First Northeast ASA Shoot of the Year

 Friday afternoon when I decided to go to the ASA shoot in Massachusetts, I wanted to try a bow I hadn't shot an arrow at a 3D target with. I made arrows in the afternoon and decided to try to get a tape with it afterward. After getting it to the same speed as my Tempest E 3D, I headed tried to get a tape on my sight. However, I ran into an issue, as my father was helping a few new neighbors who showed interest in archery. We spent a lot of time while the man shot his bow and enjoyed himself. As the minutes dragged on, darkness was quickly creeping up on us, and I knew I had minimal time to get the bow dialed in. Heck, I don't even know if the new arrows would group well because they were the next stiffer spine up than what I had been shooting out of it. 

  I quickly got a mark at 40 and hoped the other distanced would fall into the same place on my #14 tape on my TruBall Axcel sight. Amazingly, the tape seemed to match... I was in luck -- or so I thought. I didn't get a warm fuzzy feeling with the groups, but I was also trying to rush to get the bow dialed in. You might ask why I decided to shoot this bow? Well, I had nothing to lose, and I figured it would be a good place to try it. If the bow performed at a certain level, I would head to Louisiana with it next weekend. If it didn't live up to the reputation it had been acquiring in my hands while shooting at spots outdoors with the other arrows, I would head to Louisiana with the bow I shot at the last two. At least this would give me a good chance to feel it out and make an educated choice. 

  After looking at the directions, I saw that it would take 3:20 to get to the shoot, so I told Jacob  that Dad and I would get him at about 5:40. Well as we got going, I noticed I must've read the time wrong, as the ETA said we would be there at 7:20. Upon arriving, we warmed up, and I felt good about it, but my 40 and 50 both his near the bottom of the dot. Instead of moving the indicator, I headed onto the range. We had to shoot through the chronograph before heading out and the chronograph read 292. My graph at home read 289, so the graph was a few fps ahead of mine. The only advice I can give to anyone concerning that is to always run their bow about 10fps under the maximum allowed. I've never had a graph read more than 8 fps different than my own. The 10 fps rule will most likely save you a lot of aggravation over time. 

                               First Half

  We started on the black buck next to the clubhouse and shot that range first. I was drawn as the last shooter, and my dad and Bill Romanchick both had arrows a hair above the 12. The arrows gave me a good marker, and I felt confident with my number. I held just below them, and the shot fired. It was a perfect shot, and I was rewarded with a 12 to start the day. 

  Moving to the second target, which I believe was a deer if my memory is correct. I made another great shot on it and barely missed the 12. I had good numbers on the first two. When I got to the third target, I realized we were probably going to be shooting a relatively boring round, with most of the targets in field archery lanes and the bales behind the targets. Although it shows a lack of effort to set a challenging course to judge, you still have to make the shot and judge the yardage. It also would give me a look at McKenzie targets, which I only see at national pro-am events. I believe the fourth target was a javelina, and I had to lead it off. A quick glance at it gave me a number, so I called the upper because I could clearly see a white dot I could use as an aiming reference. My shot broke perfectly, and I knew I would 12 it. When I saw the arrow strike the target really low, I was beside myself. I couldn't believe I could've hit that low. Well, I did. I had misjudged the target by about 4 or 5 yards. It was a horrible mistake but aiming at the upper saved me from any catastrophe. I actually caught the outside of the 8 line. I felt fortunate to walk away with little damage. 

  I made my way through the rest of the first half and felt good about my shooting. The trial run with the Veracity 35 was going well, but a few things concerned me, and they were just created from a lack of time behind that particular bow. I made one bad shot on the first half, and that was on the turkey. When I hit full draw, the stop hit the cable too hard and bounced it off the back well. Instead of letting down, I decided I'd stay with it and muscle my way through the shot -- something I would never do at a national event. So don't ask me why I did it. I guess I did what I preach against. I won't let that happen again. I paid the price, as I shot an ugly 5. The turkey also has a scoring 8 line on one side and just the core on the other side. Unfortunately we were shooting the side with just the core as the 8. I barely hit out of the core, but it surely would've been in had we been shooting the other side of the target. That's how it goes sometimes. I got off the first half at 5 down, and the 5 came on one of, what I would consider, easier shots of the half. Do not be lazy in your process or preparation of every single shot. This is proof of that. Do as I say, not as a I do. 

                   Second Half

  We breezed through the first half, but we ran into backups on the second half. The way the course winds through the hills probably led to that, but it easier to lose focus and get distracted. I started off well and barely missed the 12, shooting just over it, on the first target. I got the second one, as Jacob had an arrow in it, and I found it easy to aim at it. When we got to the long deer across the creek, dad led it off and called upper. He barely missed the upper to the left, but it had a perfect line. Although it was a bomb, I decided to go for the upper too. After all, I had a good marker and was pretty certain with my number. I never felt comfortable with my aim on that target, as it was leaning hard toward us. When the shot broke, I saw the arrow land just above the 12 and in the 8. That was simply poor course management for an ASA shoot. I should've stuck it in the center and let it eat. I lost two easy points by getting greedy. 

  If I didn't learn from that mistake, I felt confident on the next target, a hyena. The hyena is always easy to aim at too. It has a black dot right next to the 12. Well, I decided to go for it again and shot another 8, just under it this time. My number wasn't up to snuff, and I paid the price. Back-to-back 8s is never a good thing. Then a few targets later, I barely missed the 12 on the black panther. I don't think I could've gotten any closer to it, and it was really one of those shots you have to capitalize on. Picking our way through the course, I felt good about the bow and how it performed for its test run, especially with having sighted the arrows in the night before in the 20 minutes I had before it got dark outside. 

  When I got to the antelope, I was confident in my number and broke a good shot. It wasn't a great shot, but it was a good one. I couldn't believe when I saw the arrow on the outside of the 8 line, barely touching it. The arrow probably hit six inches below where I had aimed. There was no reason for the arrow to be there, and it ate at my conscience. I just could't figure it out. I usually have no problem letting things go, but when I can't explain something, it does tend to eat at me. 

  Nearing the end, I picked up a few 12s and knew I was probably going to finish up for the day. Then, on my second to last target, an average shot on a medium deer, I knew I had a good number. I held good and executed a good shot. Once again, like the shot on the antelope, the arrow hit extremely low, and I had the right number. Unfortunately, this one didn't come close to the 8 line, and I had to write another 5 on my card. Now, fuming, I made my way to the last target and 12d it.  I got off the course at 6 down and only misjudged one target badly, which was the javelina on my first half. 

   My Last Thoughts

  I'm glad I gave the Veracity 35 a test run at this event. The bow shoots well. I just need to figure out the couple of phantom arrows. I'm thinking I might've lost the peep and not noticed it. If that wasn't the case, I could've crept off the back wall and not noticed it, or as Jacob mentioned, the timing could be slightly out. I'll focus on all of that stuff and figure it out when I return from Louisiana. Until then, I'll be running the Tempest E 3D. I'm thinking the draw length could even be a few cable twists too short. When I used to shoot my Evoke 35 really well, I would get phantom low arrows like the ones this weekend when the draw was a tad too short, and that bow is very similar to this one as far as geometry goes. I can't wait to get back at it after getting home next weekend. When I figure it out, I feel like this bow is going to do great things for me the rest of the summer. 

  Although I'm thankful for having people want to run these events in our region, I also wish just one of the events could be done like a national pro-am to give people a true idea what the real ASA is like. I think it would only increase numbers and possible make many more shooters come to the events. A lot of people don't like wandering through the woods, and a normal ASA is a huge social gathering. It also allows all peers to shoot together. I"m not complaining about the event in any way, shape or form, I just wish they were set up in the same manner as the national events. I think it would be an eye-opening experience for a lot of people. 

  I have to say that I'm impressed with the way many people shot this weekend. I'd like to give a shout-out to a few people. Chris Hartley recently had a baby and has had limited time to shoot, as he now has many new priorities. Halfway through the day he realized he had a crack in his cam, but he kept shooting it and came out with a win. 

  I had the pleasure of shooting with Cole Bromely last weekend, and I always root for Cole. He's a great guy and X-Spot is lucky to have him representing their shop. Cole brought his A-game and almost broke par. Hopefully, he continues on the path he's on and keeps improving. It's a pleasure to watch his progress the last few years. Unfortunately, his traveling partner, Jake LaFontaine didn't fare as well this weekend, but Jake's score is a reason why we should never look at a score and put any significance into it. Jake's bow was not set up for this event and he was shooting an arrow that was going as fast as an arrow shot out of a longbow or recurve. He did the best he could, but you can only do so well when you're shooting unknown with a turtle-speed arrow. 

  Lastly, I've been mentoring Justin and Aiden Pfitze, a father and son, and they have been working really hard. They both had the pleasure of shooting with Payson Reindhardt, so I know they got to witness some great shooting by a great kid. He will be a role model for many people in the future. He's a good kid from a great family. Justin and Aiden both won their respective classes. Good job, guys! Way to persevere in some atrocious weather. 

  Jacob also did Jacob. When you're shooting unknown yardage and lay it down on everyone shooting known yardage, it says volumes about your ability. Jacob makes it look easy, but he works as hard as anyone. I challenge all of you to put in 1/4 of the work he puts in and see if it makes you any better. He's working while others are sleeping, and I'm looking forward to watching out things play out in the coming months. 

  If you're not shooting in a pro class in ASA, K-50 classes seem to bring out the best shooters at national events. The same seems to hold true in the Northeast ASA. I always enjoy seeing the competition in these classes because they sometime bring out some amazing performances. While this particular tournament didn't appear to have done that, I still had to take notice that they winner and runner-up, Craig Dunnels and Alex Taylor, laid down some big names. Their performances should be noticed, as they took down some titans of New England. The next three guys behind them have all won national events on the biggest stages. If anyone can lay down three of the best the region has to offer, they should be applauded. Hopefully, we can all watch them and cheer them on as they head to the big events and join the others who have made our region proud. If anyone wants to get better, I'll tell you what I was told when I was a much younger person, "Seek out the best shooters in your region and shoot with them. They will drive you to get better, and you can learn a lot from them." 

  Trust me when I say it works. Seek out the good guys and see what you can learn. Good luck to everyone at the next one. Jacob, Dad and I are headed to Louisiana this week to try our hand at the next ASA Pro-Am. We are all feeling confident about this one and hope to make all of you proud. There are our three arrows on a target from the weekend. Ol' Billy broke up the happy family, but boy did it feel great to shoot with Bill again. My dad and I have shared many great memories with Bill Romanchick over the years, and it felt good to share a day with the two of them. I think the last time we shot together was in Nashua, N.H., back in the '90s and Bryan Hunt was in our group too. I believe I might've won that shoot. 

  

  

Fort Benning ASA Pro-Am

  After going to Foley, I figured I would be able to prepare more easily for Ft. Benning. Unfortunately, the snowstorm that hammered the Adirondacks in northern New York didn’t care much for my thoughts on that. When the snow settled, the digging out began, and I realized I would not be getting outside at all.  Therefore, I sucked it up and put in a lot of work behind the bow inside. I hoped that judging targets would be like riding a bike and come back to me once I got on the range. However, maybe I would also just get lucky and have two wrongs make a right throughout the entire round. After all, according to a few high-profile pros, 98% of the archers in unknown classes could never compete in known classes because they don’t shoot that well. It makes me laugh. I’m not sure how you can win any pro class, known or unknown, if you don’t have great shooting skills, but that conversation is for another day. Here's a photo of the snow the week before we headed to Ft. Benning.

                                                                        Practice Day

 

  Practice day went OK for all of us. However, I never felt like my shot was smooth or fluid. Instead, it felt choppy, and I couldn’t hold the bow well. I battled through it and did alright. Although we shot every range, there wasn’t too terribly much yardage on them. It didn’t build my confidence, but it didn’t put a dent in it either. 

Dad and I joke with Jeff while waiting to shoot a target,

and Jeff sets his sight for the shot

  It was a great day, and we never could’ve asked for better weather. There was a bluebird sky and planes from the nearby base were overhead the entire day, as they were doing training exercises. Later, I found out that my Uncle Claude, Dad’s brother, was stationed at Fort Benning before being shipped off to the Vietnam War. After he passed away, I got his military trench coat from my grandmother and still own it today. It will always be a part of our family. Life passes quickly and being on this base where my uncle once served reminded me that we should treasure every moment of our lives. I was 6 years old when my aunt, uncle and three cousins tragically passed in a house fire that never could’ve been predicted when we all laid our heads on our pillows that night. I often wonder what would’ve become of those family members if they had the opportunity to live longer lives. 

  Some of the planes dropped parachuters out of them, and it reminded me that freedom isn’t free. With the things going on in the world today, I’m glad people are willing to go into the military to defend our country. Without these people, things would be much different in the world as we all know it. 

                                                                      Day 1

 

  When we drove into the parking lot, it was pitch black. There were lights shining on the practice bags, and the range was open for anyone who wanted to shoot. The sky didn’t begin turning bright until about 7, so we wandered over and took some shots before heading to our ranges. 

  Jeff and Dad both shot at the far end of the parking lot, and once again, the ASA had the Masters Class, which comprises the oldest shooters in the event, walking the farthest of any class to get to their range. I’ll never understand why this type of thing happens. Everyone in the class is over 70 years old and many of them are approaching 80. C’mon guys! Look at what you’re doing when setting up ranges. There’s no reason these shooters couldn’t be put on the closest ranges to the practice butts or somewhere they could drive directly to the course. 

  Jacob and I walked down the road to our range and got there a few minutes before they allowed us to go onto the range. Starting on target 12, I basically walked from start to finish to get to my first target. Glancing at the targets along the way, the range looked like most normal ranges. There were some shots that would be tough and others that would be there for the taking. I usually don’t give it much time to make a gameplan, as that usually happens from target to target for me. 

  When we began, I was drawn as the last shooter. I felt good about it because I was starting on a wolf, and it was set between some trees. I wanted to be able to hear some arrows, so I could get a better idea about the distance. Although I was pretty sure with my number, I knew the sound of arrows could confirm my guess. There wasn’t much guessing, as the wolf looked as small as a coyote.

  Ray Young put a shot right near the 12, so I did my best to use his arrow and try to put mine in the area it needed to be. When I drew my bow, I felt loose and sloppy, but the bow held OK. I held longer than normal, but when the shot broke it hit barely above the 12… I was off to a good start. 

  After our practice round, Jacob, Jeff and I talked about different things. I realized that during practice, I shoot at every 12 and usually do OK with that strategy. I really don’t shoot many 8s, and my arrows find their way into the 12-ring regularly. I figured I would go with that strategy instead of picking and choosing like I usually do. 

  After four targets, I was up 4 and barely missed the two I shot 10s on. Although I wasn’t holding well or executing great shots, I was still getting the arrows near the 12 rings. After five targets, I found myself on the leaderboard. As the round progressed, I got back to +4 before barely missing targets 19 and 20 out the bottom. I’m pretty sure it was due to weak shots. If I had made better shots, I’m sure I would’ve centered them. Unfortunately, I leaked a little bit of pressure and barely missed them out the bottom. 

  When we turned the corner and stared down a bomb of a wolverine, there wasn’t much guessing involved. I knew I just had to make a good shot. Going last, I knew I would have good aiming points. After drawing, the bow only sat still for about two seconds. Then, the sight started to bobble and I watched it dip and start coming back up, but it fired before it got back up. Once again, I had lost some pressure and paid the price. Unfortunately, I knew the yardage of the targets and got a five on it. That is unacceptable if you want to be at the top of any class. 

 After doing that, I went on a streak of seven 10s before I felt comfortable shooting at 12s again. Then I called an upper on a close boar and smoked it, putting me at 3 down with a few targets left. That’s when the wheels fell off the bus. I drew on a black buck, and the pin settled nicely, but the shot didn’t fire. I had to let down and start over. On my second draw, I got impatient, and the pin started dancing. Instead of letting down and starting over, I made a bad shot and paid the price. I collected another 5 for my card. 

  Getting to the next stake, I saw a hyena between two trees. It wasn’t that difficult of a shot, and I knew I had a chance at it. I decided I would shoot at the 12 and hold my pin next to the black dot where the 12 was hidden. Although my hold was a little long, I executed a good shot but heard the arrow clank of something while in flight. Then, I saw the arrow had struck the target in the ass. Nobody in the group could figure out what the arrow had hit. Then, Shawn Greathouse shot after me. His arrow did the same thing as mine. Unlike my arrow, his ricocheted off the same tree that we had determined mine had hit and landed near the 10/12 connector.  

  Looking at it afterward, neither of us saw the tree in our sight picture, but we both skimmed it. It appeared that our vanes caught some bark and sent the arrows sideways. Shawn joked that if I had fletched my arrows with four vanes instead of three, we probably would have gotten the same result.

  I simply beat myself on this first day. My shots never felt good from the beginning. Although I avoided a lot of damage for the vast majority of the round and still gave myself a chance to be in the hunt on Day 2, everything got away from me at the end of the day. I felt good about grinding through the round and almost finishing it off with a much better score than my shooting should’ve earned. However, that all fell apart in the end. I know I’ve gotten out of jams in the past, but it just wasn’t meant to happen this time. 

 

                                                                                  Day 2

 

The start of the second day made me laugh out loud when I thought back to all the comments on social media about the IBO after certain things were encountered in the past. I’ve noticed that people love to harp on the IBO for all sorts of “bad” decisions made by the organization during tournaments. Well, I’m not sure what to say about what I experienced on Saturday morning, other than it was different than anything I’ve experienced in the past. My start time was scheduled for 7:30 a.m., and the practice range was lit up by lights being run by big generators. It reminded me of my days of playing baseball under the lights in high school. 

  After firing about a dozen arrows, Jacob and I made our way to our ranges, which were located a considerable distance down the road. When we arrived, it was still pitch black when we headed to the table to find our range assignments. Having left my phone in the truck because of the predicted heavy rain, Jacob shined his flashlight on the paper to find where I would be starting. Then, we split up went our separate ways.

  Making my way to target 9, I couldn’t see many of the targets during the beginning of my walk. It was simply too dark to make out any targets. However, when I arrived at my starting point, I saw that I would be shooting a brown bear. It stuck out because of its tan color, and it was in an open area. 

  My card was drawn first, so when the round began, I fired the first arrow of the day. I settled well and made a good shot. The arrow landed slightly above the 12. It’s always nice to start the day with a good shot, and I felt confident I could bounce back from the previous day. 

  As we picked our way through the course, I went back and forth with 12s an 8s, but I kept shooting at them. Once again, I barely missed a lot of them, and the 8s I shot were barely out the bottom. When the round finished, I was lucky enough to be the guy to hand the cards in. I finished with four 12s and four 8s while staying out of the 5 column. That allowed me to be the high finisher in my group and the high finisher is responsible for handing the cards in before leaving the range. Although I didn’t gain any ground, I also didn’t lose any with my 200. While there were a handful of guys ahead of me for the day, my score for the day landed in one of the top five spots. Unfortunately, I didn’t gain any ground from the previous day. I ended up finishing in 30^th place, a few spots below the middle of the class, which is my lowest finish in the Senior Pro division. I finished with a 387 for the weekend. I must now work to improve my weak areas as the season progresses.

                                                                    Looking Back on the Weekend

  My weekend came down to three shots that I didn’t make. If I had made those three shots, I would’ve been in the shootdown round. However, it’s tough to climb out of a hole created by shooting three fives in the first round. I need to do better about limiting the mistakes and staying out of the 5 column. Every ASA event I’ve shot in, I’ve been near the top on one of the two days. I’m beginning to feel like I’m inching closer to everything falling into place in one of these events. Although I’ve been in multiple IBO shoot-offs, I’m still searching for my first ASA shootdown appearance.

  What caused the issues at this event? Well, I could give you a host of answers, but it really came down to me failing in part of my process a few times. I’m not sure if it’s because this was only the second time since last August that I shot a 3D target, with Foley last month being the other time. It’s difficult to compete at the highest level in unknown 3D archery when you’re not able to be outside regularly – at least it is for me. The weather up here in northern New York has made it all but impossible to be fully prepared when heading south. Hopefully, the weather will gradually get better and allow us to get outside and get in some good practice by early May. 

  I’m still transitioning into the new bows and haven’t found the perfect setup quite yet. Although I keep getting closer, I’m still not there yet. I’m still learning what happens when I’m under a little pressure, and I’m learning what to expect. Amazingly, the bow I’ve been shooting, the Tempest E3D hits right down the middle when I’m nervous. I haven’t shot many arrows to the left or right in the first two ASA events. Most of my misses have gone out the bottom, and that’s because of the location of the lower 12. I’m happy with they way my equipment has performed, as it has performed better than the guy shooting it. 

  I’ve been doing a lot of practice with buttons lately, and I might end up going back in that direction before the end of the season. Things feel good with them right now. I just need to continue practicing and see how things play out. It has been five years since I’ve shot a button in a tournament. I honestly can’t believe it’s been that long, especially since I shot one in tournaments for 25 years prior to switching to a caliper.

  I’ve been following a little bit of the back and forth on social media between a well-known Known Pro shooter and some of the Unknown Pro shooters. It has been comical at times. I’ve judged yardage forever, and I enjoy that part of the game. That’s why I stay there. It has nothing to do with my ability to shoot a bow. I think I do alright in that arena. Whether you win in known or unknown at the highest level, you’re shooting skills must be on point. You will never win if you’re not a great shooter, not at that level.

  Before beginning my round on Friday morning, I spotted this on Ryan Jeffries’ stabilizer and got a good chuckle out of it. I like Ryan, and we won a team event back in the mid ‘90s when we won the Midwest Classic IBO Championship. Ryan is a good guy to follow on social media if you want to be inspired. I believe his page his Ryan Jeffries Archery. He’s a genuine good family guy and a guy who is easy to support. Give him a like and follow his adventures. 

  It also wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t mention Benny Barger and Joe Snowden of B3. They both went out of their way to let me try a few things that I wanted to try. Although I’m not affiliated with B3 in any way, I would highly recommend supporting the company due to the people associated with it. They are good people and would do anything to see others succeed. I’m glad they chose Jacob to represent their company. They are a good match for each other. Unfortunately, Jacob missed the shootdown last weekend by one point. Many of us know what it feels like to be the first guy on the outside. It really does suck, even though it’s still a great finish. I’m sure that will motivate him to keep it from happening again in the future. He had three close ones near the end that had to have a double look to call. If any of those had pulled a line, we would’ve all been able to cheer him on again. It’s proof that sometimes the breaks just don’t go our way.

  Hopefully, this snow begins to disappear, and I’ll be more prepared the next time I hit the road to shoot in a national event. Until then, shoot them in the middle.