Tighten groups!!!

I am going to Iowa bowhunting whitetails in 6 weeks.
Looking for advice to tighten my groups up.
I am shooting out to 50 yards and hitting pretty good.
What's your 2 cents???

Thanks

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

All I can tell you is practice, practice, practice.  Concentrate on follow through and grip.
Don't try and push the shot. Draw, breathe, aim and release continueing to keep your eye on the traget
until your arrow hits.
As far as set up. Make sure that everything is tuned properly. The rest is up to you.
 
Good luck in Iowa.

Hunt Hard, Hunt Safe and enjoy what you got in life
Paul Snyder
LM NAHC,NRA,SCI,DU

You could always go to a bigger bullseye.  LMAO!!!!!!!!!

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

My advice is to shoot the big bucks that are 25 yards away...bigger bullseye, and well short of your "pretty good 50"

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

NAHC-L, NRA

BY pretty good I mean.
20 yards - half dollar groups
30 yards- dollar bill groups
40 yards- softball
50 yards pie plate 3 out of 4
the more I shoot at 50 the better I am at 20 and 30!!
I did notice I was griping to tight once in a while???

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

Sounds like you have a good understanding, Paul. Just relax when you shoot, it's fun! Second, shooting at those distances usually make you concentrate more, so it does, in fact, improve your shorter range groups. My son and I regularly practice out to 70 yards. Now I won't shoot an animal at that distance, but it makes the shorter ones much easier. Practice gives you comfort, and comfort gives you accuracy. Just keep it up, it sound like you are doing the right things.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

NAHC-L, NRA

started something new today
shot about 24 arrows but never from the same spot, always moved at least 7 yards.
I believe this helps my concetration. When shooting from the same spot for 2 or 3 arrows I dont concentate as much but when you only shooot one arrow from many different spots makes you want to hit that one shot that much more. (I think)

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

That and your margine of errors is greater at long distances. I like the moving thing. I do a draw and hold thing also and play out little scenarios in my mind to get me to concentrate on the shot placement. Hold and follow through are key elements in this one after a long draw hold.

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

I agree with everyone on here, even the bigger bulls eye I dea, I might actually try that . Practice is the biggest and best advice, but if you absolutely feel the need to try something different, there are a few things you can try. Some things I've changed over the years is shaft spine, if I remember right 70 lbs bows usually fall right on the line between two spine sizes depending on draw lenght and cam type. Another thing I tried and had the biggest results was changing to Helical set fletchings. I use quikspins but if you shoot straight vanes putting a little spin in them helped me a bunch with tightening my groups. I also used to shoot 125 grain broadheads. Nowadays I shoot 100 grain or 85s if I can find them. All this stuff has worked for me, but then again I am one of those guys that keep messing with stuff until I break it then I buy better or bigger. That's what the wife says anyways. Hope you can use some of my ramblings. Good luck in Iowa!!!

Kraig Osborne
Hunter since birth, NAHCLM, USN

Not much that can be added, the others have pretty well covered msot everything. Sounds like you are headed in the right direction. The only thing I do is use colored golf tees from 20 and 30 yards (after that these old eyes can't see em), seems to help pull my groups tighter. Now if I can just manage to get a tee in that buck i'll be ok. Good luck and happy hunting.
Steve Albers

I honestly have never been a big fan of shooting 2 or 3 arrow groups at a single spot on a target.  I tend to wreck a lot of nocks and fletchings by slamming arrows together, and I've found that I rarely get multiple shots at a big or small game animal from the exact same distance or even a second shot, so shooting multiple arrows at the same distance doesn't appeal to me any longer.
 
Here's my routine:
 
1 arrow at 20 yards shooting at a 2-inch circle.
1 arrow at 30 yards shooting at a 3-inch circle.
1 arrow at 40 yards shooting at a 4-inch circle.
1 arrow at 50 yards shooting at a 5-inch circle.
 
I consider these 4 arrows to be my "group".  If I center punch all of the arrows into each circle I'm done.
 
Shooting at a 3-inch target at 30 yards, a 4-inch target at 40 yards and a 5-inch target at 50 yards provides the exact same sight picture or sight perspective as shooting at a 2-inch circle at 20 yards.
 
Other than making certain that your bow and arrow combination, including field points and broadheads, are properly matched and that your bow is paper tuned correctly the routine I mention above works the best for me, and will have you shooting tacks before long. 
 
Best of luck!
 
Take care and Good Hunting!
 
Best Afield,
 
Steve
 

What Steve said is right on! Too many cut or damaged fletchings when shooting multiple arrows.

Love playing that string music and sending a Muzzy flying!

It all paid off!!
big 8 pt 25 yards ran 30 yards- dead
mature doe 52 yards!!! ran 21 yards- dead

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

Horns and meat!!!!! Good job man!!

Kraig Osborne
Hunter since birth, NAHCLM, USN

Check out Paul's big Iowa buck here:
 
http://www.unitedoutfittersassociation.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=16864
 
Congrats, Paul!
 
Take care and Good Hunting!
 
Best Afield,
 
Steve

Glad to see you took my advice on up the post a bit Paul. You took the shot at 25 yds!  LMAO
 
 
Kent

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

NAHC-L, NRA