To cant or not to cant

JimN · To cant or not to cant

that is the question.

What is the consensus on canting a traditional bow? When I first started with my AFB I held it vertically, probably as that it was I did with the recurve I started with, but after reading around I found some people recommended canting.

I tried it and, whilst it was definitely awkward at first but I soon found my shooting improving. One of the reasons put against canting is that it is more difficult to replicate a consistent bow angle than when the bow is vertical, but I am able to use the side of my arrow shelf to ensure (more or less) a standard angle. I also find canting the bow easier on my bow wrist but is probably more awkward on my string wrist to ensure I'm not twisting the string.

So basically I like to cant (and I think it looks good

) but I'm not sure if it's actually helping. Also this is with an AFB but I hope to go to a ELB sometime this year so whether I still be able to cant with that I don't know.

The reason I ask now is that I read the other day (admittedly it was on a re-enactment site so what do they know

) that the only people that cant are the one's who are unable to keep their arrows on their bows without canting.

segolden

Well, Jim, with me it's more a matter of necessity than choice, depending upon what bow I'm shooting. My recurve is set up with an arrow rest and an SRS sight. I wear glasses, fairly wide ones at that, so a split-finger hold is out, and my holding point for this bow is along my jaw line with a kisser button/three-under. All that pretty much precludes any cant.

With my ELB and AFB's, different story. No sights, just arrow shelves or nothing at all, but the glasses again leave out the split-finger, as I cannot line up the arrow shaft properly. With a high holding point at the corner of my mouth and a cant, I can accomplish this "sight-picture" fairly consistently, however. Without a cant, I end up sighting alongside the shaft, very weird and heaven knows where it winds up on the target. If I ever get back to shooting again, it's all going to seem very odd trying to put everything together.

Berniethebolt

ok got to ask what is canting??

JimN

Liam

[cockney accent] That's quite a cant there...............[/cockney accent]

Sorry couldn't resist

Back to the question, I have no personal experience of canting, but have often wondered what its all about and so have asked several 'canters' and to be honest I have never received a difinative answer, answers vary from, "it's comfortable", "it looks good", "I saw someone else doing it" to "just beacause"

I conclude its a personal preferance thing

Sorry I didnt help at all

Onewackybow

I was wondering about this as I've seen a number of pictures here and elsewhere showing people canting.

I assumed in some cases as they were leaning forward the cant was essential to stop the bow touching the ground...

I'm sure (hopeful) that one of out more esteemed longbow specialists will be able to solve this mystery.

Berniethebolt

Thanks for clearing that up Jim, there is a guy who shoots like that at our field shoots and he shoots very quick he would have 3 arrows shot in about 30 sec and it seems to work for him. He calls it shooting the Tradtional way.

I voted for whatever feels right for you its the same when our coach tried to get me to wear a tab or glove for shooting barebow I just can't do it so I use brown soft tape over my fingers and thats what works for me

Bernie

P.S I see they got the best side of the dashing young chap

Chedawan

As some of you probably know, I have just started shooting a traditional (almost primative) flatbow. It's a Keith Gascoigne Cobra, which is based on the Sudbury bow, and as such is a flatbow with no arrow shelf, so it behaves like a flatbow, but has to be shot like a longbow, and I've found that due to the shape of the bow, and that of my left hand, it is practically impossible for me to shoot the bow vertically without the arrow practically leaping from my hand at full draw. So I would say that I have to cant more as a necessity than to look good (which admittedly it does... but that may be more to do with Errol Flynn than anything else) or any other reason.

zetabow

An extreme cant just doesn't work, never met a top Trad archer that cants their bow excessively.

It does work is some special situations where close range quick shooting is required but most of the time my bow is upright with a 10 degree cant, this is the natural position of the hand for corner of the mouth anchor and when you hold an outstretched arm, it's comfortable and easy to repeat.

segolden

I have a sneaking hunch this is behind the radical shortening of hunting compound bows. Though it is possible with some designs, you just cannot normally cant most compounds in field situations that might require it, so the only alternative is an ultrashort bow. I suppose, Zetabow, that the ranges and contests you've been in don't really use such problems very often? I've rarely seen awkward positions of targets/shooting points on ranges out here, as they get too many complaints from the participants over it. Not trying to hijack the thread, just an observation.

zetabow

Segolden agree most of the IFAA tourneys are pretty clear shooting, even the IFAA 3D's are reasonable, NFAS can have the odd tricky shot when the peg is behind a big tree and it's always good to be as flexible as you can in aiming and shooting style to deal with anything that the course builder can throw at you.

I would say 90% of my shots are shot pretty much in the standard upright stance with slight cant of the bow, I train for and can deal with most awkward shooting situations when they arise.

M Hardman

I shoot my Turkishbow left handed, with no cant, canting would just make aiming past 20 degrees elevation difficult, and my fist would anchor in a strange way on my face.
However, I shoot my longbows right handed and I have found that I like drawing to my jawbone, and the only way to do that and not scrape ones face away on releasing is to slightly cant the bow.
One reason for canting the bow which I once heard was that it transfered some of the arrow wobbling from the archers paradox into vertical wobbling instead, which this archer seemed to think was easier to deal with than horizontal wobbling.

Joe(thebow)M

I cant. Not a lot, but I find when I cant that I do seem to shoot my longbow's much better.

nova2

I'm a firm believer in "classic" form when it comes to shooting a longbow and a recurve for that matter. Ford and Elmer put it all in writing and many folks have followed and done quite well. Canting has its application in dense foliage or when barriers prevent clearance, shooting from the belly or under trees come to mind.

My bow likes to be nearly straight up and down, but not quite square.

Bushy

I shoot longbow, barebow, and my osprey and cant all of them. The benefit with Barebow is that it gives you a slighter clearer picture not having the riser in the way I have always found this more comfortable and with longbow and osprey its natural but with a slight variation on the degree

bkupris

I'm no great shooter but I cant all my trad recurves and AFB's a wee bit. It seems natural and helps me to get the arrow nock under my eye where I like it

Eaglearcher

I cant my AFB, but not much. I cant it so that the cutout in the bow that creates the shelf, is vertical. It seems to help with my windage and i have a way of ensuring that its constant. In the many years that i shot Compound i never canted the bow and would never advise it for recurve shooters or anyone who shoots off an elevated rest.
Canting only seems to work for AFB Longbow and Primitives.
Unless of course....anyone out there knows different!

JimN

I come last

I shoot English Longbow style bows; Victorian Longbow style bows and Warbow style bows.

For these bows, canting is necessary, to stabilise the arrow when shooting.

Canting, with these bows, provides a "V", in which the arrow can sit, as it is being drawn and released.

With an American Flatbow style bow, which incorporates an arrow shelf, canting is not necessary, as the arrow shelf provides sufficient stability for the arrow (providing the arrow shelf is properly made).

So, I believe the answer to be that, when a bow has an arrow shelf or other arrow rest, canting is not needed, and, when a bow does not have an arrow shelf or other arrow rest, canting is needed. It is that simple.

I do not profess to be either an expert (a drip under pressure), or an authority, regarding archery, but the above is based on what I have learnt, from information from others who are more knowledgeable than me, and, from practice.

Perhaps, the best, and most applicable answer, is to seek the advice (and coaching), of a coach who is experienced/qualified as a coach in longbow archery using English Longbow style bows.

daohead

There are a few reasons to cant a longbow/flatbow when shooting...

First, if you are shooting a bow with a center-cut shelf, canting the bow moves the upper limb out of your line of site for aiming.

Second, if you are shooting using the instinctive method, canting the bow also causes you to cant your head so that when anchoring you don't twist the bowstring... the benefit of this is that it centers both of your eyes (dominant and subordinate) in line over the arrow shaft. When you shoot instinctively you shoot with both eyes open and focus intently on the target not looking at the arrow (tip or shaft). However, keeping the arrow under both eyes (and employing consist form and anchoring point) your only concern when loosing the arrow is controlling for windage (left-right) and elevation of the shot and is control by where your bow arm is pointing. Instinctive shooting is the method of teaching your brain how to shoot an arrow using the same method that your body uses to throw a ball. Two good books on the topic: Instinctive Archery Insights by Jay Kidwell and Become the Arrow by Byron Ferguson.