Bowhunting.net
Simple Fixes to Large Problems
By Dave Coldwell
May 31, 2006, 06:25
Welcome to
the newest edition of the bowhunting.net family, Fletch’s Corner. I will cover many subjects;
all related to helping make your outdoor experiences more rewarding. Hopefully, we can provide some insight into
different types of equipment, places to go, how to save money, how to improve
your shooting, and how to boost your confidence for the shot at a
once-in-a-lifetime trophy. This month,
let’s go over some of the easiest fixes to bow shooting problems that you may
be experiencing. ..... Dave Coldwell (Fletch)
FLETCH'S CORNER: Simple Fixes to Large Problems
Draw Length
Draw length
is one of the most crucial concerns when setting up a bow. It seems everywhere I go, whether in a
hunting camp in Alaska
or the local 3-D shoot fifteen miles away, I always see shooters, men AND women
that have the draw length set too long.
I have personally witnessed 3 or 4 bowhunters that had their draw length
set too long, get their bows adjusted to the proper draw and immediately all of
them said they had never shot so well in their life!
Bear in mind, nothing else changed except
their draw length. Back in the old days
(in the 1980’s) I used to shoot a 32” draw length just to get the most speed
that I could out of my shooting setup. I
finally got my speed up to almost 300 fps.
But I didn’t realize how much my
shooting accuracy suffered. I
attended all of the IBO shoots that I could and competing against all the big
dogs, but I could never move up and finish the shoot in one of the top ten
positions. And, I never realized why, until a few years ago.
When I shortened my draw length to 30” and
allowed my left elbow to bend slightly, my shooting scores were the best I had
ever shot!
String Loops
I fought
the idea of a string loop for years and finally changed to the loop last
year. From my perspective, I don’t think
I’ll ever change back. Most dealers told
me that if I switched to a string loop, (versus hooking my release directly to
the string) that my draw length on my bow would have to be shortened by ½”.
I can tell you that in my case, this was not
true. I am shooting a Mathews Switchback
set at 30” draw length and when I added a loop to the string, my draw length
did not change. (my anchor point did
change slightly)
What did change is my group size! My longer distance grouping is about ½ of the
size it used to be.
(Thanks to Phil
Long, Shelby Forest Archery, Millington,
TN for beating this into my pea
brain) I used to have problems with the
peep not rotating properly and have spent hours in years past trying to get the
loop “broken-in” and turning properly with consistency. Thank goodness for the new modern string
materials (I’m shooting BCY) and methods of manufacture that almost eliminate
string twist.
The Level Bubble
Shoot the
bubble! If you don’t think a bubble
level on your bowhunting sight is important, just attend a big IBO or NFAA
shoot and try to find a sight that doesn’t have a level. When the big money is on the line, ($10,000
to $50,000 or more) EVERY serious competitor has a bubble level on their sight!
Isn’t the biggest buck of your life important
enough for a level?
My good friend,
Frank Pearson taught me years ago how important a level is to hunting. Frank had me shoot 6 arrows into the target (glancing
at the level before each shot) at just 20 yards. Then, Frank took my bow sight off and put a
washer under the top of the sight to produce about an 8 to 10 degree slant when
the bubble was in the middle, and had me shoot the same 6 arrows again.
Frank told me to be sure to keep the bubble
in the middle and the results were amazing!
My group at 20 yards was between 9 and 10 inches to the left! On a whitetail deer, 9 inches is the
difference between a heart shot and gut shot.
I haven’t hunted since that “lesson” without a sight and a level.
That’s all
for this month. We’ll go over more
equipment issues in future columns.
Until next month, keep your eyes on the horizon and remember, there’s no
substitute for good practice.
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