Effective and well rounded practice is crucial to bowhunting success. Shooting spot targets at the field range ensures you have the fundamentals dialed. It builds consistency, form, relaxation and focus. 3d shoots are an opportunity to get accustomed to varying distances, sizes of animals, and yardage estimation. However, shooting archery simulators, specifically their animal video modules, is the best method to practice 3 critical aspects of making a successful shot.
1. Shoot at the right time
Perhaps even more important than where you aim is making sure you shoot at the right time. While hunters often have strong opinions and lively discussions about where to place a shot, selecting the right shot is rarely discussed. You must be prepared to hold your draw long enough for the animal to present a good shot. Patience must be practiced. But also important is taking a good shot as it presents because a better shot opportunity may not come.
There is no better preparation for this than a video target system. Animal videos will have good and bad shot opportunities and waiting too long may result in no shot at all.
2. Pick a point
Of course aiming at the right spot is important too! It is all too easy to lose focus and just shoot at the animal. As we all know, this is not precise enough. A hunter must train to pick a point that aligns with the internal vital organs of the animal, ideally avoiding any meat damage.
Effective stationary target practice is often limited according to which angles you get to shoot from. Paper targets often only feature animals perfectly broadside. Yes, this is the ideal shot, but other shot opportunities will come up in real life, and we must be versed in these shot placements as well.
Even 3d targets have their limitations. For example, 3d targets are often not marked properly if the target is placed as a quartering shot and because of this, can encourage poor shot placement.
Video systems, on the other hand, have the unique ability to show an animal from all angles and score a shot according to that angle. An altogether bad shot opportunity can even be scored as negative! This allows a bowhunter to be ready for any shot placement in the real world.
3. Get used to adrenaline
Finally, other practice methods often do not have the same ability to trigger an adrenaline response. Sure, there might be competitive stakes and the need to shoot under pressure. This is great practice for sure! But combine with that the realism and movement of an animal and it is easy to get overexcited! Practicing regularly with a video target system will help a bowhunter stay calm when it counts.
Now a successful hunter still needs to get out there and hunt! They need to find and create opportunities. But practicing these elements regularly with a video system will boost confidence and help make the best shot possible.
Of course frequent TechnoHUNT reservations at the local bowshop can get expensive which is why we designed an easy to build, affordable DIY Home system anyone can build at their indoor or outdoor home archery range. These module options will provide animal videos suitable for this kind of practice as often as you would like.