How to Shoot a Howard Hill Longbow

Howard Hill is credited with taking over 2,000 animals, winning 196 consecutive archery competitions and being the first white man to kill an elephant with a bow. Traditional longbows produced by Howard Hill Archery are shot instinctively, without sights. Learning to shoot instinctively requires time and effort, but it allows the archer to shoot faster -- and often more accurately -- than archers who rely on sights.

Things You'll Need

  • Practice target
  • Hay bales
  • Archery glove
  • Archery armguard
  • Longbow
  • Practice arrows
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set up an archery target against a backstop, such as a hill or a pile of hay bales. Pace off 10 steps from the target.

    • 2

      Strap an armguard to the wrist of your brace arm; this is the arm of the hand used to hold the bow. Place an archery glove on your shooting hand to protect your wrist and fingers from the bowstring.

    • 3

      Place the front of an arrow in the arrow rest in the bow's sight window. Insert the arrow nock on the nocking point of the bowstring.

    • 4

      Wrap the top three fingers of your shooting hand around the bowstring. Place your index finger above of the nock, and your middle and third finger below the nock.

    • 5

      Hold the bow handle with a relaxed grip. Bring the bow to a full draw. Anchor the tip of your thumb to the corner of your mouth.

    • 6

      Focus on the center of the target without looking at the arrow. Release your grip on the bowstring in a full and fluid motion. Maintain the anchor point with your thumb.

    • 7

      Practice at 10 paces until you regularly hit the center of the target.

    • 8

      Move back from the target in two-step increments. Practice until you are proficient at the new range.