Instinctive shooting

[HoBow]

I do not instinctively shoot- but want to start. Once you can shoot this way- is it any different across different poundage bows?

[Pat B]

Jeff, I usually shoot many different bows each year and find it is easy to switch from one poundage to another with instinctive shooting. Your brain will compensate for the difference after a shot or two.
  G. Fred Asbel's "Instinctive Shooting" is an excellent book on instinctive shooting. He got me understanding and shooting better. You can order it from Horsefeathers

[HoBow]

Thanks Pat- I will def get it.

[Keenan]

One good way to find out if you are truly instinctive or by sight is to shoot at night in total darkness at glow sticks on your target.   Give it a try, it's a kick, just make sure that you have a good backstop or big wall of bails.

[Kegan]

I'm a gap shooter, except on moving targets. I use the arrow in my peripheral vision to aim in a straight line with the target. The more I practice, the less I actually use this to aim though, shooting more "instinctively". It's all barebow shooting though

[Pat B]

It is all bare bow shooting  and if it works for you, that's what you should use.
 I'm sure my sub-conscience probably sees more than my eyes do while shooting but when the time comes, I like knowing all I have to do is concentrate on what the arrow WILL hit!  I want my form, draw, anchor and release to be automatic and it takes lots of shooting and concentrating to get there. One reason I got away from wheeled arrow launchers was there was too much crap to think about before I could release the arrow.   The least amount of thought works better for me. 

[zeNBowyer]

I  don't  believe the  way  you aim/shoot has  any relationship  to the draw weight  of  your  bow

[makenzie71]

I  don't  believe the  way  you aim/shoot has  any relationship  to the draw weight  of  your  bow

This.  Draw weight is only a factor in how much strength and stamina you have.

I shoot instinctive more often than not because I want to be in the practice of drawing and flying.  At the moment I can keep the 8/10 arrows in center mass (deer) shooting instinctive at about 30yds.  If I actually draw to the nose and sight the shaft I can hold about a 4" pattern.

[Iukee]

I read Asbell's book and liked what I read so tried and tried, over a year, seemed like I was getting nowhere. Then one magical day I went out and started hitting and never looked back. I wish someone would have told me to have confidence in what I was doing. For me, I think the slight doubt I had in myself was my downfall, cuz once I became confident it's been smooth sailing ever since. Different weight bows don't bother me after a couple of shots I have bows from 40# to 70#. 

[Pappy]

The Asbel method messed me up,I started it 25 or 30 years ago and if the swing and timing aren't just right I couldn't hit anything and after thinking about it, It is hard to have to swing and have all of that movement when game is close,it would cause me to short draw a lot so I kind of modified it.I look at what I want to hit then swing the bow up slowly till it feels right with just a little tension on the string then when I am settled I draw to anchor and release as soon as I hit anchor.It didn't help my shooting that much when everything was on with the Asbel method but it did make me more consendent day in and day out. Keenan is right shoot in the dark and it will tell you weather you are using and aiming point or not.We have some night shoots once in a
while and we had a guy who was a great shot and said he shot instinctive,well he went                   out on the course with nothing lit except a lantern at the target didn't hit a target.As far as weight of bow and weight of arrow I can't tell much difference at my hunting range but out passed 20 yards or so it will make a big difference if you haven't shot it a lot,at least it dose for me. A few pounds or a few grains on the bow or arrow, not much difference that I can tell but 10 lbs on the bow or 100 grains on the arrow makes a big difference for me.
   Pappy
 

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

I do not instinctively shoot- but want to start. Once you can shoot this way- is it any different across different poundage bows?

....If the arrows are matched to the bows, than you shouldn't see any difference ( as long as you make your bows similar, it would change a bit if you go from super narrow handles to those quite wide ones )

[Broken Hand]

    I teach people, mostly kids to shoot instinctive by having them shoot a candle at night, and try to snuff the flame without hitting the candle. they love this type of shooting, and I think it makes them aim small, miss small. However I do see them occationally swap bows or arrows with someone that shoots more poundage than they need and accuracy more or less is non existant, but if they drop poundage or arrow weight the accuracy will sometimes improve....Brokenhand....Aho.

[radius]

i swap bows all the time for fun, and i only have the same batch of mismatched arrows to go along with them.  I always shoot natural:  never aim down the arrow, don't use peripheral vision:  i just look at what i want to hit, draw, release.  All my bows are about the same weight, within 12 # or so, and i find that even with one that has a wider handle, it only takes a shot or two for the body to figure it out. 

The body, once trained, is smarter than me so i let it do the work!

[Kegan]

I've switched from almost 90# to just over 60# within fifteen minutes and, except for the arrows being off with the lighter bow, had no issue hitting out to 30 or 40 yards. I do use an "aiming" system, but rarely do I give it much conscience thought.

Liek i said, it's all barebow

[zeNBowyer]

Switching  bows  changes  technique,
  since  most  bows are different  in  a number  of  ways, specificallly  the  handle/grip, depth  of  the  window, length  of the  bow  etc.
you  simply  can't  hold  your  bow  with the  same way  with  different  grips,
as  much  as  I  like to  play with  my  different  bows  I  shoot  one  at  a  time  for  periods,
because  the point  of  impact  seems  to  changes  from  bow  to bow,
I'm  sure  some  people can  switch  bows  without  much  bother  but I'm  not  one:)