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How much do you practice?

3K views 20 replies 13 participants last post by  Nurso 
#1 ·
Just read on another post on here that a guy has had his crossbow six months and shot it 50 times for practice. Another member commented and said he needed to practice more.

What would the proper amount of practice be?

I may shoot my crossbow 20 or so practice rounds and do fine. Although I will mention I have been shooting the same bow over 10 years with very consistant success.
 
#2 ·
Just read on another post on here that a guy has had his crossbow six months and shot it 50 times for practice. Another member commented and said he needed to practice more.

What would the proper amount of practice be?

I may shoot my crossbow 20 or so practice rounds and do fine. Although I will mention I have been shooting the same bow over 10 years with very consistant success.
Although it’s a very open ended question it reminds me of a similar question once asked to a trap shooting competitor about how many rounds of ammo was normal before becoming able to run into he field (shoot a perfect score)? His answer was simple - he replied “after you’ve gotten thru your 2nd dump truck load of shells come back and talk to me”.

I’ve been either a bow or a crossbow on average 3 times a week for between 1 1/2 and 2 hours each time out since I was 12 years old. I just turned 65, but these days I no longer shoot year round. I only shoot 6 months of year between winter months and inclement weather days.

There’s no such thing as “To Much”! There’s only “To Little”! Shooting should be enjoyable and the more you practice the more you learn.
 
#3 ·
183332
 
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#4 ·
Back when I was hopelessly addicted to sporting clays I would shoot100 targets 4X a week sometimes more. It would help with those lost targets you drop on certain courses. With shooting stickbows I shoot every day and try to shoot 25 perfect arrows. Practice needs to have a purpose, quality over quantity with your goal being set higher as you progress.
 
#5 ·
After more than 40 years of shooting bows and crossbows 3 times a week I'll add to your above practises routine by outlining the fact what each shooters goal should be. You are never shooting to beat anybody else or to top a certain score. These are short term temporary goals and are subject to change.

A very simple long range goal is to focus each time you pick up your bow or crossbow on beating your prior score! Write it down and always keep track. It matters greatly when you begin to realize that regardless whether you're in your own backyard or in a major tournament you are your only competition! Shooting is only 20% physical and 80% physcoloical. Learn to remain totally focused on your target and each shot execution and learn to control your physcolonial state of mind by blocking out all other distractions so you can't see anything except the center of the bullseye. You shouldn't hear anything accept your own breathing and the sound of your arrow as it hits your target. Your goal is always to beat your last performance.

If you do this each time you shoot I can guarantee you within several months of shooting you'll gain more skill than you have in all your your years combined.

I'll ask you one simple question when using this practice / development method. How would it be possible for any other shooter to beat or outperform you if you did this?

First of all your improvement is measured and constant each week for months and months. Secondly, if that occurred you will have failed to have learned the first lesson. Why were you focused on what somebody else was doing when all you had to do was to beat yourself? As long as you turn in your personal best performance you can always hold your head high and you'll continue to win and improve.

When you don't then it's time for some self analysis to determine what's needed to get yourself back on track! Eventually, after enough years of doing this you will reach a plateau and level off. At this point we focus on maintain our scores and never allowing them to drop back. So you might wonder what happens when I shoot a perfect score? How do I improve on that?

Well, let me explain. A perfect score is nothing unusual in recent years. Often,min competition many shooters will shoot perfect scores so that doesn't determine who wins. Each time you shoot an arrow into the bullseye there should be a smaller circle in it's center. This smaller circle contains an "X" in it or I prefer a small 3/4" fluorescent dot. This is known as the X-Ring. Each time your arrow cuts into the X-Ring your receive an X-ring percentage point. The shooter with a perfect score and the highest X percentage is the winner. So as you can see there's a great deal of personal development that can be achieved without ever worrying about what someone else is doing.

Good shooting and I hope this was helpful.

Jon Henry
 
#6 ·
A little short story...Back in my youth I hunted to kill. Deer tore me up when I seen one headed my way...buck or doe! I shot my bow almost every day of the year and couldnt get enough of it. I hunted practically every day of the season heading to the woods right after getting off work, even during rainstorms. I just couldnt get enough of it. I shot vertical bows year 'round and shot anything in season. When there wasnt a season I shot tournaments. I shot fish. I shot beavers. I shot squirrels and rabbits. I shot anything legal to shoot. I only wish I could be as excited these days. Nowadays I only get my crossbows out and shoot them until I KNOW how to aim at ANY yardage out to 45 yards and hit bullseyes every time with broadheads. Once I'm confident with that then I'm ready to go deer hunting. I don't get the shakes anymore when I see a deer. I don't have to mentally tell myself every step to preform before and during the shot anymore. Yea, I still get excited but not like it used to be. When that's gone then I'll quit hunting. Nowadays for me it's much more about the hunt than it is the kill. I'll shoot both my crossbows a couple hundred shots between now and the 11th of Sept and I'll be ready to go on the 12th! And unless this year is unlike all the others since Ive been crossbow hunting...the deer I shoot at will be the deer I kill.;):)
 
#9 ·
Once your bow is "on", practice is not very important. Shoot a few arrows every once in a while to make sure nothing is out of whack. You hear guys complaining all the time about string serving separation. Well yeah. If you are shooting several hundred times your going to get that. I have had 5 crossbows so far and never had to replace the strings until after three years.
 
#14 ·
I mainly use my crossbow for deer season, which is middle of Sept. to mid November. I have been using the same crossbow for 9 years, and always shoot and double check all functions and accuracy before season. Not much time and weather is usually not very cooperative in summer. However if a person feels the need to shoot 100's or 1000's of arrows all year long, and enjoy target shooting, by all means do what you like.
 
#11 ·
I don't think there is a 'one size fits all' answer to this one.

Some guys simply love to shoot & are looking to thread a needle at 100 yards. Target shooting can be it's own hobby.

Others simply want to hunt and cleanly harvest every critter they fling an arrow at.

I do all my practice offhand (out to 60 yards) & then hunt primary from stands with shooting rails set up for shots 30 yards or under. Practice for the worst, then set it up for something much easier.

I personally have never cared for shooting while I'm sweating.
 
#12 ·
I don't think there is a 'one size fits all' answer to this one.

Some guys simply love to shoot & are looking to thread a needle at 100 yards. Target shooting can be it's own hobby.
That´s my way. Like you said, your goal define your practice.
I practice once a week, if I had more time I do it more often. Because of the job, time is limited. One training means round about two hours and 60-80 shots. I need so much time to walk, because my distances starting at 60 up to 110 yards.
If there is no time I do some dry practice at home.
 
#13 ·
I agree there is no one answer to my question as is reflected by the different answers. It is like Turkey hunting and Turkey hunters. Some take it to the extreme and others do just enough to get by. I have killed deer with recurves, compounds and crossbows. I enjoy the crossbow the most as I find it suits my style of hunting.

I agree with KX500: "Some guys simply love to shoot & are looking to thread a needle at 100 yards. Target shooting can be it's own hobby."

I also found Archer36 right on (in my opinon): Once your bow is "on", practice is not very important. Shoot a few arrows every once in a while to make sure nothing is out of whack.

Gabowman states" I don't have to mentally tell myself every step to preform before and during the shot anymore. Yea, I still get excited but not like it used to be." I am very similar and have great muscle memory. I shoot the same old crossbow going on 14 years and am super comfortable, I shoot the same ol muzzel loader going on 15 years and the same ol shotgun for Turkeys going on 30 plus years and when I stop getting excited about hunting game will also quit but don't see that happening.

I just found it strange that someone would tell a new hunter he was not practicing enough but after reading these posts realize that the new hunter probably does not have the muscle memory or experience collected over years.

Thank you for all the response as I have gained a lot of insight.
 
#18 · (Edited)
To me the equivalent would be a rifle hunter that feels compelled to shoot hundreds of rounds, over and over, to feel confident in his shooting. I don't know anyone that does that. Once you hit the bullseye and confirm it a few times, you are good.
 
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