Managing focus

[starbuxs]

So I am having a bit of trouble (I am beast mastery) determining what to do between casts of kill command during times where I am not effected by any skill buffs (dire beast, bestial wrath..). In order to not waste a gcd while maintaining a decent amount of focus what I am currently doing between kill command casts is casting two cobra shots followed by one arcane shot. Is this a pretty typical rotation or is there a more optimal way I could be using my skills?

Obviously with more haste I could see my rotation changing a bit with the increased haste especially since currently with my gear level I am going going a more crit heavy build instead of haste.

Since I cannot post links yet here are my stats:
ilevel 567
haste: 29.26%
Crit: 38.24%
Mastery: 31.42%

Character: Starbuxs
Realm: US Dawnbringer

[Azortharion]

There is no more "optimal" way than others, just don't cap focus.

It can be argued that staying at fairly high focus is a good idea, because then when TED procs, you can dump Arcane Shots into the high stacks for some more damage.

[Jantof]

The first and best thing you can do is get the idea of a "rotation" out of your head. Hunters (and all classes, really) use a priority system, where you always use the top damage ability that is off cooldown. As a very, very loose rule of thumb, you want to try to hover around 50-60 focus at all times, so that you're ready to go as soon as Kill Command comes off cooldown. More than 60, cast Arcane Shot. Less than 50, cast Cobra Shot. That is an overly simplistic explanation, check out the Hunter F.A.Q. thread on these forums, or the hunter page on icy-veins.com for a more complete explanation.

[starbuxs]

Your explanations make sense and rotation was the wrong word to use (I did know there was a priority system) it just that often times between kill commands my shots feel a bit less than optimal. I like the idea of keeping my focus high - 80. For when my trinkets proc (don't yet have TED). Part of the problem is that I just switched from Survival which is much easier to manage focus especial with TotH (I can really go pretty crazy with arcane shots between explosive shots hardly ever having to hit cobra shot) while Beast Mastery is much more reliant on Corbra Shot for focus management.

[eschatological]

Mmm, 80 is a bit high even for me. You have to keep in mind, Invigoration for BM will give you random spurts of 20 focus. If you're at 80 and you cobra shot, and in the middle of it you Invigorate, gg you capped focus. Optimal for me is around 60. If I think TED is going to proc soon (via ExtraCD) I might play higher. End the fight at 0 focus, and you win.

[Valkaneer]

Your forgetting about Glaive Toss, Rapid Fire and Focus Fire. It is rare that one of these thing are not being used or need to be used.