Ch'i

I'm interested in getting into archery, but have no idea what defines a good bow. I'm sure it's different from person to person, but I just want a general idea on what I should look for in the quality of the bow. I remember from highschool archery that I prefer a 25 weight bow, if that helps. Any recommendations or tips would be great. Thanks.

Ch'i

Answered my own question...

Willravel

Glad we could help!

anyaslilbro

I CANNOT stress this enough....

F I N G E R G U A R D S!!!

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Dr. Zorders : "Jerri, I don't think you're hearing what I'm saying!"
Jerri Blank : "That's OK, you're not saying what I'm hearing!"

Ch'i

Finger guards it is

Seaver

Finger guards were never that big a deal for me.... it's the armguard that I stress.

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"Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas

JStrider

when I was younger and not as strong I had to use an arm guard, I think its because I had to completly lock my elbow to hold the bow in the drawn position.

now that I'm stronger I dont keep my elbow locked as completely and I dont need it anymore.


and I never really needed the finger guards... If I was doing a TON of shooting my fingertips would start to get tender... but only if I did 3 or 4 hours in one go...

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-=JStrider=-

~Clatto Verata Nicto

Deltona Couple

You haven't mentioned if you are doing this for recreation or sport(i.e. hunting) Some people prefer a basic recurve(like my brother) Others like the compound bow (me!) Personally I think the recurve is best for hunting, because once drawn, it is much easier to hold than a recurve.

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"It is not that I have failed, but that I have found 10,000 ways that it DOESN'T work!" --Thomas Edison

anyaslilbro

You are lucky then! I have always had the problem of ripping my index and middle fingers to shreds. I do tend to be a little manic about my shooting though (4 to 5 hours at a time)

I really like the recurve bows over the compound ones...something about the fact that I tend to overcompensate for the slackness that occurs when you pull it back all the way.

__________________
Dr. Zorders : "Jerri, I don't think you're hearing what I'm saying!"
Jerri Blank : "That's OK, you're not saying what I'm hearing!"

Ch'i

Well, for now it would be recreational. I'd like to know how to shoot a bow in case I needed to hunt. I very much prefer the traditional bows. I've actually found some that I like, and might purchase.

I'm thinkin' the 56" Bamboo/Yew Wood.

Edit: Maybe the 60"...

anyaslilbro

I have a 58" and it is fantastic!!

__________________
Dr. Zorders : "Jerri, I don't think you're hearing what I'm saying!"
Jerri Blank : "That's OK, you're not saying what I'm hearing!"

Ch'i

58" it is.

Plaid13

I always used to like archery in school but hated the crappy bows and arrows we had to use. Whats one of those fancy looking recurve bows cost? I know i have seen decent compound bows for around $100-$200 Nothing fancy of corse but something useable to entertain myself but i dont like compound bows. Is archery with a recurve a expensive hobby?

Ch'i

Good question; I couldn't find a price on the bows I posted earlier. I'm pretty sure you have to email them. As for arrows, they go anywhere from $35 for 12 to $127 for 12. The carbon arrows are usually the expensive kind, they almost never break though.

jorgelito

Have you thought about joining an archery club?

Ch'i

Never considered that. I have a fairly tight scheduel as of late, but that might be worth looking into. Thank's.

Kensei

Hmm, thats an absolutist point of view, and I would have to disagree. Nothing is "inherantly good" or "inherantly evil" it is all about what you do and why you do it, as well as the effect.

It's very easy to say "this is bad, this is good" but the world is not so black and white, or so easy to compartmentalize. Yes, your saying sounds good, even somewhat prfound, but your dealing in absolutes, and from my experience the only thing that is absolute is that there are no absolutes. There are many shades of gray in-between

blade02

I recommend going to either a local archery club/range or sports shop. The store where I bought my compound bow from was more than happy to help with stuff like correct draw lenght, weight, etc for my size. Now that I've done it for awhile Im a little better at adjusting stuff for myself.

Recurves and longbows dont have as many moving parts, but a bow is still a very personal piece of equipment and I believe you'd do best to buy one in person after trying it out and see how it fits you.

As far as prices go... look up sites like Cabella's or other outdoor/hunting suppliers.

Ch'i

I later attributed "good" to "quality." Words do have more than one meaning, and those alternate meanings are not always in reference to philosophy.

Holy over-thinking Batman.