Flatlanders may or may not understand the relationship of the third axis on your archery sight when shooting a bow (I know I didn’t 15 years ago), so let me break it down as simply as I can. If you shoot your bow at steep angles (up or down), you will need to verify your third axis is dead on and that your arrows are not hitting left or right. It’s an over simplification, but my point is that bowhunting in mountainous terrain is not hunting on level fields or a treestand twenty feet off the ground. Keep in mind, this could come in handy for those situations, too. I had verified my third axis with my HHA Tetra TE sight on my previous bow, but I hadn’t on my Mathews VXR 31.5. Many archery sights have an adjustment for the third axis, but some may need to be shimmed to set it properly. This past Saturday, a few of my good friends got together to partake in their 2nd Amendment rights and I brought my bow to be the odd guy out. No, not the old guy, the odd guy.
Shooting from rocky outcroppings is something I love to do, but I rarely have the opportunity living in a beach city. I love it because it challenges you! Add a bit of wind, sets of eyes on you, the possibility of destroying a $20+ arrow and the pressure is on. Don’t miss! I needed to step outside my comfort zone and truly practice my angled shots and adjust my sight if needed. This was my opportunity!
I set up my Morrell target and my Rinehart 18-1 target where I thought I would have a decent shot angle, but also so it wouldn’t be a chip shot. I had to test my third axis and my form. I also wanted to get some exercise, climb some boulders, test myself, and shoot some shots out of my comfort zone. Let me tell you, it was so much fun! Unnerving at times, but fun! And yes, to all the professional keyboard archers, yes, my back arm does need to come up a bit. The muscles and tendons need to stretch in that arm and it’s something I am working on.
First, I hiked up the ridge to a low, but decent angle. I settled in and launched eight arrows. No breeze, sunny, and my adrenaline was already increasing. Call it excitement or anxiety, but it felt good releasing those arrows. The arrows almost all hit tight to the bullseye and that told me I needed more challenging shots.
The second group of shots involved me climbing up 2/3 of the way up the ridgeline (see second photo for reference). I had to climb the boulders because there is no trail up there. I had to carry my bow on my shoulders (not the brightest idea) in order to get handholds and balance. Once I got situated, I ranged the targets at 35 yards and had a light, gusty wind. Perfect to challenge me! I shot this set, but was not disappointed. Why? Read on.
The first shot was far left because I was jittery and pulled it. Doh! The next seventeen arrows told me something. The first seven (shown here) showed me my shooting needed work from these angles. Quite a bit if I am honest. The next eight solidifed that my third axis may be alright, but also told me I was working too hard to balance my bow R-to-L. I needed additional weight on the stabilizers, mainly my back bar as the cant was to the right because of my loaded TightSpot Rise quiver. Fortunately for me, I had a package waiting at home that would help me improve immensely (for a post coming soon).
Overall, I had a great day of shooting my bow, hanging with friends, and sharing what I was doing while hoofing it up the rocks with my bow. I learned that I need to balance my bow better, then go back out and run this circuit again. I need to challenge myself, test my skills, and verify my gear is near perfect for me. Everyone should try something like this and work to make yourself a better bowhunter. I plan to work on this until it’s second nature because I owe it to any animal I shoot to make a clean, quick kill. Now it’s time to go practice what I preach.
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