Equipment Advice

Introduction

All bows do not suit all arrows and a perfectly matched set for one Archer may be totally unsuitable for another.

By now you will have learned that there are basically two different types of bows, recurve and compound and that they both come in different lengths and draw weights; arrows differ in diameter and wall thickness and can be either aluminium or carbon construction. We would not recommend wood or fiberglass arrows for serious target archery, nor would we recommend carbon arrows for the beginning archer. Carbon arrows, besides the expense, are very much lighter and very much more sensitive to a less than perfect release. At the shorter distances aluminium arrows very often outscore carbon arrows. In the main, Archery has not ‘gone metric’. Most recurve bow bow weights are rated in pounds at a draw length of 28 inches.

Since people have different draw lengths the performance of the same recurve bow for two Archers may differ substantially. For example, if Archer ‘A’ has a draw length of of only 26 inches he or she will pull a bow rated at 30 lbs(at 28 inches) to perhaps only 27 lbs. When Archer ‘B’ with a longer draw length of say 30 inches draws the same bow, the effective draw weight may increase to 33 lbs. This means that these two archers will most likely need to use different arrows to achieve the best results.

In your visits to the range you may have seen people ‘fiddling about’ with their bows and heard references to nocking points, pressure buttons, tiller and clicker settings, brace and tiller heights, wheel timing, centre shot, etc. etc. These are all factors in bow tuning. Do not let this scare you off, every sport has their intricacies and lingo and before you know it, it will become second nature to you too.

Also to enable you to learn about all this, at your leisure and at home, you can borrow from our book and video loan library. Please see our friendly librarian.



Purchasing Equipment

One of the costliest mistakes the new Archer can make is to rush out and buy an expensive new bow and a set of arrows too quickly, only to find that after shooting for several weeks the equipment turns out to be less than ideal.

This is why we suggest that you use the Club equipment for the first month after joining, at no charge. After one month there will be a minimal charge for the use of Club equipment. If you shoot regularly after completing the Beginner Course you will find that as your technique, experience and strength improves the bow and arrows you started with will not ultimately be suited to you.

There are always members of the Club with equipment for sale, who will be more than happy to let you try it first to see if it suits you. Please check the equipment for sale notice board in the clubhouse for what is currently for sale.

If you choose to buy a bow, arrows and accessories from a retail store or via an advertisement in the paper, don’t hesitate to consult one of our Coaches or other experienced Members prior to purchasing such equipment. Remember that they have no motive for telling you other than what they believe will be in your best interest.

The Compound Bow versus the Recurve (Olympic) Bow

Basically, the recurve or Olympic bow is the only bow, at present, recognised for use at the Olympic Games. Therefore, if you have Olympic aspirations, the Olympic bow is definitely for you.

One of the main differences between these two types of bows is that the compound bow has a mechanical advantage, via levered wheels at the limb tips. e.g. a 50 lb compound with 65% let off means that when drawing the bow the weight will increase rapidly to 50 lbs after which the levered wheels come into play and the weight drops off to a holding weight of some 18 lbs. Whilst a 50 lb recurve would have a holding weight of 50 lbs @ 28 inches. With all the other accessories allowed on compound bows it is generally easier to shoot higher scores. However, make no mistake, to shoot any bow well takes a lot of skill, perseverance and dedication. Also compound archers shoot in different divisions than the Olympic archers. Speak to the various archers about the different types of equipment they use to give you some idea which way you might like to go.