# I was pefectly fine untill....



## notagrlygrl (Aug 17, 2006)

I just got a new Martin bow. When I first started shooting, it was sighted in perfectly. My boyfriend (who bought it for me) also bought it to be shared with his nephew who is 13 and my size. His draw is 1/2 " longer so they changed it to fit him. After he shot it only once, I cant hit the target to save my life. We had to completely move it back to the original mounting site and it tinker with it again. I still have no clear pattern. Before it was a nice close grouping right on the center/kill zone. Now its left, right, up... all over!!! I am supose to go to my first 3-D shoot this weekend. I have already lost 1 arrow, missed several, just couldnt retrieve that last one. I am freaking out about it, and my boyfriend wont help me sight it in!! UH! Any suggestions would be great. I am completly new to all of this. I mainly shoot up and to the right, but thats until it changes again!!


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## thenson (Mar 23, 2004)

*Freak out...*

Hey, what model bow did you get?

Just a couple of quick thoughts. I know people that are super-sensitive to draw length. Meaning that if the bow is setup just a little off, it affects their shooting.

I don't know how knowledgible your boyfriend is, but maybe he got the bow slightly out of tune or didn't get the draw length back exactly to where it was.

One thing you might do, when you get it back right, is have his nephew shoot with a longer d-loop or a release with a rope. I use a rope release and a d-loop, which adds about 3/4" to the draw length which is fine for me. If you both shoot with fingers, its not as easy.

I would check the tuning, then play with draw length... hope this helps.

thenson


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## notagrlygrl (Aug 17, 2006)

Thenson- I shoot a jaguar. I hope that helps. 


My BF is moderately knowledgable with his bow, but he shoots a matthews lt or xl, i dont know. All he said he did was lengthen the draw length. (Is that grammatically correct?) Anyway, it was all screwed up after. We changed out a too big whisker biscuit, it does fly in a tighter pattern. But my pattern is more horizontal. usually right to left in sequential order. Maybe I am overcompensating for it pulling to the right. I have tried a stabilizer, (dont remember the name, but it does have the bullets in the end), which seems to slightly help. I am going out to shoot some targets tonight. Hopefully we can get it figured out!


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## txdukklr (Jan 9, 2003)

i'm no expert but was the draw weight changed?


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## notagrlygrl (Aug 17, 2006)

txdukklr said:


> i'm no expert but was the draw weight changed?



Nope still 46# , my draw was 28" now its somewhere between 28 1/2' to 29"


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## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

notagrlygrl said:


> I just got a new Martin bow. When I first started shooting, it was sighted in perfectly. My boyfriend (who bought it for me) also bought it to be shared with his nephew who is 13 and my size. His draw is 1/2 " longer so they changed it to fit him. After he shot it only once, I cant hit the target to save my life. We had to completely move it back to the original mounting site and it tinker with it again. I still have no clear pattern. Before it was a nice close grouping right on the center/kill zone. Now its left, right, up... all over!!! I am supose to go to my first 3-D shoot this weekend. I have already lost 1 arrow, missed several, just couldnt retrieve that last one. I am freaking out about it, and my boyfriend wont help me sight it in!! UH! Any suggestions would be great. I am completly new to all of this. I mainly shoot up and to the right, but thats until it changes again!!


http://www.martinarchery.com/pdf/DynaCam.pdf

That is a link to the picture of the cam located at the bottom of your bow.

There are only two screws.

You will need a hex key wrench,
also called an allen wrench. 

One of the screws is a pivot.
Loosen it slightly.

The other screw is a lock down screw.

Loosen both screws slightly.

There is a draw length module
with a slot.

The adjustment range for the slot is exactly 1/2-inch.

Rotate the module all the way one end.
Tighten both screws.

Try that out.

It the draw length is wrong,
then loosen both screws.

Move the module to the other end of the slot.
Tighten both screws.

You can return the bow to the shorter
draw length yourself.


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## txdukklr (Jan 9, 2003)

first holy cow your draw is the same as mine!!!

second i've always shot hoyts in 28 i went and got a mathews and literally love the feel of the bow hate the way i spray arrows all over the place.

I went and shot a bow that was 27.5 inch draw and immediately, not even used to the bow I shot better.

that half an inch screwed up my form like crazy and i couldn't group for crap.


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## Buksknr53 (Mar 30, 2006)

Hmmm....New bow...new to archery...shotting 3-D already.... sharing a bow... I would not think of shooting 3-D until I was comfortable shooting a new bow. It takes time to get used to a new bow and break it in. To me, sharing a bow is like sharing underwear! It's a personal thing that is set up the way I want it. It fits me and me only.
The only person that I would share a bow with is a clone of myself!


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## Slippy Field (Nov 4, 2005)

Sharing bows ain't cool, its like sharing women. Feels good but something just ain't the same. :sad:


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## notagrlygrl (Aug 17, 2006)

I dont know if I really want to adjust the length, cause I am now shooting at that length. When i was measured i had a 73" wingspan, 29" draw. But when I drew back the 'draw length bow' I was 28". So that really shouldnt matter.


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## notagrlygrl (Aug 17, 2006)

Buksknr53 said:


> To me, sharing a bow is like sharing underwear!


 


That was great. He is still growing and my BF thinks he should be financially responsible for buying him all the equipment that he needs to hunt with. (I dont agree, but thats a diff story) This situation pisses me off, but anyway... This one is mine, he is just going to shoot it for youth season. By the way he is growing, it wont fit him next season. 

I am not afraid of shooting in a 3-d shoot, I was fine with what i was shooting before, just need to site it in.


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## kjwhfsd (Sep 10, 2005)

new archer trying to compensate for a draw legenth that is to long all that is going to do is give you bad form and bad habbits that you will have to unlearn if you want to shoot well. yes draw legenth realt does matter at 73 in you should be at 28 in max if you are drawing to long you will have a problem with your back tension and more than likley griping the bow that will cause torking that will make your shots off horizantaly which is the problem you described


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## notagrlygrl (Aug 17, 2006)

*UPDATE:* I shot at 3-D targets and the regualr kind with rings (sorry, I dont know their real name  ) and at first it was fine. I was hitting the kill zone and inner circle. As I kept shooting, some where around the 15th arrow they started to become askew. At the end I was lucky to hit the 3-ds or the paper. It gets really frustrating, really fast. My arm didnt feel tired, but I was getting more and more angry. So Im guessing the draw length and my rage might have been a factor. 


Would you suggest having the draw length changed back to 28? His nephew wont shoot it untill october. I doubt that he will even practice 4 more shots. (I shoot 3-4 times a week). I want to have it changed, but dont want to piss him off.


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## 2-STROKE (Aug 17, 2006)

If this were me, and I shot way more often, then it would be set to my specs... if the nephew is only gonna use it to hunt with lets say, then he doesnt need to be as particular about it. Whats up with your boyfriend not wanting to help you set it up right - get him straightened up girl!


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## DeadNutsAA (Aug 5, 2003)

You definitely need to have the bow adjusted back to your draw length (28" I believe you said), without the proper draw length it will be uncomfortable for you to shoot it and you WILL develop bad habits in your shooting form. Each bow should be customized to fit its shooter, and no two archers shoot exactly the same. Knowing this you will not be able to shoot a bow properly that is setup for you bf's nephew, it needs to be customized to fit you. Change the draw length and go through and tweak things how you want them so the bow fits you, if your bf won't help go to the proshop and they'll set you up. Tell the nephew to go get his own bow, there are good bows in the classifieds here that you won't have to spend an arm and a leg for.


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## notagrlygrl (Aug 17, 2006)

I talked to him today about changing it until his Nephew wants to practice. It really doesnt take that much time. But no... he wont let me change it till after youth season. So I said, fine I wont shoot it. We havent talked about it since. So we'll see how this weekend goes! Thank you all for your advice!


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## DeerslayinSOB (Aug 11, 2006)

You really need to set that bow up for you and only you. I don't shoot my friends bows, and they don't shoot mine. My tuning is different than yours or anybody's, and that what makes the bow yours. Good luck


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## 2-STROKE (Aug 17, 2006)

notagrlygrl said:


> I talked to him today about changing it until his Nephew wants to practice. It really doesnt take that much time. But no... he wont let me change it till after youth season. So I said, fine I wont shoot it. We havent talked about it since. So we'll see how this weekend goes! Thank you all for your advice!


I have a bow you can use! :thumbs_up


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## FS560 (May 22, 2002)

You really need to get rid of that bow and your dumb mama's boy boyfriend.


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## Darton01 (Aug 25, 2006)

OK Heres what you gotta do,take your bow and your whisker bisquit,drop the BF and come see me.LOL.


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## notagrlygrl (Aug 17, 2006)

Thanks for all the offers guys! I went ahead and shot with the current specs. I shot two courses and totalled 345. I missed 5 long range targets out of the 56 total. I was content with my score. At the end I was getting tired and was shooting as well. 

I tried to explain to him why i would have a horizontal pattern. I told him that i would have to extend my arm and open my shoulders farther, creating movement when i shot. He shut up about us sharing and thought about getting his nephew a bow.


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## 2-STROKE (Aug 17, 2006)

haha, yea once he saw other guys were willing to help - he changed his tune :wink:


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## USMCarcher26 (Apr 2, 2005)

*My .02*

When the Draw is to long you have to really stretch out to compensate for the difference. Was the string hitting your arm? This can cause you to shoot everything on a Horizontal plane or if you had to lean back you would be shooting everything up and down. Now Get a new boyfriend and shoot a ROSS.:wink: I'm such a homewrecker.


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## Roland (Oct 16, 2002)

notagrlygrl said:


> I dont know if I really want to adjust the length, cause I am now shooting at that length. When i was measured i had a 73" wingspan, 29" draw. But when I drew back the 'draw length bow' I was 28". So that really shouldnt matter.


I disagree................you're probably going in the wrong direction and should be shooting a 29" draw. It could have been set up wrong to begin with and your BF changed it to 28".


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## EXTREME 1 (Jan 24, 2004)

When you are over drawing you are to streched out and this will cause a horizontal movement and always in the same direction might even get some skin torn off the forearm as the string passes it and if the Draw length is set properly you should have a slight bend to the bow arm and your ankor will be at the corner of your mouth. In keeping the same posture your groupings will get tighter especially if you feel comfortable when shooting.


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## dartman (Apr 22, 2004)

notagrlygrl said:


> I dont know if I really want to adjust the length, cause I am now shooting at that length. When i was measured i had a 73" wingspan, 29" draw. But when I drew back the 'draw length bow' I was 28". So that really shouldnt matter.


I'd place more faith in your measured drawlength than in that "wingspan" formula. The formula assumes that several dimensional ratios are highly uniform among people. Using the formula is like buying clothing "off the rack"; the results will be unsatisfactory for some.


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## thenson (Mar 23, 2004)

*Just my observations...*



notagrlygrl said:


> *UPDATE:* I shot at 3-D targets and the regualr kind with rings (sorry, I dont know their real name  ) and at first it was fine. I was hitting the kill zone and inner circle. As I kept shooting, some where around the 15th arrow they started to become askew. At the end I was lucky to hit the 3-ds or the paper. It gets really frustrating, really fast. My arm didnt feel tired, but I was getting more and more angry. So Im guessing the draw length and my rage might have been a factor.
> 
> Would you suggest having the draw length changed back to 28? His nephew wont shoot it untill october. I doubt that he will even practice 4 more shots. (I shoot 3-4 times a week). I want to have it changed, but dont want to piss him off.


Just my opinion about what you have posted so far. I agree that shooting a bow that is properly fit for you is key. Whether you share or not is irrelevant as long as the bow is setup to your spec's when you shoot. One suggestion is that when you finally get your setup perfected, measure everything or mark where everything is.

An important part of getting your setup "perfected", is draw length. Whether you need to go shorter or longer is up to your physical size and form, if everything else is correct, then the text book formula is just a good starting point. Not the optimum place for you but a good starting point. If you don't have that figured out, then your form can suffer. If its off just a little, you might be able to compensate for a few shots, but after several shots you begin to see the effects of muscle fatigue from poor form and your shots begin to spray out in a larger and larger group.

If you have not seen any of the posts on the forum about "Hey, how is my form" then I would suggest that you look at a few old posts on form. Especially look at the drawings and comments by "Nuts&Bolts".

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=372805

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=373511

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=323632

It is amazing what you see once you start looking at pictures of your form and what others can see. If you choose to do this, get full body shots from head to foot and a full shot of you from the front so N&B can comment on your draw length.

If you really want to improve and become consistent, I highly recommend doing this. The next step would be to do what some above has recommended, get your own bow. Occassionally there are some really good deals to be found here.

So look at the old posts above and most of all, have fun. Archery can be a life-long passion, get started with a good set of basics and learn this stuff for your self.

Good Luck,

thenson


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## notagrlygrl (Aug 17, 2006)

thenson said:


> If you choose to do this, get full body shots from head to foot and a full shot of you from the front so N&B can comment on your draw length.
> 
> If you really want to improve and become consistent, I highly recommend doing this.



You just want a full body shot  lol. I totally know what you mean. I think a whole look at my form would be best. I'll get on that this weekend! 

Thanks everyone!!!!!!:wink:


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## Darton01 (Aug 25, 2006)

I agree we can help you much more if we see your form.:hug:


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## ralphy670 (Sep 2, 2006)

I also shoot a Martin bow. I am no expert in this sport, in fact I am fairly new (only 4th year). I was measured at a 29" draw. My bow is set to 28.5 and I seem to shoot well. If I make any length adjustments in my release, I start to have the same problems you do. I also start to get frustrated and then it can even get worse. I found the best thing for me is to shoot around 20 arrows max every other day for the first few weeks when picking up the bow again. The muscles involved can tire easily when they are not used for a length in time. 
I dont shoot 3d either so others may have more to offer in that department.
Sometimes a person can even have a bad day shooting, like any other sport there is a large mental aspect involved in archery. 
Good job on the shoot. Not a bad score at all. 
I would, like others have mentioned, try to get your own bow. It is like an old pair of shoes that will only fit you the best.
Good luck. Stay positive.


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## Darton01 (Aug 25, 2006)

Hmmm.Guess we arent getting those bodyshots?:hurt:


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## notagrlygrl (Aug 17, 2006)

Forgot to take pics. :embara: I did shoot some this weekend. I hit a perfect dead ringer on the target and BF took a pic on his phone. I will take sometime this week. We are also super busy refinishing his house. Sorry!


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## dartman (Apr 22, 2004)

Making you work hard AND expecting you to share your bow...tsk, tsk...


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## Darton01 (Aug 25, 2006)

notagrlygrl said:


> Forgot to take pics. :embara: I did shoot some this weekend. I hit a perfect dead ringer on the target and BF took a pic on his phone. I will take sometime this week. We are also super busy refinishing his house. Sorry!


:RockOn: :cheer2: :banana:


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## notagrlygrl (Aug 17, 2006)

*UPDATE!!!!*

His nephew came over for the weekend. They F'ed around with the site. It shoots high now. So high that When I shot it, I missed over the back and broke a board in a playhouse thing behind the decoy!!!!!!!! I told him that Im not touching it until he's done hunting, so dont F'ing ask!!! Im so pissed about the whole thing i dont even want to hunt. This is after he told me that he was going to change the specs on his old PSE to fit his nephew. UHHH!!!


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## EXTREME 1 (Jan 24, 2004)

Dang what a jerk sorry you have to deal with his crap. You should tell him that tell you get your bow back the way it was when he promised it to you he's not messing around with you either.:wink: . See how long it takes you to get him to get it back in the condition it was when you were shooting it.:wink: And get his nephew the bow he promised him.


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## Darton01 (Aug 25, 2006)

Sounds like you should buy your own bow,this one is obviously NOT yours.Then go get a new BF to shoot with.:frusty:


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## RocArcher (Sep 20, 2006)

You had mentioned earlier your boyfriend was moderately knowledgeable regarding his bow. I have to question that statement at this point. He has to know that once the bow is adjusted for you and then you change it for his nephew, you will not be anywhere near the target. It's as simple as you just need your own bow. Sharing is simply not feasible for two people wanting to shoot in the same time period.


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## Punch_Master (Jul 24, 2002)

Darton01 said:


> Sounds like you should buy your own bow,this one is obviously NOT yours.Then go get a new BF to shoot with.:frusty:


I second that emotion.:thumbs_up 
I believe it is called being a indian giver to give something to someone then take it back off them later. If he wanted a bow for his nephew he should've went out and bought him one not stole yours. Pretty crummy INMHO.


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## kcpanages (Oct 21, 2010)

So what is the final outcome on ur bow situation?


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## gymrat70 (Apr 13, 2006)

There are some great threads on here about shooting form with illustrations. Check them out. I totally agree with other posters. Drawing too long is bad. There is a reason folks talk about and desire a good back wall. You want to be pulling into the bow even at full draw, using back mucles. This helps to stabilize. Drawing too long takes that away from you. At the end of the day to get back to where you were you gotta get that drawlength set back to 28". Nothing else you try is going to matter until this is done. 

As others have said bows are pretty much shooter specific. Rifles you can borrow and lend out. Bows...it's better not to. Also let's not throw the boyfriend under the bus just yet. He may not have realized what a mess this would cause depending on his knowledge level and sounds like he was just trying to help his nephew out. Now I'm sure he realizes this is not a real good solution. I know when my bow is setup I am touchy about changing anything on it. Sometimes it only takes one little thing to ruin accuracy. At any rate, good luck with 3d, it is a lot of fun.


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## AT_X_HUNTER (Aug 10, 2005)

Darton01 said:


> Sounds like you should buy your own bow,this one is obviously NOT yours.Then go get a new BF to shoot with.:frusty:


I third that. Get your own bow because this one isn't yours. They just let you shoot it when the other kid isn't. Get a bow that fits you and set it up the way you want. Learn how to do this stuff yourself and then don't let anyone else touch it.


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## deadhead (Aug 26, 2004)

get rid of the boy friend and keep the bow set up to your specs


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## BXRandall (Oct 22, 2010)

this thread was over 4yrs old? why revive it? the OP is not even active anymore, this is post count padding if you ask me


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## jim46ok (Oct 9, 2008)

No one has touched on ARROWS......while sharing the bow, are you both shooting the same *ARROWS*???..........and are they all matched? (same weight, FOC, length, fletch, etc.....)


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## eaglecaps (Nov 4, 2009)

While you're fixin up the house.....fix him up with a bed in the coldest room of the house and tell him he's sleeping in there WITHOUT you and he cant move outta there till he gets you a new bow for YOU! I let my buddy shoot one of my bows ONCE....that bow never shot the same after that. Didn't even change anything....Sold it a few months later...


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