How to Shoot Uphill With a Bow Without Sights
Shooting a bow uphill without the aid of any kind of sighting equipment (such as a peep sight) involves two different skills. The first is to have already mastered some kind of sight-less bow-shooting technique, such as the gap shooting technique. The second is to be able to modify this technique to correctly account for distances when shooting uphill. The gap shooting technique is one of the easiest forms of "instinctive" bow shooting to master, so that's the technique that will be covered in this article.
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Instructions
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Learning the Gap Shooting Technique
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Post the target at a known distance (for instance, 10 yards).
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Place an arrow on the bowstring and draw it back. One of the most important aspects of accurate archery is consistent pull length, so make sure you draw the arrow back to the same place (such as your chin or ear) every time.
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Adjust your aim so that there appears to be a 1-inch gap between the tip of the arrow and the center of your target. Release the arrow and note where it lands.
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Adjust the size of the gap as needed in order to consistently hit your target. Keep in mind that if you're shooting too high, you need to lower the tip of the arrow more in relation to the center of the target. If you're shooting too low, you need to raise it. Once the correct gap is established, you can adjust it as necessary for targets of varying ranges. For instance, a target placed at 20 yards would require a larger gap over the top of the target than a target placed at 10 yards. A target placed at 5 yards would require a larger gap under the target. Once you've mastered the gap shooting technique, you'll be able to use the correct gap for an estimated range.
Shooting Uphill
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Place the target on an uphill slope at a known range. Ten yards is again suggested as the distance.
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Estimate the lateral distance to the target (the distance to the target if the slope wasn't present). For instance, while the target might be located 30 feet away up a hill, the lateral distance to the target may only be 21 feet. The lateral distance to a target on a hill will always be less than the distance up the slope.
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Place an arrow on the string and aim at the target, using the lateral distance, rather than the actual distance, to determine the correct gap for the range.
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Tips & Warnings
Instinctive shooting techniques must be learned on a trial-and-error basis. Don't be discouraged if these techniques take you multiple attempts to master.
Always make sure that the area is clear of children, pets or bystanders before shooting your bow and arrow.
Make sure that there is a sufficient backstop behind the target to stop any stray shots.
References
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