cold shot

[Creamer]

I've done what I said I didn't want to do, and gotten sucked back into shooting the longbow some. I intended to stick to the recurve all spring/summer. I was shooting the Stalker, unstrung it when we were going to be out of town a few days and not shooting, came home and strung up the Black Hunter.

 

[Creamer]

I don't think any of these were cold, but I have been trying for two days to hit this spent .22LR casing from about 15 yards. I've scared it a lot. Last night I thought I had it and just barely missed it.

 

[Creamer]

Finally got the little asshole last night.

Pretty anticlimactic. I heard the "click" noise when I hit it...and it just shoved the casing way into the target. I can't get it out. I dug around with some hemostats for a while, she gone.

 

["J"]

Finally got the little asshole last night.

Pretty anticlimactic. I heard the "click" noise when I hit it...and it just shoved the casing way into the target. I can't get it out. I dug around with some hemostats for a while, she gone.

Now put a live shotgun shell in there!!!!

 

[Creamer]

I've been shooting the snake bow pretty well lately. Cold yesterday from about 15-16.

Pass thru shots on a target are probably a bad thing, but strangely satisfying.

 

[Archertl]

20 yards.

 

[Creamer]

After struggle-busing a bit the day before, yesterday's cold shot was a dime.

 

[Creamer]

Still shooting daily, haven't posted much. This was yesterday's cold shot, about 16-17 yards.

I've switched up my "range" a bit. Put the Block at the 16-17 yard range, hung the 18-in-1 at 22-23, the range bag is at 40ish. All depends on where I shoot from, the distances can be a little more or a little less.

Day 1 of the hanging target and I destroyed a shaft. One arrow in the target, the second arrow caught the tip of the first from the side and took a chunk out of the shaft. Damn near did it again last night.

 

[brock ratcliff]

It was not a cold shot group. I spent a few arrows trying different techniques. I went back to just shooting the way I always do and shot this group. If I could do this consistently, I’d pack up the old Widow and head to Las Vegas. . Shooting spots with a recurve and no sight is tricky, but I think I could get the hang of it with enough arrows.

 

[Creamer]

View attachment 152731
It was not a cold shot group. I spent a few arrows trying different techniques. I went back to just shooting the way I always do and shot this group. If I could do this consistently, I’d pack up the old Widow and head to Las Vegas. . Shooting spots with a recurve and no sight is tricky, but I think I could get the hang of it with enough arrows.

Show off.

 

[brock ratcliff]

This one was a “cold group”, and probably more typical. I fooled around for a few minutes this morning with string walking and it’s quite easy to see why it’s the most used technique in the target world. The group shown was just my normal shooting style.

 

[brock ratcliff]

This is string walking. I wish I hadn’t twitched on the last shot.

 

[Creamer]

Damn you, @brock ratcliff . I decided after seeing your posts to try a lower fixed hook on the string, not string walking but hooking the string lower to put the arrow closer to my eye at full draw. I like it. I was getting a lot of low arrows at first, to be expected. Still getting a few but I'm getting readjusted to the new hook on the string. Typical 3 arrow groups will have one low, like this.

I added a new string nock to mark my hook on the string.

My best Brock impersonation.

 

[brock ratcliff]

I can’t do it on demand, but it feels good on the occasion three land where you want em.

 

[Creamer]

Usually, for me, a good cold arrow is a sign that I'll shoot well.

Not yesterday. I went into the shitter soon after that arrow. Everything was bothering me (flies, allergies, the heat) and I couldn't focus. I put the recurve away for a few hours and went back out in the evening, but took out the longbow. The first 3 with the longbow:

And I shot it really well for half an hour, and called it a day.

 

[brock ratcliff]

Mason and I shot a few arrows together tonight. I mistakenly told him a little trick. I should have kept my secret. I doubt I ever beat him again. This was about 20 yards. That kid is a machine with a bow.

 

[Creamer]

I was feeling nostalgic and strung up the old Sage Elite today. Considering I hadn't shot this bow in a few years, I was not at all unhappy with this.

It's actually a comfortable bow to shoot, and I shot it well today. It might get called back into duty this fall.

 

[brock ratcliff]

I bought an Assenheimer from @switchhitter this past fall. I’ve owned a couple of them over the years. I regretted selling both of them shortly after parting ways. Donnie died several years ago so it’s not like you can just order another one when the urge hits. Mason met up with switchhitter in Athens and picked up the bow for me. I shot it that night and hunted with it the next morning. I went to the hospital shortly afterwards and haven’t really messed with it much until the last couple days. I made a few adjustments to suit me and tried to come up with an arrow recipe the bow liked. Turns out it shoots the same arrows as my Widow very well.

I’ve always shot Donnie’s bows well. This one is no different. He built them in such a way that the handle just fits me better than any recurve I’ve ever shot. I just love em. Anyway, the pictured group is not exceptional, but rather fairly normal with this bow @20 yards. I wouldn’t be surprised to be toting this one to the woods this fall more times than not. Donnie built a great bow and Switchhitter took great care of it. I love this thing!

 

[Creamer]

So I did a thing. Getting the old Sage back out reminded me how much I liked shooting that bow, but the 50lb limbs were just a hair much for me to comfortably shoot. 45lbs is more in my wheel house and I've killed a few deer at that poundage with no issues. Lancaster Archery had Sage Elite limbs pretty cheap, so I ordered a set of 45's.

Today's cold shot (on the yard sale new bag target my wife found).

Non-cold group that ended the night last night.

Last three this morning. A hair left but a pretty tight grouping.

This bow may be cheap but it's just comfortable to shoot. We get along. It doesn't feel like it stacks at all like the Black Hunter does in that last inch or two of draw. It's also a hair longer at 62" as opposed to 60". I love that Stalker recurve and I shoot it well, but I really want a "beater" bow to hunt with that I don't have to worry about beating up and acquiring dings. It feels like the Black Hunter is going to be getting shelved for a while.

 

[switchhitter]

Brock
It was really a pleasure meeting Mason, such a well spoken mild mannered young man. Hard to believe what he has accomplished as a hunter, we had to drag the score of the monster he killed out of him.
I always loved Donnie’s bows and owned 3 of them. Working with him was always special.
I carried that bow to prince of whales island on a DYI hunt.
I killed a doe with it here in Knox county, just to much weight for me now.
I hope you kill a deer with it this year!