Archery

[oddjob]

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i'm actually interested in doing this as well. i was good at it in high school, but never really did it, then by chance i just happened to get a ben pearson contender 35# recurve bow. i shot a recurve in high school, and didn't care much for the compound bows.

i'm in denver, and i have no idea if there is some kind of archery range i need to go to.

do i need to take a lesson for safety? how does the shooting ranges work?

how much does it usually cost to do this for an hour or so?

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If you figure out a good place to go shoot archery in the Denver area (hopefully more like Littleton), let me know. I grew up bowhunting, but have not been able to keep up with it since college. I'd like to get back into archery if I can find the time/money and a good place to do it.

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will do. i need a new hobby. i'll never hunt anything, but i always liked target shooting in high school.

same with guns. i want to get a rifle. this is much easier, as i can just go up to BLM land by boulder and shoot for free there.

[steviej1717]

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what reflex bow would you recommend for a beginner and what arrows would go with the bow?

<font color="red"> Bows and arrows are tricky because you really just have to find one that fits you -see below- and then arrows. For a beginner, aluminum arrows are best because they are cheaper if/when you lose/break them. There are also carbon as well as aluminum carbon composite shafts. Once you get comfortable shooting you will find what works best for you. There are arrow charts for the type of bow, poundage and draw length available at Easton archery arrow selector </font>

what safety equipment do i need?

<font color="red"> The only real safety equipment is an armguard but lots of guys don't wear them because the string doesnt hit their arm anyways.</font>

is there a training course required to obtain a license for archery ranges?

<font color="red"> I'm not sure if you mean to shoot or to have an archery range. If you want to have an archery range it is supposed to be certified by the National Field Archery Association (NFAA) to make sure it is safe.
If you meant to shoot then no, you just show up and shoot.
To bowhunt you have to have a Bowhunter's Ed class. </font>

any book i can pick up to learn more about archery or online webpage that you frequent? maybe a forum for archers that you like?

<font color="red"> archerytalk.com is great, they have a classifieds sectionfor all kinds of stuff. robinhoodarchery.org is our clubs page.
A good book is Idiot Proof Archery by Bernie Pellerite. </font>

are the costs low once you purchase your bow and other equipment?

<font color="red"> For the most part. A really good setup (bow, arrows, release, rest, sight, stabilizer) is around $1000. If you find a good archery club, they should have leagues which cost around $35 - 40 for an 8 to 10 week league. There are also tournaments most weekends which are around $10. </font>

what else do i need to be concerned with?

<font color="red"> This question is funny because there are 25 million things to be concerned with, but you can really only figure out which ones affect you with practice. </font>

edit: what numbers do the numbers on bows mean? like what does weight refer to- the power behind the line or the difficulty of pulling it back? (i know it sounds kind of related but which is it?)

<font color="red"> Weight refers to how many pounds of draw force it takes to pull it back. Compound bows have a letoff once you get drawn about halfway back so you are only holding about 15 - 20% of the draw weight at full draw and trying to aim. </font>

i am 6ft tall and 160lbs if that helps for bow sizing. specific brands that you like as well as online distributors that have been good to you would be nice to know.

<font color="red"> Mathews sells good bows, they are kind of pricey if that is a concern but they shoot the smoothest of any bow I have ever shot.
Golden Key makes great arrow rests, Sure-Loc makes good sights, Easton is the only way to go for arrows, and there are lots of good stabilizers out there.
The only two retailers I have used online are Lancaster Archery and FS Arrows. FS has lots of good discounts and Lancaster usually has the newest stuff. I would recommend going to a local pro shop and checking out the equipment there because you won't get a feel for it unless you actually shoot it to know if you like it or not.
As for sizing, you just have to get your draw length measured and then ask if you can shoot a few to figure out what your comfortable draw weight is. If you have average strength 40 - 60 pounds is plenty adequate.
It really is all about finding out what works best for you and your individual shooting style and what type of shooting you plan to do.

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Denver Archery Ranges


I live in Kearney, Nebraska about 6 hours from Denver, if you guys ever want to come to a 3-D shoot here or somewhere in between, let me know!!

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

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Denver Archery Ranges

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Sweet. Now I just have to find the time and the dollars to get started.

[FUJItheFISH]

thanks guys. im in orange county, california.

[TER]

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thanks guys. im in orange county, california.

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California target archery clubs:

http://www.usarchery.org/profilesear...cfm?stateID=CA

[Stuey]

I have a compound bow for hunting. I just started about 8 months ago. It is good fun I highly recommend it. I was trying to take some pictures of me shooting a balloon filled with red kool-aid. I was trying to capture the motion for a photo contest they are having in the ElD forum this month. I don't really think the pics came out so good but I thought you guys might get a kick out of them.







Here is a close up of that cool one. The arrow missed the tree and zipped right by that is why you can't see it. My bow shoots at something like 300 feet per second so I was lucky I got any pics.



I really should have used a different color of kool aid these are kind of gruesome. lol

[FUJItheFISH]

stuey,

this is getting me more excited. have u ever had a reflex bow? if you have id like any thoughts on comparing the two for stuff like $, maintenance, durability, and anything else like that. from my newb point of view, reflex bows seem simpler with less parts and easier to maintain and hopefully will last longer. is this right or am i far off?

[TER]

I think when you say reflex bow, you mean to say recurve bow. Yes, recurve bows are simpler to maintain and adjust. I shoot recurve olympic style. We like to make fun of compound bow shooters for having "training wheels" on their bows. Recurve is more difficult to master, because you have to really learn how to become a real archer. Compounders are like the limit players of archery.

[Stuey]

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I think when you say reflex bow, you mean to say recurve bow. Yes, recurve bows are simpler to maintain and adjust. I shoot recurve olympic style. We like to make fun of compound bow shooters for having "training wheels" on their bows. Recurve is more difficult to master, because you have to really learn how to become a real archer. Compounders are like the limit players of archery.

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I have to agree with this. I have a old traditional bare recurve and it is near impossible to shoot. My compound shoots itself. Now I want a fully rigged out recurve strictly for target practice. Plus the woodworker in me wants to make a traditional bare bow from scratch. I wish I had all the time this would require. I am still really new to all of this. As with most things the gear is never ending. So many toys I need.

[CrashPat]

I used to shoot a lot, from about the time I was 10 until 18. I have not shot for the past 5 or 6 years, but am hoping to pick it up again soon. I've always shot traditional archery, I've owned two different Bear recurve bows, both hand me downs, and both worked well for me. The bow I have now is a 52" which is too short even for me at 5'6".

I've helped build and tune some reflex/deflex fiberglass limb longbows that we made when I was high school, sometime when I have the time I hope to build some more because it is pretty interesting, and not really that much work now that I have the forms and kiln, etc.

My father built a couple of stickbows out of Osage Orange but he never had much luck with them lasting, they would dry out too much and crack. Fun to play with, but not very practical.

One of my goals for the near future is to get back into target shooting, I can do it in my back yard as I face a hill and have a good target. I've done some bowhunting in the past but never really got into it, I would prefer to practice more as a hobby and to be good at something that takes me outside again.

I can attempt to answer questions about shooting traditional archery, no sights, no wheels, and no releases. Anything else I would be completely lost on. It has been a while, but I don't think that traditional archery has changed at all in the past 5 or 6 years.