using a bow for (victimless) sport.

[Badger74]

Thats because most archers I know will either spend hours making their own arrows or buy specially made for them, and so are very carefull not to waste them on shooting at road signs which could break them ;-)

 

[Laurentius]

I guess the reason why anyone is free to buy or own a bow is historical, and largely due to the fact as an offensive weapon it is cumbersome and obsolete, not the sort of thing you would use to hold up a bank or carry out a mass slaying.

I would guess why bow hunting is outlawed here is also to do with our strange traditions of hunting and inconsistent cruelty laws altogether. Since historically the sporting gun has taken over as a more efficient tool there has never been much practice and lobby for bow hunting, hunting with a crossbow excepted as something reserved for poachers who use one for stealth not sport.

 

[swagman]

I guess what im saying is there is more damage done in sociaty with guns than with bows.
Also if someone is shooting a moving target with a shotgun like a rabbit or phesant you canot guarantee a clean kill .

 

[_mark_]

Chav shooting is pest control.

I have often thought that they would make a good substitute for hares or foxes...

One Burberry clad "yoof" and say two deer hounds in a wide field.

Chav coursing?

I was once practicing my draw in the kitchen and my arrow passed through the clicker/draw check and purely through habit I loosed and the arrow went straight through a double glazed window and still had enough force to embed in a tree! Very unintentional and very dangerous!

 

[Adze]

Chav coursing?

Anyone who has ever owned a dog, working or pet, wouldn't wish to subject their dog to that foul taste I'm sure.

I was once practicing my draw in the kitchen and my arrow passed through the clicker/draw check and purely through habit I loosed and the arrow went straight through a double glazed window and still had enough force to embed in a tree! Very unintentional and very dangerous!

A neighbour of mine, way back when, bought an enormous compound bow from a second hand shop along with some arrows. After a bit of mucking about with it, they fired one of the arrows down their, not inconsiderable, back garden... straight through a corrugated iron fence panel and a good 2/3rds of the width of the school playing field behind. It was a good job it was Saturday... could still have bagged a passing dog walker, or their dog, I suppose.

 

[telwebb]

I've seen dog walkers walk along behind the targets at a national tournament - it can only be natural selection at work.

 

[Nonsuch]

Yep in my limited experience there is a tendency to be snotty toward "primitive archers" or anyone who sees archery as anything than a competitive team sport. Some time ago I belonged to a University archery club, it was not my first experience of archery so I did not need to be taught how to shoot. I got ****** off by the ethos of the club eventually, the fact that there was a coach telling you the proper way to shoot, discouraging the use of any natural or traditional technique. The hi tech bow was god, and anyone who brought a long bow or recurve bow was regarded disparagingly. I had enough of it and quit, it's put me off the "sport" forever as I don't think I could find a friendly place to simply shoot a bow (let alone for what I consider a "real bow" and that is not some techie wonder) for the sheer enjoyment of the experience alone. Alas I don't have a garden or private land to practice on.

In my experience, it's not modern recurve vs longbow that is the issue, it's target vs field. Have you tried joining a Field Archery club ? They might be more up your street and are much more easy going, while still being pretty tight on safety (you usually have to do a beginner's course or be assessed by the secretary - which means a quick shoot around the course with him/her).

For one thing you can wear any colour trousers you like in Field...

It's not clear where you are but there are loads of good Field Archery clubs throughout England, and a few good ones in Scotland
A good 3D field archery course is just amazing fun.

NS

 

[telwebb]

You can wear what colours you like in target too, but in some competitions - particularly record-status - the organisers will ask for 'approved' colours or whatever your club has chosen to register....and this is not the target archers being snotty - the majority would like to see the back of this particular bit of nonsense.