(DNR) – Already thinking about the fall hunting season? Now is the time to prepare your archery equipment and start practicing. The first steps to accurate shooting are making sure your equipment is set up correctly and having proper form. Here are some things to think about when preparing for summer archery practice.
Bow Maintenance
Check your archery equipment for maintenance issues on a regular basis:
- Check your bowstring and cables for fraying and wax them often.
- Look for cracks, damage and wear on all parts of the bow – get replacements if needed.
- Be sure your release loop or nock indicator doesn’t move and is in line with the arrow rest.
- See that your peep sight serving string is secure and check the screws for your arrow rest and sight to be sure they are tight.
Bow Adjustments
The basic bow adjustments are draw length, draw weight and rest and sight adjustments.
- A bow adjusted to the proper draw length is critical to have proper shooting form. If an archer is over drawing or under drawing, this will affect how comfortable the bow is to shoot, which will affect shot placement.
- Proper bow draw weight is what an archer can shoot consistently and accurately. A good judge of proper draw weight is if an archer can shoot at least 40 arrows in one practice session.
- A properly adjusted rest allows the arrow to come off the bow straight. Today’s bows are so fast that it is difficult to see the arrow in flight, so it’s hard to tell if the arrow is kicking or not. Paper tuning is the best way to see if the arrow rest is adjusted properly. There are many online resources that describe how to paper tune a bow – or have a local archery pro shop help you with that.
- If an archer uses sights for hunting, it is usually not necessary to have more than two or three pins installed in your sight. When sighting in a bow, remember to move the pins to follow the arrows (so, if the arrow group is low, move the pin down).
Practice Pointers
- Start practicing using proper shooting form at known distances.
- Once the bow and archer are dialed in, change to shooting simulated hunting situations:
- Shoot from elevated platforms or a tree stand. Remember to always wear a safety harness.
- Shoot while wearing your hunting clothes, and use 3D targets if you can.
- There are many archery clubs around the state that have practice ranges that simulate hunting situations. Consider joining an archery club.
Have fun this summer getting ready for the next Wisconsin archery season!
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