My solutions were to install an electric fence around the chicken coop and a locking bar on top of the dumpster. The downside was I had to replace three chickens and spend half a day picking up trash because I hadn't anticipated the problems or done anything to prevent them.
I share this story because it's a little like buying a traditional bow. You can avoid a lot of unnecessary problems by taking a few precautions and doing some research before jumping in. I've seen guys totally give up on shooting a recurve or longbow because their first experience was all negative.
The following precautions and suggestions will ensure your bow-buying experience is a positive one. For years I managed an archery shop in northern Colorado and, in my opinion, most traditional bowhunters make the mistake of shooting too much draw weight. I know quite a few experienced hunters who will never shoot very accurately because they are trying to shoot too much poundage.
Standing 6'2" and weighing pounds, I'm probably stronger than the average something guy. Yet I shoot only 54 pounds at my draw length. I can certainly draw more weight, but 54 pounds is a very comfortable weight for me.
I can pull it smoothly and easily and hold it at full draw for 10 seconds if I need to wait for a shot. I've killed five moose and 11 elk with my recurve at that draw weight, and it has always proven more than adequate.
I wouldn't hesitate to hunt elk with a pound bow if that is all I could draw comfortably. If you're used to shooting a compound bow, I advise that you start out with a traditional bow 15 pounds lighter than the peak weight of your compound.
For example, if you're comfortably shooting a pound compound, I would suggest a pound longbow or recurve at your draw. Most recurves or longbows have a weight listed on the riser or limbs. This poundage is measured at 28 inches. If you buy a manufactured bow listed as 55 pounds and draw it to 27 inches, you'll be pulling less than 55 pounds at your draw length. If you draw it over 28 inches, you'll be pulling more than 55 pounds. This weight gain and loss works for draw lengths from 25 to 31 inches.
Don't get me wrong -- some guys shoot heavy poundage just fine, but they are the exception. There's also a misconception you need more than a pound traditional bow to cleanly kill big game. I am pretty sure your form and accuracy will be affected negatively, making the correction of your flaws even harder to achieve.
Starting off with a longbow could be hard on your learning curve and even ruined your experience, therefore, your future in archery, which would be a shame. As you gain experience and increase your draw weight until you reached 30 lbs, you may, then, consider going for a 35 lbs longbow which is pretty much the lowest draw weight you can get. Any wooden longbow needs to be treated with proper maintenance and left unstrung to avoid permanent damage to the bow.
Proper maintenance constitutes of waxing the bow and the string periodically. Bow stringers usually don't come with the longbow, unless it is part of a package. It is highly recommended to getting one, although you may have seen people string their bow with their foot. The proper way to do it is with a bow stringer, this is good practice, so think of getting one. Your arm is standing near the trajectory of the bowstring which can be surprising when it slaps the arm, leaving small, or not so small, souvenirs you don't want to have such as shown in the picture below.
Wearing an armguard is good advice to avoid getting hit straight on the skin. One of two shots may not affect your bare fingers but doing hundreds of shots will. Wearing a glove or a tab is a good thing. I like the style of the glove but like the tab on hot days. What probably gives every beginner headaches! Selecting proper arrows for your first longbow is crucial. You will have to understand what is the arrow spine of your arrows to make the best selection possible according to your bow setup.
To understand the concept of the arrow spine, you may want to read the post What is the Arrow Spine? Do keep in mind that this article is essentially giving you an understanding of the arrow spine, manufacturer's charts must be used to determine yours properly according to your equipment, arrow length, draw weight and point weight. Will you be shooting with a cut-to-center longbow or not?
This will affect the spine. When aiming with a center-shot longbow, the arrow will be directly pointing the target.
If you are using an English Longbow, for example, the arrow will be pointing slightly off the target. Those two cases would require two different arrows with different spines. You can hardly shoot an arrow without ahead. You definitely want to get some field points so it can stick in a target. Field points come in a variety of weight, this will affect the spine of your arrows as mentioned above so make sure to choose the right weight and stick with it.
If you want to go for a hunt, you must be selecting proper broadheads for the type of game you want to be hunting. You may not want to take the same broadhead type for hunting a cottontail rabbit than you would for an elk. A quiver is not a necessity but definitely a plus. Something to hold your arrows, especially if you are on the move, is something I would consider. Aside from being handy, there are pretty nice models to choose from to look good with your trad equipment. Unless shooting in a bale of hay is your thing, It is great to have something to shoot on to measure your accuracy.
If you are not planning to go to an Archery Club, getting a target that won't prematurely damage your arrows would be a good investment. Retired Soldier desire to learn long bow for the very first time. Please advise. I am a lifetime archer and read this article since it popped up on my phone.
It is very informative and well written. A beginner can benefit greatly from reading this content. Hunting-Bow is Open for Business! Call us today: You may not even be able to achieve decent form to start with without struggling. And that would be a bad thing!
An additional 1. Why is this important? We humans are all different sizes, and so all have different draw lengths. With all these numbers and poundage values floating around on the subject, I know it can get very confusing. Let me try to lift all of this confusion quickly.
To find out what different draw weights are capable off, please read this guide on Draw Weight Capabilities. Below is a chart that will help you determine your starting draw weight limit, based on your own body weight and gender. All you have to do is choose the description in the left-hand column which best describes you, and to the right of that you will have a safe draw weight range that you can pick from.
Please remember that if you have never shot a bow before, you should always aim for the lower draw weight range in the chart below.
So the chart below is mostly suitable for beginners who have never shot a real recurve before, or who have very limited experience with this form of archery. If you plan on hunting game, keep in mind that you will need a recurve bow with a draw weight of 40 pounds minimum. Anything less than that will result in a lot of missed opportunities during a hunt, particularly so when you need to shoot an arrow from a distance of more than 15 yards which will often be the case.
Is it broken or am I? Turns out I could only get 10 shots in good form. Rather than buying new limbs i got an identical 30 bow and this i can shoot all day, so now I start by shooting the 30 until my eye is in and all the distances come naturally and then I shoot 12 hunting arrows with the 55 and then I switch back again for the remainder of the day.
For a beginner 24 is all you need, the length of the bow and your draw length are more important. Draw length is approx your arm span divided by 2.
My son tried bow shooting at camp this summer and really enjoyed it and asked me to get him a bow. The only problem is I know nothing about bow and arrows. He would use the bow just for target shooting. Also any recommendations on arrows would be appreciated. Hi Thomas, let me try to help. Can you tell me if your son prefers a takedown or a one-piece recurve bow? My son and I recently started up with archery again after a 10 year sabbatical.
We are enjoying it very much. Your articles have been extremely helpful. However, I have not been able to get the social links to work so that we can view the video. Please help. Hi I am looking at getting a take down bow I have done the odd indoor range shoot and I think it was a If I was to get a lower pound bow can I swap out the limbs to up the pound without buying a new bow?
Our grandson enjoyed archery this summer at scouting daycamp so my husband and I wanted to get a bow for him. He is 8 years old and of slight build and not tall. I believe he weights about 53 pounds. Does this mean he could not use a recurve bow at this time? Our son-in-law found a compound bow Tiger pound draw that would be easier for my grandson to draw. Also, our grandson is left handed, which may complicate a proper bow selection.
0コメント