Aiming a non sighted bow
youtu.be/OIDEsMMQgNc
youtu.be/OIDEsMMQgNc
How to string and unstring a traditional bow
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFSrXUwBg-s&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR0_zoDg7nZYl3QvIPW0PO4_SPkpRqjVLPUTVghP0TQPcTK7FdGy5dJc8BU
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFSrXUwBg-s&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR0_zoDg7nZYl3QvIPW0PO4_SPkpRqjVLPUTVghP0TQPcTK7FdGy5dJc8BU
Are you new to archery?
Before you purchase a bow you need to do some research. You need to determine what type of bow you want - whether you want a recurve, longbow or primitive. Your arrows need to match the bow. Your first bow should be relatively inexpensive and light poundage so that you can learn the proper form. Check for local clubs where a traditional archer may be able to provide some guidance or contact us and we will try to find a mentor in your area.
MTA would like to thank Thomas Colstad, editor of the TradArchers’ World magazine for permission to reprint this article. Also thanks to Rod Jenkins for this great article.
Correct arrow spine for light poundage bows
By Rod Jenkins
One of my pet peeves is husbands/fathers/boyfriends equipping their wives/children/girlfriends with hand-me-down cast off arrows. Gee, if we want them to stay interested in archery, how about giving them a chance at success! To be fair, it is not totally the fault of the husband, father or boyfriend, as most of these guys are bow hunters who are accustomed to dealing with higher draw weights and simply don’t understand that bows rated at 30- to 35-pounds at 28 inches draw to 25 inches may require a spine deflection of more than twice what is normally considered light spine arrows. To make matters worse the high deflection shafts needed aren’t normally stocked by most of our normal vendors. But, they are available, and some are truly bargains.
For those not quite ready to hunt and don’t require “screw in inserts” to attach broadheads, the Beaman Carbon Flash uses glue in points and at $25.00 per dozen for shafts are one of the best bargains in carbon shafts. Easton ACC’s, while a good deal more expensive, offer a precise shaft option. A good mid-priced option is the Easton Redline shaft. Easton Jazz and Blues aluminum shafts are available in several deflections, with the higher deflections using glue in target points. Shafts in the relatively stiffer spine ranges use inserts which accept screw-in broadheads. Also available in required spine ranges are the Easton Platinum Plus, X7 Cobalt, and X7 Eclipse.
Recommended shaft sizes using glue in points:
Poundage Arrow Length Shaft
20-25 24” 1413
25” 1413, 1416
26” 1416, ACC 2-00
27” 1516, ACC 3L-00
25-30 24” 1416
25” 1514, 1516, ACC 3L-00
26” 1516
27” 1516, ACC 3-00, 1000 Redline, 1000 Carbon Flash
30-35 24” 1516, ACC 3L-00
25” 1516, ACC 3-00
26” 1616, 1000 Redline, 1000 Carbon Flash
27” 1716, 1000 Carbon Flash, ACC 2-04
Recommended shaft sizes using inserts and 125 grain Broadheads:
Poundage Arrow Length Shaft
38-42 24” 1813, 1816, 780 Redline
25” 1813, 1816
26” 1816, 1913
27” 1816, 1913, 690 Redline
Remember when tuning, it’s best to leave shafts longer than needed and trim in small increments to obtain desired dynamic spine…work slowly, as you can always trim again, but once cut you may be stuck with an overly stiff arrow.
Another important factor in tuning for light bows is arrow nock fit. Light bows don’t create as much energy as the typical hunting weight bow, so an arrow nock that fits the string too tightly will rob the lighter bows of energy that is already in short supply.
Let’s get all those wives/kids/girlfriends outfitted with correctly spined arrows and get out and enjoy archery – the great American pastime!
Correct arrow spine for light poundage bows
By Rod Jenkins
One of my pet peeves is husbands/fathers/boyfriends equipping their wives/children/girlfriends with hand-me-down cast off arrows. Gee, if we want them to stay interested in archery, how about giving them a chance at success! To be fair, it is not totally the fault of the husband, father or boyfriend, as most of these guys are bow hunters who are accustomed to dealing with higher draw weights and simply don’t understand that bows rated at 30- to 35-pounds at 28 inches draw to 25 inches may require a spine deflection of more than twice what is normally considered light spine arrows. To make matters worse the high deflection shafts needed aren’t normally stocked by most of our normal vendors. But, they are available, and some are truly bargains.
For those not quite ready to hunt and don’t require “screw in inserts” to attach broadheads, the Beaman Carbon Flash uses glue in points and at $25.00 per dozen for shafts are one of the best bargains in carbon shafts. Easton ACC’s, while a good deal more expensive, offer a precise shaft option. A good mid-priced option is the Easton Redline shaft. Easton Jazz and Blues aluminum shafts are available in several deflections, with the higher deflections using glue in target points. Shafts in the relatively stiffer spine ranges use inserts which accept screw-in broadheads. Also available in required spine ranges are the Easton Platinum Plus, X7 Cobalt, and X7 Eclipse.
Recommended shaft sizes using glue in points:
Poundage Arrow Length Shaft
20-25 24” 1413
25” 1413, 1416
26” 1416, ACC 2-00
27” 1516, ACC 3L-00
25-30 24” 1416
25” 1514, 1516, ACC 3L-00
26” 1516
27” 1516, ACC 3-00, 1000 Redline, 1000 Carbon Flash
30-35 24” 1516, ACC 3L-00
25” 1516, ACC 3-00
26” 1616, 1000 Redline, 1000 Carbon Flash
27” 1716, 1000 Carbon Flash, ACC 2-04
Recommended shaft sizes using inserts and 125 grain Broadheads:
Poundage Arrow Length Shaft
38-42 24” 1813, 1816, 780 Redline
25” 1813, 1816
26” 1816, 1913
27” 1816, 1913, 690 Redline
Remember when tuning, it’s best to leave shafts longer than needed and trim in small increments to obtain desired dynamic spine…work slowly, as you can always trim again, but once cut you may be stuck with an overly stiff arrow.
Another important factor in tuning for light bows is arrow nock fit. Light bows don’t create as much energy as the typical hunting weight bow, so an arrow nock that fits the string too tightly will rob the lighter bows of energy that is already in short supply.
Let’s get all those wives/kids/girlfriends outfitted with correctly spined arrows and get out and enjoy archery – the great American pastime!
Barebow – How to Aim?
The following is quoted from "A Blog for Archery Coaches" It is written by Steve Ruis who is a former USA Archery Level 4 Coach, an NFAA Master Coach, a U.S. Collegiate Archery Certified Coach and the Editor of Archery Focus magazine (www.archeryfocus.com), the world’s only archery education magazine. He has written a number of books: Precision Archery (with Claudia Stevenson), Coaching Archery, More on Coaching Archery, Archery 4 Kids, A Parent’s Guide to Archery, Winning Archery, Why You Suck at Archery, and Shooting Arrows (Archery for Adult Beginners). All of these books are currently available on Amazon.com .
"Hooboy! A controversial question! (I am trying to be funny.) There are some strong feelings about how to aim without using a bow sight in the U.S. Some archers are very traditional and insist that aiming be only done “instinctively.” Others are thoroughly modern and use every part of the bow itself to aim with. I assume you just want to get started.
When I teach beginners, the first question they ask is: “How do I aim?” Our response is “Just look at and focus on the spot you want to hit.” This is a form of “instinctive” aiming. The word “instinctive,” though is a misnomer. We are not talking about an instinct for aiming. This is a thoroughly learned process, learned through the process called “trial and error” or “trial and test.” It is fascinating to those beginners that the desire they have to hit the center of the target will result in them hitting the center of the target if … and it is a big IF … if they are willing to follow instructions and not try to aim. Trying to aim is taking over a process which is subconscious and replacing it with one that is conscious, one you really have no idea how to do, consciously that is. (Almost all beginners try looking down the shaft of the arrow, a technique that works out to maybe five meters or so, but then is defeated by gravity.)
Just wanting your arrows to hit what you are looking at does work, although it takes a great deal of practice over a long period of time. It has the advantage that you can change arrows and even bows and still shoot well. It has the disadvantage of not being the most precise way to shoot a great many arrows from the same position. Anyway, this is Option #1.
If you want to have a system for aiming, most people progress to “shooting off of the point.” The problem of archery is to execute shots consistently with the bow held in a position such that when arrows are loosed, they hit the desired target. Bows need to be held higher for farther targets and lower for near ones. Bows need to be held “off line” to adjust for wind and other factors. The question of aiming is “where do I hold the bow?” The answer (at least in the Western Tradition) was found by a British gentleman of the name Horace Ford in the mid 1800’s. His scores immediately rocketed past anyone else’s and, I am sure, he was accused by some of cheating. He solved the task of where to put the bow in space by lining up a part of the bow (he was shooting English longbows) with some fixed part of the background. It turned out to be very effective to use the arrow point for this purpose (there not being as many parts as our modern bows). So, an archer would watch his arrow point and when a shot hit the gold, he would note where his arrow point was vis-à-vis the background. On his next shot, he would again place his arrow point on that “point of aim” to ensure consistency and success. (Another name for this approach is “Point of Aim” archery.) There are many variations and extensions of this approach but this is the starting point.
Longbow archers were used to looking at their arrow points as a gauge of whether they had fully drawn their bows (the arrow point sitting on the top of the bow hand made a particular shape when drawn “full compass”), so this was not at all a huge departure for some. And, immediately people devised ways to make this more productive. They introduced artificial points of aim. When their POA was not on the target face, they placed an object on the ground to aim with. If their POA was on the target face, they invented the target clock to identify POAs (e.g. 10 O’clock in the Blue).
This technique has been used by target archers from then until now. If you want to know more about the extensions of this technique, key terms for an Internet search are “string walking” and “face walking.”
To get started, shoot comfortably at a large target face up quite close to you (8-10 meters). When you are hitting the center comfortably, notice where your arrow point is with relation to the background (by starting up close, we are trying to make sure it is on the target face). On subsequent shots, line up your arrow point with the point you identified and shoot several arrows. Did your group get smaller (indicating you were more consistent)? Also, if your arrows are still not where you want them (and your POA is on the target), you need only move your POA the same direction and distance you want your arrows to be. So, if your arrows are four cm too far to the right, move your POA four cm to the left and your arrows will also move four cm to the left. This should get you started and learning."
Should Coaches Necessarily be Good Archers, Too?
The following is quoted from "A Blog for Archery Coaches" It is written by Steve Ruis who is a former USA Archery Level 4 Coach, an NFAA Master Coach, a U.S. Collegiate Archery Certified Coach and the Editor of Archery Focus magazine (www.archeryfocus.com), the world’s only archery education magazine. He has written a number of books: Precision Archery (with Claudia Stevenson), Coaching Archery, More on Coaching Archery, Archery 4 Kids, A Parent’s Guide to Archery, Winning Archery, Why You Suck at Archery, and Shooting Arrows (Archery for Adult Beginners). All of these books are currently available on Amazon.com .
"Archery is a sport in which “feel” is important, so experience is necessary. An archery coach who has never shot a bow and arrow is at a distinct disadvantage in being able to communicate regarding how a shot feels. So, my opinion coaches need to be able to shoot, or needed to have shot enough in their lives to address all of these issues. Further, if you want to coach, say, traditional archers, you need to have some experience shooting traditional longbows and recurves in traditional manners. Do you need to have tried every technique you might want to communicate to a student? Well, in a word, yes. Tried certainly, mastered, no. Mastery only comes from years of practice. Most coaches have a major discipline (recurve, Barebow, compound-release, traditional, etc.) and in that discipline they need to have developed a fairly high level of skill. Do, they need to be “championship level?” I do not know what that means, or rather, it means something different to different people. I have taken medals in tournaments with the word “championships” in their name, but I was hardly an elite archer, ever.
Sometimes the best coaches come from the cadre of those who were “less successful” but tried everything to become more successful and, hence, are more knowledgeable. I consider myself one of those.
Nobody “knows it all.” So, if you find yourself in the position I found myself, where there were many students seeking help in a discipline that was not your forté, then take some lessons in that discipline, acquire (borrow, buy, rent, whatever) the required equipment and give it a try. Sign up for a tournament in your new style to put some pressure on the pace of your learning. My specialty is compound but I have had more fun competing in recurve and longbow events (possibly because there was no pressure to try to win) and I certainly learned a great deal from those experiences. I got such a baptism, from a bloke who was encouraging me to learn traditional styles by him getting me to sign up to participate in USA Archer’s Traditional Nationals. He even made me a longbow to compete with. I was not in good physical shooting shape at the time and it was a long two days (York, American, and Clout Rounds) so I got very tired, but I had a blast … and I learned a great deal."