Archery

[TER]

So Fuji, here's what I think you should do. Find a local club, let them know you are a newb and want to learn about archery. They will likely have beginner bows and arrows you can mess with. Start off with a recurve with minimal equipment on it. Just a bow with a simple sight is fine, but for my first four years I shot barebow, no sight, no stabilizers, nothing. But a simple sight gets you hitting the target a lot quicker. If they have some cheap compounds for newbs go ahead and play with them. The reason why I'm suggesting start with recurve is because it is a lot easier to learn recurve first then move to compound than it is to start with compound and move to recurve. And recurve is way cooler.

Don't be too intimidated when I say recurve is more difficult to master. As a beginner, you will improve rapidly shooting just once a week. Once you get to intermediate, once a week will show no improvement, twice a week some slow improvement, 3 or 4 times a week is way better.

The traditional archery that Stuey and Crashpat are talking is really cool, simple purist archery, what I'd like to get into someday, the downside to it is that so few people are involved in it.

Another difference between recurve vs. compound, with a recurve you hold and release the string with your fingers (with a leather tab for protection.) With a compound you typically use a release device; clips on the bowstring, has a handle you pull with, and a trigger. The release device and lower holding weight of the compound are what make it easier to get better scores faster. But that's just not my thing, start with the recurve, trust me, it's cooler [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[gurgeh]

When I was a kid my dad would sometimes bring us to an outdoor range in Maryland. I can't find an outdoor range around here, and this is the closest indoor range. Do these prices seem reasonable?

[TER]

Yeah, gurgeh, those prices seem typical. That place looks alright. And they would know where the nearest outdoor ranges are, too.