How to Get Ready

Okay so you know that you should practice before you shoot, but now you’re wondering what should I do during practice? There are many different ways that you can practice before you shoot (both competitively and hunting). One thing that most archers do before they shoot is make sure that their equipment is in good working order. Go over your strings and cables and make sure that they are not fraying. If they look like they are starting to fray I suggest that you first get an opinion of them from an archery shop to determine if you need new ones. Then if they say you don’t need new strings but your strings still look like crap I would apply some wax to them. This wax can be purchased at nearly all archery shops. An important thing to note is that it is important that your string is dry when you apply the wax if it is wet you will be locking the moisture inside of it.

After reviewing the strings make sure you have at least four good arrows. This is important so that in case you miss you still have the opportunity to make another shot. A good arrow is consider one that has all three fletchings or feathers, is straight, has a good nock, and has a good tip on it. At the top is a picture of one that has all of the following characteristics. If the arrow does not have three good fletchings it may not fly as straight as it should. The fletchings are on the back of the arrow to make it spin faster which allow it to move less in its trajectory. If one is missing or if you have a bent arrow the arrow will appear to wobble when it is flying.

After you review your equipment it’s finally time to shoot your bow. Sight your bow in at twenty yards then sight it in every five yards until you are at forty yards using a field point that weighs the same as your broad heads. Though it can be done it is not recommended to shoot a deer from a distance over forty yards. This is largely due to the inaccuracy of the shooter. Once you have all of your pins adjusted try practicing with your practice broad heads. Most broad heads now come with practice broad heads that are shaped and weigh similarly to the actual broad head. The main difference between them is that the practice ones are dull and won’t ruin your target. It is important to know where your practice broad heads are going to fly because they will probably fly very differently than your field points. Some people practice out of a tree stand however I don’t because as long as you know the distance to your target, and that when you are shooting down you have a tendency to shoot high you will be fine.