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I don't know if there's already an archery thread or not (didn't see one in the hobbies forum, so I'll try here) but I'm wondering if anyone can tell me some things about archery as a hobby and recommendations for good adult-size starter bows that aren't ludicrously expensive. I see some nice recurve bows in pawn shops once in a while, but I have no idea how to check them for build quality or damage, or even how to distinguish a righty from a lefty. For reference, I am right handed, 6'0" and I'm not really interested in bow hunting, but rather just target practice for fun. I've only shot a bow a couple of times and really enjoyed the practice. What's a good place to start? Is it worth it to take lessons?
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Nov 6, 2016 00:55
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| # ? May 3, 2024 10:24 |
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I shoot a compound bow, so i can't give advice on recurve, but I know a bit about learning. I would recommend finding a place that rents equipment that you can get sized appropriately, or buying your own before starting. The reason I say this, is that the bows draw length and draw weight are going to be very specific to the user, and you don't want to practice with a bow that doesn't fit. I think lessons are a good idea if you don't know anyone who can spend a lot of time with you at the beginning. I'm mostly self taught, and it shows in my technique. I've managed to get some deer, and I'm decent at Target shooting, but I'm not great.
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Nov 7, 2016 02:02
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I shoot compounds, but I can say that lessons are worth it, or a lesson. Learning proper form from someone who knows their stuff is really helpful. You probably won't need more than one if you are familiar with shooting, but there are some technique issues that you should have down before you spend a lot of time practicing and learn it all wrong.
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Nov 8, 2016 07:31
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Related question: any issues with bringing bows+arrows into the States via an international airport? (Checked baggage, obviously) Any tips for getting them through customs (if there are any specific problems) and packing them to prevent baggage handlers from breaking them. Googling suggests that it should all be as easy as taking golf clubs, but it is good to check.
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Nov 8, 2016 13:11
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TFR has a thread, Toxophilia and You: A thread about bows (and arrows, too).
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Nov 9, 2016 06:26
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My 2 cents: I'm new to it as well as in this is my 2nd year. I shoot recurve only at this point, haven't tried a compound bow. I'm 6'4 and shoot a 62" bow with 40# draw weight. I was going to go lighter, but the person said that if I wanted to hunt with it then here 40# in the minimum draw you're allowed to use. I have no plans to hunt with it, but hey you never know. I bought a membership to a club which is pretty cheap $150 a year for the whole family, plus we have to put in 8 hours of labour a year. We go to the "end of year cleanup" and get our hours in. They have 2 x 3d ranges and a butt range. Heh heh. Butts. There's a bunch of other stuff you can buy as well (finger tab, arm guard, quiver, etc.) but I haven't bought any. Never took lessons, because honestly it isn't that hard. Just have fun with it.
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Nov 11, 2016 19:09
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I found out there's an archery shop pretty nearby to my house. Are there any brands that are just garbage and should be avoided? I assume anything Wal Mart sells of course.
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Nov 12, 2016 05:41
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I may get some eye rolls for this, but I think the Samick Sage and Martin Jaguar are two great starting take-down recurve bows. Both are cheap and durable as all hell. Someone dry fired my 40# limbs on my sage twice and they are still useable. They bought me a new set of 45# any way, so that pretty great. Edit: The SS and MJ bows aren't the be all end all for starters like some people think,they are just really well made for how cheap they are. As a starter kit if you get a recurve, you should at least get a t square, string wax, arm guard, a recurve bow stringer, and finger tab/glove. My sage's string wasn't waxed when I got it, which can cause some issues down the line. A t square will let you know if your string and nock positions are good, an arm guard is just great if you don't want an occasional welt on your arm, and finger tabs/a glove will prevent blisters on your fingers if you are shooting properly. The stringer isn't necessary, but can be healthier for your bow, and makes stringing /unstringing way easier. In my kit I also have a nock tool, spare nocks, a piece of leather for waxing my strings, a spare string, recoil dampener, and a quiver. It's all about how much you want to spend, really.
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Nov 12, 2016 07:44
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Amazon has a starter pack for the Samick Sage, is their other stuff decent quality enough to make it a good buy?
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Nov 12, 2016 09:03
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Heath posted:Amazon has a starter pack for the Samick Sage, is their other stuff decent quality enough to make it a good buy? I could only tell you about the bow for sure. For the arrows, it's best to get those in person I think since an archery shop will make sure they are cut to the right length, choose the right grain of arrow tip, and glue the insert in for you. If they do arrow set up on the site, they may ask for your arm length to make a guess at what your draw length will be. It's up to you. My arrows were the right length when I bought them, and I'm guessing that attaching tips and all that is included in the bow set up cost. Looking through it, nothing in that pack seems bad at all. If you choose the wrong size finger tab, they are super cheap so that isn't an issue. If you want them to do the string set up, you can, but a shop might do that for free. If you have the site do the bow set up, choose split finger. Most people find that easier than 3 under to shoot with, and it gives you better control over your arrow on the stand, especially if you don't have an elevated arrow rest. The elevated rest might be a good idea, since those tend to keep your arrows fletching in better shape. If it's a cheap plastic one, it'll wear out fairly quick. I prefer to buy things in person so I can see what I'm getting, but in my opinion that pack doesn't look bad. If I'm not too exhausted, I'll take some pictures of my recurve case and some of what I have when I get home. I think I paid close to 300 for all of my stuff, but a lot of that is my kickin' rad case. Like it was mentioned in the first few posts, I wouldn't actually go and buy a bow yet before you go to a shop and rent one to see what you like. See if they can let you use a bow you intend to buy, rather than a training bow. Training bows tend to get shot a ton, and are never tuned up so they feel really wonky and a lot of times un fun to shoot. Ask to try compounds and recurves to see what you like more. This is an SKB hybrid recurve case, about 70-80 dollars on Amazon, 110-140 elsewhere it seems.   Wax, an old string, arrow tips, nock tool, and nocks on the left. Usually a metal file also. T square on the right. Metal ones tend to be better , but all I could find at the shop was the plastic one.  The stabilizer is inside the quiver. You don't really need a stabilizer, but I like them for recoil dampening.  This is most of the stuff in the left of the case, minus the stringer. I made the arm guard out of some spare leather and medium density foam. 
The Repo Man fucked around with this message at 12:59 on Nov 12, 2016 |
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Nov 12, 2016 10:01
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So here's what's up, you've gotta choose between olympic recurve, compound and a billion traditional disciplines. Olympic recurve This is probably the biggest and most "respected" discipline, this is what olympic archers shoot (obviously) and you'll probably want to start here because entry level bows are pretty cheap and as you're just starting out there will be zero meaningful difference to your accuracy shooting a $150 fibreglass job and a $6,000 competition grade bow with all the fixings. You'll get a sight, and you'll learn form that you can take with you to recurve (which you shoot if you're a piece of poo poo) and traditional (bare-bow). Compound Compound bows are essentially one step removed from a gun and are designed to make sure your form matters as little as possible, going as far as having fancy rear end release mechanisms so that you can't even gently caress up your loose. Compound targets are also traditionally a lot smaller just because they're insanely accurate. These bows also cost a loving fortune and require tuning. Recurve archers look down on compound archers because they can't shoot for poo poo without a billion dollars worth of kit. Bare-bow/traditional This is where you go if you're a reenactor, history geek or bad-rear end. Bare-bow covers tons of traditional bow styles such as Korean horse bows, American flat bows and English longbows, the last of which will eat you alive when you have 40lb of string slamming into the inside of your arm and loving your poo poo up something awful. This is the least accurate style for obvious reasons but talented archers can do amazing things with it and it also serves better for non-range archery, for shooting on inclines and at various distances because you're forced to learn a lot more by feel than just setting and forgetting a sight on a recurve. Japanese Japanese archery is a silly thing, they use these enormous asymmetrical bows and you draw them well past your face and they'll take your ear off if you gently caress up. Don't shoot this, no one does, even champion archers of this discipline can't shoot as well as someone who's spent a month on a recurve. Do not be tempted by the giant stupid bows.
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Nov 17, 2016 17:32
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Cymbal Monkey posted:Japanese I believe the Japanese longbows were meant for taking down heavily armored targets from horseback. Whether that's more or less of a reason, I don't know. Anyway it's not that bad, but expect to spend like the first year or two just learning to draw the goddamn thing. After that you might get to shoot at a target like a foot away. Maybe. It's not at all practical, but it's good martial practice & exercise, if you're into that sort of thing. You will literally never use it in any meaningful form unless you're facing a samurai while riding horseback. In which case, you're far too cool of a guy/gal to be taking advice from me.
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Nov 17, 2016 21:13
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I shoot a compound, and a crossbow for hunting. Took classes to use the compound, and 80% of it was teaching me how to sight in the bow and set it up. It has a cheap poo poo red dot sight which is surprisingly accurate! I can easily bring down a deer even with a field point. The crossbow is much easier though I'd say it's more like shooting a .22 with no recoil than archery. With broadheads, it'll go right through a deer - you just have to be sensible and only shoot when you have a clean, clear shot. It's fun, and people here always hunt with rifles - but when I show them the deer I have got, and the bow, they like it. I always bring a few poo poo cheap arrows, and shoot right up so it lands in the lake - with the crossbow, they are always "Err, I never even saw it go?". Plus, the guy who taught me to shoot compound showed me how to make proper ARRRR I AM RAMBO exploding tips, using shotgun primers - no use on an animal, but great to shoot at trees. They don't work so well against Soviet Tanks though, which is why I must stop writing now - it is time for my daily torture session. Today the fingernails come out. Have fun!
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Nov 18, 2016 22:01
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Christ don't shoot deer with field points. I shoot a compound for hunting and also have a Mathews Genesis for the wife, but it's a riot and I shoot it a lot too. Come to TFR, we have a hunting thread for compound questions and a normal archery thread as well.
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Nov 19, 2016 00:36
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Fuckin Trump Riot posted:I believe the Japanese longbows were meant for taking down heavily armored targets from horseback. Whether that's more or less of a reason, I don't know. IIRC the longass asymmetrical thing results from two factors. First, they needed a long bow to get the range and power they wanted. Second, they wanted to shoot that long bow from horseback and the asymmetrical grip is much handier to use from horseback.
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Nov 19, 2016 12:49
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I've only ever seen photos of people using them on foot, so I never made that connection. So if you recommend starting with an Olympic recurve, is that something I could just go into an archery shop and ask for? I've only seen (I think) compounds and bare bows in most stores. Do most places have somewhere you can try it out?
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Nov 20, 2016 10:12
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Heath posted:I've only ever seen photos of people using them on foot, so I never made that connection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOHrElJtqIU You can also find information on Olympic Recurves on this guys videos. Edit: And really, you can just walk into an archery shop and say "I'm new to archery, can you give me some lessons?" They may ask you what you want to do, so tell them if it's target shooting or hunting, or whatever. Asking here isn't going to get you any where, so just go to a shop and tell them what you want to do. The Repo Man fucked around with this message at 11:37 on Nov 20, 2016 |
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Nov 20, 2016 11:33
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charliebravo77 posted:Christ don't shoot deer with field points. I wouldn't try it from any further away, because that results in a wounded deer, and me having to chase it down. I'd say I've probably taken 20 deer on my own land this season, just using field points. And none of them ran or needed tracked.
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Nov 20, 2016 17:42
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You can kill a deer with a .22 too but that doesn't make it a good idea. Not to mention it's likely illegal. Ex. IL regulations: quote:Broadheads must be used and may have Hunting already has a negative perception by a lot of people, don't go and make the problem worse by purposefully using potentially inadequate equipment. 15 feet or not a broadhead is simply more lethal than a field point. A box of three Muzzy fixed broadheads is $20 on Amazon. gently caress, if it's a money thing I'll buy you the things if you'll use them.
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Nov 21, 2016 14:01
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Heath posted:I've only ever seen photos of people using them on foot, so I never made that connection. As long as you've got a sight and none of that compound rubbish, that's a good place to start. And make sure your arrows are right for the bow poundage.
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Nov 22, 2016 13:15
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Heath posted:I've only ever seen photos of people using them on foot, so I never made that connection. Best thing you can do to start with is see if there's an archery group/club in your area you can join. If so, they'll probably have club kit you can shoot with to start off, to see if it's for you; and they'll have the expertise to help you through kit choices (and might have some second-hand stuff people are looking to get shot of on the cheap.) They'll also teach you how to shoot properly, and will probably have most of the tools needed to maintain and tune your kit, repair damaged arrows etc. A good shop should measure your draw and be able to walk you through buying your first bow, plus recommend arrows that will shoot well with it. (If you can spring for it, the SF Forged+ is a really nice riser that should do you for a good while.) However much you spend on your riser and limbs, don't be tempted to skimp when buying your sight though - a cheap one will irritate the hell out of you by rattling and coming loose. I think this one is thoroughly decent, but I don't know if it's sold in the US. If you're not specifically interested in hunting right now, I would recommend starting with a lighter poundage than 40 by the way. You can work up to that, but while you're nailing your technique something in the 24-28# range is going to be a lot more enjoyable and easier to learn with. See if the shop near you offers a limb exchange scheme - some places will charge a nominal fee in return for allowing you to trade up to higher poundage limbs for free as you develop (although its best if your first poundage increase comes from upgrading your string, not your limbs.) Finally, for Olympic recurve, once you're shooting reasonably good groups you should transition to shooting with a finger sling as soon as possible, before you get too set in your ways. It's easier if you don't have too much to unlearn first! A long rod (stabiliser) will be very helpful at this point as well. Oh, and in addition to the extras people have already mentioned, don't forget to think about a bow stand.
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Nov 22, 2016 17:16
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| # ? May 3, 2024 10:24 |
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charliebravo77 posted:You can kill a deer with a .22 too but that doesn't make it a good idea. Not to mention it's likely illegal. I have plenty of broadheads - but for a lot of the hunting I do, they simply aren't necessary. I have my own land and the deer are as tame as anything - they wander round the forest, oblivious to anything (no natural predators). So if I know I can get a good clean heart/lung shot, it makes less of a mess of the hide and the meat, and I'm on them in a second to bleed them with a good sharp knife. I doubt they even know what is going on. Field points are perfectly suited for the purpose I use them for, I only use broadheads for animals further away. And I prefer not to do that, because there is always the wind, deer moving, etc. to take into account, which risks a bad shot. And it is not illegal where I live - you can snare deer if you want, and come back the next day once the snare has cut them to the bone. I also sometimes use shotgun slugs for a really good animal - it makes a hell of a mess, and IS illegal, but I need to keep the population down. The horns are a bonus, the local taxidermist will either bring it back to bone and antlers, or stuff and mount them as a head. They fetch plenty on Ebay, as well - so I get the venison, I get some cash, and the saplings are more likely to survive in my orchard.
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Nov 23, 2016 19:57
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