Official Archery Thread

[Piobaire]

Think I'm going to hit a local archery shop tomorrow or Wednesday and see if they can provide some lessons.

What's the usual life span on a target, aluminum arrow, T-bone?

 

[Douglas]

For a few years running, my folks have hosted a contingent of Bhutanese expats living in New York for a late summer archery festival. (Archery is Bhutan's national sport.) It's a weekend-long sort of cultural festival, with two teams squaring off in full national costume and shooting back and forth for two days on a 150-yard range. Targets are hit with some frequency - the first year they were all pretty rusty but in the subsequent years they've taken it pretty seriously and they're quite good. There is taunting at near misses and a traditional chant and dance when an archer hits his target. All is fun and games, though in the first year one guy did take an arrow to the leg (on a deflection, I gather) - he was OK though, just a flesh wound.

Some pics:

The range, and spectator tents (note the Red Stripe bottles - there is drinking and arching!):

150 yards is a goodly long way:

The tombstone-like target, with evidence of hits:

Taunting a near-miss:

Taking aim:

The dance that's done for a good shot, accompanied by chanting. The scarves on the belts represent hits, so the more scarves, the better the archer:

And celebrating the conclusion of the tournament with song and dance:

 

[Huntsman]

I shoot quite a bit (or rather, I did before law school). Have a little structure, a shingled and roofed stand over the butt with a few hay bales around it for extra lost-arrow insurance. We inaccurately call it the arrow-house, because the accurate term -- the butt-house -- is not as appealing. Pleasant way to de-stress after work. I shoot a compound Martin, not a competition model, but it's fine for what I use it for. I have shot a recurve, but I don't spend enough time consistently to keep my arms up for that sucker's 80lb pull. A few things I wish I knew when I started: Don't shoot with your bow-arm locked, that's bad. Don't grip completely around the grip with your bow arm, just kind of let the bow stay there because your hand is resisting the string tension -- I shoot, basically, open-handed. You grab the bow after the arrow has left. Find an anchor point on your face for your arrow-hand and be consistent, consistent, consistent with using that anchor. And most importantly -- know what's behind your backstop.

Originally Posted by Piobaire

You can make your own arrows and there is no gun shot noise to draw the zombies to your location. Further, after civilization collapses, you will eventually run out of bullets. Save your bullets for extreme self defense situations. Seriously man, you need to think these things through.
Or just have suppressors* and a whole lot of ammo.

Originally Posted by Thomas

ooh, forget making your own arrows. Once you've shot aluminum arrows (pretty much the standard these days) you won't consider anything else. And accuracy is a must: othewise the zombies will then have something to beat you with - and trust me: an arrow rapped across your knickles isn't just effective when a nun wields it! (ask T4)
Unless there is some regulation against it, the standard these days is carbon. I only shoot carbon; they're awesome -- light straight, true, and do not bend like AL arrows do, nor shatter like cedar. ~ H * in line with NFA and local regs of course.

 

[Piobaire]

Douglas, that is very cool.

 

[Slopho]

Nice Red Stripe "fire water" out on the range too.

 

[Piobaire]

Hunts, thanks for the tips.










I mean, supressors?

 

[crazyquik]

In high school I was a state champion archer. Thought about getting real competitive and taking up Olympic archery but didn't. Shot a (prototype) Mountaineer single cam compound (split, recurve tip, limbs), 4-power scope, hair-trigger mechanical release, tiny carbon arrows with 1.5" vanes, 90 gram nibs, etc etc etc. 310-312 foot per second I think, IIRC. Mountaineer eventually went out of business, however similar bows were made by a successor company called CSS Archery. Not sure if they are still around. This was right when Matthews was coming on the scene for bowhunting and 3D archery and displacing Hoyt. Hatchet cams had left the scene about 2 years prior, but were still around; although everyone else was moving to radical solo cams and 70+% letoff. Douglas' post about the Bhuttan archery party looks awesome. I haven't touched a bow since college (2002) either. I am too drunk to type more but will fill in later.

 

[globetrotter]

I used to shoot a recurve as a kid, I think 45 pound, nothing big. it was a lot of fun to go out in the woods and shoot at ****, but not the really acurate compound stuff. sounds like fun, although I bet it will jsut be a matter of time before you are bridging the gap between hobbies and shooting meat to smoke.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

I used to shoot a recurve as a kid, I think 45 pound, nothing big. it was a lot of fun to go out in the woods and shoot at ****, but not the really acurate compound stuff. sounds like fun, although I bet it will jsut be a matter of time before you are bridging the gap between hobbies and shooting meat to smoke.

Oh, now that's genius, GT!

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Oh, now that's genius, GT!

don't tell me that dind't cross your mind!

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by Huntsman

(...) Unless there is some regulation against it, the standard these days is carbon. I only shoot carbon; they're awesome -- light straight, true, and do not bend like AL arrows do, nor shatter like cedar.

(...)

For real, carbon arrows? I had no idea. That's what I get for living in the past. Now that I look back, it's been 20 years. Doesn't seem that long ago

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

don't tell me that dind't cross your mind!

No, it didn't, as I detest hunting (the act of it, not hunting itself). But now that you've thought of this for me...

Nah, still can't.

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

No, it didn't, as I detest hunting (the act of it, not hunting itself). But now that you've thought of this for me...

Nah, still can't.

I give it 6 months

 

[crazyquik]

Originally Posted by Thomas

For real, carbon arrows? I had no idea. That's what I get for living in the past. Now that I look back, it's been 20 years. Doesn't seem that long ago

LOLwhut? Where you shooting fiberglass?

I suppose plenty of hunters still shoot aluminum arrows. And they are fine for that.

Carbon (or a very thin aluminum w/ carbon bonded to the outside is the standard for anyone who's serious these days. Has been for 10 years probably (they were used in the 1996 Olympics I know, and I was using them 10 years ago).

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by crazyquik

LOLwhut? Where you shooting fiberglass?

I suppose plenty of hunters still shoot aluminum arrows. And they are fine for that.

Carbon (or a very thin aluminum w/ carbon bonded to the outside is the standard for anyone who's serious these days. Has been for 10 years probably (they were used in the 1996 Olympics I know, and I was using them 10 years ago).

nah, Easton aluminum. Fiberglass was way too bendy - that or I had really bad technique or form. But, I think I first got into it around 1984 and hung up the bow around 1991. I'm still shocked that it's been 20 years.