Archery

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Bushcraftsman

Native
Apr 12, 2008
1,368
5
Derbyshire
Hey everyone, I'm thinking of starting archery, obviously not properly just as a little play around thing....im thinking of buying an extremely cheap bow on ebay (this one is only 12 quid or something stupid like that) it doesn't have to be amazing and im going to make my own arrows etc.

What would you suggest I get...Can someone explain to me the draw weight etc as I dont know anything about archery

Thanks
 
It would be best to get your self down to your local archery club. I did a Field archery course over a weekend that was only about £30. The course will help you work out your draw length and give you a chance to try a few bows before deciding to buy something.

If you get a setup thats not right for you or the arrows are not matched to the bow you will get bored of missing pretty quickly.
 
I'll second that,
most clubs should do an introductory course that will save you lots in the future - and could save a lot of pain and suffering if something were to go wrong that you were not aware of.
You might also find someone that is selling a complete set of gear, ready matched and suitable for your needs at this point in time. Cheap gear might not be the way to enter into any sport.

ATB

Ogri the trog
 
Really, bows are fairly expensive bits of kit, and it's just about the same as with everything else in my experience - you get what you pay for!

I assume the age in your profile is accurate? I'm not really sure what you'd get out of a cheap bow. When I was about 7 years old I got my first bow, a fibreglass one for about £20 and a draw weight of about 15-20lbs IIRC. It was SO much fun, I had a blast with that bow and quite literally, if I wasn't in school, I would be running around on the beach, up hills and down rivers with that very bow. I still have it, lots of sentimental value (and a string that's probably full of more germs than your average hospital :p ) but it's no longer satisfying to shoot, except playing around. 40-50lbs suits better, now.

I would be very surprised if this bow had a greater draw weight, but if it says you may as well post it here, as it is an important factor.

The draw weight is the amount of force required, in pounds, to pull the string back to a certain draw length - usually 28". Basically, this means that if you hold a 30lb bow horizontally by the handle and hang weights on it, the string will be 28" from the handle when you put 30lbs worth of weight on the string. In other words, when you draw the string back to 28", two or three fingers will be holding 30lbs of weight. This, therefore, must depend very much on your physical ability. When I was shooting my little bow as a kid, I could shoot my best friend's mom's 30lb bow - but it was uncomfortable, I couldn't keep it up for long. In this sense, your average grown man may suit a 30lb bow to start, give or take 5lbs and work up to maybe 50 or 60 depending on their needs and what they want to use it for. Some people shoot bows upwards of 100lbs, though I can't fathom why myself, unless you're shooting at something the size of an army quite a distance away!

Also take draw length into account - this is the distance you will pull the string from the handle of the bow. For me that's about 32". Fibreglass bows are much more forgiving than wood bows for this, I think, but you can break a bow by pulling the string back too far so take it into account. I've seen numerous bows recently that had neither draw weight nor length advertised and it drives me nuts :banghead: The old rule of thumb is that you should pull the string back far enough to touch your chin and the tip of your nose (while I pull it back that far in practice, I don't let it touch my face, I have a lip piercing and that could go bad quick!)

I hope that answers a few questions. Ultimately, much will be learned from more knowledgable bow shooters, and from experience, but I hope that's helped a bit anyway. A nearby school would be a great start.

Pete
 
Be careful when drawing a cheap bow...guess who broke one last week at Lanark Festival:rolleyes:

I know the feeling! When we got our lockup we found a laminated target bow sitting in a bow bag in the corner :D I was thrilled, it was by a small scottish business as well. Strung it up, drew it back and bam, string shot halfway down the length of the arm, which quickly became "the arms" :( Shredded the string pretty good and scared the bejesus outta me! Upon inspection it looked like the fibreglass had worn away, allowing the string to catch on the wood and split it open.
 
A little warning, Bow hunting is against the law in the UK and a bow could be classed as an offensive weapon (if somebody wanted to make something of it), so don't shoot at anything live and get permission to be on whatever land you're going to shoot on.

This is the organisation I belong to http://www.gnas.org/, click on the little map for club listings.

If you're a member of Gnas (or Nfas) you are covered by their insurance should you accidently put an arrow in the wrong place

I'll second the idea of find a local club and get some basic coaching, you can learn more from a teacher in a day of two then you could from a book (or the net) in weeks.

You'll find it can be addictive, if the shooting doesn't hook you the gear will (theres a guy in my club who has 20-odd bows...good job his SOP also is an archer)
 
Definatly compound is the way to go:approve: Or is that just because I'm getting lazy in my old age.

Best way is as already stated and find a club to try a few out and get the corect size etc for you.
 

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