“You will learn more about hunting deer with a bow and arrow in a week than a hunter with a gun will learn in his entire life.” 

It takes patience, practice, and a lot of accuracy to become a successful whitetail archer. If you have all of that, then the only thing you need for an enjoyable experience is great gear from a reputable archery equipment store. 

This blog will outline the three best tips for consistently shooting good groups that are bound to put your arrow in the kill zone on your next deer. 

Do you Have A Death Grip?

A death grip is an extremely tight grip on the handle of the bow, mostly created through fear. When you do this, your whole arm will become tense or stiff, making you think you are “steady.” However, the opposite actually happens. Your accuracy has to do with the amount of potential energy the bow has stored when you draw back. When the energy is transferred into kinetic energy, releasing the arrow, all of the torque in your wrist will be released through the bow. 

The bow will automatically release the energy, and that will change the amount of torque in your wrist. Since your wrist will then have no reason to squeeze the bow as aggressively, your wrist will move to give you bad groupings. 

Your wrist will likely turn in towards your body. For example, if you are right-handed, your shots may be inconsistently shooting right. If you are left-handed, then your shot will be consistently left. 

How To Properly Grip The Bow 

The goal for properly holding your bow is to have natural positioning rather than muscle manipulation. 

Your thumb and elbow will work together for the correct angle. For example, right-handed shooters should have their thumb at 2 o’clock and the elbow at 8 o'clock. For left-handed shooters, the thumb will point at 10 o’clock and the elbow at 5 o’clock. This will change the position where your grip is in your hand and create less torque, meaning; less leaning, straighter arrows, and more energy being used from the bow. 

When drawing back your grip hand fingers will be completely relaxed, not having to grip or hold onto the handle. Wrist placement is going to determine if you're drawing back consistently every time. Bending your wrist back to have even pressure from the top of the grip all the way down to the heel plate. Remember, less contact, not more. 

Anchor Points

Anchor points are a destination that can help you double-check you are aligned properly before taking your shot. This tip will create an abundance of accuracy if you can consistently use them. 

There are three main anchor points, including:

Peep Sight 

What is peep sight? A peep sight is a little circle that aligns perfectly with your sights. You can only see through your peep if you are looking at the correct angle. The peep sight is unique to every hunter. 

There are different diameters of peep sights depending on the hole size needed for you to properly see your sights. G5 Meta Pro Peep is our recommendation to everyone. The Meta Pro peep has a convex interior diameter maximizing the field of view in low light. The convex interior also provides a perfect circle as the peep begins to tilt. 

Using Your Thumb Knuckle To Create A Second Anchor Point

 Our rule of thumb is that you want to anchor your thumb knuckle into the hole behind your jaw boner and under your ear lobe. This is going to give you a consistent spot to draw back to, making your accuracy and grouping much better. 

Your Nose As An Anchor Point 

The last anchor point to use is your nose. Touch the tip of your nose to the tip of your bowstring. By doing this, you will keep your shooting eye aligned with the peep sight. It can also assist with the stability of your bow. 

Follow Through To The End 

This is most people’s biggest struggle. The follow-through is one of the most important steps of your shot. Without a good follow-through, you are likely to see inconsistencies in your groupings. This is caused by the milliseconds between releasing the arrow and the arrow leaving the bow.

The biggest mistake people make happens within these couple of milliseconds, typically because they want to see where the arrow hit the target or animal. 

Stop by Wildside Outdoors to try out our 20-yard archery lanes and work on consistent groupings and try out these tips to get the best kill shot every time. 

About Wildside Outdoors

We are your one-stop shop solution for all your hunting, fishing, and archery gear needs in Lloydminster. Wildside Outddor’s team comprises seasoned outdoor enthusiasts who are committed to offering you premium products from the most reputable brands in the industry. Additionally, we provide expert consultation and recommendations to assist you in selecting the ideal gear tailored to your unique requirements.