Arrows in the ground

[Archeryrob]

I got my daughter out yesterday shooting her compound. She wishes to be a better archer and was shooting at the bag but is scattered around on it and not happy with her shooting. I keep telling her "Aim small and miss small" but she never seemed to get it.

So yesterday since we live on a hill I take one of the dogs tennis balls and throw it to 18 yards maybe. She was either hitting it or drilling all around it. It really raised her confidence level. I kept telling here, learn your yardage, don;t rely on your range finder when a deer shows up but rather use it to know how far this tree and that tree are for reference. Plus the ball never lands at he same distance.

Then she texts her BF to tell him how much better she got and all she gets is a "Don't shoot your arrows in the ground".

So, isn't is ok to shoot carbon arrows in the ground as long as they don't hit rocks? I shoot wooden shafts in the ground all the time and used to do it with aluminum years ago.

 

[Inigoes]

Carbon is okay to shoot into the ground. Like anything, you need to inspect your equipment regularly.

Crossbows are safely unloaded by shooting a bolt into the ground.

 

[mark71211]

Just watch out for hair line cracks in the shaft from shooting into the ground. You don't know what's under that top layer of soil.

A better practice for improving accuracy is to cut pictures of people or animal out of the paper or magazines and hang it on your archery target. Then have her aim for small details like eyes, nose or something like that. Also ping pong balls hanging from a string a foot in front of the target make some fun shooting too. Make it fun for her cause just shooting at a plain target get pretty boring.

 

[outrider58]

It would depend on the angle for me. I wouldn't recommend it with any great frequency.

 

[j_h_smith]

Ideally, you shouldn't shoot the arrow into the ground. Rocks in the ground could cause serious issues. If you had a sand pit, then it shouldn't be a problem, but I wouldn't continuously shoot an arrow into the ground. Set the tennis ball on top of your target bag or better yet, see if you can find a spot where you can embed the ball into the side of the bag.

Congrats and good luck!

 

[Tacswa3]

Ideally, you shouldn't shoot the arrow into the ground. Rocks in the ground could cause serious issues. If you had a sand pit, then it shouldn't be a problem, but I wouldn't continuously shoot an arrow into the ground. Set the tennis ball on top of your target bag or better yet, see if you can find a spot where you can embed the ball into the side of the bag.

Congrats and good luck!

I agree. No ground shooting

 

[Gordon]

Go roving and do some stump shooting. Blunts judo point ect.

 

[Archeryrob]

You guys must not enjoy archery much, just shooting at the same bag all day? You can't stump shoot with carbons? Are they that delicate?

I have always enjoyed shooting in the ground and roving the woods and picking various things to shoot at. Used to use blunts and a partially deflated soccer ball to vary my yardage each time by kicking the ball again.

She enjoyed that type of shooting ten times over the target. She even asked me if I'd make her a stick bow again or help her get a recurve. I told her that is fine, but still recommend she hunts with the compound for a while as she has problems with a 45# recurve.

 

[Archeryrob]

You can't stump shoot with carbons? Are they that delicate?

5 days and no one comments to this? Do they break/crack that easy?

 

[outrider58]

5 days and no one comments to this? Do they break/crack that easy?

The one thing making them vulnerable to damage as compared to your cedar shafts is they (if shot with a modern compound bow) are traveling at a much higher velocity. If they hit something at anything other than a straight on impact, they are given to breakage. Carbon arrows are not made to be durable. They are made for speed, penetration, and consistent wall thickness(accuracy). Hope that helps.

 

[MikeTF]

With a crossbow, use a de-cocking bolt or a really old effed up one.

 

[hodgepodge]

I was shooting at a target, but when I'd miss, the arrows would enter the ground at a shallow angle and I'd lose them. I need to make a backstop.

 

[outrider58]

With a crossbow, use a de-cocking bolt or a really old effed up one.

The one year I used a crossbow, I would de-cock it using the cocking string. It was easy as pi.

 

[Archeryrob]

I was shooting at a target, but when I'd miss, the arrows would enter the ground at a shallow angle and I'd lose them. I need to make a backstop.

I learned a long time ago to focus on missed and chase them down right way. I also shoot in my Hillbilly shoes and you can feel the arrow under the grass many times. Even my daughter started doing this as she was able to fine more arrows that buried themselves.

Thanks for the explanation on the carbon arrows. Maybe I'll hang a tennis ball on her normal target. I shoot primitive and my wood arrows are from shoots and have concentric rings not quarter sawed wood like most traditional arrows. They are straight out tough as nails normally.

This will be my first year back to killing deer in 8 years and with a bow in 13 years maybe. I got a hazel shaft I got from a guy in Scotland and I am just waiting for the appropriate time to put it through a rig cage on a fat doe.

 

[willtill]

The one year I used a crossbow, I would de-cock it using the cocking string. It was easy as pi.

Yes, decocking a crossbow much better... than shooting a bolt into the ground.

 

[Sticky]

One must carefully inspect carbon shafts that have been shot into anything other than a proper target backstop. I have seen one fail on release and go through a shooter's bowhand.. I always inspect mine before every shoot, regardless.

Here is a quick lesson from Easton Archery...

http://www.eastonarchery.com/safety

 

[Vic]

What I use to do was stand at the target and throw an arrow here and another there. Then I would shoot where ever the arrows fell. Only one shot per location. Trains the eye to measure distance and such and you are still shooting into the target. Putting a ball or something on the target helps too, or at least calling the shot.
Vic

 

[outrider58]

What I use to do was stand at the target and throw an arrow here and another there. Then I would shoot where ever the arrows fell. Only one shot per location. Trains the eye to measure distance and such and you are still shooting into the target. Putting a ball or something on the target helps too, or at least calling the shot.
Vic

I do something similar. I start at my target, I then walk a little ways, turn and shoot. I keep doing this until I run out of arrows or I've gone 60 yards or so. I shoot a single pin adjustable sight on a compound bow. The distances I shoot while doing this are random.

 

[wilcam47]

good points...I try NOT to shoot in the ground because of rocks etc...always check your carbon arrows for cracks, a slight bending action can usually identify a bad arrow. there are some good all purpose arrows that hold up well to shooting.

 

[MikeTF]

The one year I used a crossbow, I would de-cock it using the cocking string. It was easy as pi.

If I remember correctly, my manufacturer recommends against this for my crossbow (a ten point). I hunt from a climbing tree stand and lower the bow to the ground before descending. I use a crank device for cocking the string that ratchets not much unlike a boat winch.

I think the fear (potentially unfounded) is that the handle might slip out of my hand and then result in me dry firing the bow (never a good idea, it can break the limbs and cause injury) with the cocking handle free spinning at a very high rate of speed (more injury potential). I hunt in the evenings, so it is dark by the time I descend from the tree stand. For me it is just easier, faster, and safer (?) to fire an old beat up bolt into the ground or use a de-cocking bolt.

Doing this also allows me to test my accuracy (and equipment) in low/no light conditions because I'll pick a ground target or area that I can identify (so that I can later find the bolt). I use lighted tracers on the bolt nocks that are supposed to activate when fired (not always 100% reliable). It is just one more way to keep the skills up and confirm that I'm doing things right under simulated conditions.

I use aluminum bolts, not the graphite ones (Call me old fashioned. Yes, just like 9 vs 45, archery folks debate the merits of different types of bolts.)