Archery noooooob

[JustEppic]

I think i figured it out, but someone help:

I set up a target to try and walk my sights... maybe i should have taken it to someone, but this is what happened,
Arrow one - 7-8 feet in ground in front of target (20 yard shot)
I checked and the target was on a hill, uphill. I aimed higher. Arrow was dead center (on a line) of the target, but still 8 feet in front of it, in the ground.
I moved my site and tried again. Aimed higher, and it still went in the same exact place. 8 feet in front of the target, dead center on a line.
I moved the site all the way down, (which theoretically moves my shot all the way UP). Then I aimed HIGHER. (6 inches above the target).
Still the same place.

Now. I can account for the following:
Maybe i really suck. I am really good Left/Right but my Up/Down is terrible?
OR
The slope of the hill was higher than I thought and I am not good enough yet to be trying to shoot on a hill, especially trying to find a 0 at 20 yards.
OR
Something is wrong with the Sight?
OR...
Something else?

I will answer anything I can, I plan on going to the range (flat) and trying it again with NO WIND, and see what happens... but I just cant figure it out.

 

[dgc1963]

1 What type of site and how is it mounted on bow does it have adjustments with out moving pins so the site bar moves all pins ?
2 is your rest set up right and is your nock point right ?

 

[SAJ-99]

I think i figured it out, but someone help:

I set up a target to try and walk my sights... maybe i should have taken it to someone, but this is what happened,
Arrow one - 7-8 feet in ground in front of target (20 yard shot)
I checked and the target was on a hill, uphill. I aimed higher. Arrow was dead center (on a line) of the target, but still 8 feet in front of it, in the ground.
I moved my site and tried again. Aimed higher, and it still went in the same exact place. 8 feet in front of the target, dead center on a line.
I moved the site all the way down, (which theoretically moves my shot all the way UP). Then I aimed HIGHER. (6 inches above the target).
Still the same place.

Now. I can account for the following:
Maybe i really suck. I am really good Left/Right but my Up/Down is terrible?
OR
The slope of the hill was higher than I thought and I am not good enough yet to be trying to shoot on a hill, especially trying to find a 0 at 20 yards.
OR
Something is wrong with the Sight?
OR...
Something else?

I will answer anything I can, I plan on going to the range (flat) and trying it again with NO WIND, and see what happens... but I just cant figure it out.

Anchor point the same? The pin just aligns your eye and the target. The anchor point determines where the arrow goes.

 

[JustEppic]

Ok- it is the Bear archery Cruzer G2, set up left handed. It uses Trophy Ridge 4 Pin Sight, all individually adjustable. I was setting the top pin.
My anchor point puts my left knuckle at the corner of my mouth and my thumb rests along jawline, pretty consistent.
my left-right is pretty dead on, it’s just height, I always use the peep... even though it’s hard for me to see it.
I had it onced over by a pro to make sure my line was good, he replaced my nock point and my peep before the shoot... I will take pics and try it again, will video too...

 

[dgc1963]

On the trophy ride sites cant you move the whole site assembly up and down where the pins mount and move the pins by them self ? if so this could be your issue you need to move the whole site and reset pins
on the 4 pin joker you can move the whole site and the pins not sure if yous is the same

 

[Vanishe187]

A lot could account for that. 1st i would have someone experienced watch you shoot. It could be a form issue. 2nd have your bow checked by a good shop. Not all shops have people that do good setups. My archery shop i wouldnt go to, i travel 2 hours when i have to take my bow in. Good luck, best thing is get with experienced archers.

 

[seeth07]

Shoot at 10 yards. If you're a novice, your entire first year should be spent being profficient at that range first

 

[Flyfish4ever]

as a fellow noob, I recently had the opposite problem where instead of hitting low, i was hitting super high, and my sight was already maxed out vertically. I went to my bow shop and a good friend of mine who works there moved the peep sight for me. I left it with him for a few days so he could spend the time to adjust everything, he told me he had to move the peep 3 times, and now it is good. i shot it yesterday out to 40 yards, problem resolved.

 

[JustEppic]

Flyfish, i wonder if thats the issue. I have shot before, and I am a pretty decent shot, but I have never shot this bow. My whole assembly (to answer other questions) is maxed out, and the top pin is maxed out... so it might just be the peep placement... I will run some tests.
Thanks @seeth07 I will start at 10 and see how close the shot is to the target, and work from there. I am not a novice (I shot for 2 years, and I was shooting really well with my other compound bow) but I haven't shot for awhile, I call myself a noob because i have never really spent TIME and I dont know all the terms, and i dont geek out... eventually I might, but right now I am still on the edge of becoming one of those guys... I need to shoot for awhile.

 

[JustEppic]

@Vanishe187 - thanks, i might just take it to seattle, I took it to Yakima, maybe that guy isn't as good as everyone said... I just wanted to support someone close to me (he is 35 miles away). Seattle is 2 hours.

 

[NEWHunter]

If it’s hard for you to see through the peep (assuming your eyes are fine), the peep is probably in the wrong spot. You may need to slide the peep up or down the string.

 

[SAJ-99]

Flyfish, i wonder if thats the issue. I have shot before, and I am a pretty decent shot, but I have never shot this bow. My whole assembly (to answer other questions) is maxed out, and the top pin is maxed out... so it might just be the peep placement... I will run some tests.
Thanks @seeth07 I will start at 10 and see how close the shot is to the target, and work from there. I am not a novice (I shot for 2 years, and I was shooting really well with my other compound bow) but I haven't shot for awhile, I call myself a noob because i have never really spent TIME and I dont know all the terms, and i dont geek out... eventually I might, but right now I am still on the edge of becoming one of those guys... I need to shoot for awhile.

There shouldn't be much difference between 10yds and 20yds. It sounds like your are getting close. There are only three things that can be changed - the pin, the peep, and the anchor point. On second thought, add the nock point. The only other thing I can think of is put an arrow on the nock and in the rest and check to make sure it is level. If it isn't level, you can change the other three items all you want and it won't matter.

 

[2rocky]

First make sure your arrow is level and adjust your rest or nocking point. To be that far off is more than just the sight. I think you need to raise your rest or lower the nocking point. Make sure the string is Plumb, and level the arrow on the rest.

And I'm saying this because it needs to be said...Move the pin TO the arrow. (Looks like you did that...)

 

[2rocky]

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[JustEppic]

OMG... you guys...
Step ONE. Dont Over Think.
Step TWO. Take A Breath.
Step Three... Then start process....

I reset everything back to start, and began again... I chased the shit out of those arrows and obviously over thought so much I never would have hit the target again... but... stepping away and coming back...
I am now in a 4 inch group. (not good enough, but I will get there).
The Peep site was too low, I pushed it up and now I can see through it perfectly.
I twist my wrist in, (I am left handed so my right hand twists thumb in or counter clockwise) which I think is pushing my arrow a little to the left.
Little High, Little Left.
It is consistently there, sometimes more left, sometimes more high, but always right there. So I am ready to adjust.
Do I adjust UP, and LEFT, OR... Down and Right?
I believe this is where I messed it up last time. I am also working on keeping the level in my site in the middle. I am only shooting at 20 yards until I am consistently in the bullseye, I will stretch my shots out from there.
I can shoot video of myself in slow motion. I am struggling with my anchor point, I tend to put my thumb right behind my head so that my forefinger crosses parallel with my top teeth and the trigger is at the corner of my mouth. It is in a consistent position and I can apply pressure to the back of my head, it feels comfortable for me.
I noticed I blink after the trigger has been released, I do not pull away, and I do not lift the bow, I just blink...one out of four or five times I will turn my head slightly to the right shoulder.

I also noticed that as I increased the poundage of the bow, the shot grouping got tighter, so I know my shots will get tighter as I get stronger and can use the bow to its fuller capability...

What advice would you have now, with this info? Thank you guys so much! I am so happy now that I figured it out.

 

[Dave N]

Move your sight to the arrow. If you are shooting high left move it up and left.

 

[JustEppic]

Thank you... does the little twist account for it, should I wait until that has worked itself out? or just adjust to my shot, and know that I twist a little? I let go of the bow after I draw, and regrip to make sure I have a light grip, so I know I am not choking it... lol

 

[Dave N]

If you are pretty consistent just move your sight. After you get time and more practice into it and it starts moving just adjust again.

 

[SAJ-99]

OMG... you guys...
Step ONE. Dont Over Think.
Step TWO. Take A Breath.
Step Three... Then start process....

I reset everything back to start, and began again... I chased the shit out of those arrows and obviously over thought so much I never would have hit the target again... but... stepping away and coming back...
I am now in a 4 inch group. (not good enough, but I will get there).
The Peep site was too low, I pushed it up and now I can see through it perfectly.
I twist my wrist in, (I am left handed so my right hand twists thumb in or counter clockwise) which I think is pushing my arrow a little to the left.
Little High, Little Left.
It is consistently there, sometimes more left, sometimes more high, but always right there. So I am ready to adjust.
Do I adjust UP, and LEFT, OR... Down and Right?
I believe this is where I messed it up last time. I am also working on keeping the level in my site in the middle. I am only shooting at 20 yards until I am consistently in the bullseye, I will stretch my shots out from there.
I can shoot video of myself in slow motion. I am struggling with my anchor point, I tend to put my thumb right behind my head so that my forefinger crosses parallel with my top teeth and the trigger is at the corner of my mouth. It is in a consistent position and I can apply pressure to the back of my head, it feels comfortable for me.
I noticed I blink after the trigger has been released, I do not pull away, and I do not lift the bow, I just blink...one out of four or five times I will turn my head slightly to the right shoulder.

I also noticed that as I increased the poundage of the bow, the shot grouping got tighter, so I know my shots will get tighter as I get stronger and can use the bow to its fuller capability...

What advice would you have now, with this info? Thank you guys so much! I am so happy now that I figured it out.

Great to hear you are making progress. You need to be consistent with the anchor point. The anchor point is how you make sure the peep sight is consistent. If I ever shoot a "wild" shot, it is because I didn't look squarely through the peep sight. Just because you can see the pin through the peep doesn't mean alignment is correct. I have found I need to "square it up" and see all the pins through the peep, if that makes sense. It helps when I check my level bubble. How mine is set up, if I see too much of the level, I am not square. It is hard to describe this in written words.

I don't know if I blink, but everyone will have a flinch until they get consistent. I like to think about sending the arrow through the target and following through as my bow falls forward. After the arrow is released, your blink shouldn't matter. The problem would be if you start to blink before or during the trigger pull.

Some of my inconsistency was eliminated by building up my strength. Everyday I take 3lbs weights and hold them out in front of me for 3 minutes to mimic holding the bow up. I also have one of those heavy duty rubber bands you can get in the fitness section of the sporting goods store (or maybe Walmart). I will mimic drawing the bow with that as I look in the mirror so my form is right. I believe that has helped create steadiness in my form.

 

[SoCalHuntr]

Shoot at 10 yards. If you're a novice, your entire first year should be spent being profficient at that range first

Seems a little extreme. I shot a friends compound for the first time last weekend at 20 yards and kept a 2" group. If your mechanics are sound you shouldnt be limiting yourself to 10 yards for the first year... clearly a setup failure on the bow like he said.