Anyone into archery? [Pics of new bow up]

[boingk]

So.. yeah, anyone into archery? Always thought it'd be cool to get into and have just ordered a 68" 60lb hickory flatbow, traditional style. The next step will obviously be to get some arrows.

The local place has a good range of Redzone stuff and I'm thinking about getting either their wooden or aluminum shafts, but have heard that the wooden stuff will break if used in a bow with a draw weight over around 30lb. Is this a big issue? I'd like to keep my gear as traditional as possible but also don't want to injure myself.

I'm also wondering what the benefits of carbon fibre arrows are over aluminum, as it just seems that for a guy starting out it'd be overkill to go carbon.

Cheers - boingk

 

[teazer]

Re: Anyone into archery?

OVERKILL. Nothing like a little pun to spice up the conversation. When I did archery, there were only conventional long bows. I want to say that mine was metal - it broke down to two parts IIRC that was a loooong time ago. I'm sure technology has advanced by now.

 

[boingk]

Re: Anyone into archery?

Yes, there are take-down recurve bows and composite bows as well. I'm not particularly interested in them, though, hence my purchase of a more traditionally styled bow.

Cheers anyway - boingk

 

[Rodders]

Re: Anyone into archery?

So.. yeah, anyone into archery?

Umm, yes ;D

 

[phrige]

Re: Anyone into archery?

Nice Boingk,

I'm ganna be working on some home made, traditional bows with a friend over the next few months. I'm def curious to hear about what you learn. The bow you bought sounds awsome. I'm way more into the traditional style bows, vs those jobbies that are full of pullies and wires. Hoping to make my own bow and arrows, and just keep getting better at it.

There's some incredible videos on youtube, interviews with old master bow makers etc. its great stuff.

 

[Big R]

Re: Anyone into archery?

I used to be real big on sticks and string, but just haven't had time lately.

IMO, go with carbon arrows to start with. Aluminum is nice, but they will bend fairly easily and it's hard to tell until you roll them. Make sure everything is "fitted" for you and your bow, and practice as much as possible. Oh yeah, make sure to put distinguishing marks on each arrow- you may find out that one out of the bunch is flying off target for some strange reason.

While I've never shot wooden arrows, I would like to believe that they won't split above 30#'s. But ask a pro about that.

 

[biker_reject]

Re: Anyone into archery?

Been bowhunting since '93. Sold off my relic of an Oneida Aeroforce two years ago. I first shot a PSE Fireflight Express at 94 lbs. with Easton Superlights 2512 shafts (freakin' tree limbs!). I moved on to an Indian Impact (?) that had factory prototype cams. My buddy was an engineer at Escalade Sports back then and got me a set. Then it was back to PSE and finally Oneida. Plan to purchase something made this century, probably a Mathews or Bear. Bows are smokin' fast and light weight nowadays and I just love the beyond parallel limbs. Reminds me of Oneida design. I miss archery hunting. Long guns are ok, but archery is in my blood! I shot aluminum arrows for many years. The switch to carbon fiber was like riding a next generation sport bike, light years of difference! Carbon shafts actually made the old Oneida noticeably faster! I don't even know of anyone using aluminum shafts! Are they still being manufactured??? You're talking like 20 year old technology. CF shafts maintain their straightness, are more forgiving in the wind, faster than shit, and most importantly, have awesome penetration. All my carbon shafts resulted in shoot throughs on white tail deer, some burying 5-6" into the ground. I once shot through a deer at about 40 yards and never found the arrow. That's freakin' bad-ass!

My trusty old Oneida. Sold it to some dude from Quebec 2 years ago. I kept the Scott release, cause it's so sweet, I'll never give it up. Note the overdraw and wicked huge stabilizer (oil filled). My buddies joked that I was shooting cross bow bolts! Modern bows are so fast, there is no longer a need for overdraws. To the right of the bow, you can see the end of an aluminum shaft. It is a Robin Hood. I have two sets hanging on the wall. I had several more sets, but not in the condition these were in. Quite proud of them! I used to shoot daily. My back yard bordered a large corn field so I had a natural shooting range off my patio. It was bliss!

Just askin' to get shot, ain't he? I passed. Spike... Cool angle, eh? You can see the old Beeman Carbon Hunter shaft. They're made much better now.

Me in a tree about 20' off the ground. This was an awesome spot. I actually had deer playing underneath me. I couldn't bring myself to shoot any of them. Toooooo easy! Ha!

When I moved into the city with my wife, I still found a way to shoot. I stood on the sidewalk and shot the length of my yard, about 50 yards. Hate that outlyer! Pretty good group though, huh? Note the penetration at that distance into a foam target. Those are practice shafts with MUZZY broadheads. All my shafts were fletched with feathers. Slows the arrow, but more forgiving.

Best buck I've seen in a while. Hunted this dude during the '06 season. Jumped him one afternood when I skipped classes to check my trail cam. After that, he went nocturnal as you can see by the time stamp. He was never seen during daylight hours the rest of the season. Here, you can see him reaching up to smell the scent wick I placed about 7 feet off the ground above one of his scrapes. That following January, my buddy who owns this farm, cleared the woodlot I hunted. Always wondered if this buck got bigger.

 

[CresentSon]

Re: Anyone into archery?

I have made a number of self bows. If you're into making your own bow start with a 'board bow'. Cheap and a good learning experience before jacking up an expensive stave. Bow making is pretty unforgiving process, and each stick is different. You can't avoid the first few being trial and error. Wood arrows are fun to make, and the gear is cheap, but it is so much easier to buy carbon. Well worth every penny

Are you into long bows, or shorter flat bows. Most craftsmen choose a style and stay with it, so I assme the skills/experience don't transfer well between styles.

 

[boingk]

Re: Anyone into archery?

Whoa, cheers for the replies! Wasn't expecting this much input at all.

CresentSon - Not particularly interested in making my own. I've bought a bow over the internet from some guy in Minnesota thats been making them for over 30 years. Its a flat bow thats modelled on the traditional Native American bows. I stand 6'2" and the bow is 68" strung so it should be an alright fit. He did offer a 72" English Longbow but not in the draw weight I was after (60lb). I'm planning to eventually use it for hunting as well, so the shorter bow appealed to me in the regard. From what I've read a flat bow with rectangular limb section is better than a D-section, as used in the English Longbow, anyway.

biker_reject - Whoa, champ photos! That Oneida looks good, too. Not what I'm into, but hell, still a cool bow. Seeing as everyone is recommending the carbon shafts I think I might go that direction, the only issue for me is the price. Local store has fletched & tipped Redzone (decent) shafts for $11 each and aluminum shafts at $8 each so if they really are that much better then I may as well man up the extra $3 a shaft

So, whats the deal with wooden arrows?

Meanwhile, heres a photo of the bow. Its not mine, just one from the fellows store:

Cheers - boingk

 

[CresentSon]

Re: Anyone into archery?

D section is a must for long bows, to distribute the force over the legnth. The D profile is thicker so a short bow with a sharper curve increases compression on the inside of the curve compounding stacking. That in turn stretches the face causing breakage.

As far as wood arrows, unless you are doing SCA or just insist on trad equipment I wouldn't take that route. They need occasional straightening and maintanance, much higher chance of breaking, and harder to get matched weights. The up sides are mostly for the DIY crowd who just want something natural. All in all they are part of a perfectly servicable weapon that has lasted a long damn time.

3 Rivers is a treasure trove for the trad archer. Request a print catalog and drool till your dehydrated.

http://www.3riversarchery.com/

 

[jordy_g_77]

Re: Anyone into archery?

Good on ya for going the traditional route, most ppl go straight for the coumpound and all the flashy gear. My old man used to make a living crafting longbows so I grew up shooting sticks. They take a hell of a lot of practice tho, I was the only one shooting traditional in my old club, and 90% of the guys who had shot compound for years couldn't even pull and release properly on my longbow.

As for the carbon/aluminum/wood arrows, I switched to carbons with feather fletchings about 5 years ago and love em, way faster and harder hitting, aluminums just bend and get ruined way to easy. A 30# draw weight is pretty light tho, even for beginers, if you want to use the bow for hunting I wouldnt go any lower than 45-50#

 

[phrige]

Re: Anyone into archery?

Very cool, I'll have to get some carbon arrows as well. Thanks for the tip.

Right now I'm still unsure the exact route I want to go. I know I want to start with a small flat bow, something more in the plains indian style. but then also try a long bow as well. I have a feeling the smaller bow maybe what I go with but I'm def ganna try a few out before I settle.
Hopefully get my hands on some well made bows to see what its supposed to feel like before i try and replicate it.

Thanks for that awsome link, cant wait to get a printed catalog!

Awsome pics too man!

 

[biker_reject]

Re: Anyone into archery?

biker_reject - Whoa, champ photos! That Oneida looks good, too. Not what I'm into, but hell, still a cool bow. Seeing as everyone is recommending the carbon shafts I think I might go that direction, the only issue for me is the price. Local store has fletched & tipped Redzone (decent) shafts for $11 each and aluminum shafts at $8 each so if they really are that much better then I may as well man up the extra $3 a shaft

One of the things I liked about the Oneida was the recurve shape and inboard cams. It looks like no other bow in the world. But , the reason I went with this design is because of my shoulders. I was a gym rat and pumped a lot of heavy iron, hence my ability to shoot a PSE at 94 lbs. and 55 lbs. of let-off for hours on end. After a few years, I was plagued with shoulder injuries from bench presses and weighted dips. The Oneida was the smoothest bow made and had modules all the way up to 80 lbs. of let-off. At the time, it was considered a smokin' fast bow. I could draw that bow super slow at 74 lb. I've drawn down on deer looking straight at me. I know of no other bow that is smooth enough to draw as to make one's movements imperceptible to an animal. My only issues with it are noise, the length at almost 40" made it less than maneuverable in hunting situations, and the vague back wall. But, once one establishes consistent anchor points, the back wall doesn't seem to be much of an issue. I considered buying a stick bow at times, but I just can't give up the performance and precision of a compound and release. That, and when hunting in mid-western US woods, one needs a compact weapon. I've really been shooting since childhood when I was a Boy Scout. My favorite activities were camping, shooting, and archery! My dad bought me a fiberglass bow when I was about 10 and used to shoot in our back yard with my friends while my dad watched over us. Good times... good times. Fast forward to me working in the hunting and fishing dept. of a sporting goods store. All my co-workers were bow hunters and they were determined to re-introduce me to the world of archery. They used to set up bows for me to shoot in the warehouse, unbeknown to our snoopy manager . Testosterone sure ran heavy in that portion of the store! Anyway, whatever style of bow you choose, you'll totally enjoy it!

 

[biker_reject]

Re: Anyone into archery?

Good on ya for going the traditional route, most ppl go straight for the coumpound and all the flashy gear. My old man used to make a living crafting longbows so I grew up shooting sticks. They take a hell of a lot of practice tho, I was the only one shooting traditional in my old club, and 90% of the guys who had shot compound for years couldn't even pull and release properly on my longbow.

As for the carbon/aluminum/wood arrows, I switched to carbons with feather fletchings about 5 years ago and love em, way faster and harder hitting, aluminums just bend and get ruined way to easy. A 30# draw weight is pretty light tho, even for beginers, if you want to use the bow for hunting I wouldnt go any lower than 45-50#

Hey man, latest and greatest for me. Current bows are 3.5 lbs. and shoot in the 330 fps range. C'mon, now. That's impressive as all get out! I just couldn't afford to upgrade when I was in school, so it was the Oneida for the long haul. Compounds vs. stick bows are like modern race reps vs. air cooled V-twins. No comparison. And, believe me, muscle memory aside, a compound bow shooter has to practice a shit load. Bow hunters, for all but the rarest instances, have only one shot and therefore have to be very precise, hence precision equipment is required. You've seen what kind of groupings a compound shooter is capable of, I'm sure. Can't do that with finger release. I used to shoot 70-80 arrows a day at widely varied ranges and had to be in shape to do it. My first experience drawing a compound in the early 90's was embarrassing because I couldn't pull an 80 lb. bow despite being able to bench 300 lb. in a pyramid set and perform 110 lb. dumbbell rows. My back was thick, buddy. It only took a short time for my muscles to develop. So, I think you're jumping the gun (or string ha!) by criticizing the compound shooters. Given practice and time, a person can transition to one type of bow to another.

 

[BlackCoyote]

Re: Anyone into archery?

Ah my other passion and something I know enough about to chime in!
Your fine shooting wood arrows as long they are spined for your bow draw weight. For example, if your shooting a 35# bow you want at least 35#-40# spine arrows. Depending on your draw length, bow type, and string type you will go up or down in spine and arrow length till you get perfect flight.

Just starting out, I'd suggest a more durable arrow material like carbon or aluminum (yes they still make them, and target shooter and hunters all over the world are still using them).

Nothing wrong with starting with a light bow weight and learning proper form, bow tuning, and arrow tuning...and working up to a hunting weight.

As for some comments on here, compounds "bows" are not bows...they are mechanical arrow launchers pure and simple. Another false hood is long bows and recurves are super slow..with advances in modern materials carbon fiber and engineered composites the hybird traditional bows are speed demons. I own a triple carbon Centuar longbow, 60" 54#@29" and I'm pushing 200 FPS with a 623 grain hunting arrow. As for websites for help 3 rivers is excellent, along with www.tradgang.com Any questions shoot me a pm or email
Here's my 2009 Wyoming spot and stalk Antelope

 

[biker_reject]

Re: Anyone into archery?

"...compounds "bows" are not bows...they are mechanical arrow launchers pure and simple." Oh, c'mon, now! So, you're diminishing compound bows because of the technology infused in a design???

From the Encyclopedia Britannica:
Bow and arrow, a weapon consisting of a stave made of wood or other elastic material, bent and held in tension by a string. The arrow, a thin wooden shaft with a feathered tail, is fitted to the string by a notch in the end of the shaft and is drawn back until sufficient tension is produced in the bow so that when released it will propel the arrow. Arrowheads have been made of shaped flint, stone, metal, and other hard materials.

Nice Prong Horn, BTW!

 

[BlackCoyote]

Re: Anyone into archery?

notice it said string not cable with pulleys/cams, ha! ;D

 

[biker_reject]

Re: Anyone into archery?

Still has a string... and limbs bent under tension. Semantics. What part of the country are you in? We just don't have open terrain like that around here. Looks beautiful!

 

[BlackCoyote]

Re: Anyone into archery?

Michigan, I like to hunt out west....where you from?

 

[biker_reject]

Re: Anyone into archery?

Southern tip of Indiana, right on the Ohio river. We have good sized deer here. The problem is available hunting areas. Development forces hunters to travel farther and farther away. We have deer and coyotes all over our neighborhoods, but we can't very well hunt them for obvious reasons! On a related note, years ago, my buddy's daughter had a Cockatiel that flew out the window and into a neighborhood tree (his fault and daughter was in school). He asked me how good a shot I was with a bow. I asked why, he told me the story and asked if I were to shoot it out of the tree with just the shaft, did I think it would be hurt? I about died laughing. I told him it would be like launching a telephone pole at it! He was so pissed. He told me he could hear it way up in this big tree talking! Needless to say, the bird was never seen again.