archery practice.. how much?

[wawhitey]

when you target shoot with your bow, how many shots do you take a day? at what point do your shots start to suffer? been shooting a longbow about three months and every day im home i shoot anywhere from 24-60 arrows. sometimes i feel like i start to just get a bit sloppy after a while, so i take a few easy shots then stop.

[bnsafe]

2 years ago when i was getting ready for an antelope hunt i shot every day and around 80=100 arrows. last year i didnt shoot 50 shots all year. this year my intention is to shoot about 40 3 nights a week starting 2 mos before season.

[Swede]

I shoot abot 25 shots every other day. My practice will begin again in May and last into the hunting season. I start to have a breakdown in concentration near the end of each shooting session. I guess I just want to move on about that time. After the first few shots, all I am accomplishing is toning my muscles. Unless I am moving around, only the first shot or two count for much.

[ElkNut1]

With a longbow I'd shoot about 6-10 arrows, sometimes 2-3 times a day. Other days 6-10 for the entire day. I don't think I've ever shot 60 arrows except at a 3D shoot. Too, I do my best to end with a very good shot, it's good for the confidence.

ElkNut1

[nshunter]

I shoot a recurve and I try to shoot 10 -15 arrows a couple of times/week 2 months prior to my elk trip. Like others, I find that this is good for form. I will also make it a point to stump shoot as often as possible.....lose count on how many arrows I shoot on a stump shoot, but I find this type of shooting very beneficial.

Bernie

[ELKrazy]

I don't hunt much with my recurves, but no matter which bow I'm practicing with, I like to do a lot of my shooting at blank bale up close. Under 5 yards. Especially if I haven't been shooting much recently. In fact, I will start off with a "string bow"....just a loop of string that fits my draw length. I use that to practice proper form/execution of the shot. I imagine a big buck or bear, bullseye or turkey in front of me and I "shoot".

I definitely feel as though a few really well executed shots per day or every other day is better than large "crunch sessions" where you're also trying to focus on hitting a spot.

Of course you need to practice real life shooting too, but I think the number of shots per session is up to the individual and level of focus they have at that given time. That varies on a day to day basis.

If you lose focus after 3 shots, stop shooting. You'll only engrain bad habits. If you're feeling focused and really in the groove, shoot until you start to fade.

After that...Move up close for one last shot in the center and call it a day. There is definitely something to be said about leaving on a good shot as Paul mentioned. Even the order you pull your arrows is important. Pull them in order, working closer and closer to center. The last visual you will have is pulling an arrow out of the middle. May sound silly, but it really helps your confidence. Picture it....freeze frame that in your mind. What you imagine is what you make real.

Another thing that works well to really make you focus is to just shoot one arrow. Like in hunting. It's not often we take more than one shot, so walking out on your deck in the morning and drawing your bow with cold stiff muscles and focusing on that tiny spot on the target, knowing you only have this ONE arrow makes you focus more. Make it a broadhead tipped arrow at a 3d target and that's as true to life hunting practice as you can get.


If you think you want or need to improve upon your shooting (the mental aspects more)....An excellent book I read a long while back was "Understanding Winning Archery" by Al Henderson. I really should dig that up and read it again.

Some will say...but it relates to competition or olympic archery! All the better! Those are high stress shooting situations he coached people through. A bugling bull or big rutting buck is high stress too. I usually only get one or two opportunities at big bucks every year, it's crunch time!

If you haven't read it...pick up a copy.

Heres a link to it on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Win ... 0913305006

[buglmin]

Im stil shooting indoors, in the early mornings and in the evenings. I'm shooting bout 50 to 60 arrows 3 days a week. On weekends, if the weather is nice, Im trying to hammer my 12 3D targets, one arrow per target, 15 to 40 yard shots. I try to shoot 60 arrows over the weekend. Im shooting a lite weight longbow or my DAS recurve right now, due to loss of strength. I'll spend most of the day Sunday shooting my compound, making sure of my yardage and shot placement. I start my 3D shoots in April, so every spare minute is spent thumping targets.

[one_elk]

I try to shoot 3 or 4 days a week, in my basement and at outdoor ranges when I get a chance. I have gone to just shooting one arrow at a time, i.e. shoot..retrieve..shoot and end up shooting between 15 and 24 times. For me shooting one arrow at a time has really improved my focus and form and in turn has helped at 3D shoots, even though I don’t shoot many 3D shoots….

[WindedBowhunter]

I shoot 3-5 times a week, only shoot 10 arrows or so

Now, there are some times when I am out shooting with friends and I will shoot more than 10 arrows. Especially, during a 3-D shoot!

[RockChucker30]

The only time I target practice is if I'm blind bale shooting. Otherwise I'm shooting odd targets and roving with judos.

I do practice more with a recurve. Maybe 50-70 shots a week from 5-40 yards.

With my compound I shoot mostly 40-80 yards and don't have to practice as much.