Ive been shooting about 1 month with my bow.(Drenaline) I have a block 4x4 target. I can hit somewhere in the black spots 95% of the time; Ive never measured the spots, im guessing those are 2" and I hardly ever shoot the same spot so I dont jack up my arrows. questions
1. What is good? and good enough? I dont believe the pie plate theory, a retard could hit that.
2. Where are you and how long have you been shooting?
Please be honest

i suck. i have target panic that i have to work on every single time i fling an arrow. 25 under im fine but anymore i dont know where its going.

good enough to seperate the large intestine from the small intestine

I can kill some targets, now when it comes to live animals that is a whole nother story.

When I was shooting 3d competatively I would shout a 225+ out of 300. Dots I would shoot a perfect score just about every time. I don't shoot as much as I use to so I am not as good as I use to be.

Now? Not as good as I'll be by season start. I normally expect myself to hit a 4" bull 4 out of 5 at 40 yards and the fifth one shouldn't be out by much. My real concern is the first arrow out because normally that's all you'll get. Right now a two inch 5 shot group at 20 and 4" at thirty is all I can manage. Practice, practice, practice.

Well....my groupings at 30yds average about 6 inches diameter...or about the size of a grapefruit. I think I have a "kill shot" with that accuracy. Will need it for an elk hunt so I should be alright. However...I did place one shot in a cedar tree when my release got hung for a slight second.

Been flinging arrows for only about a year now. My comfort zone is maxed out at 30 yards. Where I'll be hunting I've measured the distance from blind to feeders and know where the limit (30 yards) is. I won't shoot past that.

I practice in the back yard at 24 / 25 yards - that's the space available without getting into safety / neighbor issues. I practice for the first shot. My first shots have not been very good lately. Once I've taken a few shots and get warmed up I start hitting the dots (using the Block). Overall, I need more practice to be ready for Sept. 29.

What is good depends on what you're doing. When I shot a compound, I shot 3D every weekend that weather allowed. Luckily I live near the best 3D course I've ever seen (although his sign his down now). I shot well enough to win my share of tournament trophys but after about 20 years, I developed target panic. I read everything I could find on the topic and tried everything I read.

Now I shoot a longbow. If nothing else, it cured the target panic. While I can no longer shoot a 3" group at 40 yards, I can shoot well enough to kill the "target" almost every time. I would never do this while hunting but goofing around shooting by my barn, I can hit a 5" target at 40 yards when it's so dark that all I can see downrange is the white target. The hay bales are invisible in the dark. It doesn't have any practical use for hunting but it's fun. If you understand instinctive shooting, it makes perfect sense.

If you really want to test your skills, shoot in a 3D Coon Shoot. It's a shotgun start on a 3D course timed in the late afternoon so the last 6 or 8 targets are shot in complete darkness. One of your group holds a spotlight or flashlight over your shoulder while you aim and shoot. Again, no practical hunting value except that it teaches you to estimate ranges based on looking at the target instead of counting off imaginary spaces along the ground.

Anyway, I've been shooting a bow of some configuration for close to 30 years. I'm better than I used to be but not as precise as I used to be.

Just started shootin bow again after 20 year layoff. Bought a Mathews Switchback. It is amazing the changes that have been made---so much easier now then 20 years ago. I have been pretty consistent from 10, 15, and 20 yards--in the bull. 25, 30 and 35 are a little off but close enough for a kill. I am talking 4-5" groups. I am going to change my sight this weekend and try to get better. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

I can hit a dragonfly at 20 yards no lie but when the animal walks in front of me it all changes. I havent shot anything but a pig so unless a dragonfly lands on a deer I might be in some sort of trouble cause buckfever will get the best of me.

Keep up the practice and if your hitting the small black dot on a block target you're doing fine. As far as hunting big game just wait until its calm, draw your bow and pick a spot on the deer's shoulder. The key here is to pick a spot, hair or something on the deer's shoulder and squeeeeeze one off!

Good luck

good enough to compete in the summer Olympics....once put one dead b/w the eyes of a doe at 20 yards from 20ft up......... lol....that's a good one

Well my 14 yr old out shoot's me....but the other day he center punched a PingPong Ball at 40 yrds, I'm still hearing about it . We hang a PingPong ball(spray painted bright orange)on a string tied to and old arrow stuck in our target. Makes for some fun shoot'n.

I'LL ADMIT I'M NOT VERY GOOD AND DON'T PRACTICE MUCH, BUT I SET MY LIMIT AT 20 YDS.
IT SEEMS THE MORE I SHOOT THE WORSE I GET (PROBABLY MEANS I NEED TO SHOOT EVEN MORE) MY FIRST 10 ARROWS HIT IN A 4 IN GROUP AT 20YDS AND UNDER. I'LL SHOOT 10 COME BACK IN A COUPLE OF HOURS AND SHOOT 10 MORE (SEVERAL TIMES A DAY).
GOOD THING IS IT'S 12YDS FROM THE STAND TO THE FEEDER.

I VIEW ARCHERY SEASON AS SCOUTING. I SHOOT AN OLDER BROWNING BOW, WITH THE CHEAPEST CARBON ARROWS THAT ACADEMY HAS IN (WHAT I THINK)IS MY DRAW LENGTH, WITH CHEAP 3 BLADE HEADS FROM WAL-MART 100 GR I THINK.
I KNOW, TO PEOPLE THAT ARE SERIOUS, I SOUND LIKE A RANK AMATURE AND I ADMITTED THAT IN THE BEGENING OF THIS POST.

while I concentrate on all shots..the first one out of the box is one I make sure I do well,just like a hunting situation..you get that one chance..Im good to 30 but wouldnt take that shot after that..We make sure all our bow blinds are no moe that 30 yards,wether hunting a game trail or a feeder station..

You will find out how good you are when a nice 10 pt. is staring back at you.

I've shot deer out to 35 yards and that is my limit but on hogs ive shot them up to sixty on spot and stalk situations at friends ranches and I've hit the bullseye so much on that block i am starting to get 10-15 yar pass throughs. But I bought my first bow when i was 11 and i am now 15 so i've had some practice. Good luck to all

how good is good enough when you're shooting traditional? I've been shooting a recurve for a few months now and I'm finding it to be one of the hardest things I've tried to do while hunting. I would like to be ready before this fall and I practice everyday, but it seems like it's so hard to stay consistent. I can shoot my compound bow really well, but if you want a real challenge, try shooting traditional.

let me ask my dinner...
yea, he said im perty good!

Shot for the first time in months and I was able to shoot a 6" group at 40 yds. That will be much tighter in a month. Its about time to go out and shoot a couple dozen jackrabbits. I'll be ready come season.

Instinctive shooting is 90% mental and 10% mechanical. If you are aware of ANYTHING except the point of aim at release, you're not concentrating enough. You shouldn't hear anything around you; not voices, not traffic, not even the wind. You mind should be blank except for full concentration on that little spot. I draw 76 lbs at 30" on a 68" bow and personally, I become mentally fatigued before my muscles get tired.

I'm no expert but I've been doing it a while so here's my routine. By the way, I used to shoot a recurve and now shoot a longbow.

1. Put an arrow on the string and grab the string with your tab (or glove) holding the bow at rest (pointed down).
2. Find the spot on the target and block out everything except that dot.
3. Slowly raise the bow drawing it as it comes up. Again, never quit concentrating on the spot.
4. When the bow is up and you reach your anchor, release. Don't hesitate, don't aim, just release.
5. Most importantly, after you release, do not take your eyes off that spot.

I't exacly like throwing a baseball. You don't estimate range to the catcher. You don't put any thought into how hard you throw the ball or when it leaves your hand. You look at the catcher and throw the ball to him.

I bought my longbow from Dan Quillian and bought his DVD. In order to get that 10% mechanical stuff down, you need to read up on technique or buy a video. The worst thing you can do is learn the wrong technique or bad habits.

Be patient and don't get frustrated. Some take longer than others to get it down but once you do, you'll wonder why you ever shot a compound with sights.