Shooting a bow of any kind requires patience, practice, perseverance, learning, and skills. You have to understand the dynamics involved with compound bows as they are very complex in design and mechanisms.
On the other hand, recurve bows are not complicated and are widely used by beginners, and it is also the only type of bow permitted at the Olympic Games. Recurve bows are also preferred for game hunting as they are often lighter and easier to work with.
It is possible to aim a recurve bow with or without sight. Draw full, discover the mark, utilize your dominant eye to concentrate on the target, and introduce the bow. Then, when you peek from the bow sight, the pin will address the mark in your view.
If you do not use sight, it is relatively vital to get an accurate release stance to aim precisely. If you use sights, you have to remember that the sight is just a marker, and it does not assure the precise shot.
Aiming with a recurve bow can be learned very quickly, and it is due to the simplicity with which it works. Beginners are always taught to use a recurve bow rather than a compound one. So, aiming and handling a recurve bow is much easier.
How To Aim A Recurve Bow?
We start with a step-by-step tutorial on how to aim a recurve bow. These steps are easy to follow and can be used by beginners in the early stages of learning archery. You can use these steps as a rule of thumb for your aiming when you use a recurve bow.
Selecting The Right Recurve Bow
To master archery, you should begin by using the right recurve bow. There are a lot of manufacturers providing different designs for recurve bows, and while some are complex to use, others are simpler for beginners.
You have to consider the intended purpose of a bow too, and it is because hunting recurve bow can differ from one designed for target practice. Likewise, the accessories that you may have to purchase along with either type of bow would fluctuate as well.
Ideally, you might want to begin by selecting a bow that is simpler to use. The limbs and other parts of a recurve bow are usually replaceable. So, choosing a basic one and evolving as you progress with archery can be a relatively good idea for most beginners.
Your height, weight, and ability to draw are some of the factors to look at while selecting a recurve bow. You can also add the budget to the list of factors to be considered. Based on this, any local archery store can help you find the bow that is best suited for you.
Selecting Arrows And Accessories
Once your bow is selected, choosing ideal arrows and accessories may not be as difficult. Often, this has to do with your budget and personal preferences. Any local archery store can recommend the different accessories that go well with the type of bow you select.
Based on their recommendations, your budget, and your requirements, you can select the arrows and accessories. If you are a beginner at archery, do not invest too much money in accessories. It is because, until you start practicing, you will not know what you may need.
So, limiting your accessory purchases to a minimum can be ideal. You can always go back to your local store to get something that you may need after you have begun practicing. By doing it, you would bring down your expenses and not waste time choosing them.
Positioning Or Stance
You have selected a bow that fits you perfectly, arrows to be used for it, and the necessary fundamental accessories. It is time to keep your arrows aside and begin with the most vital step: getting into the proper stance or positioning yourself to take a shot.
Usually, it is done with the bow but without arrows. Practicing the stance properly can help you take decent aim without compromising on the technique while using arrows. Use protective gear or safety equipment even when you position and not shoot.
Standing in a position perpendicular to your desired target is considered ideal. A right-handed person should have their left hip facing the target, and the opposite would apply to a left-handed person. Once in this position, turn and look at your target directly.
It is the ideal position to take before you start loading your arrow and drawing. As a beginner, you should try as many times as required to achieve the right stance with no effort. Remember, you do not have your arrow loaded while practicing.
Positioning Your Bow
The bow would be in the left hand of a right-handed person, and they would have to be holding their bow at the grip located in the middle of it. Now, in one smooth motion, you should begin drawing the strings while the bow moves up vertically to face the target.
By the time your bow should face the target, you should have drawn the strings to the maximum. If your bow has a sight, you can use it to look at the target. However, if it does not, you can simply look at the target and keep your left hand aligned with it.
Once you have achieved the full draw, make sure your left hand is parallel with the ground. At the same time, ensure that your shoulders are level with each other. The outcome is that the shoulders are in alignment with each other, and hands are parallel to the ground.
Practice Aiming
Repeat the aiming procedure until you can seamlessly achieve the right positioning of your stance and bow. Once this happens, you can begin to release the draw that you pulled back with practice shots without an arrow a few times.
Use The Arrow With A Target
Now, you move on to the real deal of shooting. After all the practicing, you will start using an arrow for this purpose. Your arrow can be loaded without being drawn even before you get to your position or stance, and it would allow you to get a feel of the total weight.
After loading your arrow, get into the stance, and the arrow is likely to be pointing to the ground. You can now begin bringing the rest of the alignment that you practiced into play. Gradually raise the bow as you start drawing the string with the arrow positioned.
Arrow rests can control the arrow path and help aim better. Hold the bow steady after the full draw and use the sight to aim accurately. The sight would help you aim more easily with the recurve bow in hand. Ensure that you have reached the proper draw length.
After your hands are steady for a few seconds, you can release the string and let the arrow zip. Hold your position until the arrow hits the intended target. Do not be discouraged if the arrow does not hit the mark, as it may require some practice.
Holding your position would help you avoid unnecessary jerks or movements. Even a minor action within a fraction of a second can alter the flight path of your arrow to a great extent. Therefore, hold the position until the arrow hits the target or finishes its flight.
Tips To Obtain Perfect Aim On Recurve Bows
We provided you with steps you need to take, and here are other tips to use for a beginner. These hints are chosen by archers who have honed their archery skills to perfection and have many years of experience.
Bow Weight
Do not select a bow that is too heavy. It may make practicing a little difficult. Moreover, you would be adding accessories if you had purchased a basic recurve bow, and these accessories may add to the already heavyweight of the bow.
Have Patience
Having patience is very important for you as an archer who is a beginner. You are likely to have more misses than hits at the target. So, prepare your mind and not be disappointed with the results early on.
Use A Sight
Using a sight in the early days of archery is a nice idea for beginners, and it would help them aim better, leading to better results on targets. Once you can consistently hit the target, you can forgo the sight and aim with instinct alone.
Use An Arrow Rest
Using an arrow rest in the initial or later stages of archery is often considered ideal. Even experienced archers use these rests while shooting with a recurve bow, and it provides consistency and eliminates human factors that may affect the arrow path.
Use A Stabilizer
Using a stabilizer in the early days can help you attain the desired stability when holding the recurve bow. With this stability, there are high chances of you achieving the consistency you hope for and aiming better in the process.
Seek Expert Advice
You can speak with experienced archers in your locality. These archers can help you achieve the desired results with their inputs. You may even end up eliminating mistakes that they made earlier in their archery days.
Conclusion
Irrespective of the bow type you use, the basics of aiming remain the same. Follow standard procedures used by experienced archers.
Enrolling in an archery club can be valuable if you have the money for it. Inputs obtained from them can be used when practicing in your backyard or hunting with your recurve bow. So, there are no hard and fast rules for aiming right.
The basics we provided can help you achieve the levels of accuracy you want.