# Diagnose my shooting!



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

I finally picked up a bow after several weeks of research, looking around, and shooting at the shops that are close to me. My awesome girlfriend bought it for me as a birthday present as well as recently buying us 1/4 of a butchered pig. You guys jealous? 8) 

Anyway, I ended up getting a Diamond Outlaw and have a 27.5" draw length and have the 60-70 pound limbs turned all the way down right now and the guy at the bow shop told me it was really only 56 pounds when turned all the way down and put on the scale. My arrows are bloodline infused carbon cut about 28.5" long with a 330 spine tipped with a 100 grain field point. The little lady decided if I was going to bow hunt that she wanted to bow hunt also, so we picked her up a bear home wrecker. She pulls back 40 pounds like it's nothing and I think we can have her cranked up to 50 pounds by hunting season. She was even able to pull back my bow at 56 pounds! :shock: It definitely wasn't easy for her and it would in no way be a practical weight for her to target practice or hunt with but I was blown away that she could pull that kind of weight even if it was hard for her!

I've got a couple shooting sessions in so far and have practiced exclusively at 20 yards and will continue to do so until my groups are sufficiently tight to back up and practice at 30. The question that I have is that while some of my arrows go straight into the target, some enter at angles. Some go in on a left slant and some go in slanting right. What is this most likely attributed to? Is it the unsteady hand of a noob shooter? I'll admit I'm not rock steady yet and probably need quite a bit more practice to get the coordination down. Or could it be a tuning issue with my bow? I've read that a shooter should put a couple hundred arrows through a new bow to let the strings settle in before doing any tuning so that is what I'm doing now. Also is the spine on my arrows correct? I thought maybe with the 56 pound draw weight the spine is a little stiff right now but I'll probably be pulling closer to 70 after I've had time to work on my form and strengthen my shooting muscles. 

The guy at Hurst Sporting Goods told me that my arrows were cut long and I should maybe shorten them. I've read that a lot of guys only have their arrows going about an inch or an inch and a half past the rest while at full draw and I'm still sticking out about 4 inches at full draw. Some guys say that it is all preference and having a little longer arrow doesn't hurt anything.

Any input you guys have on these questions would be greatly appreciated!


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Your bow might night be tune right. the other thing could be your fleaching could be messed up


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## jpolson (Jun 12, 2011)

Shoot it through paper yet?


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## stablebuck (Nov 22, 2007)

yeah your arrows are a little stiff...not necessarily a huge issue until you go to broadhead tune. My personal recommendation would be to switch to a 125gr head. Your arrows are a little longer than I would have mine, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. I am a 28" draw and my arrows are about 27.5" from throat of the nock to the insert.
The most important thing is to just shoot...there are a lot of things you are going to "customize" for yourself before you find something that works well for exactly what you are doing. Don't over think it too much now...just shoot and come June or July you can worry about cranking the weight up and making sure everything is tuned to hunt.


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## skeet4l (Sep 11, 2007)

It's all good but my approach would be a little different than what’s been stated. I’d work on cranking the poundage up sooner than later to build muscle memory and get into a rhythm long before the hunt. I also prefer seated limbs rather than floating.

As for paper, I don’t put a lot of stock in it because there are so many variables that can affect center-shot appearance such as;
•	Inconsistent release
•	Torque
•	Vane interference (with)
•	Type of rest
•	Spine (fluidity-which direction the shaft flexes at release and if consistent)
•	Rotation vs recovery (with vanes)
•	Distance to the paper

PT is a starting point, just keep in mind there are many variables so don’t get frustrated if you’re finding inconsistency with your approach.

Excessive arrow length beyond the rest can compound all of the above and adversely affect accuracy. At release there is a connection of knock point and tip (force/resistance). My preference is to maintain the shortest distance between the fulcrum if you will and the resistance at release minimizing room for error.


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## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Color county, I would suggest you get in touch with the Ats Queo archery club down there. They have a bunch of great guys and shooters that will help you set up your bow and teach you the right way to shoot a bow. Don't go the route I did and teach yourself. I am still trying to kick bad habits I made 10 years ago. 
It certainly sounds like combination of tune issues and form issues. Good luck and don't feel dumb about asking questions. Most archers are more than willing to teach the tricks of the trade to a newbie.


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