[307]

So I'm sitting her with a little $$$ burning a hole in my pocket after the Christmas holiday and wondering where I can invest intelligently to have the biggest positive effect on my archery. I'm mostly interested in spots, but will shoot more 3d in the course of a year due to where I live. I have jumped into the target game less than a year ago and I would say I'm a 296-298, or 442-445 shooter currently.

My Equipment:

Bowtech Fanatic 3.0
Spot Hogg Edge rest
Axcel Carbon Pro with 4x and dot, 31mm
Hamskea Insight peep system
GT X Cutter Pro
Tru Ball HBC

I'm thinking that a target sight would be the most important upgrade, or that it would have the most effect on my shooting. The Carbon Pro is very nice, but doesn't have any micro-adjust for elevation. I just sort of guess and move the dial a little bit up or down which is less than confidence inspiring. If I stay with the Axcel brand, I already have 2 scopes (31 and 41) and a lens along with light (that I haven't used).

I'm also interested in trying a 7x lens sometime soon.

So, does that sound like the best place to spend my $$$ at this point? I don't really think any piece of gear will magically deliver me to 300 nirvana, but I feel like the sight is the weakest piece in my current gear set up.

 

[Perry24]

I would think stabilizers would help more than a sight. Maybe some coaching to get you over the hump?

 

[307]

Oops, forgot to add the stabilizers... Good catch.

I have 33" and 10" Bee Stinger Premiere Plus. Have been playing with the weights and angles.

 

[SonnyThomas]

Seems most prefer a 12" or 15" back bar. That said, I have a 10" Bee Stinger on my MarXman and it seems to get the job done. I have 12" Bee stinger on my MX3.

7X lens is pretty strong and you're looking at needing to use a clarifier and then possible pin/dot fade.

 

[lees]

The gear you got is top of the line already, so I'd put it into arrows and/or spare parts, personally. Namely, into items that will keep me shooting such as spare sets of strings/cables or other consumables that might break or wear out, and put me on the bench if I had to wait for an order to come in.

A portable Bowtree and a couple Blocks is another possible suggestion - I did that last year and nothing has helped keep me putting arrows through the bow more than that. Until it got cold and I got reinjured, that is. But on the days when the pain isn't bad, I can just drive out to wherever I want and get at least some shafts in....

lee.

 

[307]

I have a bow tune machine which serves as a press and draw board. A set of strings and cables is a good idea as well as more arrows. I live a long way from a competent archery tech so I'm mostly on my own.

I would prefer a different stab setup, maybe 30/12, but almost everything I've bought has been second hand from AT. I knew nothing about stabs when I got these and just went with somethi,g to get started. Might try to make some changes there sometime this year.

The main appeal of the sight upgrade is the micro adjustable elevation.

 

["TheBlindArcher"]

If you're already shooting 297-298 then your equipment isn't holding you back from that 300, its you. Spend the money on some coaching to refine your shot and your mental approach.

 

[lees]

Agree with blind archer. When I shot my first and so far only 298 this past summer it was with my recurve pin and 10” beiter side rod on my ratted out PSE with homemade strings and that was it. My scope and 35” long rod don’t really help me I don’t think. So if you’re at that level that’s you....

I will however refrain from suggesting getting into string making, that’ll ruin your scores for sure....

As for a sight, I use the shibuya and it’s a good sight. The Axcel is probably the best you can get so it wouldn’t be wasted money....

Lee

 

[SonnyThomas]

Black Sheep here. I'm not fond of the Axcell and in fact just sold one, CBL. Last year's model? Doesn't have the dampener in the extension bar. 9" bar, AV41 scope housing, .010" pin, 4X lens.

Guess you have the worm gear vertical adjustment? No click?

 

[307]

Coaching would be great, but in west central Wyoming, it would have to be infrequent and would involve lots of travel. It is definitely on the list of wants, but havent gotten there quite yet. SLC may be the best option for good coaching in the region.

I found a used achieve cbl for a good price and decided to go with it. The Axcel gear I already have will make the transition a bit easier. The micro adjust elevation is a need more than a want in my novice opinion. When I get a consistent right or left miss I am confident in moving the sight. In the same scenario with a high or low miss, I feel like it's a guess and hope situation.

Arrows and strings are next. Gear is pretty much set. Now it's time to get in the reps.

I'm excited to stop the tinkering process and learn to become a shooter. I have enough history in other competitive sports involving highly tuned equipment to know that tinkering often prevents people from getting better.

 

[lees]

Believe it or not, being a bow expert vs your scores is a significant problem in archery too. I admit my scores have suffered ever since I started doing all my own bow work, especially making my own strings. Once I started doing that I can honestly say my scores have gone down and haven't yet recovered . I love the satisfaction of shooting my own gear of my own manufacture and being able to micro-customize the strings, but it truly can cut significantly into my shooting time. Eg. if I make a mistake that I learn about after I shot the strings for a few days, or want to try a different type of serving or something like that, and have to make a new set, that's a couple days of shooting time that get swallowed up at the string jig instead of on the line with the bow.

I also admit that wasn't what I expected, I didn't think it would have such an impact but it does.

What I do now is take maybe just one or two breaks over a weekend or a couple evenings and manufacture several sets of strings. Then they go in the bag as instant replacements when the time comes.

The other thing I've slowed down on significantly is tuning. The only behaviors that are unacceptable are a nock-high or nock-left on the bareshaft and that's all. If it's a little knock right or knock low, hitting a couple inches away from the grouped at 20 yards, I now just leave it alone and go shoot it. I have found that those tendencies don't effect my grouping within my ability to shoot so I stop as soon as I get a nock high/left tuned out (those tendencies do affect my grouping for some reason). Tuning can really suck up a lot more time and mental energy than you'd think....

lee.

 

[markus_ger]

This old PSE video is answering exactly your question...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLCL1bPDsx3jhAa2lI0beIysBX30EIWA6c&v=JaM-QiV5UrA

 

[Bobmuley]

You're starting with plenty good equipment on the list.

IME there's a couple areas that have significant initial "fiddle factor" to determine what suits you best.

Releases
Sighting options

I see two ways to go on releases: Pick one and shoot the crap out of it. You'll learn to use it to the point that anything else feels weird in your hand. The other route to go is to spend a few grand to figure what fits your hand and shooting style the best.

Sighting options are almost infinite considering different power lenses, dots and circles in various sizes and colors, peep aperature sizes, and verifiers or clarifiers. It requires a lot of experimentation to find what you can see with best and leads to the best scores. Some methods require covering up the spot which doesn't suit everyone, some require crystal clear optics, some require giving up any real aiming effort. Just need to see what works for you. (Caveat is to give each experiment full effort and enough time to truly judge results). With that in mind keep with a "common" scope live you have so you can get a variety of lenses easily, stock up on a couple sheets of dots and circles and use the heck out of your Hamskea system (make sure you have the verifiers).

 

[cbrunson]

Spend your money on tournament fees.

 

[Bobmuley]

^^^...and gas (assuming he's somewhere between Jackson/Green River/Casper.

 

[307]

Finally getting to compete this weekend, if the weather doesn't shut down the roads.

With limited competitions in my area, and two competitive swimmers for kids, I don't get to nearly as many tournaments as I would prefer. Evidently there is a rule that archery and swimming competitions must be scheduled on the same weekends... I'm hoping that everything holds up under some pressure but you just never know.

I did get the Axcel achieve, found a used one in the state last week. It's really nice to be able to adjust with confidence.

I've done the release game. Haven't gotten along with any triggers, thumb or index, and shot a tension release until this fall when I fully committed to the HBC. I still warm up with the tension just to reinforce the pull through the shot but I'm pretty happy with the HBC.

Did some looking for online coaching options. Not sure if anyone would have a definite opinion on a good option there. It seems that everybody has advice and opinions but thus far, I'm self taught along with lots of YouTube videos. I'm a visual learner so the YouTube is actually really valuable.

Thanks for all the advice thus far.

 

[cbrunson]

I'm hoping that everything holds up under some pressure but you just never know.

It doesn’t. Don’t expect it to. You may hear some say they just go to shoot and have fun, which may be true if they dont stand a chance and they know it, but anyone that truly believes they can win, or even beat their own personal best score, is going to have increased pressure to deal with at an organized competition. You need to learn to expect it, embrace it, and figure out how to perform well under those conditions. The only way to get comfortable with it is to go shoot a bunch of them.

You can not prepare for it at home.

 

[TNMAN]

^^^^"tournament fees and gas" AT advice doesn't get any better than that.