Unlike most weeks this year, I shot way too many arrows and paid the price. Trying to figure out what I wanted to shoot for the ASA shoot was trying at best. The PSE Supra Focus I've been shooting for IBO is on the bubble for speed, so I tried a few different arrow combinations out of it but didn't feel comfortable with the 297 fps I got through the chronograph with every arrow. I guess it was consistent, but I didn't want to be living and dying on the edge, with 297 being a little too close to the the edge of the 298 plank.
Therefore, I chose to set up my PSE Evoke 35, the bow I've shot for IBOs the last few years, and give it a whirl. After talking to Jacob about it, I decided it would be a good choice. I've always shot the bow well, even though the riser feels completely different than the deflexed riser on the Supra Focus, which I've become accustomed to shooting.
After a few days and hundreds of arrows, I selected an arrow setup to use and went with it. I chose a SuperDrive 23 with 100 grain points. It's basically the same arrow I've been shooting for IBO out of the Supra Focus, but the point is 100 grains instead of 90. The Supra Focus is set at 57 lbs and the Evoke 35 is set at 54. Although the SuperDrive 23 .375s shot really well, the .475s are about 5 fps faster, so I chose them. In all reality, I couldn't go wrong with either arrow. This is how the groups were for the arrow I chose. The .375s probably grouped a little more consistently and tighter every end, but for some reason I felt more comfortable with the .475s... creature comfort, I suppose. My four-arrow groups stayed like this regularly from 45 yards and very few left the white. Although it looks like there are three arrows, there are four in the picture.
First Half of the Shoot
This shoot was unlike most of the shoots I've attended. I'm not sure why, but I had a hard time remembering every target of this shoot. It's almost like the targets flowed together, and I lost my thoughts on them immediately after shooting them. It could be because my focus is slightly different with ASA targets than with IBO targets.
Before we started, I chatted with the guys in my group, Barry, Wade and Jacob, about calling all uppers. I tend to shoot high, and I thought it might be a wise choice. If I had done that at the last ASA, I would've had a really good round. Well, I ended up not calling them, and I can say, after shooting, that I should've stuck to the plan. I would have had a stellar day if I did that. When I shoot centers to stay conservative, I tend to land on the edge of the upper 12, and I hit a handful of them today.
I wasn't happy at the target butt when I started. My shots felt good, but I wasn't overly ecstatic about how the arrows landed. The reading through the chronograph concerned me a little bit, too as the chronograph on site read a solid 6 fps faster than mine. It did the same for my dad's bow. Wade's bow George's bow and Barry's bow only read 3 fps faster than their chronographs. I shot my bow through a few chronographs at home and got the same speed on all of them. This is the second time I shot through that chronograph and it hasn't given me close to the same reading either time. I'd be interested to hear if others have had the same issue or if it's just the few of us. I shot mine through three different Competition Electronic chronographs, all with light kits.
Being the last shooter at the first target, I felt confident with my yardage estimation. I got to hear Jacob's bow go off and felt almost sure of my number. When my bow fired and the arrow landed in the middle of the aoudad's 11-ring, I knew I should've trusted my instinct and laid the pin on top of the 12-ring and executed.
Moving through the next few targets, I shot all center 11s, continuing my good IBO shooting. Unfortunately, I wasn't shooting an IBO tournament and had a hard time making the adjustment. As we progressed through the first few targets, my shot felt great, especially for shooting a bow I haven't shot this year. The hold wasn't quite as good as what I've been used to, but the arrows were hitting behind the pin.
I hit a rough patch by misjudging a leopard, hitting it high. I also aimed too hard at the 12 on a blesbok and paid the piper. I had the right number but aimed at it too hard, which resulted in a bad shot and an ugly 8. In a four-target stretch, I shot three of the four total eights I shot for the day. I quickly got back on track and basically cruised through the rest of the day.
Nearing the end of my first half, I called the upper on the black panther and made a good shot. I hit most black targets high and thought I had a a little too much on it, so I called upper. Heck, since I had hit a bunch of others high in the previous targets, I decided to gamble. Well, the gamble didn't pay off, and I smoked the lower 12... go figure. So at the end of the first half, I was 6 down after shooting one bad shot and missing a few yardages. I accepted that and headed to the next half after grabbing a burger for lunch.
Second Half
Battling some blood problems at the beginning, I knew that holding my bow was going to be an issue. On the first target, a boar, I felt good about the shot and my number, but the arrow hit it high above the 10-ring. I'm not sure if it was because I aimed in the wrong spot when I led the target, if I crept as the shot fired, or if it was because my blood was hovering around 52. Everything about it felt good, but my head was a little foggy at the time. I had a good number, so I really can't explain away the arrow's place of impact. Arrows like that bother me, and as I'm writing this tonight, I'm still a little annoyed by it.
As we meandered through the course, I made good shots the rest of the way. I shot a lot of center 11s for the day, and I believe that's just from having such a habit of aiming at the center. Near the end of the course, I aimed at the javelina after calling upper because I could see a good spot to aim at. When it feels like I'm shooting at a dot, I will always shoot at it. It gives me a direct point of reference and I can usually hit spots when I'm shooting at them. The arrow landed in the 12-ring, and I celebrated the small victory.
When the dust had cleared, I got off the course at 4 down, which I thought was a pretty good round for shooting it unknown. Although I didn't get a lot of bonus rings, I limited the damage. The car could've easily careened off the road at this shoot due to the yardage. We all know how quickly bad yardage can kill a good round of shooting. I feel I shot well and the scorecard turned out decent too. It wasn't great, but for the yardage on the targets and being ASA, it was a pretty good round.
My Thoughts on the Day
I didn't know what to expect going into the tournament, but I wanted to get a feel for the Evoke 35. Although I've shot it a lot in the past, I don't have many arrows through it this year. At the end of the day, I learned that I can go to a national event with it and expect it to hit behind the pin. I think I execute a better shot with it, but I also don't think it's as easy to feel my setup and execution. It's kind of gray area with those two things with this bow. The bow aims well, but I can't hold it as long as I can hold the Supra Focus. I still haven't ruled out the Supra Focus for Kentucky, but I'm leaning on just leaving it alone and using it for the IBO stuff. It's not often that someone uses a slower and shorter bow for ASA vs. IBO, but I guess I'll have to be that guy. I'm building some arrows with longer vanes this week, and I'm going to see if that works. I'm thinking the drag might be too much, but I may be surprised.
I shot with a great group today. I shot with Wade, Barry and Jacob. We all kept them in the middle for most of the day, and we always had a good marker to use. Groups like this are awesome to shoot in because everyone's success helps everyone else shoot well. It was great to see Barry back at it after all of the projects he has had in his personal life this spring. He shot the best I've ever seen him shoot and that's probably because he didn't put nearly the pressure on himself as he normally does. Some of his old habits came out in the last handful of targets and the direct result was seen on the scorecard. When he didn't care, he shot flawlessly. He stroked the 10s all day and made great shots. When he saw he had a shot at jumping the hurdle in front of him to win the race, he hit the top of the hurdle and stumbled across the finish line. He will learn from this and next time he will show us that he is a great finisher, just as he is a good starter. It felt incredible to watch him shoot today. It made me proud of him for all of the work he has put into it, even though he hasn't had any time to shoot this spring.
Jacob came to the shoot with a plan to figure out how he wanted to approach the upcoming shoot in Kentucky. He learned a lot today, and I expect him to give it a good run. It's important to remember to let off on the gas when you're on a road with a lot of sharp corners. However, when you hit a straight away, you have to know when to push the pedal to the floor and get it done. In his second year of shooting ASA tournaments, he's getting a much better idea about how to manage the course. He ended the day at 310 and beat all of the marked shooters.
Looking back on it, I really didn't go into the day with a plan. I basically wanted to shoot the Evoke 35 to see what I thought about committing to it for Kentucky. I probably should've spent more time working out a plan on how I wanted to shoot the course. I decided to basically shoot centers to see if I could keep them in the center with this bow. I accomplished that and pounded centers. I would have been well into the plus numbers if we had counted centers. I felt great about shooting only four 8s. The yardage was tough to get in places, especially not having seen any Mckenzie targets since the last ASA I shot in Connecticut last month. I just don't see the targets enough to get a good idea what they look like. So I was really happy with my numbers and my shooting. Going forward, I think my best best is to shoot near the connector line and take a yard and a half off my guess. I feel my yardage is good enough to allow me to score well. My shooting has been accurate and the yardage is accurate. If I figure out where I want to aim and how to approach it, I should have a better chance at getting in the 12-ring more often. I'm also considering shooting my 5X lens. I've been using a 3X and a big peep sight. It basically looks like a pin when I'm shooting. There really isn't much magnification. I could probably hit more 12s if I could see exactly where I'm aiming.
Someone told me today that he was inspired while watching Pete Swanney shoot and make his way through the course. I kind of laughed when he said it because watching Pete shoot always inspires me. He's just one of those guys who makes shooting look effortless. If I could have someone's shot, it would be his. I've often wondered what I look like to others while I'm shooting, but I know I'm not the only one who enjoys watching Pete shoot arrows. He's been that way since the first time I saw him shoot 25 years ago. I told my friend that he picked a good guy to be inspired by. If you see Pete on the course this summer make sure you watch how he operates. You definitely will not be disappointed.
Congratulations to all of the people who shot well at the shoot. Hopefully, everyone had a good time and can't wait to get back at it next weekend at the 2nd Leg of the IBO Northeast Triple Crown. I look forward to seeing everyone there. Hopefully, we will get some good weather to kick off the long weekend. I'm ready for a mini-vacation.
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