It's spring! I finally got out and shot the Grail today. Did well but stayed at only 13 yards just to boost my confidence and try my new arrows. Anyway, I've decided to set a standard for hunting accuracy in 2015. We'll go back to the late 1800s and Will Thompson. On page 158 of The Witchery of Archery, Maurice writes:

"To the above record I may add that Mr. Will H. Thompson, of the " Wabash Merry Bowmen," in the presence of some of the members of another club, in the spring of 1878, hit a nine-inch bull's-eye eleven shots out of thirteen, at forty yards."

So, that's my standard for this season and I think you should take up the Will Thompson challenge and give it your best. It's very doable. It's about what I did at age 15, but I'm not doing that well now, thanks to not practicing at the longer distances. 11 out of 13 into a 9" paper plate at 40 yards will make those 20 yard shots seem a lot easier, in my opinion.

Joe

this sounds like a sound challenge. I will post my results!

Good! I'll post my results too, but not until I have some more shooting under my belt.

Joe

that's a great idea and challenge for me, for some that will be a walk in the park, all i got to do now is get 13 arrows that match. rich pyle

I accept the challenge Joe Frisk and will attenpt it in all my future shooting sessions. Good post. I don't practice 40 yards often, just worked my way back to 30 this year.

That's quite a standard, Joe but will give it a try also. I agree with all who say that practice at long yardage does make that 20-25 yard shot a lot more predictable. Wonder why the 13 arrow stipulation, though.

I can't shoot past 25 yards in my yard, so I don't get much practice at longer distances, but I going turkey hunting/camping this weekend and will give it a try.

I'm intrigued by this standard of accuracy. While I practice at longer ranges, I set a personal standard about 30 yeas ago of 6" at 30 yards with 6 arrows. Not sure if my concentration can be maintained for 13 consecutive shots given my instinctive shooting style. I'll give this a try if the snow ever disappears. I'll make some more arrows in the mean time.

This sounds like fun, count me in!

I'll try it but I think it'll take me quite awhile to get even close to that. Good luck to all.

Hope hunters around me set that standard . Good way to get the woods to myself.

Frisky, you'll be lucky to get 11 out of 40 at 13 yards with that Flite-bow! That is, until you get some properly fletched arrows for it...and some practice.

Don't set yourself up for more disappointment!

That should be attainable for most archers. Rather than put up a 9" plate, put up a two inch black dot. Then work on that and see how it will fine-down your shooting. You can check the radius from the center of that with a light pencil circle that you can't see from 40 yards.

Can you see 40 yards still Frisky?lol

Sounds like a good goal!! let you know how it comes out at the end of summer.

Delta – Just shoot 3 groups of 4 or 4 groups of 3 and take a break in between. Either that, or you can just work out your gap for that range, or pick a small mark and hold point-on, then check the size of your group. If you want holes on the paper as proof, just put up a large, unmarked sheet on the target butt and trace the 9” circle in pencil as GDS suggested, with your mark located wherever it needs to be for the center of your group to land in the X ring.

“But that’s not Instinctive!” I can hear you say…. Two words:

SO

WHAT?

Or three words, if you prefer:

SO

HEFFINGK

WHAT?

The point of demonstrating fine accuracy at long range is to establish better form than you thought yourself capable of – whether you’re currently developing it or you’ve already got it and you’re just proving the point.

But you can’t improve your results until you know whether it’s your form that’s inconsistent or your aiming that’s all over the map… or if neither one is worth a damn.

Glad to see folks getting involved. Shooting longer distance will tell you volumes about your form. It will also help develop good form. Just use your left brain and don't shoot till you're tired. Even experienced shooters can ingrain bad habits.

This is a great idea! I have a old logging road that doubles as my shooting range with shots up to 55 yards and its a hoot to practice long shots . It really helps your focus. This weekend I went stumping with my brother in law and we found shots up to 100 yards and took a lot in the 40-55 yard range. It really helps build confidence in your form when you see that you really can hit what you're aiming at even when its a looong way away.

BTW - So why 13 arrows???

How much you wanna bet that in the original demo the shooter took the first shot to get the range, then gapped off of the first arrow and sank 11 out o’ the next 12?

so, frisky, you don't think it's doable with the greatest bow on earth when ford greatly exceeded that standard in the mid 1850's with a self english longbow and wood arrows?

set this as your standard!

Under the risk of being considered egotistical, but to oblige the request of several correspondents, I now give the three following speciments of my private practice—I need hardly say my best. The first two are the single York round of six dozen, four dozen, and two dozen. At the first I made (with an Italian self yew-bow of Mr. Buchanan's, and 5s. arrows of Mr. Muir's) 71 hits, 335 score, (missing the 59th shot); 48 hits, 272 score; 24 hits, 158 score; giving a total of—

144 shots, 143 hits, 765 score.

At the second (with a yew-backed yew-bow and same arrows) 66 hits, 344 score; 47 hits, 301 score; 24 hits, 164 score; total— 144 shots, 137 hits, 809 score.

The following is a St. Leonard's round, at 60 yards:—28 golds, 37 reds, 7 blues, 3 blacks; total—

75 shots, 75 hits, 555 score. the st. leonards round should be the standard!

Back then, 40 yards was not a long shot, considering the York Round was shot frequently in those times. And they mostly used point of aim, or the arrow tip. They weren't cloaked in neotrad traditional ideas. Will Thompson, by the way, was the first National Champion (NAA) of the U.S. in 1879. The Round shot in that tournament was a Double York Round. That would have been 288 arrows. A single York Round is 72 arrows at 100 yards, 48 arrows at 80 yards, and 24 arrows at 60 yards.

Tried it on my lunch break. If you can't see the pic I got 5 of 13. I think I can do 11 with a few weeks of practice. Going to try anyway lol.

A few weeks of practice=lots of tries btw :)

I tried it cold, no warm ups, with longbow. 7/13 in the zone. Elapsed shooting time 2:09. The top arrow was underspined and really flew on me. Good fun, thanks.

George- The 2" dot is a great idea. I always put a dime-size dot on my plate targets, but I have only been shooting at 20 yards or so.

Larry- Last week, I downloaded Ford's book. It should be fun!

I have a feeling the 13 shots was the result of warmup shots from the 20 arrow capacity of the quivers the Thompsons used.

Another standard we can go for is the 4 foot target at 100 yards. 70-75 hits out of 210 shots was outstanding. I'm sticking with the 40 yard standard. I expect to be crowned Champion of the North by summer's end!

Joe

I'm all in. I happen the be reading the same book right now.

yahooty- I'm on page 194.

Can it be moving? I shoot better that way. lol

I was thinking the same. I don't think I will ever be in the same league as either of the Thompson s or the old man that stopped to shoot with them along the road. Good challenge to be sure. My personal challenge has always been the paper lunch plate from any distance.

Jeffer get's to set his standard on a moving target at 20 yards. Would hitting a quarter be too easy, lol?

Joe

Yeah I'm in...just haveta do it in a few groups.

Frisky, I thought you'd already been crowned Champion of the North. I know I've always thought of you that way.

Should be fun. I'm in.

Popester- I'm the Mighty Legend of the North. However, Champion of the North will just be another feather in my cap, unless you or Gaur beat me out. We don't count Canadians.

Joe

Sounds like to me old, old school would love to see whats in his Museum? Was wondering if he was having trouble getting closer for a shot or that was just his own challange?

My standard don't mis and bare down at any angle and if I do mis then, I will us my hurt card in my wallet hows that sound? LOL

HUH? lol!

Joe

Definitely NOT a hunters challenge..

It was a hunters challenge in those days. They didn't limit themselves to only taking 20 yard shots. Even as late as the era of Hill, Pearson, Bear and those guys taking shots at game from 40-50 yards and mire were quite common,

my point on is 52 yards with the bow and arrow combo i'm shooting now. thats a pretty easy shot for an undisturbed animal.

I have a funny feeling that just about anyone willing to learn to really aim off of the arrow is going to be very pleasantly surprised at what he (or she) is really capable of... I got to take just a pair of shots at 50 yards a while back and... Not sure exactly how to describe it other than to just say that they hit a lot closer together and a lot closer to the mark than I would have dared hope..

I still have some serious reservations about the hang time on a shot that far, but I've never get lost a wounded stump....

For me, the thrill of archery is in the flight of an arrow. You don't get that at close range. To flight shoot or watch an arrow rocket out 40-70 yards is a a thing of beauty! At long ranges, a miss is still a hit.

Joe

"For me, the thrill of archery is in the flight of an arrow. You don't get that at close range. To flight shoot or watch an arrow rocket out 40-70 yards is a a thing of beauty! At long ranges, a miss is still a hit."

I shoot a bow primarily to hunt, but I couldn't agree with a statement more than I agree with this one. I have been broadening my range more each day and it is just flat-out fun. I've missed out over the years by limiting my practice to 30 yards and under.

I just started last year shooting at a range that has targets out to 80 yards, and it adds another dimension of fun for sure !

"BTW - So why 13 arrows???"

Because it's witchery-- you have to have a number like that !

"To flight shoot or watch an arrow rocket out 40-70 yards is a a thing of beauty! At long ranges, a miss is still a hit."

You know, I think that may be what REALLY got me hooked on archery in the first place.... As kids we LOVED launching a shot just as far as a 48" all-glass Bear recurve would throw it. Just to watch it arc... Seems like it cost us an arrow just about every time we did it, but we did it anyway...

Too good to pass up.

Have to admit that some of the joy was missing the last time I shot very long, just out of a concern over being down to my last 2 arrows in the quiver... and the fact that they cost ten bucks a pop anymore....

Must be nature's way of telling me to go back to wood!

ttt

I've been an advocate of practice..one arrow to any mark..out to one's 'point on' distances with his bow and arrows..for many years..

AND 'shooting the line' to ANY mark..

I didn't invent any of those concepts..:)

The hunter doesn't get many 'grouping' opportunities..:(unless he's fiddling with the choke selection on his over-under bird shotgun..:)

I like a 4" styrofoam ball stick on a dowel and my personal point on is about 70-73 yards..

FWIW, I have assisted many young and older men or women firearms hunters on the sight in days..and there's plenty of them who cannot hit consistently on a 10" target with five shots offhand at 40 yards..:(

and I know offhand handgun shooters who CAN do that with no sweat..:)

So it's a good starting goal..considering the highest percentage of hunters with a bow will never need to shoot longer than that from their treestand for whitetail of feral hawgs..

Practice at the longer distances is great training for focus, honeing ones equipment matchup, building strength and focus..and YES it is certainly fun to watch the well sent arrow fly to the mark..Jim

I like what GF posted, and it is very true. I remember being tickled to hit a cardboard box about fifteen yards away; that was in 1954 and I was shooting a lilac limb for a bow..baler twine string, and a golden rod stem for an arrow. I got to where I could reach a flock of black birds flying over our house...even heard it hit once in a cloud of black feathers. No bird fell though but I still counted the hit. I terrorized the neighborhood for a good while with that bow until it mysteriously disappeared one day. Mom seemed to think prowlers broke in and stole it while we were away. Those days are recalled with very pleasant memory.

I really miss the old NFAA field round. 45 yards was not an undoable shot. On those targets there was a black dot in the center to aim at.

Count me in Frisky but it will take a while & I will post results you are entitled to laugh at my expense. Good Thread I know my form needs work. Pie plate at 40 yards sounds like fun to me!!!!!

Miserable day here in Jersey. Went after turkeys this morning but no luck. Rain abated for a while so took my Hummingbird Kingfisher out to stretch its legs. Was shooting at my Block target at 30 yds. and the results were certainly not noteworthy. As I was lining up for some more attempts, I noticed a tennis ball lying in the grass. I had read George's suggestion about putting a 2" dot on the 9" pie plate in order to center your focus even more. I decided to throw the ball on to my lower lawn at about 30 yds. and try that. I was shooting slightly elevated as my back yard is approx. eight feet above the lower. The group you see in the pic is outstanding for me. Now, before you poopoo the group, I need to explain the shot distribution. The lowest arrow is my second shot which just nioked the ball and moved it to the spot you see in the photo. My third skewered it and the fourth is the one above the ball. If the ball hadn't been moved I think the group would have been about five to six inches. Having to focus on the ball without the surrounding large target did the job for me, and at 30 yds. no less. Any animal I get to loose an arrow at in the future will have a green tennis ball on its side. Give it a try. You might be surprised at the results.

I think for me a heart sized target at 20-25yrds is a better goal, I practice hitting quarter sized targets at every distance, and that makes a heart seem huge. This yr I've had better concentration and hitting the mark like I did 20yrs ago. Never thought I would get it back after so long shooting wheels. I still will not shoot past 25yrds, I know my limits and comfort range. Good luck

I think for me a heart sized target at 20-25yrds is a better goal, I practice hitting quarter sized targets at every distance, and that makes a heart seem huge. This yr I've had better concentration and hitting the mark like I did 20yrs ago. Never thought I would get it back after so long shooting wheels. I still will not shoot past 25yrds, I know my limits and comfort range. Good luck

I have not shot at 40 yards yet, but I'm setting up a special "heart shot" target at 31 yards, the distance the Japanese shot at. That will prepare me to begin the 40 yard assault. To be honest, I think George will be first to equal or beat Will. It wouldn't be a challenge for Rick Barbee and a few others. However, this is a good challenge for those of us who don't shoot often beyond 25 yards.

Joe

good luck and have fun, my eyes even with glasses are not good enough to consistently hit past 25yrds, wish I could. I remember a interview with Byron F. in which he stated that he had a better than average I surgery (Lasic).

For me, it won't be vision that gives trouble, as I have excellent distance vision. It will be proper form and follow-through, if I get my equipment set up correctly.

Joe

" Another standard we can go for is the 4 foot target at 100 yards. 70-75 hits out of 210 shots was outstanding. I'm sticking with the 40 yard standard. I expect to be crowned Champion of the North by summer's end!

Joe "

Seems fairly well documented that HH could hit the end of a bail of hay he had at 100 yards. This when he was well on in age. Given that the dimensions of a bail of hay are about 2x a 9" bull, and square in form, doesn't sound impossible.

I think 70-75 hits out of 210 shots, at 100 yards, is terrible, but they called it great during the 1800s. I've never tried it. Maybe it is hard. Of course, HH was HH.

joe

Here's my 900 round score card from last season. Why stop at 40 yds?

And I only have 10 arrows right now so this will have to do.

BTW, both are with a Damon Howatt Hi-Speed from 1963.

Sorry Jaz. It's not up to snuff. Has to be 11 out of 13 shots. In the future, you must shoot the ten, pull 3 and shoot them. That will give you the full 13. You can even shoot them in small groups. I plan to shoot 13 straight!

Joe

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