Any archers here?

[ROON]

So I've been wanting to start archery for years and years now. I tried it about six years ago on a school camp, and loved it. I'm thinking of joining a club and doing a training course (equipment supplied), and if I still enjoy it I might turn it into a hobby and get myself a nice bow.

So anyone here into it? Feel free to post pictures of your bows.

[dinghy]

in 35 pounds (yeah I know, time to man up). It's not expensive or have many features, but it's still a nice bow.

I don't do it regularly, no time. But it's still very satisfying to hit a bullseye every once in a while.

[FL Knifemaker]

I just don't understand why someone would feel the need to arm oneself with such a violent weapon It's a sad day when our society has reached the point of carrying a bow and especially arrows.

[Blonde Bassist]

Originally Posted by FL Knifemaker

I just don't understand why someone would feel the need to arm oneself with such a violent weapon It's a sad day when our society has reached the point of carrying a bow and especially arrows.

tell me about it, in the UK it's illegal to hunt witha a bow, but it's legal to hunt with a rifle, much less violent weapon.

I've shot competatively for a number of years and absolutely love it. Except when its pissing down with rain all day, and you've got a full weekend of competition. I shoot recurve (the bow type below) which is also the Olympic bow type. There was some good shooting at the olympics this year so if there are videos still available online It would be worth checking out.

When you get into it, you'll be amazed at how relaxing it is, really good for breath control and calming yourself and stuff. Haven't got a picture of my bow, but I shoot a fairly old generation Hoyt Gold Medalist, which has been very good to me, it's wound up to about 36lbs atm, but having to wind it right down when I start shooting again because I've just had an operation on my shoulder.

it looks something like this, except in green and with a more subtle black sight.

[Rody]

I shoot a PSE Intrepid 28#70" carbon limbs and Beiter stabilizers. I haven't been to the range in far too long so i haven't been able to build up my strength.

Cheers rody

[Bard2dbone]

A friend who does the rennie fair thing keeps trying to turn me into an archery nut like him. We go and practice on hay bails with targets on them. I don't stink, exactly. But I'm only really marginally competent.

He let me try one of his longbows that is more for costume purposes than real use because the pull is too heavy. The good news is that, as a 312 lb man I have to be stronger than normal people and so therefore could actually draw that bow. The bad news is that I actually drew that bow. When I let the arrow fly the bowstring hit my left forearm with far more force than I was prepared for.

I had a little leather sleeve-thing (bracer?) on that protected my arm adequately while we were practicing with the lighter bow. We had been using lighter recurve bows that were probably thirty-ish pounds. The longbow was in the ninety or a hundred pound range. The (bracer?) protective sleeve-thing might as well have been kleenex for all the good it did that time.

I haven't done archery since then. That was late March, early April or so...of 2006.

[ElliotBass]

im level 27 archery

[Phalex]

I've owned a bow for the past 30 years. More than one in fact, but I aint no archer. I've never had any luck whatsoever trying to poke a deer with a sharp stick. I'm much better with the .44.

[Relic]

Originally Posted by FL Knifemaker

I just don't understand why someone would feel the need to arm oneself with such a violent weapon It's a sad day when our society has reached the point of carrying a bow and especially arrows.

Oh no, ya din't!!!

[playinpearls]

i have a 35lbs johnson longbow. My dad bought it for me when i lived back home. He is into all that medieval re-inactment stuff. I never really got into it, but i always enjoyed shooting in the little competitions. i'm ok with it i guess. I have a target in the back yard that i shoot at every once in a while. The thing about longbows is it teaches you to aim and fire really quick because you dont get a break in the pull like in compound or recurves. I draw aim and shoot in about 2 seconds.

i would have to say that i prefer shooting wooden arrows over aluminum. The aluminum ones are really heavy compared to wood. but you can't shoot wood from a compound bow cause it will shatter and all the little pieces will go straight into your arm. So dont try unless you have a longbow, or a recurve (i think)!

[spade2you]

I used to be into archery a long time ago. I still like it, but have had too much on my plate for shooting my rifles, handguns, shotguns, and bow.

[FL Knifemaker]

My Mom was a champion field archer in college. I have photos of her shooting a longbow wearing a white skirt and collared team shirt I grew up shooting and hunting with recurves, then moved on to compounds. I've hunted and shot 3D tournaments for years, right up until moving to Florida. I love the sport but I'm involved with other things these days.

[ROON]

So as far as I know, compound bows are for hunting because they are easy to shoot and quiet. Right? Why do most target shooters use recurve bows?

I wouldn't be doing any hunting whatsoever, I just think target archery is a fun sport.

[spade2you]

Originally Posted by ROON

So as far as I know, compound bows are for hunting because they are easy to shoot and quiet. Right? Why do most target shooters use recurve bows?

I wouldn't be doing any hunting whatsoever, I just think target archery is a fun sport.

I wouldn't say they're quiet like a recurve since most have a lot of power behind them.

Compound bows are more popular because you're only holding a fraction of the peak draw weight, which allows you to use peep sights and pins to sight in your target very accurately.

[Armueller2001]

Originally Posted by FL Knifemaker

I just don't understand why someone would feel the need to arm oneself with such a violent weapon It's a sad day when our society has reached the point of carrying a bow and especially arrows.

Yeah dude, bows and arrows were designed to kill people!

[spade2you]

Originally Posted by Armueller2001

Yeah dude, bows and arrows were designed to kill people!

I don't believe people should have bows or arrows.

[kesslari]

I don't believe people should have bows or arrows.

I agree. They should have bows AND arrows.

I shoot. Regularly and frequently. Took second place in the first 10 weeks of our field archery league shoot (ok, I'm done bragging now) but missed some shoots and failed to place in the second half.

I took a week this summer to volunteer to teach archery at a kids' summer camp. That was a hoot and a half. Brought my ABG with me, too...



Bow (50 lb, 60" static recurve) by John Fazio. Bubinga and Osage Orange riser, Maple and glass limbs. Shoots like a dream. It's the Tobias of recurve bows...

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by ROON

So as far as I know, compound bows are for hunting because they are easy to shoot and quiet. Right? Why do most target shooters use recurve bows?

I wouldn't be doing any hunting whatsoever, I just think target archery is a fun sport.

It all depends on the type of competition you're shooting and what type of achery you prefer. Sometimes you see traditional bows shooting against compounds in 3D matches but not very often. Compound bows shoot the arrows at a higher velocity than traditional bows of the same draw weight. This allows the shooter a wider range of error in judging distance. In archery this is a major advantage when shooting targets at an unknown range. In adition to the faster arrow speeds the cams on a compound bow provide a mechanical advantage which allows the shooter to easily hold at full draw and aim using sights. There are great traditional archers than can compete with compounds but it's tough to beat the hair splitting accuracy of a compound bow.

[kesslari]

There are great traditional archers than can compete with compounds but it's tough to beat the hair splitting accuracy of a compound bow.

Compounds are easier to shoot more accurately, for the reasons FL Knifemaker described.
You have to work harder to develop skill on a recurve or longbow.
Some of us like having less technology and having to develop more skill in some aspects of our lives...

[peterbright]