Practice tips for better performance

[mtshooter]

admin said:

Yeah....thats a pet peeve with alot of people.
In order to score well you are many times forced to take shoots you would never take ....both on the animal and as the animal stands.
It's great for learning to judge distance and calculate shot angles but....
not to polish up for the real deal in many cases.
JMO

And a very good opinion in my opinion ;D

Too many shots are taken in rush and poor form on a 3-D course. We also have our own course set up in our yard and 90% of our practicing takes place here. We use the shooting in-door range at our local shop for the winters and a few evening with friends. We have trees and stumps all around the yard so it really help. We also have a 2 man tree stand set up for practicing those sharp angle shots.

Form and consistency are the key to successful harvests.

[Larry]

I agree with the fact that some (most) 3-D courses are set up and do not consider the kill zone on the animal may be different while taking, say a quartering away shot. Some targets do offer different 10 rings to accomodate for this. The club that I belong to, and I usually help set up our monthly shoots, is well known for harder shots, because we try to make each shot as realistic as possible, And we try to make the 10 ring actually where the kill would be. Everyone comments that their scores actually drop around 10 points from all of the other shoots in the area.

[Scottyluck]

You're looking at 3-D shoots in the wrong light. Having a bad angle or a 12 ring in the "wrong" spot is a GOOD thing, imo. What it does is force you to pick a spot and shoot for that spot, not an area.
Too many people just "aim" the bow in the general area of the boiler room and let it fly not really knowing where the shot hits or, more importantly, where it's gonna exit.

Aim small, miss small.

[BT]

scottyluck said:

You're looking at 3-D shoots in the wrong light. Having a bad angle or a 12 ring in the "wrong" spot is a GOOD thing, imo. What it does is force you to pick a spot and shoot for that spot, not an area.
Too many people just "aim" the bow in the general area of the boiler room and let it fly not really knowing where the shot hits or, more importantly, where it's gonna exit.

Aim small, miss small.

I see your point and its a point that is valid in a 3-D tourney as exists today..... which was the subject of my contention as to effective teaching tool.
It doesn't teach or enforce good habits.
I'll give an example of myself....
I dont use bino's or ring cards because I like to shoot as I would hunting....for me it's practice...or at least it should be.
The last couple of years I have been trying to shoot score at the same time as I am trying to simply shoot.
I start shooting and then get discouraged because I am being penalized for the area of the kill on the target.

The last few years I have instead , cheated towards where I know the target kill to be.
It has definitely showed up in my hunting shots where scapula impacts have gone to an all time high
Really .... I have been brain washed

3-D started out as a hunting tourney that was supposed to reward proper shots and has since turned into a competition to hit spots that do not necessarily pertain to kill shots.
This should (IMO) be left to paper punching where a spot is the point of the game.
Really .... no offence to your opinion or those who hold the same opinion but why even have animal targets if this is the motive (to pick a spot) ....why instead not just set up a block shoot or join the field archers federation where 2-D animals represent just that...a spot.
If you are picking a spot that doesn't relate then your logging that information and the brain will use it against you at some point.

I have said many times that the best 3-D shoot I ever saw was the one that was run by the wildlife warden in Florida.
The targets had vitals on the back side and the scores were taken on the exits....not the point of impact
That was a real good tourney and I am sure it trained many people to pick a spot even better.

[bowman]

I here what your saying BT and couldn't agree more. Tracey and I start shooting 3-d shoots in the area as soon as they start. They are not tournaments and there are no prizes other than the next shoot is free to the top score. we shoot them to get ready for hunting our score does not matter were only concerned with did every arrow kill the animal and did I judge the distance correctly. most the time we never even turn in our score cards.

[BT]

bowman said:

..... were only concerned with did every arrow kill the animal and did I judge the distance correctly. most the time we never even turn in our score cards.

Yes .... I have to start doing just that.
I cant be concerned with score anymore

[jamaltwy]

that's why i like interactive hunting !! shoot at the screen shots are more like hunting before i go hunting hogs i spend a few hours on techno hunt then i shoot 3-d but not in their kill zones but real kill zones .. helps out a lot!! wish i good set up high platform on pop -up range!!

[royden]

admin said:

scottyluck said:

Aim small, miss small.

It doesn't teach or enforce good habits.

I have said many times that the best 3-D shoot I ever saw was the one that was run by the wildlife warden in Florida.
The targets had vitals on the back side and the scores were taken on the exits....not the point of impact
That was a real good tourney and I am sure it trained many people to pick a spot even better.

we are trying to setup a 3-d club here at my place ... I setup a trial 3-d shoot with 15 stations 2 years ago and one of things I tried to do was award people for passing on shots they didn't feel confident on.

I argue that any practice forms habits (good or bad) and therefor the course should be as true to life as possible (not scoring for the x ring).

I really like the idea of scoring for the vitals on exit... would you care to elaborate BT?

[BT]

royden said:

I argue that any practice forms habits (good or bad) and therefor the course should be as true to life as possible (not scoring for the x ring).

I really like the idea of scoring for the vitals on exit... would you care to elaborate BT?

Sure....
Back then there weren't any 3-D targets so the guy made them himself and he did a really good job
The Targets ended up being a combination of 3 & 2-D
You could definitely do the same thing with today's 3-D targets
What he had was a core that was thick enough to stop arrows but not so thick that the arrows didnt get through or almost through.
Those cores needed replacing more often obviously but they were cores and not the targets themselves.
I remember (I think) that he simply had a template and he would spray paint the back side of the insert for each target.
I am guessing that the core was expansion foam like great stuff which will do a good job but doesn't hold up very long.
On the upside....you can push an arrow through it real easy.

I believe he simply took the original core and made a sand cast so that he could re-manufacture new cores at any time.
It was very cool ..... 2chucks2 reminds me alot of him

I believe that you could do the same thing by cutting a core in half , painting both exterior sections and then turning the target on every other shoot so that you could get twice the life out of each insert.
Also the fact that you are cutting the insert in half would allow penetration through the score side
Pin the insert in with tube as is done with Rhinehart targets

[SPIKER]

red said:

admin said:

This brings up a point I would like to make

Although I endorse their use.....
Shooting 3-D in competition does indeed add bad habits to others as well as myself....I have seen it.

Why?.....because courses are not set up properly all of the time (dare I say....ever?) as well as the fact that the target area on those foam targets are rarely correct
One of the biggest complaints that always seems to comes up is the location of the score ring.

I like 3-D during the summer to have fun and stay in shape but I stay away from clubs the month before season and instead shoot my own course for kills....not for score.

I'd agree with your concerns. I shoot 3-D targets (in my backyard)....I don't shoot 3-D courses.

Same here...the 12 ring is the least worn on my target because it's not in a place I would like to hit. I agree with Jamal...the techno hunt is the sh%t!! It can teach you how to wait for the right shot as well.

I think that my main focus this year is too see how long I can effectively hold at full draw, and consitantly make the shot. That was my undoing this year...both ways. I held too long the first deer, and had to let down...then rushed the second because of the first. Hopefully I'll see home enough to practice it before the season...