I have had great success hunting mostly elk over the last 30 years with various compound bows. About two years ago suffered an injury to my left shoulder and had some reconstruction. I could still pull 65 lbs. but can't hold my bow up long enough to get a shot! Long story short, I have gone to instinctive shooting with a 50 lb. recurve. I am not a techno freak. Some of my friends with similar problems have gone on to crossbow. That's not for me as I would do rifle before that. I am pretty good with an 8" pattern up to 40 yards. I would really like to hear any tips from those who have hunted instinctively with a recurve. Have an elk hunt coming up in about three weeks!
I've never hunted with firearms or archery. But I love this skill. I have had most experience with either longbow or recurve. I prefer recurve because it's a lot more compact. I'm a minimalist when it comes to this sort of thing because a recurve for a longbow was all people had in battle. But I understand the usefulness of a compound bow. Particularly taking down larger game. The only game I've ever shot was hay bales. I was fascinated by clout I wished I'd had more time to develop that skill.
With my compound I have harvested a bull from 7 yards and the last one was 65 yards. Sight pins and a mechanical release made all the difference in the world. Have done well from a tree stand as well but mostly stalking. I am just a little insecure as to how I will react instinctively shooting. I shoot probably 30 arrows just about every day. I really enjoy walking through the forest and shooting rotten stumps. I equate it with how others enjoy golfing. Though I have taken a few trophies, it is always for the meat. There is also just the love of the outdoors. One problem I have, and you'll understand, I am left eye dominant and shoot right handed both with bow and rifle. So I close my left eye.
Seven yards... That is close to an elk. I lived in Wyoming for a little while and elk scared the crap out of me. I remember doing a hike in the spring through the woods hearing their trumpets got me on edge. You can scare off a black bear you're at the mercy of an elk. Hats off to you for getting that close. 65 yards would make me nervous. Nothing like elk snout chili. I don't live anywhere near them now all the white trail in this area have mad cow.
When you study them, elk are really fun. I live on an acre and a half and have had 25 in the yard at a single time. Bears on the other hand..... we had a black bear kill and eat a man near Prescott this summer who was just sitting at a table drinking coffee in the morning. He was building a cabin. A neighbor finally shot the bear too late. Nothing abnormal about the bear, he was just considered predatory. You might try taking your bow out sometime with some blunt tips and shoot at various "soft targets" like rotten stumps, uphill and downhill. I find it to be a blast. You just get better all the time. My problem is building my range instinctively. Right now I would never attempt anything beyond 40 yards. Even that would be marginal.
1) what brand are you using 2) do you string walk to aim or gap shoot or are you purely instinctive 3) string walking is the most accurate way to shoot a recurve without a sight or a longbow for that matter 4) a consistent anchor point is the most important thing for repeatable accuracy -second is good "back tension"and third is good alignment. 5) good arrow flight can be tough with these bows when you are shooting broad heads. the issue becomes cut on contact (fixed) broad heads or mechanical broadheads. The latter are easier to tune and GENERALLY more accurate while the former tend to get better penetration. For elk and that weight bow, I'd go with fixed broad heads though 25 yards is about the limit for traditional bows.
I agree with you on the 25 yds. For me now anyway. Elk have a much larger kill zone than deer. I have had no luck with string walking. You are right about broadheads too. I shot an elk with a mechanical and hit it good but the thing was pretty mangled. I have used Bear razorheads 125 gr. and if you hit the lung area my compound bow would sail them right through. Do you agree there is a timing to draw and release? I have found if I try to hold at all my accuracy goes down. When I practice, I focus on my target point, (aim small miss small) and release as soon as I hit my anchor point. Has that worked for you?
You have to understand that my main background is this-I am a level IV USA Archery coach and I specialize with BB and Olympic style archers. I teach my archers with BB to 1) hold, 2) transfer to their back muscles 3) release. Lots of good hunters really don't hold and some don't transfer and that works for them. It doesn't work for target or 3D archers. Now, what usually happens if you have problems holding is that you have't transferred so you are "creeping" meaning the point of your arrow is inching forward. This leads to inconsistency which you avoid by releasing as you hit your anchor since you are pulling. Too many people stop pulling (expanding some call it) when they hit their anchor. For hunting your technique sounds like it works for you.
Hey I really do appreciate that additional knowledge. Perhaps I haven't been shooting my recurve long enough.Before my accident, I shot a Hoyt Compound set at 65 lbs. of course with 40% let off. I could hold that til the cows came home. Then a 40 lb recurve. I wasn't comfortable with the poundage so I bought a 50 lb. Fleetwood from Three Rivers Archery. I am comfortable shooting it and arrows fly pretty well but perhaps my back muscles need a little more work. I have worked on the "creeping and perhaps that is why, for now, I shoot so quick as you say. Is there a technique one could know when he has properly transferred?
essentially you want your draw elbow at 6 o'clock when you hold and have it moving towards 7(RH). (the bow hand at 12 ). It's an angular rather than linear motion as you get ready to loose
watch this-it might help. I know this guy pretty well since I have judged a bunch of shoots he attended and he was a resident athlete at the Olympic training center with a couple boys I coached. He's very good at explaining things
