How To Aim A Compound Bow in 2023
Compound bows can be an important step for many archers. If you’re just getting started, you may want to try out a few different varieties and find one that suits your different needs best.
Regardless of how far you advance in archery before trying your hand at bow hunting, it’s important to know how to aim a compound bow.
So we’ve talked about a compound bow, but when it comes to using the device properly, one might wonder how it is to aim correctly. Aiming can be easy with or without sights, but most stocks do come with their own set of sights.
Using a sight to line up your shot can make it easier compared to using a laser sight which makes aiming much more instinctual. However, aiming and anticipating where the targets will require experience in order to succeed and your instincts cannot be replaced by any tools!
Now that we’ve covered aiming with foresight, let’s cover aiming without one.
That way, you can know exactly how to approach the situation even if you’re unsure which direction to take.
How To Aim A Compound Bow With Sights:
When choosing a sight for your bow, there are many things to take into consideration like the draw weight, cams, and width. Compound bows are known to have many features and benefits, but one of them is the ability to set a specific length on the body of the compound bow, which allows for more precision when aiming as well as for easier customization for hunters.
A compound bow is a modern bow made of fiberglass and other materials instead of wood. It tends to be stronger and more flexible than an ordinary longbow.
A peep sight – a small ring installed in the bowstring to provide additional aiming aid – may be also used with a compound bow.
There are many sights you can use to help aim your shot like handguns, iron sights and holographic sights.
A target sight and a peep sight can be used together to aid the accuracy of your shooting.
When using a peep sight, your eye should be aligned through the center of both rings.
A peep sight is a little hole at the sight of your bow. The hole should be level with your target once your draw arm reaches full draw, or even a little before if you are using a fixed-pin bow sight.
The bow sight is located where it is because the best target acquisition occurs with a consistent center axis of the arrow. The small aperture or peep limits the amount of light entering the shooter’s eye, which is what helps free up visual perception and how long an archer shoots until they are able to see a stable center dot for a quick shot.
Some compound bows come equipped with a small bubble or spirit level inside the sight to give you additional assistance in making precise corrections when aiming at your target.
The larger sight on the bow itself features horizontal pins that act as sort of a crosshair at the center of your sight. These allow you to accurately judge your distance and whether or not you are leveling out your shot in accordance with where you will land the object.
These pins represent the distance to the main target, used to denote when your disc is within 10 yards of landing.
You will find that depending on different factors, the pin at the top of your sight does not always correspond to the shortest distance to your target.
Now, if you’re anything like me, it will be tempting to take the shot as soon as your target is in range and lined up in your sights. But try not to get carried away too soon; there are a lot of factors that could affect the outcome of this shot.
While this may seem like a very natural instinct to have, it’s important that you avoid doing so. Not all archers float their sights. In fact, the majority of archers don’t float their sights, although there are some who do depend on the situation of course!
To shoot a bow and arrow, the thumb, index, and middle fingers of your drawing hand encircle the bowstring. Lining up the target with your front sight, you then draw back smoothly, releasing into a full draw without jerking your elbow or wrist at the back.
During this movement you should gently rock the bow forward and backward in an evenly paced figure of eight patterns, allowing for a smooth, fluid release.
Simply pulling the trigger as soon as you get into position can actually cause unnecessary tension in your arms, which will negatively affect your shot.
How To Aim A Compound Bow Without Sights:
This can often be referred to as “blind shooting.” There are a few techniques that can help you when aiming your compound bow without the use of a sight. The most common technique is called string walking.
For the most part, there is no single best way to learn how to aim a compound bow without the aid of a sight. Instead, it all depends on your skill level and practice so experiment with both gap shooting and string walking methods until you find what works for you!
Gap shooting involves focusing on refining accuracy after the first round is released.
Essentially, when it comes to shooting arrows, archers must spend time practicing as well as maintaining their equipment!
Your first shot needs to be a marker and that marker needs to hit the bullseye. That shoot will let you determine if the target is too far or close.
You’ll never hit the exact spot at the very first time, but at least you can figure out where to place your next shot and try best with the next shot.
At first, let’s imagine that your first shot misses the target. We’re left to wonder whether or not it would’ve made a difference if you’d used one of two alternative strategies instead.
You now have proper information regarding the wind, arrow weight, and other elements from which to base a future shot. In light of this, aim your next arrow a distance equal to where your first landed but in the opposite direction.
When it comes to shooting a game of pool, many people think that the only way to aim properly is to have an end-game strategy. In fact, a very effective method is the opposite of that: rather than aiming specifically through your shot and dedicating your mind completely to the task at hand, imagine where you’d like to place your ball and then aim for that place. This allows you to stay present at the moment and relax as you go about your shot.
Basic string walking is used when sighting your bow with the use of an arm. One holds the bow at its grip, holding in place with his fingers, and pulling a single end of the string during an aim; one must make sure they keep their first finger above the arrow when pulling because dying it will cause a change in trajectory.
By putting your fingers at different heights up and down the bowstring, you can fine tune the trajectory of your shots.
If you are not using sights on your compound bow, there is something called a string tab that is used to keep track of where you are shooting. You can place your fingers directly in or by the tab so they don’t get bumped in the process of drawing and shooting the bow.
If you want to improve your chances of hitting the bull’s eye, keep your fingers lower down on the bow string whilst aiming.
The way to make your shots land higher on the target is to pull back on the bowstring at a lower position.
The key, here, is to keep your anchor point continuous throughout the entire process so that your form remains balanced.
How To Be Precise With A Compound Bow?
Many different practices you can use to get better accuracy with your compound bow. A little bit of practice goes a long way, and these steps will help get you off on the right foot.
There are countless things to consider when shooting a bow and arrow such as having a solid stance, adjusting one’s grip, and making sure the bow is in good condition. Some aspects of archery are rather basic, like having a good stance and setting up your bow correctly. Other details will depend on the individual, such as closing one eye during a shot.
Before accurately aiming the compound bow, one needs to be stressed by having the appropriate stance and draw position.
Focus is important whether you’re aiming to hit a moving target or not; if your determination is without sight, the focus will help you make sure that nobody gets caught in the crossfire.
Before we get started you’ll need to set yourself up for success. This means turning your board so it’s facing 90 degrees from you, and moving so that the distance between you and it is about a step or two in length.
When you feel confident that everything is positioned as it should be, turn your head towards your target board (still aiming the bow straight ahead) and shift your weight onto one foot which will act as your anchor spot.
If you use a kisser button protruding from the side of your gun, it might not sit correctly when using a peep sight from the top of your weapon.
If you shoot without sight, then religiously practicing the aspects that make up your shot will inevitably help you out, regardless of whether or not you’re shooting with target sights or a freestyle setup. Getting comfortable and relaxed before you begin aiming is key in being able to shoot well.
Holding tension in just your arms when shooting your bow will throw off your shot.
Attaching your compound bow correctly is extremely important to ensure the safety of yourself and those around you.
One of the most important things to consider as a bow hunter is that your arrow’s draw weight and draw length are configured correctly. It may seem innocuous but one minor mistake might lead to a poor shot, which we do not want!
When you set up the string on your compound bow, it’s super important to make sure that the shape and length are absolutely perfect. The best way to do this is by making sure that the draw weight you’ve chosen to suit your style is just right for you.
Some archers find that closing the non-dominant eye improves bow accuracy.
Although this may not necessarily work for everyone, it’s worth experimenting on. It follows the same principle as a telescope; the telescopes are used to gather light and objects at distance can be seen in more detail than with the naked eye.
Similarly, many people know their dominant hand which is typically used when things like cameras or telescopes are used.
When aiming a weapon with sights, your dominant eye will line up the shot perfectly through your reticles.
How Hard Is It To Shoot A Compound Bow?
Compound bows might look complicated, but they’re actually not hard to use at all. While they may seem intimidating to beginners, as it can often appear that they require more power than other types of bows and thus would be harder to handle, compound bows actually require less drawing weight to shoot due to their design.
These kinds of bows do have a wider range of customization options which may make them seem like they’re more difficult to set up than similar looking traditional bows, however
Compound bows are often much easier to use than a traditional bow and require very little physical strength.
That is because the strings of compound bows are held in place by a series of cams, cables, and pulleys.
Although this is often the case, the position of where a compound bow is placed on the draw arm can often make it seem to have a higher draw weight than other types of bows.
While compound bows do require some physical strength, they offer a lot of other benefits that beginners can take advantage of right from the start.
Compound bows are unique in the sense that they do not need as much strength to drawback due to their mechanisms which significantly reduce the amount of energy needed from the archer. As a result, compound bows can take longer to draw than some other types of bows.
This will serve as good practice when it comes to learning how to handle your bow and arrow without getting stressed, leading to better accuracy.
Compound bows may become more complicated to adjust than comparing to other kinds of bow.
Installing a bow sight on a compound bow can be a bit of work but luckily there’s help online.
The peep sight, for example, will have to be manually adjusted on the bowstring to meet your eye perfectly once you reach full draw.
Any bow can be customized with a release aid , which can help make shooting more comfortable.
Pre-tension devices, or “alt-bows”, are an external attachment that archers can use when shooting their bows so that they don’t have to actually pull back or “nock” the string on their bows.
Release aid mechanisms accompany a trigger that is attached to an arm that pivots. When triggered, the models catapult. While some release aids are tube-shaped, others are attached directly to the wand.
Most have the choice of holding either three or six bullets in a single device and it’s important that you pay close attention when loading ammunition into your release aid so as not to cross wires.
The mechanism holds onto and triggers the bow string until the archer pulls it to fire the arrow.
Conclusion:
Learning how to aim a compound bow properly is the most important part of the game. Improving is crucial, but it should also be a little fun and something you can take pride in.
I hope, with our tips and suggestions above, making improvements to your skills are now easier and more realistic.
