I can understand your feelings when you want to play Archery but don’t know where to start. From the very beginning, people feel very excited to grab bows and begin to shot but very confused about the types of equipment and measurements. For the first time, when you see that the arrow soars through the air, it looks like magic. Archery is an excellent game with fun and addicting as well. If you want to think about getting a bow and trying to shoot, let me share this page will provide all the information that you can start your shooting as soon as possible.
If you follow the step-by-step overviews, this will be your way, and you must have the best shooting experience that I can say ever.
Why do You want to Learn Archery?
From the beginning, you have to find out why you need to learn Archery. By knowing this, you can get lots of motivation. There are some common forms of Archery.
- Competition target archery
- Bowhunting
- Traditional Archery
- 3d Archery
- Recreational Archery
Each of the Archery types required different equipment types, so you need to confirm which one you want to choose first. If you don’t decide yet, You need to research a little more about which attracts you most. In my opinion, you can try field archery or get a bowhunting bow as I like the most. A bowhunting bow is perfect, and you can use this for competition archery if you prefer to do this. You also practice 3d Archery in the fall season and outdoor Archery in the summer.
1. Know the Measurements
After deciding which types of Archery, you want to practice or play, it’s time to measure. Before buying all kinds of equipment, you need to know some critical measurements. There are some measurement related important factors are here-
- Draw Length: Draw length means how far you draw back your arrow, and it depends on the selection of your bow.
- Draw weight: Draw weight is the tension in the string when you want to pull it back. Generally, it is measured in pounds. However, a good draw weight of do-it-all is 40 lbs. For bowhunting, 40 lbs is the minimum draw weight. It is not too much weight for the target shooter, and this weight is enough for target shooting.
2. Get the Right Size of Bow
When you know the perfect measurement, then you have to buy the first bow. You already get the right idea about the draw weight and the draw length. According to your needs, you need to choose the bow that you need. Commonly most of archer prefers to recurve or compound bow. You can use them in your competition archery and also bowhunting archery. But I always like to use a recurve bow, which is very easy to learn and handle and inexpensive. For providing power, the compound bow uses a system of wheels. In a full draw, the archer’s weight amount is not more than the total draw weight. And the term of the less draw weight is known as the left-off. If the compound bow has 80lbs of weight and at the same time the left off is 85%, that means that the archer can hold only 12lbs. If the measurement is correct, your aim also will be accurate.
On the other hand, most people have excellent knowledge about the traditional bow and the recurve bow. Here the draw weight is measured with the 28 inches of draw length. If the recurve bow has a draw weight of 40 lbs and the string back to 28 inches, the archer can hold 40lbs at that time. The archer always gets significantly less time to aim when the finger is starting to hurt as well. If you can understand all this process, the shooting will be more comfortable for you.
3. Buy the Right Accessories
Except for the bow, you need lots of other things to start your shooting. You need to decide what type of Archery you need to buy and do lots of research to determine the bow you want.
If you got your bow, the following stuff you need to buy at once
- Quiver– During shooting, this is the place where you fix your arrow. There are mainly three quiver types that you need to use, like the back, side, and bow. Among these three types, always use the side one for the competition.
- Arrow- For selecting the arrow, you need to measure the length of the arrow correctly. Generally, the arrow must be 2 inches longer than the draw length that you are using.
- Release aid or the Finger tab- Like a glove, you need to cover only your three fingers, using it to realize the strings. You can get shooting accuracy and can protect your fingers when you use this finger tab. You need to release the aids clip onto the d-loop, which always attaches to the string. By following this process, you can draw back the string without damaging it. You need to activate the trigger mechanism when you are ready to release the arrow. This process may execute a clean and crisp shoot.
- Bow Stringer- Bow stringer makes you bowstring easily every time. With the help of the bowstring sting, you can apply the same force to both of the strings. It can save your bow from damage over time.
4. Chose the Right Targets for Your Bow:
Today, there are many archers, and you can find different types, styles, and brands target to practice. Select the target which is appropriate for your bow and which kinds of Archery you want to play. Most of the targets are made for recurve bows and compound bows but are not suitable for crossbows.
Bag and box type targets, usually used for traditional bow, recurve bow, or compound bow, are very affordable. You can find many costly 3d targets in the market, but besides that, you can also find some cheap targets, or you can make them on your own. Choosing the target depends upon you. In a field, you can shoot on paper. It is very cheap as well. In online, if you look around a little, you can found different quality targets.
5. Choose the Right Place to Shoot:
Already you have selected all of your accessories and gears, and now it’s the perfect time to shoot. I think you must find an archery club near you. Lots of archery pro shops have lanes where you can practice your Archery. Try to join there. Without joining there, you cannot practice your favorite game. You can gather quick experience to shoot the arrow. You can find other archers; you can get lots of tips and tricks regarding this game, and your socialization develops day by day.
Or, on the other side, if you have some space in your home, make some targets there and practice privately. In your background within the local regulation, you can practice. There are lots of 3d archery clubs where you can practice your shooting. If you don’t find any local archery clubs or areas, try to practice at local universities or colleges. Many colleges have indoor and outdoor ranges as well. Take permission and then practice there, you can found their archery team also. Lots of high schools have archery fitness clubs. During the off-hours and weekends, they can permit you to practice there.
Your dominant eye will always use for sitting on your target. The right one is the dominant eye for the right-handed people. If you cannot match your dominant eye and target hand, you have facing trouble during shooting.
6. See Some Videos:
On the youtube channel, you can found lots of Archery-related videos. From time to time, try to watch that videos. That will increase your interest also. You can learn lots of tips, which will improve your accuracy as well. If you are a beginner, you must absorb many techniques that help you practice your Archery. Without any training and completely free, you can gather lots of knowledge related to Archery.
Now, I think everything organizes nicely, and it’s time to practice your aim. When you have a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other, then it’s time to get ready to shoot.
7. Stand Properly:
Now the coach will teach you how you should stand for shooting your bow. You can see a line that indicates the start position. During running, you need to mount on that line. If you do this, you don’t face it directly to the target. If you are right-handed, your left food always should be near to the target. Stand to relax, don’t band your body while shooting.
8. Nock the Arrow:
Be careful when you lift one arrow from the quiver and pick it up at the end of the arrow next to the fletching. Place the other end upon the arrow rest during lifting. At that time, you can see the c- like an extension at the non-pointy end of the arrow. It is known as a nock, and you can use it to snap the knocking point on the bowstring. Generally, this point mark in a bowstring, but you need to set it initially if it’s not. The nocking point always will be the same.
9. Position the Bow Hand:
Always be straight, and don’t bend your bow hand; otherwise, you may get hurt with your bowstring. So it would help if you are relaxed and straight all the time while making your direction. Don’t hold the bow in a tight grip.
10. Position the Draw Hand:
You need to use your three fingers- the middle one, the ring finger, and the index for pulling the bowstring. The little finger and the thumb are keeping inside your hand. Both the middle finger and ring finger in the below position, and the index finger should be above the arrow. It would be better for you while using the finger tab, which will protect your finger from the bowstring in this situation.
11. Pull the String:
Now, without moving the bow hand, you need to pull the string towards your face correctly. During the archery class, the coach will tell you when to stop and when to start. It would help if you kept stopping until it touches the middle of the nose. Pull the string to the further tip of your lips. All these processes will make your shot consistent.
12. Release the Arrow:
It is time to use the arrow’s tip as a place and sight after pulling the tip and let it go where you want to. You need to align the bowstring and the arrow’s tip when you want to aim your target according to your coach’s advice; when you fixed your aim, it’s the proper time to release the arrow. Release the fingers gradually and let the string slide off your fingers.
By fully maintaining all the processes, you can complete your shoot thoroughly. In this way, you can complete your first shot, and you will become an archer as well.
13. Practice More to Develop Skills:
From the very beginning, no one started as an expert. Shooting the arrow which hits the target accurately needs enough practice and patience. To improve your Archery, this is the best way to join any archery club where all the targets are fixing at different distances. When you practice more, you can understand the measurement as well. You can gather lots of tips and understand the technique of how you can give your best shot. There you can compete with others and learn better techniques.
14. Store and Maintain your Equipment:
After finishing your practice, you need to pack up all the necessary accessories you are using as an archer. While you are interested in using a compound bow, you can leave the string attached to the bow for a more extended period. When you don’t use the recurve bow for shooting, you need to release the string from the recurve bow. If you don’t store your equipment correctly, the weather will affect them. So keep all the equipment at an average temperature. Avoid excess moisturizing areas to store your accessories. To store the bowstring, if you see the fuzziness on it, apply some bowstring wax. Always store all the equipment inside the hard cases.
After every shooting, look at them carefully, whether they get any damage or not. If you see the fletching get damage or remove from the arrow, you need to replace them yourself. For this, you can use the fletching glue and jig also.
Conclusion:
Executing a perfect shot needs enough focus. As you know, Archery is a game of focus; any bad shot can make any destructions. From the very beginning, the ancient people are using different types of shots for collecting their food. As a new archer, you cannot learn all the techniques overnight. Take time and patiently practice your journey as an archer.