Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Shooting and Hunting => Topic started by: sweeney3 on August 20, 2009, 12:39:15 pm
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I have been shooting with a glove for a long time. A few weeks ago, on a whim one night, I tied taking several shots bare finger. No glove, no tab. Naturally, it made my fingers sore after a few shots, but I noticed an IMEDIATE tightening of my shot group. I mean substantial. From a decent-but-not-great spread hand sized group to a pretty tight knot of arrows in the target. This caught my attention. Since then, I've been shooting more and more shots every day bare finger. I'm at the point now where I can shoot a lot-enough that I lose count-without being sore and my shooting has really improved. All else is essentially the same, but my theory is that with bare fingers I am twisting the string less, coming nearer to centered under my eye at anchor, and getting a more consistent anchor point. I don't know if any of this is true or what exactly the reason is, but I can see the results and am very pleased with it. And, it's one less piece of stuff to have to keep up with and carry around in the woods this fall.
I am wondering who else has tried this and what have your observations been? I have seen that my good shots are anywhere from the same to slightly better, and my bad shots aren't nearly as bad as they were. They are now decent shots still in an average sized kill zone rather than off in left field somewhere. I am pleased with this.
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I have recently done the same thing as you have. I was at a friends house and we were gonna shoot his targets so I went to my truck to get my bow and realized I forgot my shooting tab. I decided to shoot anyway and I too realized a tighter grouping every time. It made my fingers real sore the next day but now I am doing it more and I am getting callouses on my shooting fingers and it doesn't hurt anymore. I don't think I have used my shooting tab since. I am using a 50 lb bow. What are you shooting? -josh
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I'm shooting a 52# sinew backed white oak Owl bow that Ed Scott made for me. I am working on a hackberry bow that I am wanting to make a few pounds lighter. Still hunting weght. Maybe 44-48 range. I think that with just a bit lighter weight I really could shoot all day. I've got to where I can shoot a lot already. I wonder how late season cold weather will affect this? I think that if I wear the wool glove/mittens that I have worn in the past with my shooting glove on under, I shouldn't have too much trouble. You just gotta take one shot then, right? ;)
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Yep, I'm a bare finger guy also....can't hit crap with anything on my fingers. I need to be able to feel the string. I have calluses from shooting and it doesn't bother my fingers at all anymore.....
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I shot barefinger for a long time, until I started shooting heavier bows and more in the winter. Then I tried a glove, which creased and gave me crummy flight. I tried a store bought one but that was worse. Eventually I tried a simple tab, which gave me better flight than barefinger or a glove, because the callouses on my fingers crease worse than a glove :P.
Had I stoped at 50-55#, this never would have become an issue I'm sure.
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I'm going bare fingers also. Bare fingers work especially well when shooting a bow that is not center shot and has an added arrow rest. The release is really important if you want to group.
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Interesting. Maybe I should try that. I shoot a 60lb bow but i think eventually the callouses would get thick enough.
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You'd probably be fine. Mine is 52 and it's okay. I haven't shot enough yet that I have actual callouses, but I think I have gotten used to it enough that it just doesn't hurt now. I imagine that if I shot for a whole afternoon that might be different. But my usual daily practice sessions are fine. I would like to get to where I could shoot indefinatly, and I will eventually.
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After reading this thread i tried bare fingers on my 60# -- uh-uh:)
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I don't think I'd want to shoot a 60 bare either. Wind up being called "Stumpy".
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I shoot my 55 and 60 Pound Bows barefingered....you can't just start one Day though....you have to toughen your fingers up a little at a time to it.
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I think i may try that today. been a while since i shot without a glove. i got a 61#longbow and a 65# recurve.
For some reason or another i have been plucking the string lately. the only time i really every plucked a string was on lighter bows like 45#
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Somehow lost my glove in the woods this morning and shot several bare finger practice shots and shot about nornal or better. I think now I will carry a spare at leaST SHOOTING TAB ION MY WAR BAG. Kenneth
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Never thought about it till now, but I am wondering how long shooters have used gloves of whatever sort, and if generations of shooter just did it the hard way and toughened up their callouses, anyone have any history on this post it, I'm sure a lot of american indian cultures shot bare fingered, but I think their bows were predominantly under 50#, will be interesting to see the documentation on this:)
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ZanShen,
I hadn't thought too much about, but that is an interesting question. I know that Ishi shot with not protective material, but his shooting methods are described as "peculiar" in that he employeed a thumb pinch hold. I haven't read much about other Native Americans. Just purely speculation, but I imagine they would have at least been comfortable with a bare finger release, if not to use it exclusivly. I just know that I am much more accurate and consistant with it. Incidently, I finished a way-too-light hackberry bow a couple weeks ago. It's about 30 lbs so I can't use it for hunting, but I can shoot it indefinatly using bare fingers, and I am approaching that with my Owl Bow. Certainly the lighter bows are easier to shoot this way, although I imagine that, like most other things, it is a matter of training and exposure.
Instersting question. I want to do some more reading now. Thanks!
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As far as I know all Native Americans, except some Eskimos, shot with bare fingers. I don't think their fingers got sore very often, though, even with high-poundage bows. They didn't shoot a hundred arrows at a time like we like to do. They shot a few times a day and made each shot count. If you've ever spent the entire day making an arrow the old way, you can appreciate the technique of "shooting a few arrows every day for a month" rather than "shooting a hundred arrows once a month".
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I know during the hundred year war archers used simple two-hole tabs. Later, when archery became a sport, and not a means or war, they switched to gloves for targets. Asiatic archers used thumb rings. But I think when it comes down to actual hunters, I think finger protection was a rareity. Look at some of the African archers- even using heavy bows they didn't.
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Interesting. I haven't spent much time making arrows the old way, although I want to. That is my next step. I do not doubt that it adds to your appriciation of the whole experiance. Even with the manufactured parts that I assemble (shafting, feathers, points, etc), I hate to ruin or lose one with a poor shot. I've been cutting shoots to dry and start making shoot arrows. It will be a bit yet till I do, but I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure I will want to make each of those shots count!!
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I would hafta disagree that american indians shot seldomly,
men in most tribes spent a majority of their time shooting and hunting, yes it was a real feat to make primitive arrows but then again that's what they did, no tv, no radio, lots of time, many of their games were activities created to improve the skill of the warrior, the bow was probably as important then as most people's cell phones are today:)
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The topic of how much stone-age men shot their arrows, spears, atlatls, etc is an interesting one. The best example we have is Ishi...although we have observed many primitive tribes in recent years as well. In all cases the act of shooting is a lot like spending money.
Spending money is an important activity, but once we get the hang of it, we don't really spend much time playing games that teach us how to spend it better...especially if those games cost money. We get into a routine of make-money-then-pay-for-necessities and there really isn't much deviation from the pattern that we develop in order to survive within our little niche in society. The same is true for arrows and other ammunition that gets "spent" as it is used. The more you use them the more you spend...and the more you spend the more you have to make.
There are many other activities that take up lots of time, when living in a primitive way, that are very important to the warrior and hunter as well. Travel, finding materials, setting/checking traps, guarding borders/territory, making/drinking "funny" beverages, etc,....not to mention the task of chasing/courting/supporting women. ;D
Also, in modern times, if you consider how much soldiers actually fire their weapons when deployed to a combat zone you will see that they tend to be conservative. And when they have time off they don't usually go down to the firing range. Also, you don't want to be surprised and caught empty-handed because you spend it all at target practice. And if you have to make you own ammunition, well, then being conservative is a no-brainer.
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That is all well and true but the point is you must become very proficient in order to survive with the bow, and you cannot do that by only shooting at game occaissionally ( I refered to american indians over the last several millineum), these people went hungry if they missed, it was much more important than a casual outing just to enjoy nature, it was life~
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I started shooting regularly in February with my first self made bow. Never bought a glove. Started with a 40 lb. bow. Now I can shoot 65 lb. bow bow 30-40 shots and not have trouble. I remember I had about two or three months of it hurting some, but not anymore. The calluses have gotten so thick that sometimes I have to cut em back. I'm able to shoot in my own yard, so the frequency is key. Imagine it's not possible for everyone to shoot with frequency based on where they live.
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i find that with my longbow that has no rest i am much more accurate without a glove but with my fb bow with a rest i am much more accurate with a glove, and it doesnt hurt my finger
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i forgot my glove at home, and been shooting bare fingers for the last 3 days. i shoot alot better, but man do my poor little fingers hurt. :P
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I think there is a health issue here, while I applaud those with callouses on their fingers like Angelina Jolene's bottom lip I think you are setting yourself up for nerve inflammation in your fingers, just a thought
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Been shooting bare fingers for more than 40 years
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But Marc (and that was one fine bow you posted),
Isn't that because you are a 10th Dan in Shotokan karate and practise dailey the ritual of striking your fingers into a barrel of rocks to toughen your fingers?