Need help plz

[Bigralphy]

Hi all,
I have been bowhunting for about 2 years now and I am having trouble with my bow. I used a closed grip last year which I found out is kinda wrong, even though I couuld group decent at 40 yards. This year I have been trying a new grip..(the grip I see every bow hunter using) and I am having troubles shooting straight. My shots at 20 yards are ok but back at 30 I am 3 inches left. I am also getting my forarm hit by the string alot now. It seems my bow tourques when I use the proper grip. I paper tuned my bow so thats fine. When I watch other guys shoot their bow recoils straight out and they never get hit with the string. I am using a cheaper bow, could that be the problem. It is a Champion Tomcat.
Sorry about the long post but I am getting very frustrated.

[jackal]

Well if you are shooting left it sounds like maybe you have too much of the heal of your hand on the bow try turning your hand out to the left if you are right handed or the opp if your a lefty. you should feel more pressure just below your thumbhope this helps and GOOD LUCK

[sniper]

What Jackal said was right on the money.

Also you might find that because of your new grip your bow simply shoots different.

When I'm sighting my bow I take a couple of shots at 5 yrds just to make sure the arrows going to hit the butt, but then I move farther out to about 40 or 50 yrds to check my left an right.

Just because you left and right is on at 20 yrds does not mean its good all the way out.

Hope that helps you out man, Good Shooting.

[Bigralphy]

Thanks guys. Just finished trying what you suggested Jackal and it is helping already. Just another question, should your pins appear directly over the arrow and in line with the string after you set em up at say 30 or 40 yards. Mine are a little left of the center of the arrow?

[jackal]

sounds like your pins are in the right place my pins are a little left to but i really wont worry about them some bows tune up diff

[swampdonkey]

My son-in-law was having the same problem with the bow string hitting his forearm while shooting, we changed his draw length from 30 to 29 and it helped the problem. It leaves an arch at the elbow so his arm is not stretched if you know what I mean ..... saved his forearm and string

not sure if this is the solution but it worked
Swampdonkey

[jaimie]

That was my 1st bow too! Being the new on the scene guy and a little nieve I let the sales guy steer me in his direction.I traded a brand new Mossberg mod.9200 semi-auto 12g ($600+)for a Champion Tomcat,which I thought was the greatest bow ever! Four bows later I'm now shooting a Mathews Legacy.I not saying you have a bad bow,It's quite capable of taking most if not all north american game,I just wish I knew more about bow's,did a little more research.Rather than allowing a "salesman" to tell me what I "needed" instead of what would suit me best with purchasing a new bow.I'm pretty sure the "salesmen" was trying to clear off the shelf of all his "old" stock to make room for the new.Am I sounding bitter? Just a little bit,I've met quite a few "Bow Shop" owners who will sell you what is best for "you",and if they can't do it they'll refer you to someone who can.As for your difficulties in your grip,I would say to stay with what your comfortable with,whichever one gives you a better group.Best of luck in your shooting!

[bcbowman]

I switched to a champion from a browning. that felt really weird too, and had to learn to hold my bow all over again. Bottom line is even if Champion is not at the top of the food chain a newer champ will still be a better bow than an older style browning one. Although I still think about that old bow, and know the guy who has it.!!!!!!

I found the champion grips were only about 70% the size of the one on my browning fusion. I learned to hold the bow more open handed for hunting and actually curl my bottom two fingers under my top two when target shooting. that grip is how I started with the longbow. It helped stabilize and all but eliminates the torque factor.

HTH , good luck eh!
Tim

[Bigralphy]

just like to say thanks to all who had advice for me. I am now killing grasshoppers at 20 yards.
Good luck to all this season.