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Off-Topic Archery resources

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I recently had my fathers old recurve bow restrung and checked out. I want to get into archery and eventually hunting with it. What are some of the best websites and or books on learning about recurve bows?
 
3RiversArchery is a good site for traditional recurves and longbows especially if you’re into building and tuning your own equipment. Lots of “How to” books, DVD’s, and over 150 free videos. I’ve only got 2 books. One is Become the Arrow by Byron Ferguson and the other is Shooting the Stickbow “a practical approach to classical archery”. Both are loaded with lots of good info. Byron is the best shot I’ve ever seen with a longbow. He used to be a regular on a tv show called “Impossible Shots” and could do things with a traditional bow that you would have to see to believe. Good luck on your new adventure....it’s a great hobby and a good outlet for your strength training. I don’t know what the draw weight on your bow is but drawing even a 40 or 50lb bow is a lot harder than it looks.
 
Thank you.
It's an old Browning wasp with a 45lb draw.
 
Is it a natural or fiberglass?

There are a ton of useful sites on the web, I found by picking through a bunch I got more out of it than from any single source.

To some extent your form and such will be individual, so figuring out a way to get a bit of practice often pays off.

And definitely agree with @Hasbro, 40 is plenty if shooting often, a 50-55 lb is borderline unpleasant but also hits harder than the 40 when it comes to hunting deer (so I've been told - I only ever target shot with my bows).

I was heavy into it for a bit, but wound up moving and could no longer shoot on my property whenever I wanted.

I painted stripes on my riser that corresponded to a 6" circle. So whatever the estimated area on the target, I could line up the stripe that best fit and drop them in with a good bit of accuracy and not have to mount (and drill) for a pin set-up. This setup allowed me to get back approx 80yrds - much further than any ethical hunter would shoot from but great fun for target.

The paint is regular latex, so it scrapes right off with a plastic spoon if I want to restore it to factory condition.

Oh yeah, and get a fletching jig - if you wind up shooting often you'll be shedding feathers left and right.

Bowsights.jpg~original
 
Great hobby. I would consider using a draw weight you can very comfortably handle if you are just starting, so you can build muscle memory with good form. Also, a 35# bow shot accurately beats a 50# bow shot poorly. The challenge to me is not so much drawing the bow, but drawing and holding the bow arm very steady While shooting.

Some YouTube resources: John Schulz was videoed reviewing Howard Hill’s draw technique, which I think is a good starting point if you want to shoot instinctively. I use his “aiming” technique as well. Jeff kavanagh has a nice archery channel on YouTube.

If you are buying a cheaper bow for startup purposes, samek sage is a reasonable take down bow with adjustable limbs.
 
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Target shooting is a great hobby.

One of my best experiences ever was learning to use the traditional Korean reflex bow to hit targets at 145 meters with a 51 pound pull drawn from the thumb. Think Mongol style. Not on horseback unfortunately, but that tradition survives in Korean target shooting. 4 Reasons Korea Dominates in Archery

My 76 year old Korean teacher spoke archaicly and would always speak in metaphors. "Your bow hand is a mountain and your drawing hand is a feather." It was right out of the movies.


Wish I had the time, now. I only occasionally use the practice bow with a local campus club. Interestingly, after the stability of late medieval Korea, it became more of an art that a gentlemen would cultivate for mental focus, rather than a lower class weapon like the English longbow. Kings would practice it. I was able to visit the practice range of the former Korean King by invitation.

I think it would be a good vehicle for really mastering tension, relaxation, and modified breathing techniques from strongfirst. The timing of the release with breath and tension to relaxation is something to work on. Total tension in the bow hand. I am not sure.
 
I have never done archery, but I had a sword sensei who also practiced Kyudo (Japanese Archery). It looks very cool...
 
Target shooting is a great hobby.

One of my best experiences ever was learning to use the traditional Korean reflex bow to hit targets at 145 meters with a 51 pound pull drawn from the thumb. Think Mongol style. Not on horseback unfortunately, but that tradition survives in Korean target shooting. 4 Reasons Korea Dominates in Archery

My 76 year old Korean teacher spoke archaicly and would always speak in metaphors. "Your bow hand is a mountain and your drawing hand is a feather." It was right out of the movies.


Wish I had the time, now. I only occasionally use the practice bow with a local campus club. Interestingly, after the stability of late medieval Korea, it became more of an art that a gentlemen would cultivate for mental focus, rather than a lower class weapon like the English longbow. Kings would practice it. I was able to visit the practice range of the former Korean King by invitation.

I think it would be a good vehicle for really mastering tension, relaxation, and modified breathing techniques from strongfirst. The timing of the release with breath and tension to relaxation is something to work on. Total tension in the bow hand. I am not sure.



I tried to shoot with a thumb draw, not using a ring. I thought my thumb would be yanked off after a few shots. Stuck with a three finger draw after that.
 
I tried to shoot with a thumb draw, not using a ring. I thought my thumb would be yanked off after a few shots. Stuck with a three finger draw after that.

Koreans use a thumbring, traditionally bone, now plastic that covers the thumb.

This surface makes it easier to tolerate a heavy pull. You have to build up a callous with practice to make it comfortable. Similar to kettlebells in a way.

I could not pull my Korean 51 pound bow with my fingers only.
 
I would suggest going to a local archery shop and finding someone with experience in traditional archery.

You didn't mention having arrows and that will be a very important decision. Having the correct arrow weight and ensuring your bow is set up correctly will ensure proper arrow flight when you make the move to broad heads for hunting.

There is an archery forum called Archery Talk which has a section for traditional archery. You could get many questions answered there.
 
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