Target Shooting

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

this February, I'm going to step up a bit, to a hunting caliber compound bow & leave the boy with the Genesis. We have been shooting the bow for about 8 months & I never knew it would be as fun as it is. It's like straight razors, I wish I discovered bows years ago.

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When you look at a hunting bow and you like target shooting don't get all macho and get high draw weight bow. I got a different set of limbs for my bow this fall. I went from 70 to 60 lb limbs. I can pull 70 about 20 times before I start felling it the next day. Ok for hunting but I want to play with my toy the rest of the year! I shot a score with my hunting rig last week at 62 lbs and the first game was a 100/16x. The second was a 99/10x and the third was a 98 12x for a 297 38x. You can see I was getting tired. Not a great target score but I am happy with that for my hunting rig. I got a nice doe this week with a shot that was a little high and to the right for target but still a nice clean kill. Shooting all those dots does pay off.

Tim

I will pull a few at the store first, got a connection. :)
Then choose one with more power than the Genesis & something I can target shoot regularly.

Another quick thought is to get one with an adjustable draw length without expensive cams etc.

As you get stronger, change releases etc. if you can just loosen a few screws and change the draw length it becomes fiscally responsible.:)

Tim

Just picked up target shooting with my 6 year old son. We got him a Wal Mart compound bow and I got an inexpensive Martin jaguar recurve...
We have an absolute blast once or twice a week shooting at our targets.

I'm really glad I got the 40 lb model, any heavier draw and it would take the fun out of it for me.

Eric

Good choice on the recurve.....lots of fun to shoot...fingers on the string and shooting by the seat of your pants

I had been out shooting with a friend Friday night. He has a suped up compound and all I can say is Wow! I could hammer a 4" spread from 50 yards easy (I was intimidated even trying to shoot from there)....
Last night I picked up a peep sight and a nock, apparently I was winging it without them. I'm going out this afternoon to try it out
He also had a weight pole (balance pole?) on the front of the bow, do any of you use them?

Eric.

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Originally Posted by epd

I had been out shooting with a friend Friday night. He has a suped up compound and all I can say is Wow! I could hammer a 4" spread from 50 yards easy (I was intimidated even trying to shoot from there)....
Last night I picked up a peep sight and a nock, apparently I was winging it without them. I'm going out this afternoon to try it out
He also had a weight pole (balance pole?) on the front of the bow, do any of you use them?

Eric.

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A 4" group at 50 yds with someone else's bow?

Peep sights and stabilizers will both improve accuracy. The peep will improve your group much more. Going to the extreme, the peeps I like have inserts to change the diameter and/or to use lenses.

Along with balance a stabilizer will help prevent torquing of the bow. If you get to long of a front one you then need one or 2 to the back to balance that one. My regular setup has one to the back on the opposite side from the sight. Many stabilizers also have dampeners built in to prevent vibration. That is not very high on my personal list.

Tim

Attachment 113697

I picked up a mostly SA Garand at the CMP this past fall. At the range, I dialed the rear sight up 9 clicks, and checked the POI by starting at 50 yards off of a bench with sandbags. I shot a single chambered round then a full 8-round clip at 50 yards (next pic). These I put all into the black of an 8 inch circle. Finally, I shot two full clips at 100 yards. For my old eyes through open sights, I was satisfied.

Attachment 113698Attachment 113699

Nice Garand! That is Greek ammo too? Gotta love the CMP!

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Originally Posted by 32t

A 4" group at 50 yds with someone else's bow?

Peep sights and stabilizers will both improve accuracy. The peep will improve your group much more. Going to the extreme, the peeps I like have inserts to change the diameter and/or to use lenses.

Along with balance a stabilizer will help prevent torquing of the bow. If you get to long of a front one you then need one or 2 to the back to balance that one. My regular setup has one to the back on the opposite side from the sight. Many stabilizers also have dampeners built in to prevent vibration. That is not very high on my personal list.

Tim

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Well today I measured it out to be 35 yards, far from 50... Suppose it was my enthusiasm adding the extra 15 lol, please excuse my newness.
It was 3 arrows 4" apart, I suppose worst case you would/could call it an 8".... Regardless, yes with someone else's bow, and first time on a compound.
I know it was beginners luck because I am in no was an experienced or skilled archer. :screwy:

That being said I was having a lot of trouble tonight being accurate at 35 yards with my recurve. At 20 yards I am very accurate but at 35 I'm just glad to hit the bag. Im now wishing I bought a heavier draw bow, the compound bow has almost no fall at 35 yards where mine has 5-10 inches (again, no expert)
The new peep sight is a pain in the ass, however it improved my accuracy a lot.
One more dilemma I have is I bought two different types of arrows and im pretty sure I bought different grain fieldpoints aswell. One arrow hits centre the next flys 5" higher.
As much as I think that a compound is "cheating" I am going to keep as eye out for a good used unit, they are just so much easier to hold still while aiming.

Any tips for keeping the string away from your arm? I have a welt for the first time, I guess I should pickup an arm guard after all.

Thanks,
Eric.

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Originally Posted by EMC45

Nice Garand! That is Greek ammo too? Gotta love the CMP!

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Thanks EMC45, and yes, I also picked up a can of Greek M2 ball. They would only sell me one en bloc as they didn't have a large supply, but I too love the CMP.

Nice to see fellow shooting enthusiasts.

I've been shooting indoor and 3D archery; the former only recently and the latter for about 15 years. My current setup is a 2009 Hoyt Ultra Elite 29.5"/70# draw shooting Easton Flatlines just above the IBO minimum. I use a 6x scope for indoor and a 4x scope for 3D. My stab is a 36" Doinker carbon. For a release, I use a Carter Hammer. I had a 2006 Hoyt Pro Elite for indoor, but sold that off a few years back to fund a trip.

As 32t said, I also use "Super Peeps" that have the interchangeable aperture -- different power lenses usually need a small "clarifier" in the peep to get the sight picture clear, and shooting outdoors usually requires a larger peep sight than shooting indoors. That said, peeps are usually something compound shooters use -- traditional recurve shooters consider it sacrilege, and peeps aren't allowed in competition. It's all about building a consistent anchor point; your hand should be at the same spot every time you release.

As far as the arm guard, for recurve, especially a traditional bow where you're using a full grip on the handle, hitting your arm is fairly likely. Even Olympic recurve shooters use arm guards. I don't tend to hit my forearm shooting compound -- just a matter of appropriate grip (which is really no grip at all, but just sitting the riser against the ball of your thumb) and rotating your elbow out.

I also just got into black powder. I shoot a Traditions Tracker 209 inline, .50 cal with 250 grain sabot rounds, with a cheap 3-9x Tasco scope.

Been shooting my new hoyt gmx for a while now and I must admit I love it.

Thinking about picking up a sight and stabiliser for it within the next few months.

So far it's been target shooting from 20 yards. Working on form and grooping. Groups are a lot tighter now. I'll post some pics Thursday after my next lesson.

Great to hear. Archery is ridiculously addictive.

Do you plan on hunting with your bow or just target shooting? That will dictate your path toward accessories more than anything. I've also saved a ton buying used accessories -- my sight, scope, and stabilizer were all purchased second-hand.

I plan to just target shoot with this bow.

I've been thinking about picking up a longbow for hunting and was about to buy one but after taking lessons I decided on the Olympic recurve.

I figured why not post a pic. So here's a pic of me shooting at my coaches house. We don't normally shoot at his house. This was just a few test shots after setting up the bow and making sure the nock and plunger set up were perfect.

In case anyone is wondering my set up is hoyt gmx riser 25 inch
Medium length sf premium fibre limbs @ 26 pounds for my draw.
Shibuya magnetic rest
Beiter plunger button

Nothing special but like I said I love it.

Ps if anyone has any pointers on my form feel free to let me know!

Attachment 113820

Cool setup. My bow's riser is the same color -- love that blue. I've always wanted to learn recurve, but the last thing I need is another hobby to sink money into!

The riser colour is tricky. In sunlight or bright light it shine very bright blue. But in darker light it's got a dull black gloss to it.
It's a very complex colour. My coach can't get enough of the colour every time we shoot he wishes he had one lol.


Expensive is an understatement. Lol the wife and I both bought archery equipment together. Lets just say it was an early Christmas present for us lol

Here's a quick cell phone pic of mine. And I know what you mean. I have a guitar like that, too -- it's actually translucent purple, but looks solid black in some light.Attachment 113824

Looks like a great shooter. I've never shot a compound before actually. How do they feel compared to recurves?

What arrows/stabiliser are you using?

The primary difference is that while a recurve constantly builds weight while you draw, a compound builds weight early in the draw, but once the cams roll over, you're only holding back 1/2 or less of the actual draw weight. For example, that bow is set at 70#, but at full draw, I'm holding the same weight as your bow, around 30#. Different cam shapes have different draw characteristics as far as smoothness.

The stabilizer is a 36" Doinker carbon, and the arrows are Easton Flatline 340s. I'm thinking of trying a different arrow, though, as I tend to crack the nock ends of the Flatlines. The first time you get a Robin Hood, it's awesome. Every time after that is "damn, there goes $10."

I'm using the easton eclipse x7's they are very durable and have been good at preventing robin hoods. They have a collar on the nock end that helps deflect the arrow.

It still busts nocks but it's saved my arrows so far.

I shoot the X7 for indoor. They're logs at 2712 size with 300 grain tips. I don't really shoot them, more like lob them very slowly towards the target. I always use sheets with 3 or 5 targets on them and never shoot more than one at each. Too afraid of busting them up or bending them.

I can just imagine how big they would be.

I know my arrows look like logs compared to my wife 1416's lol

Easton 2712's are 27/64 of an inch in diameter. In eastons way of numbering the first two numbers are the outside diameter in 64ths of an inch.

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Originally Posted by pjl626

The first time you get a Robin Hood, it's awesome. Every time after that is "damn, there goes $10."

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Thats if you shoot relatively cheap arrows and only ruin 1. :)

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Originally Posted by epd

Any tips for keeping the string away from your arm? I have a welt for the first time, I guess I should pickup an arm guard after all.

Thanks,
Eric.

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For me the main cause with a recurve or long bow is over extending my arm.

I very seldom hit my arm but always use an arm guard shooting those types. I never use an arm guard with a compound.

I always get hit when I rotate my elbow toward me. Always reminds you with a nice wack when something is off.

Has anyone here set up a range at their house?

I know it would be harder for guns but I've seen it done for archery.

I'm itching to shoot more than twice a week. No where close to me unless I'm willing to shoot outdoors in the winter.

A good friend has a 17 yard range in his basement. Have you tried to blank bale? You don't need far to do that.

Been thinking about one. Just need to figure out where to set up the space.

Well had my weekly shoot this Thursday.

Things were going well at the start but then I started to over think everything and my form went out the window.

Coach spent some time with me to get my form back on and make some tweaks to perfect it. Did better after.

Lets hope that next week is better!

Well let me start by saying I am a rifle instructor, shotgun instructor, RSO and chair of the rifle committee and teach 4 position rifle so I have been doing this for a bit. I shoot a Vostock CM2 which is a retired Russian Olympic rifle from the 70 something Olympics. The rifle was beat to death when I got it. Bead blasted the all the steel, black molly teflon finished all of it. Stripped the stock and hit it with some metallic cobalt blue and light texture black on the palm and forearm. Sight are aperture and globe. I actually got 17 of these to use for teaching. The trigger is next to non existent. I have it adjusted down to a razor break with a 1 pound pull and it will go down to 0.3 ounces. Butt plate is adjustable and the cast on the rifles are for right handed shooters.

Attachment 114627

These are 5 round sighting groups

Attachment 114626


And my last target set for the prone position of my NRA/Winchester 4 position distinguished expert ranking. Those are two round groups.

Attachment 114628

Fun rifle to shoot. Sub 1/2 MOA at 100 yards as well.

Well, the only real "target" gun I have is this Lipsey's limited edtion Ruger Mark II 4" bull barrel. In truth, I've killed more mice with it, loading Colibri powderless, single-shot. I can drive nails with this one.
http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/7/6/113224/MK4BL.jpg

Then there's my 1955 HRA M1 Garand... Shot a few NRA Service Rifle matches with it. She's dead-on. I'd deer hunt with this one with iron sights, no problem. (Otherwise, I like setting up next to an AR-15 shooter and ringing that 500yd. steel gong.)
http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/7/...Garand_800.jpg

I've shot a few informal IDPA-ish matches with this Springfield I did a lot of work on. BTW, that's a deer hide it's laying on from one I harvested a few years ago.
http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/7/...A1_L_cr800.jpg

The last time I went out with my own gun was to test this new TGI FPK 7.62x54R I found at a show. The target below it is a full mag, semi-auto offhand at 100yds. She'll do... :D
http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/7/...4/FPK_R800.jpg

http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/7/...1_FPK_100m.jpg

Last but not least, we were tearing big holes out of the center with a rented UZI the last time I went to a range in TX. Wife wants one now... (that's my Kimber and her M&P laying on the bench)
http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/7/...4/flashUZI.jpg

Went to the club to try out one of my 10/22 that i just put together.

RUGER 10/22 ACTION TARGET new tapco stock - YouTube

There are never enough bullets in the mag when plinking are there?

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Originally Posted by shooter74743

There are never enough bullets in the mag when plinking are there?

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Nope, but I always leave a couple in the mag when plinking out in the woods. Never a good idea to shoot empty out there. I keep both eyes open and head on a 360 swivel. Plinking tends to attract attention from a long way off; you never know who's gonna step out from behind a tree with one loaded and take all your stuff!

Zombies, you never know when they will show up!

I dont do much taget shooting, but i do like to get out and do some skeet shooting sometimes.

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Originally Posted by TrilliumLT

I dont do much taget shooting, but i do like to get out and do some skeet shooting sometimes.

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Nice! Been shooting trap for a bit, but just learned skeet...mainly out in Hamilton. Where 'bouts to you shoot out East of the GTA?

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Originally Posted by MWS

Nice! Been shooting trap for a bit, but just learned skeet...mainly out in Hamilton. Where 'bouts to you shoot out East of the GTA?

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At my brothers farm, near Base Borden.