Archery

dnewma04

dnewma04

The Healer
This past summer, Liberty started taking archery and really seemed to enjoy it. We signed her up again in the fall and she's been getting progressively better. For her birthday, we bought her a Samick Polaris bow to use. It has replaceable limbs so she can grow with it for a few years, at least. Since lessons are almost over, I decided to get myself a bow and start shooting with her.

It's been many years since I've used a bow and when I did, it was a 70 lb Fred Bear compound bow from the mid 90s that a friend gave me. It took a long time to build up the strength to find any enjoyment with that bow, but this time around, I bought a take down recurve bow for something different and a little more challenging. It's only got 28 lb limbs, but at my near 33" draw length, it's closer to low to mid 30s. Lib and I have been going to a local indoor range and we've been having a blast. I'm pretty terrible, but I'm going without any sights at 20 yards. I'm generally within the blue at this point. The recurve is certainly a different experience but I've been enjoying it thoroughly. Now if I could only find arrows long enough for my monkey arms....

Any other archers on AK?
 
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Sounds like you're having a blast getting back into the sport and bonding at the same time, enjoy!

I'm long out of it now, kinda miss it some days. Sold most of our arrow building stuff after my dad passed. We used to do it all including cutting, fletching, and knocking our own shafts. I grew up in a family of archers, from the old school, the kind Fred knew. Still fondly remember these patches and decals from when i was just a wee lad.
fred_bear_archery_patch.jpg
 
I did it as a Boy Scouts through my time in the Navy. It was before all the fancy stuff and I had a simple fiberglass 25lb bow. I got quite good with it and shot competition at Scout Camp and later as an enlisted person at sub school got in with the officers who on weekends shot competively. Sadly, just at the end of sub school someone decided he wanted my gear more than I and it disappeared. As I was slated to go to The Naval Academy and at that time archery was not a recognized sport, I did not replace the set. I ended up competing with the 1911 and M1 there.
 
Took archery in college and really enjoyed it; I actually did pretty well and then I took the advanced archery class and compared to the others I was pretty bad.

I was consistently invited to go hunting however I didn't have the time (these other guys seemed to shoot 24 hrs a day).

Every once in a while I get delusions of grandeur and consider taking it up again but I've been too busy.

FUN activity... maybe I'll look into it again... Hmmmmmmm.
 
My son some years back when he was home from college on break. The field that was alfalfa back then is now an almond orchard.

bow-2.jpg
 
I've been searching for long enough arrows for a good two weeks and I've come to the conclusion that my only real option is to either go upmarket to carbon arrows or just live with stiffer arrows than my bow would require. I'm leaning towards just dealing with it as carbon arrows don't terribly interest me.

My bow is a Win & Win Axiom+ with Axiom+ 28 lb limbs. The 25" riser drops two pounds from the 28 lb limbs, so at 28" draw, I'm around 26#, but I'm drawing around 32-33" which adds anywhere from 1-2 lbs per inch. I suspect that at full draw, I'm near 32-34 lbs with arrows designed for 40-45 lb draws.

I'm doing my best to get comfortable with it, sans accessories, but I know that one day, I won't be able to contain myself and I'll end up with a 32" triple arm stabilizer, and some crazy sight. Oh and a lighter riser. And carbon limbs. and... and... and...

:)
 
I've been an avid archer and bowhunter for nearly 50 years. I have a range set up in my back yard for both field points and broadhead, as well as 2 permanent deer stands in the woods behind my house. I haven't been out this year, but will likely start next week as whitetail rut will be kicking off pretty soon.

A lot of people are unfamiliar with the power and accuracy of modern bows. With good gear that fits properly and is properly set up, 2-3" groups at 20-30 yards is easily achievable. I'm still shooting a Golden Eagle compound bow from the late '90's with Easton XX78 aluminum arrows and it still gets the job done.
 
During the lessons, Lib is probably shooting at 5 yards. I toyed around with 20 yards in the back yard for the first time and had 12" groupings... :D With some sights and more practice, I'm sure I'll get better. My shoulder isn't in the greatest shape, so I'll also get better as it gets stronger.

The shoulder is what is preventing me from using the old Fred Bear bow. It's not strong enough to draw it.
 
I have an old PSE Carrol Intruder I picked up at a yard sale a few years ago for 5 bucks. I enjoy shooting it, but I also have a bum shoulder, so it doesn't get used as much as I would like.

We finally moved to a place with enough room for a range and my daughter gets out more than I do. We picked her up an Alpine Micro. What a nice bow that is. It goes from 20 lbs. all the way up to 65 lbs. with a wide draw length adjustment.

It is such a nice bow I have thought of getting myself one. Small compact and plenty of power for what I need.
 
Not active for several years but about 20 years ago I bought a beautiful recurve bow of about 80/85 pounds.
I ended up straining my arms and shoulders and could barely use them for a few weeks:D
Sadly it ended up getting broken when a nephew jammed the car seat back on it.
I still have a couple of compounds and even made 3 long bows.
I still have one and gave another to a friend for his 2 boys to use and one broke which was made from a different timber
I think that the timber I used was American ash which I sourced off a cabinet maker.
Knocked a fox at about 40 yards with it
 
finnbow said:
A lot of people are unfamiliar with the power and accuracy of modern bows. With good gear that fits properly and is properly set up, 2-3" groups at 20-30 yards is easily achievable. I'm still shooting a Golden Eagle compound bow from the late '90's with Easton XX78 aluminum arrows and it still gets the job done.
Click to expand...

I had my eyes opened pretty wide a couple of years ago whe I sold late 80's/early 90's bow and bought a second hand 2012 Diamond Outlaw.

70lb draw, 80% letoff, fiber 5 pin sights, and boy-howdy does it sling the arrows. I had to go to 1 arrow per bulls-eye at 20 yards, because I was losing/damaging fletchings, nocks, and arrows at an alaming rate. At 20 yards, even a casual shooter can stack the arrows with enough regularity to make it an expensive proposition.

The archery equipment technology leap in the last 10-20 years has been phenomenal.
 
At around 10 yards this past week, I was keeping things within 3" without a sight. At 20 yards, in bad lighting, I was generally scoring on a 5 spot target and keeping things within about 6". I need to sell some things and get a sight and to begin with, I'll probably build a stabilizer. But at the same time, I feel compelled to see how good I can get without the fancy tools. :)
 


Decided to make a wrist sling a few minutes ago...

Bad lighting but the red and black matches the bow. I'm about to make one for Liberty. She requested all black...of course.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Shooting a traditional bow is a whole different game than a compound. Having no let off, gotta be ready to shoot when you draw. I used to shoot a 40# recurve, never was any good with it. I'd say you're shooting pretty good with 6" groups at 20, all kill shots on a deer.

I was better with a compound, last one I had was the original PSE FireFlite, Easton 2216 aluminum arrows. Haven't shot since that bow blew up a cable in my face at full draw. I'd like to get a new Mathews and try some bowhunting this year.
 
I added a site and finger tabs, which changed my anchor point, as well. I was pretty bad tonight. :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I have a recurve in my garage that I haven't shot in years. Also have a couple of Osage Orange staves waiting on shaping if I can find my draw knife and put an edge on it. This thread is getting me thinking of shooting again.
 
Falstaff said:
I have a recurve in my garage that I haven't shot in years. Also have a couple of Osage Orange staves waiting on shaping if I can find my draw knife and put an edge on it. This thread is getting me thinking of shooting again.
Click to expand...

I live in Australia and about 10 years ago I got the bug to make a bow.
After reading all about it I went looking for an appropriate timber for a long bow.
I scoured as many timber sources as possible.
I was in a town called Myrtleford in Victoria at a hardware store when a guy asked if he could help.(not expecting any:no:)
I explained what I was after.
He then tells me that there is Osage orange growing along the road between Myrtleford and Wangaratta.
He tells me that it was sometimes planted on old farm stations in the 1800's because of it's many uses back then.
On one side of the road the farmer had recently cut all his down stabbed it and sold it but on the other there are/ were many large trees.
I never used it but may cut some next time I'm passing through
 
Oh man. I lost interest in archery during my parents divorce. I used to have a candy Apple red Darton with a Sure Loc sight and scope,carbon fiber stabilizers and aluminum release. I never shot further than twenty yards on indoor ranges but I competed in a few competitions. Never had the patience to train my muscle memory as well as it needed to be. I miss it at times but I don't have the time now.
 
My interest springs from a long interest in bushcraft ( Keep it clean! Think Ray Mears, not Bear Grylls).
 
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