Pre-Season Bow Tips

posted in: Archery, Deer | 0
Pre-Season Bow Tips
Click to view this article in the Summer 2015 issue of ADVENTURESS magazine.

5 ways to help you gain more accuracy before fall

By Jennifer Pudenz

Many archers like to be constantly researching, analyzing and experimenting in hopes to continue improving their success rate in the field. We spend hours upon hours, if not days or weeks, in the stand and when that moment of truth comes… we all want to deliver.

However, sometimes in our quest for the next best thing out of the market, we complicate shooting or lose what simply works. The result of slipping accuracy or no improvement can just add to more frustration and lost confidence, and we all know confidence is key in archery. The following are five simple ways you can improve your shooting before fall deer season.

1. String-Loop

This little piece of string can help in three ways compared to hooking your release directly on the bowstring. First of all, string-loops are more forgiving of minor imperfections in your release. A loop also prevents an arrow from sliding up and down during a shot. And last, string-loops protect your string and serving from common wear and tear.

Summer 2015
Check out the Summer 2015 issue of ADVENTURESS magazine!

2. Round Pin Housing

Aligning a round pin housing sight with a round peep sight is just another “anchor point” to result in better aiming and consistency from shot to shot. Although some bowhunters like to center the pins, matching up the circles instead tends to make for faster aligning and keeps the same anchor regardless of what pin you use. This can also allow you to use a larger peep sight, meaning more light can pass through so you’ll have more visibility in low-light conditions.

3. Bubble Up!

If you are a beginning archer, ignore this step and continue to focus just on the basics for now. Otherwise, to improve your shooting, start paying attention to the level on your sight and centering the bubble (many have them already, and if not, you can buy levels for bows with a self-adhesive backing to stick to your sight). You’d be amazed how far off you can be when you pull back and THINK you have your bow vertically level! And you’d be amazed at how much this can make you shoot left or right. This can help you while 3-D shooting different terrain and especially while bowhunting at different angles.

4. Draw Weight +/-

When pulling back your bow, you should be concentrating only on aiming, not on struggling to pull it back. Don’t have your poundage too high, especially if you’ll be hunting in cold temps. Plus, the smoother and slower you can draw your bow, the less you are likely to spook quarry during the draw cycle. Also, unfortunately many guys like to max their bows because they can. However, their shoulders are ruined once at an older age. With today’s bow, there is no need to have “Safari poundage” for whitetail hunting.

On the flip side, having enough draw weight is a struggle for many women. When shooting less than 50 pounds, adding just a few pounds can make a world of difference, especially with fast-reacting game. During the summer, work to increase your poundage by just adding two or three pounds at a time until you are completely comfortable with shooting.

5. Quiver OFF!

While there are definitely some circumstances in which you should shoot with a quiver on, tree stand hunting (or shooting from a blind) is not one of them. It always surprises me to see hunters shooting with their quivers on, whether they are practicing at a 3-D archery shoot or shooting from the tree stand. But I understand completely where someone might think they should have their quiver on… advertising.

Every time you flip through an outdoor gear catalog or hunting magazine, you see photos of hunters poised ready in the stand with a quiver on their bow. However, this is because they are trying to sell you a product (so they must show it) instead of shooting a deer.

A quiver adds weight to one side of your bow, plus, the weight will change as you have more or fewer arrows in it. This pull of weight will affect your shooting, so shoot with your quiver off. I like to travel to and from the tree stand with my quiver on for easy carrying while using a bow sling. Once I get up in the tree, I have a tree screw for my brand of quiver that allows me to hang it on the tree right next to me for easy reach.

Good luck this fall!

Now is the time to do any last updates to your bow and practice before deer season. These five tips are common practices, but will improve your shooting come hunting season if you currently don’t have them. Best of luck to you all! #YouGoGirl ;)

Jennifer Pudenz is the owner/editor of ADVENTURESS magazine.