Got my hands on a multi shot bow last weekend after seeing those cool archery videos online. Thought it would be easy – boy was I wrong. First mistake? Just grabbing the bow and yanking all three strings back like a caveman. The strings twisted together, arrows fell out, and the thing smacked my forearm purple. Hurt like hell.
Starting from complete zero
Next morning I actually read the instruction pamphlet (shocker!). Learned you gotta:
- Set your stance first – legs shoulder-width, body sideways
- Load arrows one by one keeping feathers untangled
- Use three fingertips under the nocks not over the strings
Did dry runs without arrows for an hour just practicing the draw motion. Felt ridiculous doing air archery in my backyard but helped big time.
First live shots disaster
Attached my kid’s playdough container to a hay bale as target. Drew back smooth like the instructions said… then heard this ugly THWACK sound. Two arrows buried in the hay, one veered sideways and impaled a poor garden gnome. Turns out:
- My grip was squeezing the bow handle too tight
- Didn’t anchor my hand consistently on my jawline
- Kept flinching at the click when releasing
Grinding through the suck
Practiced three hours daily for four days straight. Key fixes:
1. Taped a ruler to the bow handle so my thumb wouldn’t death-grip it.
2. Started closing my eyes during draw to feel the anchor point on my cheekbone.
3. Started exhaling slowly before release – sounds mystical but stopped my jerk reaction.
Game changer moment: Used bungee cords to hang plastic bottles at different heights. Focused entirely on breathing pattern instead of “aiming”. Suddenly all three arrows hit bottle zone consecutively. Felt like a movie archer for five glorious seconds.
Where I’m at now
After six days and countless failed shots:
– Can reliably hit human-sized target at 15 yards with 2/3 arrows
– Forearm bruises finally healing
– Garden gnome survivor still missing an ear
Biggest takeaway? Multi shot isn’t about firing fast – it’s about making every movement stupidly consistent. My release still goes wonky when I rush. Gonna drill slow-motion draws till it feels like brushing teeth.
