I shoot a longbow instinctive and do pretty good to 20 yards as well. Past 20 yards and it's a crap shoot. I'm left eye dominant, shooting right handed with both eyes open. Some of the trad guys I've shot around don't see how I do it.

I'm also left eye dominant but shoot my recurves instinctively (snap shoot) right handed, never look at the arrow, if u do u r aiming. Consistent form very important.and yes, just like throwing a baseball, you're not aiming but focused on the target and my effective range was that distance from the pitchers mound to hone plate.

I don't care how anyone shoots as long as they can hit the target. I wouldn't however tell someone not to look at the arrow because that would be aiming.What difference does it make as long as they can hit the target?

There's a bunch of BS that goes on at trad shoots about how a person shoots and if it's really trad archery.IMHO most of it boils down to some guys who can't shoot trying to tell someone who can that they aren't doing it right.

Personally,I don't think it should matter how a person shoots as long as they are using the same equipment. I've seen the trad police try to disqualify someone because they were gap shooting. I mean the guy was shooting the same equipment as the instinctive shooter and took no longer to make the shot but the instinctive guy wanted the gap shooter disqualified because he wasn't doing it right. What it amounted to really was that the gap shooter was a better shot than the instinctive guy and he was pissed because of it.

If instinctive shooting is really better let the targets decide.

As a side note the thread title is "Shooting a Compound Instinctively"[b][/b].

I understand what you are saying, though.

I don't care how anyone shoots as long as they can hit the target. I wouldn't however tell someone not to look at the arrow because that would be aiming.What difference does it make as long as they can hit the target?

There's a bunch of BS that goes on at trad shoots about how a person shoots and if it's really trad archery.IMHO most of it boils down to some guys who can't shoot trying to tell someone who can that they aren't doing it right.

Personally,I don't think it should matter how a person shoots as long as they are using the same equipment. I've seen the trad police try to disqualify someone because they were gap shooting. I mean the guy was shooting the same equipment as the instinctive shooter and took no longer to make the shot but the instinctive guy wanted the gap shooter disqualified because he wasn't doing it right. What it amounted to really was that the gap shooter was a better shot than the instinctive guy and he was pissed because of it.

If instinctive shooting is really better let the targets decide.

It isn't better or worse. It's just 2 different ways to shoot a trad bow. The point is, some people have practiced to shoot instinctively and do so very well while some haven't and need to stick to gap shooting. There is no right or wrong way.

In defense of the instinctive shooters, gap shooting is easier to learn. To him it was probably the equivalent of shooting against a compound shooter with sights at 35 yards. That doesn't mean there is anything wrong with gap shooting, it's just different and easier to learn. It's why most people gap shoot. I can do both and I'm accurate. I have hunted trad since I started hunting at age 12 and learned to shoot instinctive so I should be able to hit where I am looking.

If you can hit what your aiming for gap shooting, then gap shoot. If you can't keep a majority of your shots in the center on a target instinctive shooting, then you have no business hunting that way. Stick to gap shooting. People in the trad community are weird about it. You're always going to have someone who is more purist than you and I agree, it's annoying.

I honestly don't see any advantage or disadvantage in either. I shoot where I'm looking too. I also shoot those thrown in the air foam discs with a flu flu, but I also use my arrow as a reference. It's just an unconscious thing most times.

Lots of trad police around preaching about what's traditional and what ain't. Some have given me crap about shooting a metal riser ILF. Those same hypocrites don't think about the fact that their string is made from one of the most technologically advanced materials on earth.

But no, there isn't an advantage/disadvantage to either. It's just what you do better. If you are a better gap shooter, it's your advantage to shoot that way. If I was better at gap shooting, that's what I would do. I'm shooting without sights and a let off regardless and to me that's a skill to be proud of. Not digging on wheel bows in that last sentence.

Look up Rick Welch on YouTube. He shoots a recurve, but you get a lot of info on form and how to shoot instinctively.