Not getting better

[Shallowater]

I just had my bow restrung and tuned at a very reputable shop up here in N Texas.

I have also stepped up my practice routine, but I don't seem to be getting much better. I am pretty solid at 35-40 yards, but at 50-60 I either shoot great or I spray arrows in 12" groups.

I am working on my form, but I wonder what in the heck I am missing.

Any tips to tighten this thing up? Anything I am missing? Do I need to get a few lessons?

i shoot a Hoyt Alpha Max at 68#. I also use a singel pin tureglow sight. I am wondering if I should dial back the draw weight (hate to lose the speed)?

[bone]

Pay attention to hand torque, could be the problem.

[txdukklr]

when you say you had your bow tuned what do you mean . . . paper tuned?

are you grouping good but the arrow is consistently off target?

[Shallowater]

Yes. paper tuning is included in the setup with the new string.

I sighted the bow in at 20 after the string was replaced. Bow was driving tacks at 20. Too good to shoot at the same spot.

At 35-40 yards I was shooting roughly 4" groups.

But the more I shoot (over the course or the last week, not in one session) the worse it seems to be getting.

Now 35-40 yards the groups are more like 6". 50 yards is problematic. With one 4 shot group being good and the next I might be out of the vitals on a 3D target 3 out of 5 shots.

Not acceptable in my opinion. Just wonder if something has loosened up on my form, or if the bow might have some flaws in the set-up (rest timing, or something loose).

I need to get this dialed in.

[Puggy625]

Just FYI....You need to do more that paper tune the bow. Are you sure you aren't getting any contact with the rest/fletchings? What kind of rest are you using? What type of release? Lots more information needed to give a good diagnosis.

While yes, your form, fatigue, etc will play a factor in the grouping, you need to make absolutely sure everything about the bow is right. Brace height, axle to axle, timing, etc.

[Shallowater]

The rest was supposedly timed and the bow paper tuned at the shop. I am not sure I'm not getting fetching contact though. It is my main concern.

I use an Trufire hurricane release and QAD ultra rest.

[El Paisano]

Maybe this is a stupid question since I am an old guy and shoot a recurve, but why are you practicing at 50-60 yards. Way too many bad things can happen between the time you release and when the arrow arrives, and a bow can't shoot fast enough to make up for it.
??

[stryker93]

At longer distances, any small amount of torque or movement with be magnified. The thing that helped me the most was try to hold the pin on the target until the arrow hit the target. That coupled with allowing my pin to float on the spot I wanted to hit.

[E.TX.BOWHUNTER]

My question is do you warm up at the shorter distances? If so you may be tired by the time you are shooting the longer shots. Rest a while then start fresh at long distance possibly.

[bowfisher1725]

At longer distances, any small amount of torque or movement with be magnified. The thing that helped me the most was try to hold the pin on the target until the arrow hit the target. That coupled with allowing my pin to float on the spot I wanted to hit.

Bingo! Assuming everything in your bow is properly tuned, this would be my advice as well. This was my problem at 50-60yrds. When your shooting that far any slight movement, pull or hand torque can lead to a way off target shot at that distance. Every time you shoot make the habit of not dropping your bow down till the arrow hits the target.

[Shallowater]

Maybe this is a stupid question since I am an old guy and shoot a recurve, but why are you practicing at 50-60 yards. Way too many bad things can happen between the time you release and when the arrow arrives, and a bow can't shoot fast enough to make up for it.
??

I shoot at 50-60 so 25-30 is nothing more than a chip shot. And I plan to do a good bit of spot and stalk this year and want to extend my effective range to 50yards.

[Shallowater]

My question is do you warm up at the shorter distances? If so you may be tired by the time you are shooting the longer shots. Rest a while then start fresh at long distance possibly.

No. In preparing for an upcoming hunt I have had more or less the following routine.

Shoot 2-3 sets of 4 arrows at 6:30 am (usually 40 and 50 yards).

Shoot 2-3 sets of 4 arrows at 6:00 PM (usually 20,30,40 yards or 40-50-60 depending on how I am shooting)

and then a set or two at 50 at around 8:00.

I don't think fatigue is it. I am worried about form and more importantly tuning and setup.

[adam_p]

I had a reputable north texas shop put a new string on my bow and "tune" it last year. Draws stops were nowhere close to being in spec, draw length was an inch longer than it was when I brought it in, the cams weren't in time and the rest was loose.

Learned a lesson there and got setup to do it all myself.

[Shallowater]

I had a reputable north texas shop put a new string on my bow and "tune" it last year. Draws stops were nowhere close to being in spec, draw length was an inch longer than it was when I brought it in, the cams weren't in time and the rest was loose.

Learned a lesson there and got setup to do it all myself.

Hmmmm. Interesting.

[SwampRabbit]

Yes. paper tuning is included in the setup with the new string.

I sighted the bow in at 20 after the string was replaced. Bow was driving tacks at 20. Too good to shoot at the same spot.

At 35-40 yards I was shooting roughly 4" groups.

But the more I shoot (over the course or the last week, not in one session) the worse it seems to be getting. Now 35-40 yards the groups are more like 6". 50 yards is problematic. With one 4 shot group being good and the next I might be out of the vitals on a 3D target 3 out of 5 shots.

Not acceptable in my opinion. Just wonder if something has loosened up on my form, or if the bow might have some flaws in the set-up (rest timing, or something loose).

I need to get this dialed in.

Sounds like strings are settling in and things have changed. Just retune. I don't bother worrying about fine tuning anything until after I've shot the bow enough that I'm confident that the strings have stopped stretching.

Note: I haven't been doing this long to say this is for certain. I had to "retune" a few times early on with my compound. When I went to a recurve, I followed the advice of the wise. My brace height changed during my first week or so of shooting. I was have to add twists to keep it at the same brace height. Once it stopped, I tuned the bow/arrows.