"Straight Shooting"

[Kegan]

Well, for this past month, and on the opener tomarrow, I'm shooting in a way most of us has tried to avoid. Using well overspined arrows on wide handled bows. Most of us know you can use overspined arrows with anrrow handles, or normal spined arrows with wide handles, but why use them together?

Well, I have discovered an amazingly accurate, and easily made primitive method, that works really, really well. Simply turning your hand, and shooting the arrow "straight", has given me an accuracy that I couldn't acheive with cedar arrows and narrow flatbows. The bows, arrows, and matching, is made much easier. This method works great for close-up andat a distance. Arrows need meet only three requirements: straight, well aligned broadheads, and good fletchings .

Anyone who wants to try something "easier", should give it a try. Below is a picture courtesy of my very brave brother, showing how the bow is moved out of the way, and one siply aims the arrow(my left closed, but actual whooting would be done, of course, with both eyes open).

What's everyone think?

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[Justin Snyder]

Simply turning your hand, and shooting the arrow "straight", has given me an accuracy that I couldn't acheive with cedar arrows and narrow flatbows.
 Below is a picture courtesy of my very brave brother, showing how the bow is moved out of the way, and one siply aims the arrow

Are you referring to turning the bow hand so the top of the bow moves out of the sight picture?  Then you can sight right down the arrow.    Justin

[D. Tiller]

You mean turning the bow till its parallel with the ground? Still will be dealing with archers paradox though. One other way is to build the bow so the sting does not go down the center of the bow but off to the left so the arrow does not need to bend arround the bow handle.

David T

[M-P]

Hi,  It;'s great that you found a shooting/ aiming style that works for you.  I've read through your description several times and, though I may be misunderstanding, it doesn't seem that unusual.  Most western styles emphasize anchoring in a way that allows a sight picture straight down the arrow ( as illustrated in your brother's photo.)  Regardless of hand position on the bow, the nock end of the arrow is still going to be moved toward the centerline of the bow causing the arrow to deal with archer's paradox.  Ron

[Kegan]

Justin- No, though I still cant it. What I mean is, the bow is off to the side. INstead of pointing the center of the bow toward the target, I push the knuckle of my index finger.As you can see in the picture, the bow is off to the side, where as the arrow is pointed straight and the bow is pointed off ot the side.

D.Tiller- No, the bow isn't parallel to the ground. The arrows are just spined much higher than the bow (the arrows are spined at somewhere between 80-100+# for a 57# bow. Any arrow that is  stiffer than the bow seems to work well). I don't know how setting the string off center would affect this method, though I would surely like to try/hear about it.

Ron- That's something I've thought about when making arrows. It seems alot easier to make an arrow really sittf and just change your shooting style than to try and perfectly match arrows. And the affects of the paradox aren't experinced quite as much, due to the extreme stiffness in the arrows.

Below is a diagram of the two methods, the normal way to the left and my shooting method to the right.

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[Justin Snyder]

Like Ron said, I don't see in the picture or the description how it differs from the way mos of us shoot.  Archers paradox will still apply.  It don't matter where the arrow points, the bow arrow and string are all doing the same thing.  It seems you may be trying to adjust for too stiff a spine and the arrow moving left because of it.  Justin

[Ludi Mile]

I think the paradox will apply if the arrow is matched to the bow. But if it's way overspined it will go straight out without bending, commonly at an angle, but if you put bow back at an angle then it will go straight forward. That's how I get it, but I am no expert.

[D. Tiller]

I think I see what your saying. Istead of putting the arrow right next to the bow you are away from the bow and resting your arrow on the knuckle of your hand. This will get most of the arrow to avoid the handle but the tail end will still be slapping into the handle of the bow. Your just avoiding about half the ammout of paradox you usually deal with when its up against the bow. Same priciple of barrell tapering the shaft. Try that too and I think you will see the same results.

David T

[Justin Snyder]

I think I see what your saying. Istead of putting the arrow right next to the bow you are away from the bow and resting your arrow on the knuckle of your hand. This will get most of the arrow to avoid the handle but the tail end will still be slapping into the handle of the bow. Your just avoiding about half the ammout of paradox you usually deal with when its up against the bow. Same priciple of barrell tapering the shaft. Try that too and I think you will see the same results.

David T

It is still resting on the bow.  By moving it out, you are farther from center shot and the paradox would be worse.  Justin

[Robinwho]

Being shooting that way for 50 years now, my young friend, LOL   

[DanaM]

I'm still lost on this one Someone care to explain it so a caveman can understand?

[Justin Snyder]

I'm still lost on this one Someone care to explain it so a caveman can understand?

The way I see it, an overspined arrow will naturally shoot left.  He has learned to compensate for this by aiming farther right.  Justin

[stiknstring]

Thats what I was thinking.  By turning the wrist you are point the arrow to the right compensating for the left flight of an overspined arrow as justin just said.  My son has been doing it with his bow since his 24 inch 5/16 shafts are way overspined for his 25 pound bow.....don't worry Dad is making his boy some longer matched arrows so the guy can experience some better accuracy

[jamie]

kegan i do sort of the same thing. have for  a long time. only problem with this is you need a clean loose so the nock doesnt slap the side of the bow and make too much noise for hunting.

[George Tsoukalas]

kegan,  the fact that you aim initially with one eye closed may mean you are left eye dominant. When I close my left eye and point at an object and then open it (no matter in what order) my finger still points at the object. Also, that diagram just does not make sense. When you shoot the arrow way off to the left of the bow you are increasing the angle rather than decreasing it like you showed it. Having said all of the above, this method may be working because you are keeping the stiffer arrow from whacking into the bow on release. Some judicious sanding and scraping in the middle of the arrow will bring the spine to the right place for your bow.  Just my opinion. Jawge