Making the shot

[Ridgernr]

I have a shooting style some would call target panic, I see it as timing the shot. I have been in several setups that just as I was about to make the shot
Something would happen that could have made a good shot turn out bad.
One such time was elk hunting and it was late in the season, we have called elk in at this puddle of water near a bedding area thru the years and thought it was hot enough out it was worth a try.
Scott was about 75 yards behind me herd talking when all the sudden the brush exploded, my heart started beating faster as I anticipated the bull to arrive. It sounded like a freight train coming down the hill, as HE appear in my shooting lane He had lost his antlers, and was just a cow as we are meat hunters in our camp and have a generous either sex season I was not going to pass the shot.
Just as she stopped broadside looking for the herd, I started the shot, just then Scott cow called behind me and she immediately turned and
started towards him , I really feel if The shot would have just gone off we would have a long track job. As it was she walked closer and I made a good 22 yard shot and she only went 50 yards.
What do you guys say? I shot well and sometime feel it is target panic but most of the time I feel it is of value to shot when you need to not when the release fires.

[easeup]

well I am a little confused after the post as to what question to reply to:

but as far as feeling pressed to shoot because you may feel there is "no time to hestitate or got to get the shot off quick mindset", .....
I am totally against that in every sense....I guess because it is contrary to all things you need to do to be a good shot.
relax; take your time; focus on the target; excecute the steps necessary to shoot a good arrow every time..

there is always more time than you think there is; calm down and somehow the clock slows down too.
No ; the guy that gets in the habit of rushing a shot, will over his lifetime lose more game than he will harvest to bad shots.

hey - just trying to help out - thats all.

[ctdad]

I get the impression your are discussing the difference between shooting back tension vs. punching the trigger. You are a puncher (and so is almost every other hunter out there) but you are referring to not knowing when the shot will go off which is what back tension shooters are looking to achieve. I have been trained to shoot back tension, but I do not believe true back tension shooting has much use in a hunting situation. Hunting is too fluid and things happen and change too fast in my opinion.

I try to achieve a consistent and somewhat fluid trigger punch. Adrenaline messes that up a lot but that's why I love hunting!

Maybe I'm way off here. If so, ignore me.

[Ridgernr]

CT you nailed it, I hear guys talk about target panic and get a little confused, I shoot the same bow for 3D and for hunting and find I like to be in control of the shot. I dont feel I am trying rush the shot. It was not that I feel I was out of time actually if you ask my hunting partners I tend to be very calm and do take my time, The 1st 5x5 elk I shot my caller at the time was going crazy as I waited for the right time ,I had some brush in the way that he did not see from his angle.
Did not mean to be confusing sorry guys.

[T/H]

i don't shoot back tension but i prefer to think of "my" style of shooting as "Touching Off" and or "Pulling Thru" the shot if that makes any sense. others refer to it as the "Follow Thru"

[ctdad]

Punching can be a form of target panic. I was practicing at 80 yards today in a 15 mile an hour wind. As the sight pin flew past my target, I punched and tried to control this activity. Do that repeatedly and you'll find yourself hammering your trigger as you fly past your target. I don't practice that way often, but I do hunt in the wind, so have to practice and see what my limits are in wind also. (I don't shoot at animals out to 80 yards).

Based on your description of how you shoot, I think you are doing it correctly.

[WapitiTalk1]

i don't shoot back tension but i prefer to think of "my" style of shooting as "Touching Off" and or "Pulling Thru" the shot if that makes any sense. others refer to it as the "Follow Thru"

Kind of the same philosophy in the RJ camp David. I don't shoot 3D stuff and only practice in the woods on my property. The only thing I focus on for each of my shots is to "watch the arrow fly and hit the objective through the peep". I do this each and every time I shoot.. focus on watching the arrow fly....and hitting the objective. Well, that's not ever gonna happen if you're using proper shooting technique (slightly open palm on the bow handle, allowing the bow to fall out of your hand, caught by the wrist guard), but, this thought process provides that extra split second of focus and stability prior to and during the release, to stabilize your shot. I also seem to draw several times on an elk as he's moving, anticipating a possible shot. Equally important, is the letoff if the shot isn't there.. IMO, it's important to practice pulling/pushing your draw at a very level plane so as not to create too much motion in your draw/letoff.. I practice this also.

[ElkNut1]

I too focus my release style the same as T/H!

ElkNut1