What Do You Need to Start Shooting a Bow?

What Do You Need to Start Shooting a Bow: Are you looking for it? What do you need to start shooting a bow? First, you need to choose whether you want to shoot on your own, say in the country, or prefer to practice in a place organized for archery.

What Do You Need to Start Shooting a Bow?

The summer cottage always looks preferable at first, but it limits the possibilities.

Which bow to choose?

Classical versus compound is a matter of personal preference. If you have sports ambitions, you can count on participation in the Olympic Games with the classics. The compound is not yet included in the Olympics program. But it is easier to learn to get out of the youth compound bow.

True, it is much more powerful than a classic bow and shooting “at fences,” and other entertainments in the country are not suitable for him. If you dream of going hunting with a bow – the compound is what you need. Although it is somewhat heavier than a classic bow, it is much more compact.

Of course, you need arrows!

“Some inexpensive for me!” Of course, it’s best not to waste your money! For shooting in the field, it makes no sense to buy arrows that are designed to participate in the world championships.

But any savings must be conscious. With their external resemblance to more expensive counterparts, the cheapest aluminum arrows are made of a soft alloy. They need to be straightened after every shot!

It is very difficult to do this on your own without skills and tools. The price of this service from a specialist will negate all the advantages of the initial low cost. The cheapest aluminum is very suitable for children and for shooting at distances within 12 m.

Regular aluminum arrows and the cheapest carbon ones are roughly worth each other. Aluminum can more easily endure being hit by pebbles in the ground or a tip in a shield, but carbon does not bend from shooting at a hard shield or when hitting a tree.

Aluminum/carbon arrows and expensive carbon arrows are designed for competition shooting for maximum performance. Those qualities of these arrows that add value to them are not needed in all other shooting types. Although, of course, if we ignore the question of price, the X10 is the best arrows of any kind of shooting.

Don’t forget about the shelf!

The shelf in the bow is where the arrow rests. In ancient bows and some modern traditional ones, this is the arrow’s finger. But for accurate shooting, special devices are used – more or less complex in design. Before choosing the coolest and most spectacular shelf, decide how you will pull the string.

If with fingers, then this is one type of shelves. If a release, then another. In practice, these two different types of shelves cannot replace each other. This is the arrow’s specificity, fired in various ways, and its interaction with the bow.

Release, fingertip or glove

The fingertip and glove are used to protect the fingers when shooting with the fingers—mostly classic bow. Athletes prefer fingertips, hunters prefer gloves. We do not recommend shooting with your fingers from the compound!

Yes, it looks easier at first. But this method of shooting negates all the compound’s advantage inaccuracy. Better use the release, believe me, it was invented and used for good reason! There are several types of releases. The most popular are the so-called “T-shaped” releases, which are held by fingers.

The shot is fired by pressing either the thumb on the trigger or button or, on some models, pressing the ring, middle or pinky fingers. Another type of release popular with archers is a pendant or, as it is also called, a wrist release.

Do you need a sight?

If you are hoping to shoot partridges in flight, as you do with a hunting rifle, a scope is not needed. This method of shooting is called intuitive. It does not align the aiming points. The bow is guided by feeling like throwing a stone.

When shooting from a static position, no matter whether it is hunting or in competition, the scope increases the shooting accuracy so much that there is no justification for refusing it. Regarding scopes, the rule is ironic: “the more expensive the fur, the better it is!”

Even if you don’t see the difference, be sure that a $350 scope is much better and more reliable than a $100 scope (provided that both scopes are compared in the same store) And it doesn’t matter if it is a hunting scope or a tournament scope, in each class, there is a more expensive scope better than the cheaper ones.

Peep sight or diopter?

This small accessory is only used in the compound.

Osprey (lens)

For shooting with greater accuracy, especially at long distances, a scope is used in the compound. This is a lens that gives magnification from 2x to 8x. What concerns the difference in prices for scopes fully applies to osprey. It can be used with success with a $40 osprey, but a $450 Swarovski scope is obviously better! So here, the choice depends on your financial capabilities.

A string, it is a knitting, it is a loop

Even if you have no idea why you should tie a bow to your hand, buy this part! Believe me, with time, and you will see the difference (especially since it is not expensive).

Quiver

You can’t put arrows in your pocket, so our ancestors invented the quiver. And Fred Bear figured out how to combine a quiver with a bow. Therefore, we now have a choice whether to wear a quiver on the belt, like athletes or on a bow, like hunters.

But if a quiver on a belt is only a matter of aesthetics when choosing a model, then a quiver on a bow is chosen according to a greater number of parameters. First and foremost is reliability. Better to buy quivers that are made by bowmaker firms. These quivers fit the special mounting holes and fittings on the bows.

Removable quiver, This quality can be useful, but it implies some cumbersome design: weight and overall dimensions. Previously, quivers for 8 or more arrows were popular, but now they are convinced that there is no need to have such a number of arrows with you.

Stabilizer

For a bow to look really cool, it needs a stabilizer! Don’t even try to argue! It’s nothing that you don’t understand what the stabilizer does, and you will always cause perplexed looks if you start shooting without the stabilizer.

A stabilizer in a bow is like a tie in a suit. Accordingly, you need to buy it. Imagine how ridiculous it will look if you buy a $ 50 tie for a $3500 suit. A modern advanced stabilizer can save the image of an inexpensive bow, but not vice versa!

Also, stabilizers still help with shooting. For hunters, they are short with devices to compensate for the blow and sounds. For athletes – long, carbon fiber, with removable weights and a rear counterweight system or tees.

Bow case

It’s just a matter of common sense! Spend money on a bow and not protect it when transporting it to training or hunting! Soft covers are more convenient for transportation in public transport or a car, and they take up less space in the apartment. But for transportation on an airplane and even a train, you will need a hard case. It is better to purchase a special case for the bow.

Shield, or something that is always forgotten!

If you are going to use the bow for fun or training in the country or on trips to nature, you will need a shield. One arrow can be used thousands of times, provided that it is stuck into the object intended for this. And, believe me, a stump or a fence is not quite suitable for this purpose.

Conclusion

Aside from having a lot of fun with the shooting process itself, there are many more reasons why you should start mastering the bow. Here are also some benefits of archery that will no doubt convince you to start practicing the sport.