I know there's some on here that do it. Whether it be gun, bow, slingshot or bb gun I don't think it would make much difference? How did you learn it? Is there a book or video on it, or just totally self taught?
When we were 12 a cousin and me got fiberglass recurve bows and a half dozen arrows each. Our folks didn’t know anything about archery. No nock on the string even. My uncle did show us how to use three fingers instead of pinch the arrow. We shot everything. Spent our meager funds on more arrows at Kmart as we went through them pretty steady. Only target stops we had were hay bales. We shot a lot at rabbits and magpies.
When we were 12 a cousin and me got fiberglass recurve bows and a half dozen arrows each. Our folks didn’t know anything about archery. No nock on the string even. My uncle did show us how to use three fingers instead of pinch the arrow. We shot everything. Spent our meager funds on more arrows at Kmart as we went through them pretty steady. Only target stops we had were hay bales. We shot a lot at rabbits and magpies.
Well, I did the same growing up. But I aimed by looking down the arrow. I understand instinctive is just pulling up and shooting while looking at the target, not down the arrow, right?
I've made some pretty amazing shots doing "snapshooting" or just instinctively... No idea how. It just comes down to doing it. Although it seems like every one of those shots was made at something with a pulse... Maybe there's some leftover primordial instinct from the times when it meant eating or not eating.
I'm sure practicing to the point of being absolutely comfortable with the weapon has something to do with it.
Jerry Miculek would probably be the guy to ask... Or Tom Knapp if he was still with us
Lots and lots of shooting with the same gun.Not at a range or target shooting.just offhand shooting.Like hunting with a catapult.The indian kids would shoot sparrows flying with their catapults they carry them 24/7 and grow up to be crack shot goose hunters with both rifles or shotguns.
Practice practice practice and then do some more, the younger you start the quicker you pick it up
My kids seemed to acquire the skill as kids by osmosis and just absorb the skill, me I had to work at it, first with bow then Slingshot then pistol, each was easier then the first
Shoot shoot shoot as others have said. If you want to shoot traditional bow. Become the arrow by Byron Ferguson is a good book for $11.50. I also was self taught but been shooting since the 60 s when I was a kid. Now I shoot a hill bow almost every day. Use to shoot a Ferguson. Don’t hunt but can’t hear or walk that far. Shotgun would not know to shoot one any other way. Nessmuck nice longbow. Been a longbow fan for years.
Missed that part. Like Danny said look at target where you want to hit and let it fly. The smaller the spot the better. Pick a hair not the entire target
Aim small, miss small. A fella by the name of G. Fred Asbell has a book on Instinctive Archery that is very good. Also, check out Byron Ferguson's video's and books.
Instinctive shooting i believe gets a misnomer. Yes there is instinct to a degree, but that is the end result of practice, not the beginning. So therefore, you need to practice a ton, trying different methods until you pick one and perfect it.
With single projectile firearms it never really is takin as far as it could go. I and everyone i ever shot with never shot instinctive pistol at more than 10 yds. Theres sights. If it has to be quick and you make it happen. But how often do you shoot a gun with front and rear sights and not use them. Instinctive here is more point and shoot.
Shotgun is the cross over and there is plenty of error with your given pattern. With this shooting i feel it falls in the realm of split vision. The way i was told/taught by a renowned bowyer/archer is 98% of your vision is peripheral, the 2% is aiming. How many look at their bead on a passing duck. I dont even know why they are there. Though i like mine. I think
The trad bow is the hardest to grasp. Along with all the styles like gap, fixed crawl etc (which arent instinctive) shooting a stick bow instinctively is hard. Again you have the 98 and 2 happening. The 2 is much more important here because it one projectile, not a load of 3” 3s. So the object is to focus on the target aka pick a spot, but not reference anything in particular. I do a drill that i heard of from a guy named Casto? Whatever his name, the drill is to draw and “aim” point the arrow at the target. You do not loose the arrow. The drill forces you to “aim” ( i hate saying that as an instinctive shooter) so you ingrain the sight picture and peripheral cues to hit the same spot regularly. With archery in general, with all bows, target panic is real and worse without trigger devises.
Joel turner talks at length about this. With firearms you increase trigger tension until the sear breaks. Very easy to have good shots with follow thru. When shooting with your fingers it hard to separate your mechanoreceptors. A fluid release has to be somewhat of a surprise, but try doing that. Hold a rock in your hand and let go of it without you telling yourself to let go of it. Its hard. Same with the string. And the mind starts to shortcut processes when it comes time to let go. Then creeps in target panic. The main principle to avoid snap shooting, which is not as accurate as coming to a anchor and being comfortable there with a clean release is to separate the mind and body. The short of this is having an internal dialogue walking thru the steps. This way you fight the urge for your mind to run the short cut program, and let your mind run the cycle. Its deep. Sometimes you shoot good, other times not.
My father in law told me a story. Something to the degree of a golfer shooting a wonderful round while his budies jeered of how lucky he was. He said that he just seemed to be getting luckier the more he practiced…
Shoot shoot shoot as others have said. If you want to shoot traditional bow. Become the arrow by Byron Ferguson is a good book for $11.50. I also was self taught but been shooting since the 60 s when I was a kid. Now I shoot a hill bow almost every day. Use to shoot a Ferguson. Don’t hunt but can’t hear or walk that far. Shotgun would not know to shoot one any other way. Nessmuck nice longbow. Been a longbow fan for years.
Thanks ! You’d like it …74 inch Yew Wood …57 @ 28”… Horn nocks.
Lots of shooting with whatever. BB gun and 23 lb. recurve when I was young. It is amazing how good you can become. Especially if you start young. Remember we aren't shooting long range here. The Comanches could hit a doorknob at 40 yards. Crazy Horse and his young Sioux buddies learned by jump shooting grasshoppers on the wing.If you spent days doing that a young age I bet you could get pretty good too.
I fooled with it long, long time ago. essentially it was total focus on target, and just letting your hand eye co-ordination do it's thing... sorta like pointing your finger at a target, flying or otherwise, and saying "bang", lol I did it with a thrown can and a 22, surprising how fast you can pick it up...and hit stuff
How did you learn to throw a rock or ball? The computer between your ears and practice does it all its that simple. Sights are technology that speeds up the process plain and simple.
When was kid I shot now instinct. Self taught just didn't know different Later I went two three fingers under and sighting down arrow. I have shot bows all set up nice with peep sight puns used release. Thing about shooting with out all thàt. I can pick up most any bow I can draw. Shoot few arrows be close enough on target hit target. Sights take more monkeying around for me to get on Target. actually think much like kids with dang video games hand eye thing and younger you start easier to learn. Don't matter if is bow hand gun or shotgun. My dad had uncle shotgunned everything from hip. Never shoulder gun. Even deer with slugs.
Your sight alignment changes greatly from traditional use of sights to point and shooting below that point of aim. Your first attempt to shoot from the hip will surprise you as your brain is still trying to use the traditional way of aiming at a target. It’s like learning your balance all over again but once you learn to compensate it sticks with you needing less correction then.
Starting with a .22 rifle might help the learning process then move to the pistol. With a bow its a matter of eye and hand coordination and releasing when on target no need to hold longer because your not doing traditional aiming that way.
My grand paw showed me how to shoot a sling shot. same principle as a gunfighter shooting from the draw. Imagine you are pointing at an object was how I was shown. Both eyes open. I shoot skeet ,doves anything that is moving same way. Running deer both eyes open looking threw scope with dominate eye as other one tracks the target.
My dad new a guy that was a sponsored shooter he said how learned was he took a 22 rifle took the sights off and used a piece of plywood painted white as a target he pull up shoot a hole then pull up and shoot at the hole until he could hit it every time.my dad can shoot a bow pretty good with out sights.I personally shoot a hoyt fast flight a 70lb 25 year old compound with a flipper rest no sights no release I use three fingers under no glove.I learned on a marten rebel recurve I shot and shot and shot with that thing all the time I could hit about any thing I wanted. A thing that happened to me that messed me up I was good and shot all the time I would shoot 40,50 arrows a day or more until one day I was about 9 or 10 I was pulling back the string and it felt like stabbed a knife in my wrist I pulled some thing in it from shooting to much I guess but I didn't shoot again for 2 to 4 months I don't really remember how long but when I started again I had to start all over I got pretty good again but I didn't shoot as much as I used to that was my falt I killed a couple deers with that bow then as I got older I started slipping I would only shoot about a month before I started hunting I went downhill from there couldn't hit any thing was having alot of trouble with bow arrow kicking side to side out of the bow finally found out that I had out grown the bow I messed around with another recurve for a couple years I don't think that bow was vary good then I went to the compound with no sights and that is what I am using now it is easier for me to shoot the hardest part for me right now is picking a spot tend to just want to shoot a the target. if you shoot at a apple you will barely miss it all the time you stick a thumb tack in the apple and shoot a the tack you will hit the apple every time.i have all way be better shooting at moving targets it helps you not think about it if you think long you think wrong I used to shoot empty 22 casings in the air with a buck BB gun also. so if you want to shoot instinctive set a distance shoot all the time every day and pick a spot in not to long you will be pretty good. that is my story and my to cents worth.
I prefer to teach kids to shoot instinctively before they start using sights to give them the principals of how to do it .
I have them draw the bow with some instructions on grip and anchor point . After shooting the bow I explain that if they do exactly the same thing every time the arrow will hit the same every time . Now they have to learn to look where the arrow is going.
That’s the simplest way to teach instinctive shooting that I can think of . I hope that helps Angela.
Thanks everyone. Lots of good advice on here. Think I might start practicing with a BB gun. Can't afford nor find enough .22 shells to waste in the learning.
A BB gun is great for instinctive shooting. Ammo is cheap, and you don't wear out your muscles and body parts with heavy practice. I don't know about today's BB guns, but the Daisey® i had as a kid, shot at a perfect velocity. It was lethal on squirrels on down, and you could actually watch the trajectory so you always knew exactly where you were shooting.
Someone mentioned flying grasshoppers with a bow. I used to hit dragonflies with BB's. Not quite as impressive, but, not nearly the same practice required, either.
Unfortunately, though, I don't think that skill carries over to archery or firearms. At least it didn't for me. I am an old man now, and finally redeveloping that skill in trap shooting. I don't quite hit as many targets, but it is way less stressful, and nearly as accurate.
Angela a paint ball gun is fairly cheap to shoot if can get CO2 or compressed air fills. I haven't shot mine in several years now. But when I was playing regular with group. I could some days throw up a paint ball and shoot out the air with my paint gun. Like T-Rex said about the BBs with paint ball like arrow you can watch it go down range. Worst problem I have for being eye trained like that. If I'm driving and look at say pop can laying in traffic lane in road. I have tell my self don't run it over. I look to long seem like hit with front tire every time lmao.
With guns it's called point shooting. My instructors taught me good ways of point shooting with my .45 ACP. Never even bring it up to aim if you don't want to. Have it secured in one or both hands, in any position. I do the same with my Mossburg short barrel 12g pump. Just a difference in holding it.
When things happen fast, all there is time to do is draw the weapon and know where the barrel is without aiming.
Angela, I have just the ticket for you in practicing. No ammo spent but you use your gun just as you would if you were firing ammo.
Called Pink Rhino laser bullet . It comes in many sizes to chamber into many different guns. It can be paired with a system online to target practice and keep score of how you do, or you can use it without the online pairing.
I just point and shoot anywhere in my house , one hand or both. Point at any small target . I practice anywhere from 20 feet to 6 feet and all in between.
A red dot shows brightly when you squeeze the trigger.
Runs on batteries, so far I haven't used up the first set of batteries and I've shot a lot with it.
There is a lot of advantage to point shooting ...no leading with the barrel for one thing.
You do get the feel of it ...don't even need to look down , just have the barrel in your peripheral vision.
This isn't made for all firearms, but if you have one that does, it's great to use with no ammo expense.
Once you get your technique down so that you release the arrow exactly the same each time, you need to totally dismiss any notion of aiming. The key to hitting that particular hair on the side of that deer is to focus your eyes on that hair, and allow your hands and brain to come together to place the arrow on that hair. Some call it muscle memory. An example of how your hands know where everything is can be illustrated by closing your eyes and point to the hangnail on corner of your big toe.You will point right at it every time. How? I have no idea. But I do know that this innate ability is exactly what makes instinctive shooting possible. Any notion of "aiming" will destroy your ability to develop this technique.
Thanks everyone. Lots of good advice on here. Think I might start practicing with a BB gun. Can't afford nor find enough .22 shells to waste in the learning.
If your shooting a pistol, a laser on it will give you practice without wasting high dollar ammo. I use to shoot my 22 pistol from the hip and wasted alot of ammo.lol
Once you get muscle memory you'll be surprised how decent you can get at it.
Racer man, a laser mounted on a rifle sounds great. I'm betting there's a way to do that.
What is good about the laser bullet though, is that you work your chambering after every shot as you would with real ammo. You only have one bullet and need to set for the next shot manually, even with a semi auto.
The slide on my .45 is so stiff , it is good to work it manually after every shot . Over time I EXPECT it to loosen up . And my grip power on the slide has improved bigly.
With guns it's called point shooting. My instructors taught me good ways of point shooting with my .45 ACP. Never even bring it up to aim if you don't want to. Have it secured in one or both hands, in any position. I do the same with my Mossburg short barrel 12g pump. Just a difference in holding it.
When things happen fast, all there is time to do is draw the weapon and know where the barrel is without aiming.
Angela, I have just the ticket for you in practicing. No ammo spent but you use your gun just as you would if you were firing ammo.
Called Pink Rhino laser bullet . It comes in many sizes to chamber into many different guns. It can be paired with a system online to target practice and keep score of how you do, or you can use it without the online pairing.
I just point and shoot anywhere in my house , one hand or both. Point at any small target . I practice anywhere from 20 feet to 6 feet and all in between.
A red dot shows brightly when you squeeze the trigger.
Runs on batteries, so far I haven't used up the first set of batteries and I've shot a lot with it.
There is a lot of advantage to point shooting ...no leading with the barrel for one thing.
You do get the feel of it ...don't even need to look down , just have the barrel in your peripheral vision.
This isn't made for all firearms, but if you have one that does, it's great to use with no ammo expense.
Of all I have watched I really like his approach and his way of explaining thing.
I "snap shot" bows for a long time before I got a compound. I was decent but not real good. After watching this fella I got pretty dang good. I don't even own a compound bow now. Recurve is all I shoot.
I shoot instinctive recurve, the answer is to focus on where u want ur arrow to go, blur out everything else. Still gotta have archery fundamentals so ur shot sequence is the same but don’t stop staring at where u want the arrow to go. Also gotta shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, and shoot again at all different distances. Ur brain does all the adjustments. It’s like throwing a baseball to somebody, u just pick it up and throw it but ur brain is doing calculations u might not be thinking about. How far determines how much arch u will put on it and how hard to throw it and all that stuff, good luck!
That's pretty cool Sharon. I don't have any guns in those calibers, but will keep it in mind if I ever do end up with one.
There available in other calibers including rifle and shotgun and saves a lot on ammunition even when it’s available and you can practice just about anywhere
Growing up shooting recurve instinctively was normal for me. I still love shooting recurve
According to numerous family members my grandpa instinctively would shoot the 30-30 from the hip and always had 1 shot kills sometimes 2 kills 1 shot. I never got to hunt with him.
when I went back to shooting my re-curve something was just off. I couldn't figure out what it was for the life of me. I was doing everything the same shot after shot, but it was still amiss. One day while shooting I made a shot and it felt great. Like it was normal, or as it was supposed to. Took me a few more shots to figure it out, but once I realized what I was doing it all turned around.
Since I am not able to shoot as much as I would like, it still takes me a few few shots to get it right, but when I do, it is fantastic.
lotsa perfect practice, if were talking handgun your grip is king....
Yup. I made a new friend at the range who used to be a small arms instructor in the Navy. Before that the only handguns I shot well were revolvers and 1911s. He got me up to speed on gripping the smaller CC arms and now I am at least 3/4 dangerous with em!
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