by Jackson | Dec 8, 2014 | Archery Education
Many many years ago I started down the instinctive archery route and was surprised how I’ve never really looked back. I’ve always enjoyed getting out and shooting, but it’s not always just about hitting a target that matters. It’s about how you do it that matters. Being able to hit a 3D target bullseye from 2 yards with nothing but a bow, an arrow, and your eyes has an awesome feeling to it.
I know that when you start-up instinctive shooting of any kind that there’s a learning curve that you’ve got to get over. In fact, it’s not too hard to get out there and make a one-off shot and think you got it. That’s a piece of cake for most people. If you want to be hitting tight groups of arrows over and over then I can help you with that too.
Check out the instinctive archery course to get good fast.
Tips for instinctive archery help
Shooting good doesn’t need to be extremely challenging and can be tailored to a person of any age and ability. With that in mind, let’s focus on beginners and helping them out to get better results quicker.
Stand very close to the target.
Everyone wants to feel like Robin Hood, but you’ll FEEL BETTER if you learn to make a good shot at a very close range first. Put the target about 7 to 10 feet away and no further. There’s two really good reasons for this. The first is that you’re more likely to hit the target and get closer to a bull’s eye each time. The second is that you’re less likely to miss and that means you don’t have to go hunting for arrows or have them broken from hitting things.
Spend some time learning
I know it’s not the most fun, but even a short 10 minutes of instruction will go a very long way and make you a better shooter from the beginning. I shouldn’t laugh, but it’s pretty funny to watch someone who has no knowledge pretend that they don’t need any help or instruction stand up with a bow and look like a Lego character with no arms. Be okay with being a beginner. You don’t have to spend weeks on end reading and watching videos, but a few minutes here and there will make you better and that means you’ll enjoy the sport and you’ll be more likely to stick with it if you’ve invested some time in yourself.
Buy extra arrows
Arrows are projectiles shot at a high-speed. They break and parts on them break. Plan on it. Buy lots of arrows, not just 3, and when you’ve either lost or broken half of them in the first 20 minutes, you’ll thank me for helping you have a better experience. Yes they can be expensive, but there’s a lot of different types of arrows out there. You can easily go through tons of arrows if you’re shooting at too long of a distance or if you aren’t hitting the target properly. The other tips I’ve mentioned will help you with all of this. Seriously, buy extra arrows because you’ll want them, need them, and find you’ll shoot them all.
Have a bow release aid
Get a glove, tab, or anything to protect your drawing hand. You will make your fingers hurt like crazy if you don’t take care of them. This also goes for an arm guard to protect your forearm that’s holding the bow. It’s going to get painful very quickly if you don’t start of protecting them from the beginning. Sure you can take a few shots bare handed if you want, but if it’s more than 2 or 3, then you’ll want to protect your fingers. It’ll let you shoot more and more often.
These few tips will go a long way to making sure that you have a much better shooting experience from the beginning in instinctive archery shooting. You don’t have to listen to me, but you’ll have a better experience if you do.
I do offer an instinctive archery course that will help you shoot great very quickly.
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by Jackson | Sep 23, 2014 | Reviews
There’s a certain elegance and joy shooting a one piece wooden longbow that gives you great satisfaction and just feels good. I have shot a PSE Sequoia for years and I’ve really enjoyed it. It might not be a custom bow, but when you’re interested in a traditional longbow, you either end up with one of three things. A beginner bow that is very weak, a mid range mass-produced bow that is a solid and very good bow, or a very expensive custom handmade bow. Today, I want to talk about that mid range where you want more than a beginner bow, but you don’t want to throw down several more hundred dollars for a custom handmade bow that may or may not be what you’re looking for.
The bows here are some of my favorite mid range, mass-produced, one piece wooden longbows. These aren’t beginner bows, these are the real thing with heavier draw weights that pack a huge punch and are real weapons. Most are around 40-55 pounds, well at least that’s what it’ll be rated for at 28 inches. What you’ll actually be pulling back will depend on your draw length. So let’s get started.
5 great wooden longbows
October Mountain Products Ozark Hunter Longbow – This smooth shooting traditional styled longbow. The grip isn’t too big and it comes unwrapped, so you can do that if you want it. The laminated woods make it look and shoot like a custom-made bow. Be sure to check your packaging for the bow-string as some people haven’t gotten a string with the bow. A quick call will fix that problem. Draw weights for this bow are between 35-50. This is an excellent bow and priced around $220-280, you get a smooth shooting high quality bow.
Bear Archery Montana 64 Longbow – The first thing you might notice about this bow is how light it is. It may be light, but it sure is strong. It shoots arrows smoothly and quietly with its FastFlight string. The reflex deflex design really help lower the weight of the bow while still maintaining excellent power. The draw weights range between 50 to 60 lbs. Priced around $350-400, this is an excellent high quality bow that works very well.
PSE Wolverine Bow
– The dark finish on this bow plus the thicker riser gives you a solid and powerful design that is a offers a very strong bow. This bow can handle long draw lengths easily, which is a huge problem for many archers. There is a big logo on the bow, but that doesn’t affect its performance. This bow has draw weights between 35-60 and is priced around $200 which makes it an affordable and excellent choice for a mix of quality and price.
Martin Archery Savannah Stealth Longbow
– A beautiful wood grain finish complements the power and speed that this bow delivers. It’s a top of the line bow and feels much more like a custom bow than a mass-produced one. Don’t forget to buy a pad for the arrows shelf, that’s about the only thing missing. The reflex design on this bow really helps it store a lot of power and it delivers as a very high quality bow. Draw weights are from 40-65 and it’s priced around $420 to $550.
OMP Sierra Longbow
–Â October Mountain Products Sierra 68″ Longbow for the classic longbow archer with an eye on quality. The Sierra is of high quality and crafted from maple and walnut woods, with a custom finish. Features clear fiberglass limbs with reinforced limb tips. Available in your choice 45 or 50-lb. draw weights. Priced around $250
These bows are real power houses and make no mistake, these are not toys and they’re also not beginner bows either. I always recommend trying out bows in person at first. A traditional bow has a personality and feel, much like an old car, and you’ll find that certain bows match you perfectly. I wish you the best in finding your ideal bow.
Some of these links go to Amazon so you can check out the product and make your own decision. These are good products and you can read all the reviews on Amazon as well to help you decide what you would like.
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by Jackson | Jun 24, 2014 | Archery Education
Are you interested in archery? Would you like to know what the difference is of a recurve bow vs a compound bow. It really is a good question and you know that you’re smart just by beginning in the right place to get information.
The purpose of this article is to help you figure out the differences between traditional archery and compound bows. I’m going to cover the pros and cons of each as well as some of the best uses and practices to go with them. The entire field of archery is pretty big and you’ll find bows and setups especially made for certain applications.
I want you to be able to know the difference of a recurve vs compound so that you can make the best decision for you. It’s important and you don’t want to waste your time or money pursuing down the wrong lane just because you don’t know.
We’ll start with the things that are the same, then the recurve bow, and follow with the compound bows.
Start by asking the right questions
The most important thing to consider when you want to know about differences in types of bows is what the purpose is. Don’t buy one or the other without knowing what you plan to do with it. Here are some good questions to answer so you pick the best bow for the application.
What do I want to shoot? – This is really important. If you want to shoot olympic archery,go bowfishing, or do historical reenactments. These all require something very different.
How much time do I have to practice? – You’ll need to practice either way. Shooting a traditional bow typically takes more time to reach the same accuracy if shot instinctively.
Am I trying to learn a skill or learn how to use a tool? Typically a skill is something that you plan to do repeatedly and quite often. A tool is something that you can set up and learn the basics and then come back and use it the same way after a long time away. If you’ll spend a long time away for whatever reason, most people prefer a compound that can be tuned and put in storage when needed.
How important are art and aesthetics? This is a very personal choice and quite subjective. It’s also the main place where people argue and decide on what they like best. I’ll keep this part short and let you make up your own mind.
Do I want to go to archery competitions? You normally will have to fit certain requirements for archery competitions with what you’re shooting. If there’s only one kind of competition around, then it’ll matter.
Similarities between a recurve and a compound
There are some things that are the same for both a compound bow and a traditional bow so let’s start there.
- Both types of bows have a strength good enough for hunting.
- Both types of bows MUST BE TUNED PROPERLY. Shooting a setup that isn’t tuned properly will give poor results no matter what you’re shooting.
- They only shoot good if you shoot good. No amount of technology makes up for poor performance.
- Both types of bows have versions where you can add accessories to help you shoot better. Examples: bow sights, stabilizers.
- Price is the same – You can spend just as much on a good recurve as you do on a good compound.
Recurve Bow Pros and Cons
Here’s a one piece wooden laminate recurve bow.
A recurve bow is a bow that has no mechanical leverage other than the design of it’s shape. Some of the main pros for this type of bow are.
Pros
- Variable draw length – You only need to draw this bow back as far as you want. The weight will increase the farther back you draw it. It is possible to overdraw a bow, but most of the time, this isn’t a problem.
- Variable draw weights – Takedown bows offer the ability to change the draw weight be exchanging the limbs of the bow. One piece designs do not offer the ability to change draw weights.
- One piece and breakdown designs available – Take down designs are extremely mobile and pack into a small space. One piece designs are very rugged and are minimal on maintenance.
- Artistic and elegant experience – Most people, myself included, agree that there is a mental and artistic experience that is better experienced through a traditional bow.
- Better suited for instinctive shooting – Through a better connection to the bow and type of experience, most instinctive shooters choose a traditional bow. This also means that knowing the distance to a target is not important.
Cons
- Effective distance – The effective distance for both accuracy and power are much shorter for most people with a traditional bow.
- Amount of time bow can be held at full draw – A recurve bow is only held at full draw for a few seconds, like 2-3 seconds. You hold the full weight of the bow at full draw.
- Needs more consistent practice – A traditional bow needs more practice to shoot to a high degree of accuracy.
Compound bows Pros and Cons
Here’s a Bowtech Admiral bow with a great sideview so you can see all the parts.
Pros
- Mechanical advantage for higher draw weight – A compound bow offers the ability to shoot an 80 pound (this is the symbol #) draw weight with about the same effort it would take to draw back a 50# traditional bow. That’s a rough guide, but that’s how it is for me.
- Faster arrow speed – An arrow from a compound bow typically flies in the ranges of 300 feet per second (FPS) and above. Traditional bows are around 140-160 FPS.
- Let off of bow weight at full draw – Following my example of a compound bow at 80# draw weight. The bow at full draw feels like holding a 35# bow.
- Extended amount of time at full draw – The reduced weight at full draw lets you hold the arrow ready to shoot for a much longer time. For me, it’s about 30 – 45 seconds normally.
Cons
- Less forgiving if out of tune – A compound bow is much more complex and with all that, it’s important to keep all the moving parts in tune otherwise the entire thing will have problems.
- Shoots lighter arrows – At short distances, less than 20 yards, this isn’t a problem. BUT, most compound shooters will venture out to at least 70 yards and lighter arrows are more easily affected by the elements and everything else, so you need better shooting conditions and a clear shooting lane for these types of shots.
- Requires more tools – The modular design of most compound bows means that you’re going to be using more tools and using many different parts. It’s also why if you choose a compound bow for starters, I’d completely recommend a Ready To Shoot package like the PSE Stinger
The last thing I want to mention is also really good to know.
It’s okay to get both. It’s okay to change your mind. It’s more important to get started than it is to sit around and talk about all the tiny little things that don’t matter at all until you actually have a bow.
To your skillful success.
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by Jackson | Jun 18, 2014 | Choosing a bow
When you want to choose the best recurve bows for beginners, you need to get your facts straight. Choosing the best recurve bow can be a matter of opinion and function and everything else. It really depends on who you ask. I’m going to give you my best answer for a good beginner recurve that can be used and upgraded without having to get another recurve.
My thoughts for a great recurve for beginners means that the bow should be able to work as it comes. The bow also needs to have the choice to attach sights and any other extras you might want. I prefer a take down design as well because you can change the poundage without having to get a new bow, you just get new limbs. Most of these bows are less expensive which makes it an even better deal for getting your first one. You get the best of any direction you choose to go in.
Here’s what a takedown bow looks like. It’s just 3 pieces plus a bow string.
All of these bows will be great starter bows. I chose these because you can add attachments and upgrade the limbs as needed. You’ll still have to buy arrows and any other extras, but these will last a long time and can upgrade as you want. Most of these don’t come with any extras so you’ll need to get your own arrows, targets, and everything else. The name of each bow is a link that goes to Amazon so you can check them out for yourself.
The 5 best recurve bows for beginners
Samick Sage Takedown – Probably the all around best recurve bow for beginners. This Samick has a right and left hand version with different strength limb options for you to choose from. Hard maple limbs with black fiberglass make for an excellent looking and shooting bow. This bow can grow with you by just buying new limbs as you want. This is the best bow for the price at around $135 -145.
Martin Archery Jaguar – This bow is a great affordable option that you can use as is. It comes with a bow stringer and a flipper shelf rest. A lot of people replace the arrow rest and bow stringer, but after these two small parts, everything else on this bow works great and shoots smoothly. Priced around $190-200, you get a very good bow that will last very well.
PSE Razorback – The Razorback is an excellent bow to check out. With the lowest price in the group, it’s an excellent choice for those on a limited budget. The wood riser looks beautiful and it’s actually pretty solid for what you are getting. The limbs are offered between 20-35 pounds so everyone will find something for target shooting. Priced around $110-120.
Bear Archery Bullseye
– A very simple and good recurve featuring a wooden riser and laminate limbs. I couldn’t find a left hand version of this bow, so i linked to the right hand version. This bow comes in three weights and shoots great off the shelf. I’ll easily shoot this one any time. Priced around $140-190.
OMP Adventure
– This recurve gets little credit, but is a really good recurve bow for beginners. It’s sturdy and has a few options for different weighted limbs. I will admit that the options listed for this one is more confusing, but you just have to read through all the descriptions for it to make more sense. Definitely worth the look. Priced around $120-130 including shipping.
These are all very good recurve bows for beginners, but I just want to make sure and say it again. You’ll need to spend a little time making sure you look around and always, and I mean always, try to shoot these at a store if possible. You can order it online later if it’s a better deal, but at least you’ll know that you like it. If you have no access to a store or anything, I’d go with the Samick Sage most of the time.
These links go to Amazon so you can check out the product and make your own decision. These are good products and you can read all the reviews on Amazon as well to help you decide what you would like.
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by Jackson | May 19, 2014 | Archery Education
There’s something really special about shooting your bow and making the arrow go where you want it to. When you’re shooting a traditional setup, there’s a very special connection and fun feeling that always draws you back to shooting again.
All that fun stuff being said, it’s also the absolute picture of disgust at the beginning when things are all awkward. You try shooting with those things called hands and the arrows fly, hopefully, in the direction of the target. Getting over this beginning phase and feeling more confident will make you enjoy things so much more and that’s where you want to get to.
Archery statue
My traditional archery tips
Stand close to the target – Your pride has no place in the beginning, or ever really, so get closer to your target. When I started shooting traditional, I stood about 5 yards from the target, even when I was shooting 3D targets at the archery club with a bunch of experienced shooters. You know what I didn’t have to do? I didn’t have to spend a lot of time looking for arrows and pretending that I was as good as everyone else. They also respected my honesty a lot and that helped in making friends.
Practice proper form shooting – Form shooting is where you go stand in front of a target and don’t worry about hitting the same point on the target. You focus entirely on your actions and movements being the same each time. What you are trying to do is get your arrows to group in one spot. This helps to tell you that you are doing the same movements the same way each time. Getting the same results to happen over and over will help you develop better accuracy in the long run.
Five shots a day – If you want to shoot instinctive, there is no shortcut other than practice. You don’t have to make it a big deal though. Most of the time, you feel like you need to shoot for an hour each time you get your bow out. This is simply not true. Try shooting only 5 arrows per day at your house. You can do this in about 15 minutes or less and it will work wonders on your instinctive shooting skills. Shoot from a different place each shot to work on your instinctive skills.
Practice meditation or focusing – It might sound funny at first, but the mental aspect of archery is huge so it would be a bad idea to ignore it. You’ll find that learning to control your mind and what you’re thinking about will significantly affect every shot. You need to do this for every single shot and you’ll find that the more distracted you are, the worse you’ll shoot.
Create a pre shot routine – Before every shot you take, you’ll find yourself doing the same things. This is the pre shot routine. It’s what you do to get your mind and body in the right state to make the best shot possible. It’s actually very important to make this consistent and something that you always do. All professionals have a routine that they go through to prepare for their sport and you should do the same.
There are a lot more traditional archery tips out there and in fact there have been many books written with several of them. I just want to point out some good things to be aware of. You can also read my 5 tips for increasing archery accuracy to get some more information.
Shoot straight
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