# How many arrows per practice session?



## centershot (Sep 13, 2002)

How many arrows do you typically shoot per practice session? With my target bow - 30# Martin X-200, I usually shoot 150 (2 NFAA 300 rounds and a few practice rounds) or so shots. With my hunting bow 47# Howatt Diablo, I can only get 25-30 before I run out of gas. How about you?


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## YeomanLefty (Jul 12, 2010)

Shooting a 50# Bear Super Grizzly I shoot a three arrow volley about 10-12 times. I find shooting three helps add a break while walking to the target and back. I can contemplate my shortcomings also and try to mentally work on form while walking. 

With the 65# longbow it's about half that. It gives me the shakes much quicker


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## Seneca Archer (Feb 25, 2010)

Depends on when, where, and what bow. backyard practice is generally with a hunting weight bow at a 3D target. generally shoot 1 or 2 ends of 3 arrows. leave the last 3 in & go about my business for a while, then a couple more ends...repeat....might do this all day at varying time intervals all due. total number of arrows that day?...as few as 6 to as many as 30-40 I suppose. This year hunting w/ a 1957 Howatt Mamba Sharpshooter 45 @ 28 most of my "hunting" bows are 42-50#.

Now if I head to the archery club for a practice round it's about a 40 mile round trip so lot's of shots are the norm to get gas $$'s worth generally if shooting outside we shoot some practice arrows then either a hunter or field round (56 arrows) or one of each (112 arrows). For variety sometimes we shoot one H/F round (56) follwed by an Outdoor 450 (popular at our club) which is 15 arrows each at 60, 50, & 40 yds (45 arrows) followed by some friendly "nock busting" at 30 yds....so typically at club I'd say 120-150 arrows is norm. For H/F/450 rounds I use 35-45 # bows.


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## martha j (May 11, 2009)

2 maybe 3 arrows with serious concentration is all i need about 3 times a week in my back yard 10-25 yds. when hunting it's ALL about 1 shot.


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## bowhunterdave (Dec 1, 2005)

With my 70# Recurve I shoot a cpl dozen or more 3-4 times a week.


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## CEM (Jun 14, 2010)

Usualy ~250 on Saturday, anywhere from 100 - 250 on Sunday (now that its football season that's likely to be closer to 100), and Wednesday or Thursday its 60 - 100


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## lornix (May 28, 2010)

I used to shoot 120 arrows 3 times a week with a 50# recurve but I started to develop some elbow problems. I got on the Glucosamine and reduced to around 50 shots twice a week and the elbow has cleared up nicely. I have to force myself to stop shooting. The muscles can handle it but the elbow can't.


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## Wolfenstein (Sep 21, 2010)

Shooting my 60# hunting, I can easily go about 15-20 rounds of 3. I stop immediately when I start to shake or my mind becomes unfocused. I agree with Yeoman, sets of 3 work well with the frequent breaks to and from the target retrieving arrows. I do not have a target bow yet, but would love one just to shoot for fun without the fatigue.


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## jcs-bowhunter (Jul 7, 2007)

During hunting season I shoot 60 arrows 2-3 times a week to work on form on a close bale. I also shoot a dozen arrows 2-3 times a week from a treestand to my 3D target at hunting distances. Hoping to shoot a NFAA round once a week once my daughter's cross county wind down.


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## steve morley (Dec 24, 2005)

Being a Field Archer I have to shoot 112 arrows per round and when I shoot a world/European champs is 5 days shooting, if I only shot a few dozen practice arrows I just wouldn’t have enough physical or mental stamina to complete a 5 day tourney. 

Field as akin to Marathon running and like those runners you have to train past your limit, this takes time and planning to build up the physical and mental sterngth and is the challenge of Field that I enjoy so much. For me lot of my practice starts and finishes at the bale with walkbacks from 10 to 80 yards being the core of my practice and then I try and fit in a Field or Hunter round in, I reckon around 300+ arrows per session. 

Some days I’m mentally or physically tired and if I identify this I will either just got to the bale and work on specific part of my form or quit for the Day. I now also have access to a level 4 Fita coach, I’ve come a long way on my own but I feel having a coach available for when things go a little wrong with my form will get me back on track a lot faster than trying to figure it out alone.

All the years I’ve been shooting I’ve learnt that if practice is to have any benefit it needs to been done with purpose and have a measurable goal at the end of each session, just flinging arrows at the target isn’t practice and wont really get you anywhere.


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## BowmanJay (Jan 1, 2007)

I usually shoot around 50 -60 arrows in a practice session of 5 each....


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## Boberau (Dec 15, 2009)

I shoot 20 to 30 arrows per group. And, I shoot about 4 or 5 times, depending. Sometimes, I shoot 6 or 7 groups.

It almost always goes to a total of 120 to 200 arrows. I only have one bow - 50# Howett Hunter. At my draw length, it shoots about 54#.


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## WindWalker (Jan 23, 2005)

> _2 maybe 3 arrows with serious concentration is all i need about 3 times a week in my back yard 10-25 yds. when hunting it's ALL about 1 shot._


:thumbs_up

When I am satisfied that my setups are tuned to the max, they are sitting ready to be shot anytime I walk out back. And, as Martha has said, but I do it daily and several times throughout a day, I will walk to unmeasured distances up to 30 yards and shoot 2-3 arrows, and often do just the "one shot, one kill" practice. 

Once my setups are tuned and my form is tuned, my practice now centers on physically and mentally simulating the various postures and shot types and sequences that can instantly and unexpectedly confront you when bowhunting. It is not uncommon that bowhunters, _especially_ those using a recurve or longbow, have but a few seconds to decide to take the shot and put (it) all together... for just one shot.


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## centershot (Sep 13, 2002)

WW do you practice like that year round or just a few weeks before hunting season? I enjoy shooting arrows too much to shoot 2-3 arrows and quit, but I do see the benefit prior to hunting seasons.


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## bearauto11 (Apr 7, 2010)

It's hard for me to quit also. I find myself being late to things all the time because I tell myself, "Just one more end" about 20 times. 
I probably shoot 100-120 arrows in practice if I have the time.


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## kegan (Aug 28, 2006)

With my heavier bows, I'm working back up to the 60-100 I used to be able to handle. Lately I've been slouching and 20-30 is about the best I can do before my concentration just gets shot all to heck.


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## archer756 (Aug 10, 2009)

Any one do blind shooting ?


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## Bubba Dean (Jun 2, 2005)

When I practice I concentrate on making the best shot I can make. Shooting large numbers of arrows you normally lose concentration and end up just flinging arrows instead of shooting. I feel it is much better to shoot one arrow as good as you can than to just fling a 100 so you can say that you "shoot" 100 arrows a day. SteveM has a valid point on building up strength for a long field tournament. However you could build yourself up with resistance bands.


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## centershot (Sep 13, 2002)

I don't shoot 100 shots a day to say I shot 100 shots today, I do it because it is fun. I love to watch that arrow fly downrange and drill the X or intended target - doesn't happen all that often but when it does, I just can't get enough.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Bubba - 

Sorry of a lot of what you posted is part of the neo-trad myth. The concept of one good shot is valid, but often taken in the wrong (or worst possible) context. Whether you shoot one arrow or one hundred arrows, every one is shot as a single arrow. That's the trick and it holds for any of the shooting sports. 

If you actually do loose concentration (which is a bad word, btw), then all it means is that you haven't trained enough or haven't trained properly. In my experience the "one shot wonders" are just that, one shot wonders, meaning they "wonder" if that one shot will hit or not or worse have conned themselves in to believing they can pull off a good shot when confronted by "fur". All too often, the "first shot misses" are just forgotten and a second shot becomes "the first shot" ... how convenient  

If you can only muster enough strength or concentration (there's that word again) for one or two shots, you're probably just kidding yourself. I'll put my money on a guy who can get 100 shots, or more, off correctly before "burning out" over the guy shooting one or two shots any day of the week. The odds are when things get rough, both on the target line OR when hunting, that's the guy who's going to pull it together and keep it together. Why? Because he's shot enough to make the shot sequence automatic, and not have to summon every last once of mental and physical focus for that "one shot". God forbid if he needs a back up shot .... this is a game of repetition, after all. 

And, NO, you can't build yourself up with just resistance bands. Sure, you can build muscle mass, but while most people (adult males) can draw a 50 or 60# bow, most can't shoot one correctly. The muscle strength is only part of the equation, the neuro-muscular "finesse" and mental focus aren't trained for shooting with weight lifting exercises. That's why the best way to train those muscles is by actually shooting. That develops the muscles AND the focus (which, btw, it the correct word).

Viper1 out.


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## bearauto11 (Apr 7, 2010)

centershot said:


> I don't shoot 100 shots a day to say I shot 100 shots today, I do it because it is fun. I love to watch that arrow fly downrange and drill the X or intended target - doesn't happen all that often but when it does, I just can't get enough.


You said it. It's just too much fun to quit. I usually shoot arrows in a very regimented manner until I get bored of one spot and one target, then I shoot from different spots, see if I can hit the corner of the target, etc. But, man, it's hard to shoot just one (like the potato chips, I don't think I've ever done it).


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## WindWalker (Jan 23, 2005)

Viper1:

Just in case you are surreptitiously pointing your "Oly" finger at some of the replies from the long-experienced and avid bowhunters, you are completely, but not surprisingly, misinterpreting what has been said in reference as to how some if not many bowhunters hone themselves in the final days in preparation for the "moment."

I don't believe I have read, at least not yet, where anyone (bowhunter) has said that the only shooting practice they engage in at all time throughout the year or have throughout their archery life is to never shoot more than 2 or 3 arrows, and in many cases, just one. But we (bowhunters) that do in the last days or more of preparing to hit the field; we know why we do, and we know the benefits... and there are benefits. 

For bowhunters who have no intentions of shooting club-level paper or professional paper or nothing but foam figures as their only archery-related pursuits, I feel confident that "Bubba Dean's" statement makes perfect sense to most bowhunters that have been fine-tuning their shooting for weeks in preparation to hit the field for several weeks or 2 or 3 months. And I am sure he doesn't mean that all he has ever shot in his archery lifetime or ever will is just a 1 arrow string.



> When I practice I concentrate on making the best shot I can make. Shooting large numbers of arrows you normally lose concentration and end up just flinging arrows instead of shooting. I feel it is much better to shoot one arrow as good as you can than to just fling a 100 so you can say that you "shoot" 100 arrows a day.


I can shoot 100+ arrows off my 55# with stamina to spare, and when tuning of a new bow, string, change in setup, etc, I normally will...for awhile. Otherwise, unless it occurs during fun shoots, I am not going to throw bundles of arrows just to say I can. I agree with Bubba; for some it can be counter-productive...and it's boring. I'd rather watch the grass grow.


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## centershot (Sep 13, 2002)

It's boring..........and you'd rather watch grass grow.......than shoot your bow? Hope I never get to that point.........


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## Sanford (Jan 26, 2009)

Pray tell, somebody, what is a "one shot" "kill shot" practice session?:wink: You can either hit what you aim at or you can't. One arrow in the kill zone out of one shot total is the same requirement as one arrow in the bull's eye out of 60 arrows total. The latter just requires you to be able to do it 59 more times than the former, and a miss of any one is still a miss of one. 

Are we to believe that just because you have one shot, your more likely to make it the better over having many? That's an old myth they used to tell us kids to get us to shoot single-shot guns, while the others carried semi-autos, bolts, and pumps. Folks, we all shoot bows here. We ain't stupid.

I can see where someone might just "tune" themselves with a few arrow/rounds to stay their confidence, but from a practice standpoint of working on an issue or issues, the whole idea of shooting single arrows really comes from teaching newbies to slow down, think of what they are doing or did, and not think of their quiver load. A seasoned shooter should be way past that point.

BTW, I usually never count my session in arrows. I shoot 1.5 - 2 hours per day after work and can never really know how many times I walk to pull on any given session.


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## WindWalker (Jan 23, 2005)

Sanford:

You too are applying a paper puncher's interpretation of what is being said and your reading comprehension is seriously lacking at this time. It's not practicing but 1 shot, and it is not the 1 shot that the practice _emphasis _is on.


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## Sanford (Jan 26, 2009)

WW,

That's what is not making sense! Even if you are stating that you practice quick decision shooting, bent from one knee, and through the tall grass, what does that have to do with bowhunters needing a practice of a "one shot"/"kill shot" and using one arrow. Wouldn't anyone get more or the same from ingraining repeated shots at that position. I mean, we all can only shoot one arrow at a time at anything. It seems odd to state that because a bowhunter only gets one shot, a good practice session includes one shot. Doesn't compute for punching holes in anything.


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## WindWalker (Jan 23, 2005)

The bowhunting practice "method" indicated is and was not my idea, and I would wager was not Martha's idea, nor Bubba's. Being I have been around the bowhunting scene for almost half a century I would feel confident to wager any amount that the "method" is known and used by other experienced bowhunters, including celebrity bowhunters. 


> When you get right down to it, bowhunting accuracy isn't really about shooting groups; it is about shooting one arrow, the first arrow, perfectly. .......Now, here's what I do to practice that first shot: For a month or so before hunting season, I keep my bow out in my garage, and every time I walk by, I grab it and shoot one arrow...._ *Randy Ulmer*_


*Randy Ulmer.,"One shot, one kill!"*

Randy can be contacted at "Bowhunter.com," and I believe he cruises other bowhunting sites. Feel free to give Randy a cyber-ring and tell him he is an idiot, stupid, talking out his butt, or any other disparaging remark or statement you might think of at the time.


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## Sanford (Jan 26, 2009)

That article is an example of how such nonsense get propagated on these forums - all by gullible bowhunters, it seems. Take it for what it states:

Paraphrased, it's stating that the first shot must be the most accurate; therefore, practicing that first shot is critical. Nonsense. All arrows are first shots. The timing of the next shot can be immediately after or days later. Any bow(shooter) can attest to practicing with more arrows per session means more practice time.

There is only one "accurate" arrow desired each time we shoot - paper or animal shot.


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## WindWalker (Jan 23, 2005)

> _No one would argue the importance of practice. The more you shoot, the more accurate you become. However, most of our practice consists of flat shooting at a square target on an open range. You can be the best shot on the range, but that kind of practice can only go so far in helping you in the field.......the more you can simulate actual field conditions the more useful your practice sessions will be..._ *Bob Humphrey*


......


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## WindWalker (Jan 23, 2005)

Sanford:

If I recall correctly, you are not a bowhunter.


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## Sanford (Jan 26, 2009)

Windy, I shoot bows and don't have decades of history at it, but I can discern through BS page filler, and much of hunting pubs are full of it. The problem is that some hunters take the BS as codified text. It ain't. Any shooter should read the same as me at the proposed idea of needing to practice "one shot" because you only get "one shot". Think about it without confusing that notion with practicing positions, decision making, and shot timing - real practice for hunters. 

All of archery is about "one shot" or we wouldn't get accurate - hard to hit the bull with the arrows left in the quiver 

That fact that I don't bowhunt, and that you repeatedly think it has bearing on this or other topics, shows you work of myth more than facts.


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## Bubba Dean (Jun 2, 2005)

Well y'all can practice however you want.....shoot 1, 100 or 1000 a day. I will stick with the methods that I use for practicing. BTW I am not ashamed to put my tournament record or hunting record up against anyone else. I shoot 3D when competing and it is a one shot format. If I miss one shot in a 20 target round I may not be able to recover from it. In field when you are shooting 112 arrows(while ever shot is still important) one miss in 112 is not as big a killer as 1 in 20.


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## Sanford (Jan 26, 2009)

Bubba Dean said:


> Well y'all can practice however you want.....shoot 1, 100 or 1000 a day. I will stick with the methods that I use for practicing. BTW I am not ashamed to put my tournament record or hunting record up against anyone else. I shoot 3D when competing and it is a one shot format. If I miss one shot in a 20 target round I may not be able to recover from it. In field when you are shooting 112 arrows(while ever shot is still important) one miss in 112 is not as big a killer as 1 in 20.


Very good. We all should practice as we see fit. The idea being proposed is that bowhunters need a different practice session on the number of arrows shot at each session or will benefit from same. Your dropping 1 of 20 is really the same and will translate as 5 of 100. That goes to your accuracy level. There is no "one single shot" in your level that you can work on that does not go to all of your accuracy. If you hunted 20 times, single shot each time, your accuracy will still translate to 1 of 20 missed. Other than fatique, there is nothing different about shooting 20 successive to shooting 20 over 20 weeks. Other than fatique in muscle and loss of concentration, the same goes for practice sessions. The idea of a heightened first shot is just not supported by anything other than perception or severe limitation of stamina. Other than that, all that is left is a notion that would suggest we could muster all our accuracy factor and make it additive to one shot, overriding our normal accuracy level.


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## WindWalker (Jan 23, 2005)

> That fact that I don't bowhunt, and that you repeatedly think it has bearing on this or other topics,


It does. And you are providing some very good examples of how someone not experienced or having at least minimal knowledge of the important facets involved with bowhunting would misinterpret. You are displaying an elitist attitude that bowhunters in general are bumbling fools, barely able to hit the ground in a 5 acre plot with an arrow. 

I'll 2nd "Bubba's" statement and leave it at that.... 


> Well y'all can practice however you want.....shoot 1, 100 or 1000 a day. I will stick with the methods that I use for practicing.


I am quite satisfied with my (archery) knowledge, and my methods of practice and my ability have served me quite well for 47 years.


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## Sanford (Jan 26, 2009)

Not an elitist, a realist. It didn't take me decades to not fall for a notion that I can choose or practice to be more accurate with my first arrow over my second, third, fourth or fifth arrow, unless I purposely choose to be less accurate with those other arrows. 

Who doesn't want to put all they can in all arrows shot? Should we let new folks here be led to believe they can add accuracy that way, by adding our total of accuracy to one arrow, when in fact, as someone else stated, if a one arrow round is more accurately shot than our normal average of missed/hit shots, we have issues with calculating our real averages over the time span or we have serious issues with our ability to shoot or with our equipment.

Claiming it's a "hunting thing" without supporting explanation is not always the answer, nor is it any answer at all. If you got supporting data, other than hunting pubs that lack the same supporting data, I'm always open. It's a nice notion, but it does not really float in the real world.


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## WindWalker (Jan 23, 2005)

> Not an elitist, a realist.


To qualify for being a realist you have to first clearly understand what is being said or claimed, and then you have to have sufficient comparative knowledge to dispute the claims.


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## steve morley (Dec 24, 2005)

Bubba Dean said:


> SteveM has a valid point on building up strength for a long field tournament. However you could build yourself up with resistance bands.


Bubba you misquoted me slightly, I said to build mental AND Physical strength for a long tourney, the goal of Field is to shoot 112 arrows for each round 4 of the 5 days, third day is animal round so in theory you could shoot 28 arrows. By the start of day four it's about being Physically in shape to shoot the bow and walk the course and having the mental strength to keep a high level of focus for such an extended period and deal with the pressure of head to head shooting.

When I first started Field rounds I noticed a big score difference between my first 14 targets against my second 14 half, even shooting one round of 112 arrows takes a fair amount of discipline, so I prefer to judge my performance by how close my first and second half scores are as it shows that I have good physcial/mental discipline.

That being said my practice is to be able to shoot Field rounds well and I was talking about requirements for myself and not what others should do, Bubba has a different agenda (Bowhunting) and his practice may not require the same level of practice as I need.

I'm off to practice, I have a big 3D tourney next week in Sardinia.:smile:


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## Two Blade (Jul 13, 2008)

I think that Larry Wise is a proponent of the single arrow practice session. IIRC, I saw one of his videos when he mentions grabbing your bow and going outside and shooting at a paper plate target and pretending that that was your shot at an animal. IMHO, I doubt that he had stick bow shooters in mind when he was talking about the one arrow practice session.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Sanford and John -

I'm going to add that while varying distances and shooting positions prior to hunting season is generally thought of as a good practice, doing so to the exclusion of more formal (formal as in form) practice will typically decrease a shooter's accuracy by any quantifiable standards. To be clear, someone typically shooting 100+ arrows a session, then changing to a handful of arrows a day, will get worse, not better. Think you guys have figured out that the only way to make that first arrow "count" is to shoot a couple of hundred thousand before it. 

This really is nothing new, and it's how we all did it decades ago and the guys who know what they are doing still do it that way today. The idea is to add a variation to the norm, not replace the norm. 

Not sure what's worse, the guys who throw this BS in the Internet just for the fun of it, or the guys who really believe it. 

Viper1 out.


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## BLACK WOLF (Aug 26, 2005)

centershot said:


> How many arrows do you typically shoot per practice session? With my target bow - 30# Martin X-200, I usually shoot 150 (2 NFAA 300 rounds and a few practice rounds) or so shots. With my hunting bow 47# Howatt Diablo, I can only get 25-30 before I run out of gas. How about you?


I believe an archer's practice routine should be based on their goals and what exactly they want to achieve during that practice session.

In most if not all cases...I don't believe an archer should just practice by JUST flinging arrows with no purpose other than that. 

I believe they should work on some aspect of their form, aiming, concentration, endurance and/or strength.

My practice sessions can vary from anywhere to one arrow/round, 6 arrows/round, 5 - 10 arrows/session, +200 arrows/session, blank bale, blind bale, NFAA 300 round, 3Ds, roving and stumping, etc. etc.

Practice doesn't make perfect but perfect practice does.

Don't think quantity...think quality.

Ray :shade:


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## Pikkuhannu (Apr 3, 2009)

centershot said:


> How many arrows do you typically shoot per practice session? With my target bow - 30# Martin X-200, I usually shoot 150 (2 NFAA 300 rounds and a few practice rounds) or so shots. With my hunting bow 47# Howatt Diablo, I can only get 25-30 before I run out of gas. How about you?



I shoot 67# longbow and 80# hunbow(maybe 65-70# my dl). 10 arrows and at least 10 times, so 100-1000 shots...


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## centershot (Sep 13, 2002)

Mr. Ulmer is also a paper puncher....and 3d shooter.....and bowhunter - humm sounds like a few of us on here.


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## Sanford (Jan 26, 2009)

Center,

That article is a perfect example of "what were they thinking" when they penned that. Before the careful parse for the quote here, and if you read the article, the actual premise of the article is that one should move their sight pins from the known "sighted in" positions to a shooter's "first shot" grouping. Again, what were they thinking. Most all pin shooters I know, including all who are not "celebrity" shooters, can walk out their garage and first shot a bull's eye x at most any range without having to move their sight pins to a "less accurate" position. That's the nonsense of the article.

Surely, being already an accomplished shooter, the author is not indicating that his first shot sequence is that bad to require sight pin adjustment. So, are we to believe what he states as good advice to someone starting out, that is, to keep moving your pins till you become more accurate. That would suggest that accuracy can be obtained through sight pin movement over form and shooting practice. One will eventually settle out their form to require a set sight position, but that position, by that time, should be it for all stages - first shot through last.

I can almost picture the author having three sight pin positions - "first shot", "fully warm", and "tired".:wink:

He would better serve hunters to write how to practice hunting conditions. Again, "one shot" is not a hunting condition. It's a condition ALL archers face until they invent automatic bows. If I practice 100 arrows, that's still a 1-arrow practice session to me, as all my arrows count as 1.


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## kegan (Aug 28, 2006)

I remember when I started getting serious about bowhunting I read alot of the "one shot" importance. The first one counts the most. So I would go out, pick a random yardage, and sling an arrow... and most often miss. So now what? My first arrow, the most important arrow that should have been a perfect bullseye, missed. I shot again. And again. And again. 

Anyway. After shooting until I got tired I walked away frustrated. Because my first wasn't perfect, so all those after became second tries, redos, and made me feel even worse about my shooting. No one told me it was ok to go out and practice towards keeping them all in the center, every shot. But I would have surely appreciated it. That's how it is with hunting: just one shot out of perpaps hundreds of thousands during one's archery career. Just one amongst many. Not the first, not some different special shot. Just like any other one. My pitiful record for hunting should be proof of that. Three gray squirrel missed within two days: none farther than 10 feet, each one giving me at least three shots a piece.

And as for the stupid argument that you can be the best paper shooter around but still be a poor shot when it comes down to it, phooey on that. Shooting at a target for a score has been the I've tried yet, and that includes wing shooting a stupid ping pong ball. I'm still trying to work at getting better on scores. Because the little bits of improvement that I have made have all gone towards making me an overal better shot. If you can put them all in or around that little 2" center at twenty paces with nothing but a steady hand, careful eye, and confidence, then you can do the same thing when Bambi walks by. 

It's all a matter of knowing how to shoot a bow. After half a century WindWalker you already know. So a few shots to keep it fresh is fine for you, which makes alot of sense. For the rest of us, however, we may need more reminders. And beginners especially. Like a Post-It note. So now if you'll excuse me, I have some notes to go post


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## archer756 (Aug 10, 2009)

It's interresting how a simple subjsct turns into BS. If any one knew what blind shooting pratice is , one would know really what real pratice or work really is, insted of all the BS! Sorry if this bothers some, but a simple subjet as pratice turns into such BS!!


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## J. Wesbrock (Dec 17, 2003)

archer756 said:


> It's interresting how a simple subjsct turns into BS. If any one knew what blind shooting pratice is , one would know really what real pratice or work really is, insted of all the BS! Sorry if this bothers some, but a simple subjet as pratice turns into such BS!!


I agree, which is probably why so many people stopped posting here. Sometimes, it gets very tiring dealing with "experts" whose only experience with certain subjects comes via the keyboard.

I've never shot IFAA field, so I certainly wouldn't debate with Steve Morley (multiple time IFAA world champion) about how to hone his craft. If the day ever comes when I've won more national and world paper and 3D championships, and killed more big game, than Randy Ulmer (which, by the way, will never happen) I may feel qualified to contemplate whether I think he may be incorrect on the subject. When people with more experience than me talk, I listen. That's how we learn. 

But personally, I have a difficult time giving any credence to bowhunting advice from people who've never actually killed anything with a bow. Just like if I ever decided to tell Denny Sturgis what it takes to put an arrow through an Asiatic water buffalo (when he's killed three and I've never so much as seen one) I'd expect him to take one of those tree trunks he calls forearms and wrap me upside the head the next time I see him.

With respect to practice sessions, I mix things up as I see fit depending on what I need to work on. I may do nothing but blind or blank bale shooting, indoor target, field, 3D, stump-shooting, or whatever. They all have their purpose, so why some folks feel the need to be argumentative I'll never understand. Sometimes I think this forum is more about some people puffing up and protecting their egos, or selling a product, than actually trying to help others.


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## BLACK WOLF (Aug 26, 2005)

J. Wesbrock said:


> With respect to practice sessions, I mix things up as I see fit depending on what I need to work on. I may do nothing but blind or blank bale shooting, indoor target, field, 3D, stump-shooting, or whatever. They all have their purpose,...


:thumbs_up :thumbs_up

Ray :shade:


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## steve morley (Dec 24, 2005)

J. Wesbrock said:


> I've never shot IFAA field, so I certainly wouldn't debate with Steve Morley (multiple time IFAA world champion) about how to hone his craft.


Correction I've only won one IFAA world Field title, the others were European Field title and Fita world 3D title, plus a few runner up medals in 3D, Indoors and Field, I'm game for anything and always nice to have the full medal colletion :wink:


Funny that the core of my training is the same regardless of shooting unmarked 3D or marked Field and although developed by myself it's interesting talking with many top shooters how similar they're training is to mine. What does change is my choice of aiming for marked Field it's 90% Gap\POA and unmarked 3D it's 90% Split\instinct.

I do have to focus on one thing at a time, if I mixed Field, 3D or even indoor rounds I struggle, this might just be a personal confidence thing. 

Important thing is to be open minded and always looking to develop your form and practice methods, even after 24 years shooting and 12 years coaching I'm looking to improve my form and coaching skills


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## WindWalker (Jan 23, 2005)

J. Wesbrock Re: Msg: #46

Amen!



> _But personally, I have a difficult time giving any credence to bowhunting advice from people who've never actually killed anything with a bow.
> _


..or bowhunt; ....the main reason why everyone but those that employ certain seemingly unorthodox bowhunting-related practice methods just have not been able to grasp that no one has said that they have completely substituted standard methods with unconventional methods. 

If the King sentenced me to death but said I could live if I could maneuver my way through a stand of timber filled with archers, I would beg him not to choose archers who _strictly_ shoot paper, knowing he would. :smile:


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## jjfiscal (Aug 19, 2010)

shot about 50 arrows today in my backyard at about 10 yards. As expected, my grouping was non-existant, but I had fun, and made me relive some stress.


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## bowboy09 (Feb 10, 2009)

i will never know,i just mess around now.It is no fun when your serious


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## steve morley (Dec 24, 2005)

bowboy09 said:


> i will never know,i just mess around now.It is no fun when your serious



Some tourney ahooters do take it quite serious but for the most most they seem to keep hold of the FUN factor, it's not like we're Pro's or our live's depend on it. 

The most fun I get from Archery is putting an arrow where I aimed (consistently) if I'm not doing that it's helping others shoot better or when I'm at an international shoot wacthing some other guy have their moment and shooting amazingly well.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Steve -

Agreed. That's the part I don't get from a lot in the "trad" crowd. I certainly have a lot more "FUN" when I'm stacking arrows than when I'm not. And the farther out I'm doing it the more "FUN" I'm having. Watching one of my students out shoot me is also a pretty big kick, usually for both of us. 

Viper1 out.


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## BLACK WOLF (Aug 26, 2005)

steve morley said:


> The most fun I get from Archery is putting an arrow where I aimed (consistently) if I'm not doing that it's helping others shoot better or when I'm at an international shoot wacthing some other guy have their moment and shooting amazingly well.


Me too! :thumbs_up  Haven't had an opportunity to go to an International shoot but my enthusiasim for watching any good archer applies anywhere 

Ray :shade:


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## Sanford (Jan 26, 2009)

Viper1 said:


> Steve -
> 
> Agreed. That's the part I don't get from a lot in the "trad" crowd. I certainly have a lot more "FUN" when I'm stacking arrows than when I'm not. And the farther out I'm doing it the more "FUN" I'm having. Watching one of my students out shoot me is also a pretty big kick, usually for both of us.
> 
> Viper1 out.


On the archers: I think most of the trad archers here at AT are pretty well rounded folks. Most any of us given a brain were given one that can process critical thinking, and amazingly, most all tend to be in unison in that critical thinking when it comes to the core of archery. The few problem ones tend to want to segregate and divide based on what one does with archery, ignoring the commonality that we are all target archers first and foremost, or should be.

On fun: No doubt the first thing invented after the bow was a target butt. After that, a scoring metric to separate the bow-holders from the archers. I doubt that process began as an exercise in fun, but I'm sure it has lived this long in practice because it_ is_ fun.


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## Andrewt406 (Oct 2, 2020)

I use 1 at a time


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## 3finger (Mar 29, 2018)

Depends on how quickly I can get out after supper. With the shorted days Sept.averaged 90 arrows per day. I have been threatening to install outdoor stadium lighting for some years now. Passed the 10,000 arrow mark in mid Sept. (started keeping track again in mid February) I can honestly say that my accuracy and consistency has improved. I approach my shooting sessions as if I am preparing for a tournament, Covid has been a big constraint but that's not something I have control over. My shooting is.


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## AlinMi (Sep 5, 2020)

15-20


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## Paul68 (Jul 20, 2012)

I get that these threads are resurrected because some are desperate to get into the classifieds, but still good to see a lot of the classics here. Does anyone know how Steve Morley is doing?


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## MWP330 (Dec 17, 2020)

I shoot almost everyday. I usually shoot vegas target 300, shooting 2-3 rounds. I have been shooting for about 4 months now. When I shoot I am always working on one or two things (form, anchor point, am I fully extending when I'm drawing back etc). I try to keep it simple so I don't get overwhelmed and I am always asking for feedback on my shooting with one of the coaches/staff on hand. To switch things up I also joined a couple of the leagues at my local range. They are very fun and give me a lot of variety. But the thing that I try to do the most is have fun and enjoy this wonderful sport of ours.


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