Need a little help

[Sitkaspruce]

First the Bow: I am shooting a Hoyt Vtec 57#, 29".

When I am shooting, most of my shots are going high, whether at 10,20 or 30 y. I have noticed that my bow jumps up or tilts back when I shoot. I have tried changing my grip but when I do that my bow hand shakes due to me having a disease called Esential Tremor (Katherine Hepburn had this). The lighter I hold the bow, the less the shakes. I know that the shakes are part of the problem but I have had them for about ten years and have learned to adapt to them. I am doing the same thing for my bow as well. By the way my shots are all grouping very well, just not where I want them.

Some of my thoughts are.... Do I need a heavier stabilizer? Tighten my wrist strap to hold the bow tighter to my hand? Try a different style of grip on the bow, thicker? fatter? Does a different rest or other accessory help with this probem?

I am looking for any suggestions that you think might help.

Thanks

[mark]

Adjust yer sights a little! problem solved! just like a rifle.

[Sitkaspruce]

Tried that first. have moved my 10 and 20y pin up about 1/4 inch, still hitting high. I believe it is either my grip being to light or the bow needs more weight on the bottom, but would like to see what others with more experience than moi have to say.

Thanks Mark

Cheers

[moosecaller]

You should not be gripping the bow as such, when I shoot I do not even wrap my fingers around I just hold the bow in the web of my thumb and fingers. The jumping back may be your stabilizer, or it may be your hand/relation to wrist position. This will be hard to diagnose without seeing you shoot. Can you find a pro in your area to observe your shooting?
Here are a few elimination type questions-
Are you shooting full lenght arrows?
Did you use a nock set to install the nock?
Do you use a kisser button?
Do you use sights?
Do you use a peep?
What rest do you have?
Do you have a berger button?
What arrows are you shooting,weight etc?
How high are the shots going at the given distance? Is this consistant?
Have you tried adjusting your sights to compensate?

[mark]

you say that you shoot consistant! IF THIS IS TRUE! a sight adjustment should do it! Unless something bizzarre is going on, in which case id get a bow expert to inspect yer gear and observe your shooting like moosecaller suggested!

[pupper]

with bow hunting there are so many variables to the equation. A trusted pro in the area can tune your bow and make sure your rest is in line with your strings and where you nock the arrow is level to the rest.

[Bow Walker]

Mark, if he is experiencing hand-shake and/or bow-jump as he says then adjusting the sight pins or even gang adjusting will just move the "problem" to another location. In other words, if it is him then moving the sights won't help.

Sitka, give us some more info - what stabilizer? how long? how heavy? From you sig it seems that you hunt as well as target shoot with your setup (nice one by the way), so perhaps a heavier, and/or longer stabilizer will solve you problem - or at least help with it.

If there is a pro-shop up there that knows what they are about they should be able to help you.

Failing all that you might just have to get used to where your arrows are hitting. If it is consistent and your groups are tight then you may have to "adjust" you aim when hunting or target shooting to compensate for the high shots that you normally get. It will take a bit of practice, but it should be doable. Good luck.

[greybark]

Hey Sitkaspruce , A friend of mine by the name of Ed Kellow who passed on two years ago had similiar shakes for years and was untouchable as a Longbow Archer . Good luck to you and like Ed I admire your determination.
Lots of excellant compound archers had the bow rotate forward after each shot , totally relaxed bowhand . I could never understand this and always thought that a neutral bow (straight up and down) would be better. Particularily if you were hunting White Tailed Deer the senario of a rotating bow after launching an arrow at a deer would present movement problems as well as hindering a second shot if required .
During my compound days I would balance the bow thru the stabilizer and to maintain a constant relaxed grip the forefinger of my bowhand would go around the handle and lightly touch the thumb with the remaining fingers forward. This way my sub conscious mind was aware that I could not drop the bow . I suspect your grip may be the cause of the upcast problems .
It would be my pleasure to squad up at a 3-d shoot with you and again Good Luck...

REMEMBER -- Keep Your Fingertab On --

[Sitkaspruce]

Thanks for the info so far.

I have a relaxed grip in the web of my hand. When I shoot the bottom of the bow kicks up and the top falls back towards me. If I grip it harder(which I am trying not to do) I get a shake in my arm and hand that causes the bow to...shake. I will try to see if my wrist and hand are properly set up. I am two + hours from the closest proshop but I will try to get in to see him as well.

Again thanks

[moosecaller]

Here is a few more questions-
Do you have a quiver mounted on the bow? It can throw the balance off.
Do you shoot with a hunting setup eg: full quiver,etc.
Are you sure your fingers are pointed downward on your bow hand making sure your hand is not cocked up?
Do you use a release or tab or glove?
If I can think of any more variables I will get back to you, any additional info could help.