Introduction: The compound bow is a part of modern archery. It is not the same as the conventional bow. You can set an aim with a conventional bow naturally. But in case of a compound bow, you will need some other accompaniments to aim at a target.
You will be successful in using a compound bow if you can set the aim properly. So it is very important to learn the techniques of aiming with a compound bow first.
How To Aim A Compound Bow?
Setting an aim with a compound bow is way harder than with a natural bow. There are some factors you need to keep in mind. Try to follow the directions given below.
1. Be In The Right Position
To aim perfectly, you have to focus on your stance. But firstly, you need some warm-up exercises.
Workout before aiming
Whether the aim will be perfect or not, there will be so much tension regarding this. To loosen up your muscles, you have to do some normal workouts. Your shoulder, forearm, back, and neck muscles should be in a relaxed tone.
Stand in the right posture
You have to stand straight on your feet with the feet shoulder-width apart. Your weight should be balanced equally between the feet. If you are a right-handed person, your left leg will be the leading one.
2. Hold The Bow And Draw Correctly
After setting a proper stance, you need to grip in the right position of the bow. Then you have to draw the string properly.
Grip the bow in the proper place
Grasp the handle of the bow with your left hand. The holding pressure should be on the lower part of the thumb. You have to keep your wrist in a natural position. Do not grasp it tightly, it can make you lose the aim. Make a loose and comfortable grip.
Hold the arrow
After grasping the bow, you have to hold the arrow. Nocking is a significant issue. Keeping the arrow on the bowstring is known as nocking. You have to keep the arrow just in the middle of the D-loop of the string.
Draw the bowstring correctly
Hold the arrow with your right hand if you are a right-handed person. Then nock it on the bowstring and draw it back with your fingers. Bring the string near to your face.
Set a favorable anchor point
If you want to make your shoot successful, you have to select the comfortable anchor point. You can choose the level where your hand meets your face. Or you can select the point if the string slightly touches your nose tip.
Move your weight
After drawing the arrow, you have to move your weight towards your back from the hands. When you will completely switch your weight to the muscles of your back, you will be ready to aim at the target.
3. Set A Sight On The Target
You have to imagine the exact position of the target by observing. It is the most important part of aiming. You can observe the target by adopting some techniques.
Set the peep sight and look
Most of the compound bows have a peep sight with the string. It is a circular thing through which you can look at the target easily. If your compound bow has no peep sight attached to it, you can buy one. Because they are helpful in long-distance and low lights.
Look through the forward sight
Compound bows have a forward sight in front of the bows. You have to hold the bow straight to see the target through the forward sight and peep sight. Distance between the peep sight and forward sight should be longer to make a satisfactory aim.
You can close one eye
If you are a beginner, this trick will help you a lot to sight the target. You can see the target with both eyes too.
Set the right pin
There are some pins lined up inward the forward sight. You have to choose a pin according to your distance from the target. You have to set the bubble level remaining in the forward sight as well. The bubble level should be in the middle.
Keep focused on the target
You need to remain focused on the target for some time. This trick will help you to reduce any anxiety.
4. Get Ready To Shoot Steadily
After setting all essentials like standing in a correct posture, grasping the bow correctly, and sighting the target, you have to prepare to shoot the target.
Don't hurry
Don't shoot immediately after setting the focus. The immediate shot can make you miss the target. You have to focus on meeting your target successfully. So don't focus on time.
Steady aiming
Common Mistakes in Aiming A Compound Bow
Mistakes are common while practicing compound bow archery. Even professional archers make mistakes while aiming with a compound bow. If you are a beginner you can face more mistakes. But don't be upset, take lessons from the errors, and keep going.
Here are some common mistakes you can make while aiming with a compound bow. Give a look and you can get alert before committing these mistakes.
1. Using Plastic Vanes
You must use the real feather on your arrow, not the plastic ones. It is important to maintain the accuracy of your aim. The plastic vanes offer very poor arrow flying.
2. Weight Imbalance
It happens if you are over bowed. The draw weight of the bow becomes so heavy that you can't balance it. For this reason, you can lose your accuracy. As for the weight imbalance, you will not be able to release the arrow stably.
3. Seeing With Both Eyes
As a beginner, you should focus on the target with one dominant eye. Professionals can do perfect aiming with both eyes. If you try to focus on the target with both eyes, there is a chance of cross dominance. So you have to select your dominant eye and close it to focus properly.
4. Shooting Immediately
Archery is a very interesting thing. After setting the aim, you might have the feeling to shoot immediately. This enthusiasm can hamper your accuracy. You should not shoot so fast. Shoot steadily to maintain accuracy.
5. Not Finishing Properly
You have to finish your shot completely. After just releasing the arrow you can not move your hands from the bow. You have to wait until the end. For this mistake, the arrow often could not make a long way.
6. Not Practicing Regularly
Even though you are following every rule of doing a perfect aim with a compound bow, you have to practice it regularly. Accuracy can't be achieved by practicing one day. You should keep practicing to make the perfect aim with a compound bow.
7. Holding The Arrow
Many beginners think that it is important to touch the arrow. But it is a wrong theory. You can draw the string and then release the arrow. You should not pinch or push the arrow to make a release aid. It affects your expected result.
8. Wrong Grip
Some Additional Tips for Aiming a Compound Bow
- Learn the basic rules first. Then you can try shooting from various angles and positions. Start your practice with the simpler one.
- You can consult with an expert archer to get the training. Under him, you can learn the perfect timing, shooting process, and many more.
- For a beginner, bows of lightweight are the best. Heavier bows are usually used by the professional compound hunters.
- Keep practicing more and more. Once you achieve accuracy, you can't just leave practicing.
- You have to relax a little bit before shooting. Shooting immediately can be dangerous. You have to do more practice to shoot fast and get a perfect result.
- Some archers think that warming up is not a part of archery. It is a big mistake. To do any type of archery, whether it is with a traditional bow or compound bow, warming up is necessary. It relaxes your muscles.
- Finding the right anchor point is very important. Keeping the locations in mind, choose the exact anchor point.
- Compound bows need some accessories. Make the right choices for accessories. You may not have excellent skill but with proper accessories, you can achieve the goal.
Conclusion
Archery learning is all about positions. But with a compound bow, you need to be more careful. It is enriched with modern technology and some additional accessories. Using all those, you can aim accurately.