Picked Up Border Comet Target Bow Today

[WildmanSC]

I went to The Archery Shop and picked up my Border Comet Target bow that I won on eBay. Below is a link to some pics of the bow:

http://community.webshots.com/album/291520321OOdvvT

I shot the bow a good bit. My first comments are:

1. I don't know if I will ever get used to the sight!

2. I don't know if I will ever get used to the rest and berger button!

3. I'm tempted to take the sight, rest and berger button off, install some sealskin on the shelf and limbskins on the yellowed white limbs and shoot it as a hunting bow!

The bow felt heavier to me than the 44#@28" advertised. But, it wasn't. It is a good shooting bow. After shooting it a good bit I finally got the hang of the rest and sight, to some extent. It will take lots of practice before I'm satisfied with my shooting with the bow.

I open to any suggestions you target shooters might have as to how to shoot a target bow with sights. Anchor point? Worry about the relative position of the string in my sight picture? Whatever?!!

Bill

[SubconsciousShooter]

Another one bit the dust...LOL :highfive:

Sorry, I couldn`t help but laugh when I see another Tradmaller goin target.

Really, nice bow you got there, Wildman

I`m a recent convert myself to target style so I really don`t know what I am doing either...LOL All I can say is that most target shooters who use sights do anchor underneath the chin. The string and sight pins most be lined up consistently shot for shot. It`s a lot like shooting a compound with sights...OOOPs did I say compound???

All I know is that it is hard as heck to switch back and forth from barebow and freestyle with sights. Its hard on the subconscious mind and muscle memory!

[Desert Archer]

Wildman,

Take the sights off, leave the eleveated rest and plunger on and shoot Barebow Recurve. Not only will you have a blast, you won't have any competition in shoots (LOL).

Seriously, congrats on the new (to you) bow. I have been playing with my Border XP-10 limbs for several days now. I've been impressed with their performance. Haven't put any arrows through a chornograph but it sure shoots flat. Hold seems about the same from 20 to 35 yards. My point on must be out around 50 yards and that is with my highest anchor.

Don't give up on that Comet yet. Get used to it and you may find you like it more and more as time goes by.

Dave

[Pinelander]

Very nice looking bow, Bill. :)

You're right, it is quite different shooting with a sight. If you feel the need to get rid of that T-bar sight, I would be more than happy to buy it for whatever you think it's worth... seriously. I've been searching eBay and ads, looking for a used one.

I can relate to your undecidedness to all the "techie" things on your Border. I nearly had to force myself to piddle-dink around with plunger settings, but it really does provide additional tuning capabilities that can't be matched by using shelf and side-plate striker. What may seem to be small adjustments, will provide unimagined precise arrow flight compared to being limited to tuning a shaft (length/point weight) to a shelf/riser setup. When it comes to using a sight, be careful... the abilty to punch paper out of the 5-ring is addicting.

I have no qualms using an aperture sight when hunting turkeys this spring. They are a much smaller target than deer, and the sight gives me full confidence that I can punch a gobbler at 20 yards if needed.

[Pinelander]

oops... forgot about the target shooting with sights part.

Easiest thing to do is use the anchor point you've been using, line up the pin on the bull, and let 'er rip!

Seriuosly though... when using sights you will find that now it's time to start refining the way you shoot. Using a sight pretty much takes the "aiming" part out of the equation. So now.... things like release, bow arm, and anchor consistency... are more open to scrutinization and truly show where work is needed. Use a bow sling on that target bow, don't "hold on to it" per say... keep a good bow arm and let the BOW do the follow-through for you, it was designed to work that way.

From personal experience I have found that you will NOT loose the ability to shoot "barebow" by practicing pin/target shooting... as long as you've been barebowing for a considerable amount of time. Kind of like riding a bicycle... it will always be there.

[WildmanSC]

Dave,

I hadn't thought much about a bow sling, but now I can. I had one in my hands yesterday in my "miscellaneous archery parts container" under by bed. Now I can pull it out and put it to use. I will have to get a bolt, or a stabilizer to hold it in place!! :)

I intend to keep shooting with it. I can see myself putting my limb socks on it and using it for hunting.

The one thing that is really causing me problems with the sight is the four "pins" that project from 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock in the aperature. I think I may break all of them off except 6 o'clock, or maybe break off the 3 and 9 o'clock. Any thoughts on that?

Thanks!

Bill

[WildmanSC]

One thing I noticed while I was shooting it was that if I dropped down with the aperature sight to the intended point of impact (POI), as I used to do with my compound sight pins, the shots tended to go about a foot low and to the left about 4 or 5". When I did a bit of a small "figure eight" around the POI, I was much more consistent in my shooting, as long as I got a good release.

One good thing about The Archery Shop is Budro has one target setup with blue markers in the ground every 10 yards out to 70 yards. I can practice with the bow and determine my pin locations for the various yardages. I shot out to 40 yards with my Horne Ridge Runner yesterday. I was shooting along with CarolinaBob/RJC. I shot fairly decently at the ranges of 30-40 yards. But I DO have a lot of practice to do!!

Bill

[Pinelander]

Wow! 70 yards indoors? must be nice... sounds like you guys are havin' some fun. :)

I like the aperture to have one pin rising up from the 6 o'clock postion or a true cross hair.
I recently obtained 3 different ones... 3/8", 1/2", and 5/8" to mess around with.

[WildmanSC]

Dave,

"...with blue markers in the ground every 10 yards out to 70 yards."

The tip-off to the location of the 70 yard range, outdoors, is the location of the blue markers. They are actually blue discs with a smaller aluminum label plate in the center.

Bill

[Pinelander]

hehe... guess I had something else on my mind. I was talking to a fella at work that went up to Wisconsin last weekend. There's a fella up there that has a taxidermy shop, bar & grill in the works, and a huge pole building (archery range) with dirt floor... they shoot 3-D's in there. :)

[WildmanSC]

Dave,

I know of some grocery stores sitting idle in my area that would make for a great shop, indoor 3-D and indoor field target, to 70 yards, range! I can iamgine the monthly lease on the facility though would be outrageous!! I guess an alternative would to buy some land and buy a building from the General, General Steel, that is!! :) :shooting:

Bill