instinctive aiming with a longbow

[blackarrow]

any good tips on aiming with a longbow 

[Pat B]

Consistency!!!   The same draw length, the same anchor, the same release and the same mindset. I shoot instinctively as per G. Fred Asbell. His book "Instinctive Shooting" has a step by step with lots of other good info.           Pat

[benjamin]

Practice and training. I can probably pull a 150 lb bow but don't ask me to hit the broad side of a barn with it unless I'm on the inside. Assuming you're talking about a war bow, most people start at something like 80 lb and work their way up.

[a finnish native]

here is a good video on instinctive shooting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5mGUuIbvRQ&feature=related

[majsnuff]

that is one excelent video. I added it to my favourites. Thanks for posting the link.

[robbsbass]

I have been teaching archery for many years, but cannot shoot the way I teach. My problem is I'm a right handed shot and left eye dominate. The easiest way to explain to someone how to shoot instinctivly is start them at 8 to 10 yds. Think of your bow as an extension of your arm, and your pointing at something. This is the hard part to explain. draw your bow as you bring it up to your anchour point, never taking your eyes off of your target, when your pointing finger reaches the target ,release. In time you will have real tight groups and will soon be able to hit anything ,like grouse or pheasant. If you are a right handed shot and right eyed dominate you will find it even easier. Same goes for left handers.

                   Robb

P.S. I teach olympic style archery

[Kegan]

As was said- consistency. Everything should be easily repeatable. I would HIGHLY suggest getting Hitting 'Em Like Howard Hill with John Shulz from 3Rivers or where ever. It goes into pretty good depth of the simple- but extremely accurate- form used by the greatest archer of all time, Howard Hill (and, suprisingly, not unlike that used by Horace Ford, the greatest target archer of all time). I wish I had gotten the DVD before I read Asbell's books/video. I picked up lots of bad habits that I've had to "un-learn" in order to increase my accuracy and consistency, especially at longer rangdes. But I'm glad I've changed. I can easily group arrows at 30-40 yards, and I'm rarely too far off at 50-60. I've also had a geat deal mroe success on moving targets, including hitting a bottle cap thrown for me by my brother. If you can learn proper form, the shooting style you use won't be much trouble.

[Justin Snyder]

Instinctive and aiming are 2 different styles.  Do like Pat said, consistency is the key.  Justin

[JackCrafty]

I don't aim my bow.....I "throw" my arrows with it.

If you know exactly what your arrows will do (and know how they fly), that's half the battle.  The other half is practice.

[Pat B]

The more you practice the more the fundamentals become ingrained in your brain. When hunting, you shouldn't have to think about any of that. You want to concentrate of where the arrow "will" go!!!   
   When I hunted with wheels, the last 2 deer I killed were actually taken instinctively. My wheeled device had lighted pendulum sights and all the other bells and whistles. On one of the deer the lighted sight wasn't working and I was in a low light situation. I drew, anchored, concentrated and released. The arrow was in line but low, but the deer was walking away and it hit the femoral artery(I wouldn't take the same shot today). On the other, I was sitting over a scrape. I remember a spike walking in, I remember standing in my tree stand and putting tension on the string. The next thing I remember is a bloody arrow sticking out of the ground and no deer in site. That was a perfectly placed shot. Shortly after that I went trad and began studying and shooting instinctively.   Pat
   

[Jesse]

 Everybody aims. You just don't want to be aware of it. Mental state has been a huge factor for me. I can get in slumps and shoot real bad and other times I have high confidence and can hit whatever I want.   Jesse