Me and my gf looking to get into archery, starting gear?

[BRO90X]

Im looking for 2 cheap, but good bows, idk what kind of arrows, and a target. Any good archers out there that know a lot about the sport that could link a few sites?



I live in the states.

[Twiddly]

Best way is probably the way I started, went to a local archery shop and check out all the bows that interested me until I found one I liked (Ended up with a Martin) was using it for target practice and hunting, 55# draw for me.

Just starting it would probably be best to get a slightly less # draw, perhaps 40 or so (Still legal to hunt deer with, if you are interested in that) and if not, 40 is a nice weight for target shooting.

Carbon arrows are generally considered the best right now, a bit pricey but they are very high quality. For a target, that depends on your situation, I live out in the woods so I can shoot at a "block" target with no backdrop (I never miss it, and even if I did..just open field behind)

Martin makes some good bows, that are still affordable, every bow I have gotten from them has been high quality and not had any problems. there are several other good brands though.


http://www.abbeyarchery.com.au/s/bows12


That is a good site for comparing different brands and such, but you really have to feel them to really know. Have fun with your new hobby, it is a great way to pass some time, and if you really like it, compete/hunt!

---------- Post added 2012-05-21 at 04:55 PM ----------

But a local specialized shop would probably be best, a small archery club shop or if there are none around, something like "Dicks" Or a "Cabela's" would have some high quality stuff as well.

[Bullettime]

As Twiddly said, Martin makes some great bows and at reasonable prices. Highly recommend their products.

[BRO90X]

Thanks for the feedback. Do you have any specific links to bows. And is 40 to much for a female archer?

[Deleted]

As someone who has been involved in Archery for over two years now, here are a few key points to start with and keep in mind.

1. Archery is expensive. Regardless of what you're shooting, you're going to break arrows, and the bows are not dead cheap. There are plenty of deals to be had, but as a Field Archer I can tell you that losing 3 arrows is common on a shoot, and a set of 9 good arrows can cost between £40 - £50.

2. It is vital to join a good club. The club you join will matter greatly, not just from a shooting / practice point of view, but from a social point of view. Having people who are supportive, kind and do a good shoot is as important as the sport itself.

3. Don't get wound up. It isn't as simple as Rifle shooting (which i've done for six years) for example, there is a lot more to take into consideration. This is one of the few sports i've encountered myself that requires a real self mastery and focus.

The first step will be to locate your nearest group and consider their capabilities. Following them around on a shoot and see what they're like, and how they tend to shoot. Once you're comfortable with a local group, look around for some fairly cheap second hand bows to start with.

The two best types for beginers are:

American Flat Bow (AFB) - Lightweight, one piece of shaped wood. Very easily strung and can come in a wide range of poundages. Typically the AFB is more "lightweight" in terms of power as you'll need to compensate more for its lack of stability due to its light materials, but they're a very nice bow to shoot and I prefer these. I didn't see your age in the post, but for a anyone 18+ I would recommend 35 to 40 + Pound AFB.

Recurve - 2 Limbs and the handle, typically heavier then the AFB but has a much more "straight shot" feel. The indent and the lack of curve needed in the shoot means most of the time you're more working with the power of the bow then the elevation. Recurve, because the way it is built, tends to pull and pack a lot more power and can feel more smooth to shoot. A 35 pound Recurve is similar to a 40 pound AFB.

---------- Post added 2012-05-21 at 11:05 PM ----------

Thanks for the feedback. Do you have any specific links to bows. And is 40 to much for a female archer?

Depends on the women, and how old. I know a women using a 55 pound longbow, which roughly pulls to the equivalent of a 65 pound AFB.

[BRO90X]

Depends on the women, and how old. I know a women using a 55 pound longbow, which roughly pulls to the equivalent of a 65 pound AFB.

18 years. Not too strong.

[Deleted]

18 years. Not too strong.

Are you planning on doing Field Archery (Shooting Targets in Woodland or Outside) or Target Archery (Shooting Targets inside at set ranges with clear shots)?

[BRO90X]

Are you planning on doing Field Archery (Shooting Targets in Woodland or Outside) or Target Archery (Shooting Targets inside at set ranges with clear shots)?

Outside. /chars

[Twiddly]

40 should really not be to much, even if she is not to strong. It may take some getting used to, as it is a different muscle group then most people use.

Monk Brewslee, not sure if you are from the US, but I have never heard of an AFB. We just call them compounds here, I am sure.

For beginners I would highly reccomend not getting a recurve or traditional bow, as learning on a compound is easier. Compounds tend to have quite a bit of "Let-off" at peak, draw, meaning once you are at peak draw you are only holding back 30% or so of the 40#. Compounds are much easier to shoot as well, I have had a lot of exp with both traditional and compounds, though I love both compounds are definetly better for beginners! (In my opinion)

[Tommy T]

Stack dexterity

[Rooflesstoofless]

Putting the arrow where you want it is a lot more important than pulling back on the most amount of weight you can stand. I've done traditional bowhunting for a number of years now (instinctive shooting with no sights and I only ground stalk...I don't use tree stands). I am a big guy who is broad in the shoulders (nearly a 31" draw) and I wont go any higher than 45lbs even tho I can shoot 80lbs. Why? Because you can effectively take whitetail deer, mule deer, and hogs (most common big-ish game in the US) with anything over 40lbs and shooting 100 arrows a day with a 45lb bow and perfect form is going to make me a better archer than shooting 30 arrows a day at 60+lbs and perfect form. If you don't plan to hunt I don't really see the point in going over 40lbs. Going higher than what you need to be effective is just macho BS that seems to persist in the archery world. Many of the target shooters I know with the flashy aluminum risers and huge stablizers sticking out the front shoot 30-40 pounds.

Arrows have more to do with having the correct spine for your draw weight than the material they are made of. I shoot both carbon arrows and cedar (wood) arrows and can get similar groupings with both. They are equal in accuracy and my shooting skill is the biggest deciding factor. The only difference I've found (aside from the cedar arrows looking old school) is that the wood arrows cost me less than half as much as my carbon arrows. An advantage of carbon is that as long as they are still in one piece they are reasonably straight while wood arrows will require you to straighten them every once in a while (which is easy to do). I can a dozen wood arrows for $64 (all within +/-10 grains) from FS Discount Archery. Their site needs an update, but they are a mom and pop online store and good people to deal with. They'll cut the arrows to whatever your drawn length so all you need to do is glue the field points on. I hunt with wood arrows only because they make less noise...but experiences may vary on this.

If you don't mind buying an import then I'd highly recommend the Samick Sage. This bow is wildly popular right now (and for good reason) and most places sell out of their stock within a few days of getting a shipment. You can buy limbs in different pound weights so you can move up or down in pull weights depending on what you want to do.

I suggest placing your order by phone for one of these to verify the stock levels. Twig Archery has the best package deal on this bow as they include a lot of the stuff you need to get started for the same price as most places sell for just the bow...but you can also get it from Lancaster Archery and 3Rivers Archery just to name a few. I can out shoot my $400 Fred Bear recurve with my $130 Samick Sage. I still can't decide if that pisses me off or not...

Edit: Oh yeah, you asked about a target too. Morrell Yellowjacket makes for a good indoor/outdoor target...shop around and you can get it shipped to your door for $60. I can hit the very edge of this target and have no pass-through. I've had mine for quite a while, don't even know how many arrows its taken...and its still in great shape. You can buy replacement covers for about $15 if yours gets too torn up. The stuff inside lasts a looooong time.

---------- Post added 2012-05-25 at 12:07 PM ----------

For beginners I would highly reccomend not getting a recurve or traditional bow, as learning on a compound is easier. Compounds tend to have quite a bit of "Let-off" at peak, draw, meaning once you are at peak draw you are only holding back 30% or so of the 40#. Compounds are much easier to shoot as well, I have had a lot of exp with both traditional and compounds, though I love both compounds are definetly better for beginners! (In my opinion)

I completely disagree with this...as would most archery clubs across the US. I have never once been to a club that made this recommendation to beginners. Compounds are great machines, but just because they have a letoff doesn't make them better for beginners. Compounds have to be tuned and set for specific draw distances and pretty much worthless if they either one is not done effectively...not exactly beginner friendly. Traditional bows are good to go as long as the brace height is correct and the limbs are straight.

[BRO90X]

Thank you a lot HBpapa. So how does a 40 pound for me 30 for my girlfriend sound? That samick sage is insanely affordable and have seen great reviews so far on it and same goes for the target.

As for the arrows, how long do they usually last for target shooting? I just want to get a half dozen for now.

Also, armguards and shooting gloves, is it needed and where can I find cheap good ones.

Quivers also.

[Lightwysh]

What a coincidence, I was just think about this today. I was thinking of picking up a English longbow but that sage looks pretty trick.

And recommendations on a good long bow around the 40-50# range and <$150 price tag?

[Twiddly]

Setting up/keeping up a compound bow may be harder, but actually learning to shoot one is much, much easier, unless you are a natural at traditional shooting. Which not many people are.

[cartmensfoe]

I've been looking at some new bows recently, as i've been doing archery for about a year and a half and can hit my target from a good distance almost every time. I don't consider myself a pro or anything, but i'm looking at a PSE Blackhawk. They go for about $250, so it would hopefully last for a while. What do you guys think, is it a good bow?

[Rooflesstoofless]

Thank you a lot HBpapa. So how does a 40 pound for me 30 for my girlfriend sound? That samick sage is insanely affordable and have seen great reviews so far on it and same goes for the target.

Yes, 40 for you and 30 for your girlfriend will probably work very well for any kind of target shooting you want to do.

As for the arrows, how long do they usually last for target shooting? I just want to get a half dozen for now.

I think my oldest set of arrows is about five-ish years now...I only use them for target practice anymore and have lost 2/3rds of them...but they are still in use.

Here is a video if you don't already know your draw length:

Just remember to get your arrows 3/4" to 1" longer than your draw length.

Also, armguards and shooting gloves, is it needed and where can I find cheap good ones.

Quivers also.

Armguard is needed...all its going to take is having your arm get slapped a few times from the bowstring and you'll wish you'd spent the money on one. Just get one of the inexpensive $9 ones from any online archery shop. They don't look as 'cool' as the leather ones...but they work just as well as long as they fit.

Gloves and tabs are there to save your fingers from getting chewed up the pull and release of the bowstring. Also, they help aid you in getting a smooth and consistent release of the string which is essential for good aim. So I would say they are essential as well. I would use a tab like the Calf Hair Tab from 3Rivers to start out with. I own a few gloves but still prefer the way a tab releases more uniformly...not to mention they are a lot cheaper.

Quivers are another personal preference. I use a hip quiver for stump shooting and at the range...but I know there are people who prefer the bow mounted quivers or the over-the-shoulder quivers just as much. If I'm doing a 3D shooting course I'll carry my arrows (no quiver) by hand since I'm only taking 3-4 arrows with me for the whole shoot. If you want to do a quiver for super cheap you might check youtube for some DIY videos.

Another essential is going to be bowstring wax. I wax my bowstring after every use. Its only a few bucks and will keep your bowstring from wearing out as fast.

[BRO90X]

Awesome thank you for all the help with this.

So let me just recap what Ill be ordering:

-Samick sage (reviews were very good and its very affordable)
-half dozen arrows
-arm guard
-shooting glove
-bowstring wax
-ill look up diy quivers
-yellowjacket target


Few more questions:
-Should I buy extra bow strings or do they last a while?
-Is it difficult to string a bow or would just watching a how to video on youtube suffice?
-Any tips?

[Nab]

I always wanted to learn archery, seems so fun.

[Ulgrim]

http://www.huntersfriend.com/bowselection.htm
Has a lot of the basic information you need to get started, including a chart on what type of bow would be best for your frame/weight.

[NoRest4Wicked]

Your decision hasn't been influenced by the recent movie Hunger Games, has it?