# Archery accuracy tips?



## Turkey_Slayer (May 4, 2012)

As much practicing that I do, I never seem to be "dead on". I mean one day I'm shooting pretty good and then the next day I'm shooting to the right for some reason. And don't go saying I probably bumped it because I know I didn't. So any tips for better accuracy?


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## kneedeep (May 30, 2008)

More then likely your doing something different. Like your grip, anchor point or looking through your peep. Eery thing has to be the exact same every time.


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## Turkey_Slayer (May 4, 2012)

Is there anything I can do to make sure they're the same every time?


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## kneedeep (May 30, 2008)

Some people like a kisser button or a serving ball. But as for the grip Im not sure what you could do. Do you shoot with a tight grip or relaxed grip? If tight loosen it up so your bottom finger lay at a 45 degree angle and have your thumb and index finger slightly touch. This will keep you from torquing the bow


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## boomer_x7 (Dec 19, 2008)

If you start pulling to the right (assuming yer right handed) You are probobly favoring your release... Meaning right before you are releasing you are pulling just enough topull the bow to the right. Also what kind of release are you using?

Also a big thing is slow down!! dont rush the shot and dont shoot to fast between arrows!


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## mkriep2006 (Mar 28, 2011)

the biggest game changer for me was learning how to use a peep site properly!. I have been shooting and hunting for 20+ years, but it wasn't until recently (2 years ago) that i learned how to use a peep site properly.. When you are looking through your peep sight align the ring of the peep site with the ring around your sight pins (if you don't already do this). Not only will this assure you are looking though your peep the same every time it will also give you a clearer picture of how steady you are while sighting on your target. As long as I have been shooting I can't believe i never figured this out or someone never told me this sooner. It took me from a six inch group at 30 to a 2 inch group, For many years I refused to take shots at 30 or 40 because i could not get my grouping tight enough for me to confidently take a shot, spent years shooting 20 yards or closer


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## 88luneke (Jan 13, 2009)

As previously mentioned, anchor points and grip are where you likely need to do some work. Personally when it comes to my head/face, I have three anchor points to know that I'm in the same position each time.

1) When I draw my index finger knuckle is just below my ear lobe and behind my jaw.
2) I have a kisser button on my string set so that its slightly pulling on the corner of my mouth.
3) The string will touch my nose a hair right of center. 

I have ingrained this into my shooting form over and over and over and over again until it became second nature.

Depending on the type of release you have you may be able to lengthen or shorten it so that you can fine tune the anchor point behind your ear, which is what I had to do. You may also be able to adjust how much force is needed to pull the trigger (don't pull, squeeze!!!). 

The grip is a tricky one to nail down. I took the grip off my bow to lower the amount of possible torque and it feels so much better when I shoot. The riser of my bow, or the handle I guess, will go against my hand completely from the "v" between my index finger and thumb and down to just left of where my thumb bone meets the wrist. Using this space in my hand I am easily able to repeat the grip, which as mentioned should be lose. Let your fingers hang out, trust your wrist sling..that bow isn't going anywhere.

A couple other things not mentioned could be the culprit: Form and follow through.

I see many of my friends shooting and their right elbow is NOT inline with their arrow, most are off to the side. By moving your elbow into a straight line with your arrow you will cut out fliers off to the right. After taking a break from shooting (not by choice) I had to reteach my form to be inline with the arrow.

A consistent follow through will do wonders. Make sure you are SQUEEZING the trigger and not pulling it! It's hard for me to put into words what a follow-through should be other than consistent and repeated every. single. time you shoot. Hopefully others will weigh in on this.

Good luck at the range!


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## 454casull (Jan 6, 2005)

Re-check your draw length. Chances are you are long. Write down your shot process on paper. Follow it to a "T".


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## outdoor_m_i_k_e (Feb 3, 2005)

Depending on the type of release you have, this is the first thing that came into my head. If you are using an index finger release, make sure it is adjusted as short as possible. you want to be able to curl your finger around your release, not the tip of your finger. It is less sensitive in the pad of your fingers compared to the tip of your fingers, thus allowing more of a surprise release when you are hovering over the target. 
Which brings to another. Dont try to hold the pin steady and in one spot only. Take that one spot you want to hit, and let the pin hover around it. You will be surprised how much more accuracy it will give you when letting the pin "float" rather than trying to hold it still.


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## protectionisamust (Nov 9, 2010)

First thing that came to my mind is if your using a trigger - don"t slap the trigger. Slowly release the trigger (like a sniper does with his rifle).

My neice had this problem for years and it always caused the arrow to fly about 3-5" in either direction.

Other tips i have - 

use a sight with thinner pin tips

For me, I opened my peep sight hole a little wider (seemed to worked for me)

Kisser button is mandatory in my eyes - they work

relaxed grip - (i actually put a peice of hockey tape on the grip to make sure my hand was at the same place everytime before releasing the arrow

don't shoot 300 arrows during a practice session. I get less accurate the more I shoot.

Thats all i have right now but if I think of more - i'll let you know


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## Joe Archer (Mar 29, 2000)

Great tips so far. I will expand on the follow through because it is an easy thing to let slip even if you have been shooting for decades. It is the one element that I always seem to have to reinforce myself. 
With good follow through - all you do is release the trigger, remain motionless as possible, and aim until your arrow hits the target. Your string hand should naturally move slighty straight back, but your head, bow hand, and bow arm should not move. You should continue to concentrate on your aiming point, and not switch your concentartion to the arrow. (commons errors - pulling head to watch arrow, closing hand to grip rest, dropping bow arm). If you get rid of torque and work on your follow through you will really tighten up your groups.
One other point - everything stated above assumes that you are shooting a well tuned bow. If you are not tuned perfectly, it is very difficult to get consistency.
<----<<<


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## 88luneke (Jan 13, 2009)

Joe Archer said:


> Great tips so far. I will expand on the follow through because it is an easy thing to let slip even if you have been shooting for decades. It is the one element that I always seem to have to reinforce myself.
> With good follow through - all you do is release the trigger, remain motionless as possible, and aim until your arrow hits the target. Your string hand should naturally move slighty straight back, but your head, bow hand, and bow arm should not move. You should continue to concentrate on your aiming point, and not switch your concentartion to the arrow. (commons errors - pulling head to watch arrow, closing hand to grip rest, dropping bow arm). If you get rid of torque and work on your follow through you will really tighten up your groups.
> One other point - everything stated above assumes that you are shooting a well tuned bow. If you are not tuned perfectly, it is very difficult to get consistency.
> <----<<<


That's what I was trying to put into words :lol:


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## bogie (Jul 13, 2010)

I agree with everything everyone's said already, and have picked up some tips. Thanks guys!

I'll add, pre shot routine. After golfing for the past 24 years (10 competitively) and having swing drs. I got into now hunting about three years ago. The first year I was all over the place. After going back to the drawing board I decided to add a pre shot routine and it helped my groups tremendously. Almost shrunk then in half, went from 6-8 at 30 to now about 4-5 at depending on the day. Just like golf or bowling you mind needs to be clear when you actually take the shot, but your pre shot routine will help the muscle memory. Mine is grip, BT (back tension during draw), anchor (index knuckle behind earlobe, kisser button, the string in center of nose), LIF (let the pin float, both eyes open, and pin housing centered in peep), PTR (pull through the release so the shot break is a Suprise), HTH ( hold till it hits, keep aiming long after the shot hits the target. This is akin to picking your head up looking for the ball on the shot, don't worry about the arrow, if everything else is do e properly it'll go where it's supposed to)

Hope this helps, tailor it to your needs and envision the shot and you doing it properly before you draw, clear your mind and let-er-rip! Good luck


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## bassdisaster (Jun 21, 2007)

bogie said:


> I agree with everything everyone's said already, and have picked up some tips. Thanks guys!
> 
> I'll add, pre shot routine. After golfing for the past 24 years (10 competitively) and having swing drs. I got into now hunting about three years ago. The first year I was all over the place. After going back to the drawing board I decided to add a pre shot routine and it helped my groups tremendously. Almost shrunk then in half, went from 6-8 at 30 to now about 4-5 at depending on the day. Just like golf or bowling you mind needs to be clear when you actually take the shot, but your pre shot routine will help the muscle memory. Mine is grip, BT (back tension during draw), anchor (index knuckle behind earlobe, kisser button, the string in center of nose), LIF (let the pin float, both eyes open, and pin housing centered in peep), PTR (pull through the release so the shot break is a Suprise), HTH ( hold till it hits, keep aiming long after the shot hits the target. This is akin to picking your head up looking for the ball on the shot, don't worry about the arrow, if everything else is do e properly it'll go where it's supposed to)
> 
> Hope this helps, tailor it to your needs and envision the shot and you doing it properly before you draw, clear your mind and let-er-rip! Good luck


Right and Left misses are usually draw length related, either a tad too long or too short, tho short is prefered over long.
Id agree with the comment about follow thru, the trick is to train your self to continue aming untill you hear the arrow hit the target!

BD


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## BUCK/PIKE (Oct 24, 2011)

Sometimes I shoot to the right,usually after a lot of practice(fatiqued)I find myself dropping my bow arm after release poor follow through.


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## me223656 (Dec 20, 2009)

Draw your bow with your eyes closed and anchor where its natural for you. Now open your eyes and your peep should perfectly centered up and down with your sight ring. If its not it means your moving your anchor point to center it everytime. Move your peep up or down the string till you can open your eyes and its centered on your sight ring. Once you get the vertical of your peep set correctly drawn the bow blind again open your eyes and get on target and shoot. Now adjust your sight left and right to correct left and right. Final step is to set your pins to the proper yardage

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## 12970 (Apr 19, 2005)

It also could be where your string is for me if I am not having the string touching the tip of my nose I am then looking at the pin at a slight angle and that will put the arrow off to one side a little bit more or if I am in a hurry to get some practice in I don't wait to get the pin where it is in relation tro the string and also my anchor point might be a little different. just an 1/8 of an inch for any of these will put your arrow off from where you are placing the pin on the target. I practice as much as I can just to get a rythem and know where the string / anchor point is consistent otherwise if I have not shot in a week or two maybe three it is not same as the last time and my arrows are off to the left then I wait after drawing to get my nose and the string and the pin align to the string to know it is closer and the arrow then groups at the spot I have the pin on. For some they pick up their bow a week or two before the season and never get a good forum and the arrows are all over but again that is why practice is imprtant to try and find why your off some...

Good Luck,
Newaygo1


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## me223656 (Dec 20, 2009)

A good exercise to do a few weeks befor hunting season is to get your bow out and shoot one arrow a day. Figure your not gonna practice 20 shots each morning befor u hunt. That one shot has to be good when your on the stand and all your muscles, tendons, and ligiments are cold. I usually try to do this twice a day starting the last week and a half of Sept. It wotks try it

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## Mightymouse (Sep 19, 2007)

I wrote an essay answer on my phone the other day....and it wouldn't post up....

To sum up what I wrote, (assuming that your equipment is in tune) day to day inconsistencies are going to be in some way form related 99% of the time. 

If you see day to day sessions going sideways take some time and work on your form. Form starts with a pre-shot routine and goes all the way through to your release and follow through. 

There are lots of great articles and vid's available online discussing form and shot routines.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## U of M Fan (May 8, 2005)

Like the others said I bet it's form related. Torquing your grip will cause inconsistency in your shooting.


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