess up your form even a little bit at long distances it makes a big differance in where your arrow hits. 

The practice range we made has the 3rd target as a 100 yard walk-up. We tend to spend quite a bit of time at 100 yards because it's fun to compete with friends there. The next target is a 36 yard fan - talk about a chip shot! Sure seems easy then.


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## Kade (Jan 11, 2011)

I don't shoot longer distance to be come better shooting closer. But I do shoot longer distance to become better. :wink:

You can shoot nothing but 40 yds and under and you can become VERY good. I'm sure there are bunch of people that never shoot anything but indoors and they shoot very good. 

But if you spend more time shooting longer yardage you will become much better shooting up close. When I go to the range unless I am checking or getting marks I usually don't shoot under 40yds unless I'm shooting an actual field range. I may shoot 4 or 5 arrows at 20 yds but that's it and that's just to stretch things out. I never shoot or vary rarely shoot any arrows at 30 yds. When I do it's usually towards the end of practice and I might shoot 10 arrows there. I usually pull the bow out and go straight to 40 yds. I usually shoot 4-5 ends there. Then I usually actually skip 50 and go straight to 60yds. 

My last trip to the range I started at 40 and shot there 3 ends. Went to 50 and shot there 2 ends. Then shot 60 3 or 4 times. Then the storm started and we went indoors. If the storm didn't blow in or if we had waited it out I would have only shot the few ends at 40 and then gone and shot half a field round. 




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## CarlV (Mar 12, 2008)

Kade said:


> I never shoot or rarely shoot any arrows at 30 yds.


WHAT! You don't practice the "Dirty-Thirty?"


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## Unclegus (May 27, 2003)

CarlV said:


> WHAT! You don't practice the "Dirty-Thirty?"


 I had never heard the "dirty thirty" thing. But I can tell you it really fits well.....


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## Spoon13 (Feb 20, 2007)

Back when I was shooting foam regularly, I always practiced out to 10 yds past my class max. I also put contractor flags in the ground at every 5 yards. Not only did my shooting get better but so did my judging. Using the flags helps you see what that last 5 yds looks like from different distances. Those are usually the ones that cause the most problems.


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## Kade (Jan 11, 2011)

CarlV said:


> WHAT! You don't practice the "Dirty-Thirty?"


Not on the practice range. Don't need to. I honestly don't really struggle on the 30. If I'm at the range I'm shooting 40, the avg field distance, and 60. And most of my arrows are shot at 60. 

Most times I go to the range I don't waste my time on the practice butts. I find it boring and a waste of shooting practice time. I warm up with a handful of arrows and go shoot a half. That's when I shoot the 30. :wink:

But like I said earlier I shoot it sometimes. Just not real often. The 30 for me isn't one that gets me. If I miss the 30 it has nothing to do with it being a 30. The one that will get me is the 32f on the hunter side. 


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## Unclegus (May 27, 2003)

Spend some time trying to keepem' in the ten ring on an 80CM NAA face at 50M. that'll get you goin'


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## Kade (Jan 11, 2011)

I don't care what the target is or what distance it is. I have come to realize I don't need to worry about anything but staring down the spot and making a good shot. If I do that it's going in the middle, I don't care if it's a bunny, 30, 50 or 80. 


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## 3Dpeepsight (Aug 22, 2011)

Love talking archery...good stuff in this forum...season is right around the corner...nothing better than being prepared!


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## steve morley (Dec 24, 2005)

I shoot unsighted Div', either Longbow or Recurve Bowhunter.

I do what's called Walkback, start at 10y and take a shot every 5 yards till I reach 80y (sometimes 100y) this gives me good feedback and lets me groove my Gaps and build confidence.


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## pilotmill (Dec 10, 2008)

Steve,

I shoot barebow and use the walkback also. I stringwalk and the walkback and walkup both nail down my crawls and any left right issues that tend to crop up. If I hit a distance where my crawl is weak I stop and spend some time there. Gar.


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## redman (Feb 22, 2003)

I like 65 yards if you can keep them it the the spot you are going to shoot a great score on a field round


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## Unclegus (May 27, 2003)

I'm with you on that one, getting where your technique is good enough, relaxed, and smooth enough is the ticket. I work on getting feel of a great shot more than I do score because if you get the first the other will follow. Even on a three inch dot at 50M


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## steve morley (Dec 24, 2005)

pilotmill said:


> Steve,
> 
> I shoot barebow and use the walkback also. I stringwalk and the walkback and walkup both nail down my crawls and any left right issues that tend to crop up. If I hit a distance where my crawl is weak I stop and spend some time there. Gar.


I'm looking to try the dark art of Stringwalking this winter, nobody here to teach me so there will be a lot of trial and error over the winter months


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## sav_carguy (Aug 28, 2011)

In the late 90's, when I was shooting every day, I hardly ever practiced at less than 50 yds if I was at a range(only room for 30 yds at the house). At my home club, my routine was a dozen at 20, then straight for the 100 yard line, and I'd stay there as long as I had the practice range to myself. At that time, 600-700 shots in a weekend was not at all uncommon for me, and the majority of those would be at 100.


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## archerpap (Apr 24, 2006)

Shoot the next size smaller target during practice. Remember, the bunny targets are the same size as indoor 20yds, so that shouldn't be any problem, but stretch it to 30. Use the 20yd face out to 50 and the 35 face out to 80. Will really help you focus, and be more precise. I do it alot, and it actually helped and won me $200 cuz they had the 30yd face on a 35F. 4X 20, and the other guy shot a 19. Saved me a win and cash!!


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## rock monkey (Dec 28, 2002)

archerpap said:


> Shoot the next size smaller target during practice. Remember, the bunny targets are the same size as indoor 20yds, so that shouldn't be any problem, but stretch it to 30. Use the 20yd face out to 50 and the 35 face out to 80. Will really help you focus, and be more precise. I do it alot, and it actually helped and won me $200 cuz they had the 30yd face on a 35F. 4X 20, and the other guy shot a 19. Saved me a win and cash!!


huh?

the bunny targets are 20cm and the 15-30yd targets are 35cm. the 5spot is 40cm


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## hdracer (Aug 8, 2007)

Shooting smaller targets at slightly longer distances is not the same as shooting standard tragets at extended distances. Yes, your form should be the same but it is different when you crank your sight down to shoot 80 or 90 yards. For me, shooting a great group (which is relative) at 90 yds is a big confidence builder. It does make shooting the shorter distances easier, at least for me. It also points out form flaws that you may not see at short distances. It's a mental game--seeing that target sooo far out there has a way of messing with your head especially if you're shooting in your first tournament.

So even though FITA (WAF) is shrinking our compound distances, I continue to shoot as far as I can (generally 70 to 90 meters). This carries over to Field with their few long target ranges.

I can't wait till indoor season comes to an end each year so I can get back out and shoot longer than 18M or 20 yds.


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## archerpap (Apr 24, 2006)

rock monkey said:


> huh?
> 
> the bunny targets are 20cm and the 15-30yd targets are 35cm. the 5spot is 40cm


Lay a Vegas face over the bunny face...same size. They even use that set up for the pro/am at indoor nationals, and if it's not, practice it anyways.


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## field14 (May 21, 2002)

archerpap said:


> Lay a Vegas face over the bunny face...same size. They even use that set up for the pro/am at indoor nationals, and if it's not, practice it anyways.


But NOT for the "5" on the bunny face they aren't! In addition, the "5" on the 14-32 yard faces (hunter and field) is WAY SMALLER than the "5" on the blue indoor face!

We had a FEW shoot 60X on our indoor league on the NFAA Blue indoor face...but NOBODY shot 40X's out of 40 shots when we shot the field and hunter faces in a new round we developed for leagues! That "5" ring on the field/hunter face is again WAY smaller than the "5" ring on the blue face...and the X-ring is smaller too. Not all that many shot a "perfect 200" on the field nor the hunter face at 20 yards for the league either. Yet, most all of the shooters easily shoot 53+ X's on the blue face indoors.

field14 (Tom D.)


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## wa-prez (Sep 9, 2006)

I like to spend much of my practice time shooting the "Dirty Thirty" and the "Nifty Fifty"

Those are the longest distances (in field) those target faces are used - the 35cm target at 30 yards, the 50cm target at 50 yards.

Then when I shoot those targets at their shorter distances (15, 20, and 25 yards for the 35cm, 35, 40 and 45 yards on the 50cm) they feel easy, and I don't tighten up when I get them at their maximum ranges, as I used to do when I spent more time at 20 yards and 40 yards on those faces. 

I'll admit I don't spend as much time at 60 and 65 yards as I should, and only shoot 80 yards enough to confirm my sight mark. After all, you only shoot 80 yards ONE Arrow in a 14-target unit, but LOTS of targets are in the 30-60 yard range.


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## LastScout (Jun 18, 2006)

I can only easily shoot out to 50 in the back yard so I use the 35cm face. Gives the impression of 65cm face at loger distances.


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## DonJohnson (Oct 13, 2011)

Five ring isn't that what used to be our aiming dot back in the 50s. I remember back then when the topguns in our club usrd to say unlike bowling no one would ever shoot a perfect Field round. 

Don Johnson


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