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Archery for newbs
GoodOmens
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I find myself interested in learning archery (sport/target shooting, not hunting), and I don't really know where to begin. For reference sake, I'm 35, in good health but I don't work out so I'm not very strong, especially in the upper body; I figure that's going to limit my choice of bow, but hopefully the archery will help my strength as well.
I'm unsure about whether to look at a longbow, a recurve, or a compound. If I understand correctly, the compound bows are meant to take up some of the force of the bow to make it easier to draw, but it looks like they tend to be more expensive. I'd like to keep this on a reasonable budget, at least until I have an idea of whether I like it or not.
So, to any archers, I guess my questions are these:
1. What type of bow would you recommend, and if possible what manufacturer should I be looking at?
2. What accessories would you consider to be essential for a beginner?
3. Are there good online resources that you trust for information, advice, etc?
4. What advice would you give a beginner, other than "don't put your eye out"?
Thanks for any advice!
I'm unsure about whether to look at a longbow, a recurve, or a compound. If I understand correctly, the compound bows are meant to take up some of the force of the bow to make it easier to draw, but it looks like they tend to be more expensive. I'd like to keep this on a reasonable budget, at least until I have an idea of whether I like it or not.
So, to any archers, I guess my questions are these:
1. What type of bow would you recommend, and if possible what manufacturer should I be looking at?
2. What accessories would you consider to be essential for a beginner?
3. Are there good online resources that you trust for information, advice, etc?
4. What advice would you give a beginner, other than "don't put your eye out"?
Thanks for any advice!
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Don't buy anything just yet. I'd suggest finding an archery club in your area and finding out if they offer a beginner course or can recommend somewhere who does. Archery shops would also have this kind of info.
Try out the three types.
Then ask around about beginners bows in the style you like.
Me, I like compound bows. Specifically, this one in 60-70 pound draw weight. But $1000 is about quadruple what I am willing to spend on something I will get to use maybe once a year.
With the composite, it's only sorta true that it's easier to draw. You're drawing the full weight up until about halfway of the draw, then the weight drops off by around 1/3rd to half. This is one of the reasons most people have moved on to the composite, not because of the draw, but you're holding dramatically less weight when aiming, which can make you more stable and a better aim. Recurves might be a bit cheaper though until you get into the fancy competition bows, where some tournament types take them really seriously (like the olympic competitions still use recurve.)
My last few bits of advice are definitely try and fire a number of different bows first before you buy. Don't blindly order off of the internet. Many shops will tweak draw weight and length just for your body. Second, get a trigger release, it makes shooting much more enjoyable since you aren't killing your fingers by holding that weight. Lastly, if you find you have trouble holding still on target, try slowly moving the bow horizontally across the target and release when you get to the middle, this can help you keep your arms a bit steadier.
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Well yes, but Rhan9 spilled elitism all over it.
Use wooden arrows with a longbow for the 'right' feel? Compound bows aren't 'real' bows? "Recurves teach you actual archery skills, as you need to learn to judge the trajectories better than with a compound bow, as well as requiring you to master the release with your fingers instead of a trigger."
What? Just because a compound generally has a higher FPS, doesn't mean the arrow doesn't drop in flight... All the recurve bow shooters I know use a trigger, only one of the compound shooters uses one...
O.P.: Try everything out for yourself. Everybody has different opinions, thing is, only yours matters.
Also, I want to add a disclaimer that going over my posts now, I do come across as a bit of an elitist prick. That was not my intention, but it is a very common occurrence when I write quick, stream of thought type posts.
Apologies to any compound bow shooters, I meant only to describe the experience I've always had shooting them. The feel is quite different from what would be traditionally considered a bow. Mostly I meant to say that it was a fairly different type of archery, but put my foot to my mouth in a spectacular fashion. I really wasn't trying to denigrate the compound bows in any fashion, apart from saying that they are ridiculously expensive for any limited budget.
I will maintain my stance that the feel of shooting a longbow with wooden arrows versus a recurve with fibreglass or carbon fibre arrows versus a compound bow with metal or carbon fibre arrows can be radically different, with the biggest jump being the compound bow.