James Jean launched an arrow nearly straight into the sky, then fired a second arrow at the first, splitting it in half before it hit the ground.
As someone who loves traditional archery as well as modern equipment, I can appreciate the level of skill needed to hit tiny or moving targets with precision regardless of bow choice.
I remember attending a Byron Ferguson shooting exhibition when I was 12. Byron performed many amazing trick shots that day with traditional gear, and the one that sticks in my mind was when his assistant tossed an aspirin into the air from a distance of about 15 feet. Ferguson turned the airborne pill to dust with his first arrow. Amazing.
I’m also a fan of the Dude Perfect guys. In all honesty, however, I feel like I could pull off some of their trick shots if I made enough attempts. However, that is NOT TRUE for my new favorite archery trick shot artist, James Jean.
Online research reveals James Jean lives on a farm in Georgia, and he’s been loading videos to YouTube for 7 years. With only 2,260 YouTube subscribers, he’s virtually unknown when it comes to online exposure. Comparison FYI: Dude Perfect has nearly 42.6 million YouTube subscribers.
The video below was published by James Jean on May 13, 2019, and at the time of this writing it has just over 93,000 views. Even though these stats pale in comparison to Dude Perfect and other internet sensations, it’s only a matter of time before James Jean is recognized by more bowhunters and target archers as one of the best of the best.
James Jean Traditional Gear
Currently, James shoots a 45-pound-draw Hoyt GameMaster II recurve, which is now discontinued. James says he’ll be switching to 40-pound Damon Howatt recurve (by Martin Archery) because it will still be easy to draw behind his head and behind his back, and the slower arrow will enable him to lead moving targets a bit more, resulting in better slow-motion video.
As you’ll see below, James shoots arrows with Flu Flu fletching, standard fletching and at times bare shafts. James uses bare shafts when shooting around trees and barrels. He relies on Gold Tip Warriors (400 spine) and fletches his own arrows.
Best I can tell, there’s no trick photography in play during the production of this video. James Jean can flat out shoot.
Warning: Do not try these trick shots in your backyard or at your local archery range. Shooting arrows toward the clouds is dangerous.
