Stuck in a rut

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hcooper84
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Stuck in a rut

Unread postby hcooper84 » Tue Nov 12, 2019 11:07 am

Ever since I can remember my dad has been the best shot I know with a bow. If a deer came in he wanted to shoot and he shot there was no doubt it was dead. The last couple years he hasn't been very accurate. Several misses. It is definitely taking its toll on him. I see him getting discouraged and just don't want it to get to a point where I lose my hunting buddy. He has perfect vision 20/20 but had to get readers last year. He doesn't hunt with any eye help. If anybody has been through the same thing or has some good ideas i would greatly appreciate it.


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Hawthorne
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Re: Stuck in a rut

Unread postby Hawthorne » Tue Nov 12, 2019 11:12 am

Maybe look into a crossbow if they are legal in your state. My dad switched to a crossbow. He was having the same problems. He just wasn’t the same shot with his bow once he got into his 60s. It’s kept him in the woods and he’s still shooting deer at 70
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Re: Stuck in a rut

Unread postby muddy » Tue Nov 12, 2019 11:30 am

Just have an honest conversation with him. Maybe he isnt practicing enough? Maybe the bow weight is too much? As he gets older things are going to wear out, just the way things go unfortunatly
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Re: Stuck in a rut

Unread postby gsquared23 » Tue Nov 12, 2019 11:31 am

I agree. I have an aging relative that was the same way, always made the shot, and then slowly but surely, they kept getting away. After switching to a crossbow, that didn’t happen this year.
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Re: Stuck in a rut

Unread postby EllieTheChubb » Tue Nov 12, 2019 11:40 am

Same same. My dads friends all had to switch to crossbows when they started getting on in years. My father hasnt been able to hunt for 10 years due to traveling for work but I think he will be in the same boat when he retires. I'm not a fan of crossbows for those young and able but it's totally justified in my mind if its the difference between hunting and not due to vision or a physical issue.
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Re: Stuck in a rut

Unread postby backstraps » Tue Nov 12, 2019 11:48 am

muddy wrote:Just have an honest conversation with him. Maybe he isnt practicing enough? Maybe the bow weight is too much? As he gets older things are going to wear out, just the way things go unfortunatly



Couldnt agree more with Muddy's comments.

Dad would probably appreciate it coming from you too.
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Re: Stuck in a rut

Unread postby Rich M » Tue Nov 12, 2019 3:09 pm

I dropped my bow draw weight to 50# and do have readers for reading about anything. Stinks to lose the vision and it affects about everything.

Xbow might be good if legal. Dropping draw weight might help with practice and shooting.
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Re: Stuck in a rut

Unread postby ColtonCassel » Tue Nov 12, 2019 4:03 pm

I know I saw a similar thing the past couple years with my dad he used to get very nice buck with a recurve and started to have trouble so he switched to a compound and got his groove back for a couple years but then started to miss again and he wounded a couple so he switched to a cross bow and hes having a blast and just killed a pa giant. That even got my grandpa back into it when he saw how he could use a crossbow and have success again. They definitely didn't want to make the switch but know that they have they are having a blast again.
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hcooper84
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Re: Stuck in a rut

Unread postby hcooper84 » Wed Nov 13, 2019 7:05 am

He ordered a crossbow last night. He said hes not going to give up on the bow yet, but I think it will get phased out pretty quick. As long as he still hunts with me i dont care what he uses as long as its legal. Sometimes just switching things up is enough to bounce you out of a hard place so hopefully that happens. Thanks for all the input guys.
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Re: Stuck in a rut

Unread postby Huntress13 » Wed Nov 13, 2019 8:06 am

I'm glad he got the crossbow. I'm thinking he's going to like it.

I have wonky vision so I can understand how the changes to his vision can make accuracy a problem. It took me awhile to figure it out, the progressive lenses were a nightmare. Choose "see the pins" or "see the target", couldn't focus on both at the same time. Move head a hair and both blurred. I shoot the EZV sight now, no pins, along with just shooting with distance Rx. If he still wants to shoot, maybe he can identify exactly which part of the vision is the problem and adjust accordingly. Maybe a verifier peep to see the pins better. Or a different sight entirely.
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Re: Stuck in a rut

Unread postby PassThrew » Wed Nov 13, 2019 2:37 pm

muddy wrote:Just have an honest conversation with him. Maybe he isnt practicing enough? Maybe the bow weight is too much? As he gets older things are going to wear out, just the way things go unfortunatly


Agreed, the first thing I would suggest is lowering the weight slightly to make things comfortable. Archery is a tricky thing when your mind is not into it. Muscle memory is a big part of it in the heat of the moment, but bad habits from practice can rear there ugly head (not saying that's whats happening). I have gotten into the habit of trying to mimic the real life situation as closely as possible as the season progresses (clothes, gloves, binos on ect.). More and more though, I realize it's a mind game. We all have either experienced, or heard of someone with the story " I don't know what happened! I was calm, I was steady and just messed it up!" My dad switched to a cross bow due to similar things, but ended up going back to a vertical because he found it more fun to shoot. That little spark of motivation to want to do it got him back on track. The mind is a powerful thing I guess! Good Luck!
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hcooper84
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Re: Stuck in a rut

Unread postby hcooper84 » Fri Nov 15, 2019 2:40 pm

Near vision is going away. Strength isnt an issue he is only in his mid 40's. I'm 22. But just a string of bad luck for this guy..Missed two nice bucks early this week. Then the crossbow came in today. Its a tack driver, so much it blew through both of our targets and the bolt went out into a crp field lost forever...Then when he went to recock the xbow the pull string broke or something ( I was not there ) and somehow smacked him in the hand, he has a couple black and blue fingers. Then just to put the icing on the cake, he had a unopened soda can in his pocket with my rangefinder and the soda exploded in his pocket ruining my rangefinder.

I couldnt even be mad, it was almost comical I had to laugh a bit. A series of unfortunate events.

Hoping there is a bigger plan in the works and he smokes a giant this year...the deer gods just really making him earn it this time haha


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