Bow Stuff
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You are currently reading a thread in /out/ - Outdoors
I want to start in the world of archery with a cheap bow.
Do you know any good model for beginners or a trusted website with world wide shipping.
>>718070
Hey, man.
Figure out what you want to do with the bow, like hunting, bow fishing or some variety of target shooting and decide if you want to shoot compound or some sort of traditional bow.
Ideally, don't buy off a website. Go to an archery pro shop - not a gun shop, outdoors shop, etc that also sells bows. Get your draw length measured, get some sense of the draw weight you're comfortable with and pick out a bow in your price range that ticks your boxes - the staff will help.
Buy decent carbon arrows that are correctly spined for you and your bow, which the staff can also help with.
As far as models go, if you want a recurve, the go-to beginner bow is the Samick Sage. If you want a compound, cheapest decent bow is maybe a PSE Stinger, but the bows get better the more you're willing to spend.
>>718113
awesome answer!, thanks, I guess the Samick Sage is more than enough for me now.
Progress report:
On a low brace I'm at 40# at 20"
Any input?
>>718113
This. Always go to a shop! Its worth the extra money
>>718674
Jesus man, long at 40# at 20"?
>>720830
That was just while tillering.
It's final weight is ~43# at 27"
I'd recommend going to a club, using their bows and trying to learn how to shoot before you buy anything. Figure out if you enjoy it first and what you enjoy before dropping $300 on something you might hate.
>>718674
Look up Bowbacking, i use deer hide to back my bows, they become a lot stronger and have a longer life span.
>>721372
This is my first bow so I went the cheap and easy route and used that fiberglass drywall tape
So in practice any wood is good enough to make some sort of working bow, right?
Just get the wood without much flaws, shape it, string and till it.
>>718674
Nice. I've got a board I've been meaning to turn into a bow for over a year now lol. I should get the fuck on that.
>>721994
some are more stiff/brittle than others. from what i've read, osage and yew are pretty good. Red oak is kinda stiff. pine is shit.
The best thing is to back your bow with something that can handle alot of tension and keep splinters from rising, then most woods will work.
...from what i've read
Here's my longbow finally done. Feels good
It shoots left though. Not sure if didn't cut the arrow shelf in enough, if my cheapo fiberglass arrows have the wrong spine, or if it's user error.
>>722081
Yep pine is shit, made one 2 years ago and the damn thing exploded on the 30th arrow. Looked pretty though.
>>725764
This is one i made from a soft wood tree, it tends to want to stay in a bowed shape which is not good for wooden bows. Also any bow except compound should be unstrung when not in use less the material's begin to warp and you lose power/life span. All the bows i make are from the trees i cut down on my property.
>>725772
This is some white wood that grows on property, strong as hell but easy to split. I gave it a natural reflex when it was still a stave. Been over a year now, i still haven't finished making it. Going to put some raw hide backing on it to ensure it doesn't split from the tillering.
>>718070
Recurve: Samick Sage
Compound w/o letoff: Genesis
Compound w/ Letoff: Mission Craze
>>725777
Looks like it's coming out pretty good.
Also, nice trips.
just make it yourself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLoukoBs8TE
>>725777
keep us posted
I actually own a Samick Sage and they're fun as all hell to shoot, very versatile, and decent quality. You can change the limbs out for a lower or higher draw strength, they have a mount on the front for stabilizers, bowfishing kits, even go pros. They cost like $159 USD and it's worth it to get into recurves.
>>718113
>bow fishing
wot
>>727273
yeah dude
I have a question: How is the stress on the body during archery?
I assume that one side of the body will get much more stress than the other?
Hi guys! I have a few questions I am hoping you can help me with...
>What do I do if I don't have an archery shop near me?
>How are those "bows" you wear on your wrist? ( images related; a cheap one from Walmart's website )
>Can anybody tell me what the differences is between level 1/2/3 coaches? I was looking up ranges, instructors and clubs using www.usarchery.org and noticed most of the clubs in my area were for youth only. I then went to find instructors in my area only to find the are classed by 1/2/3 but no information ( to my knowledge ) was offered as to the differences in level.
>>725766
Nothing wrong with getting a refurbished old bow, but I guess the argument for new bows is how much the technology's advanced in recent years. The difference is obviously the biggest in the flagship bows, but at $500 and below you're still seeing bows that can do 320-325 fps, modules adjustable for all common draw lengths plus less obvious stuff (different riser construction etc), or useful stuff for beginners like 20+ # of adjustability in draw weight.
The old bows still definitely do the job (my first bow was a round-wheel), it's just a matter of weighing things up.
>>729092
It depends on draw weight, your back and arm muscles and how much you're shooting (and with a compound bow, how smooth or stiff the draw cycle is).
I shoot a fast compound bow with a stiff draw cycle at 60# and I really start to feel shots 60-90 in a target round for instance, but up until then it's pretty good. If I was shooting say a 45# bow with a smoother draw cycle, it'd be a lot easier.
You use both sides of the body, just differently. At full draw, you're basically squeezing your shoulder blades together in the lead up to making the shot.
>>718113
What about the Ragim Wildcat?
The Samick Sage is not available in my country, I would have to import it from the states, but the Ragim seems comparable, at least for someone with no idea about archery.
>>729743
I've heard Ragim bows are pretty good for the money and by the looks, the wildcat does pretty much everything a sage does, being a wooden takedown recurve. I had a look on their site and it looks like the limbs available for the wildcat max out at 40#, which shouldn't be a problem for a little while if you're just starting out (and shouldn't be a problem ever if you're not planning on hunting larger game animals).
I'm a compound shooter, but i'm kind of tempted to buy a ragim black bear.
>>729776
Thanks for the feedback.
I don't think hunting larger game will ever become a problem, I wanted to pick up archery mainly as hobby
>>729788
All good.
Just so you know (just in case), you'll want to get your arrows fletched with feathers if you want to shoot off the shelf of your bow - you'll need to put a flipper rest (which come pretty cheap) on there if you want to shoot arrows with synthetic vanes.
Arrow spine is pretty vital shooting any kind of trad bow, so I'd recommend looking into that as well as recurve set-up and tuning your arrows. Youtube isn't a bad place to start for all that. On arrow tuning, you won't have an arrow saw so you'll probably be best off getting your shafts cut to draw length + 1" or something like that and tuning by changing point weight rather than cutting shaft length (that'll make sense when you get your head around tuning).
okay so today i was shooting my 55 lb compound bow at about 40 yards. and i decided to grab an old arrow that had two vains starting to peel off so i took them both off and decided to see how it would go with just one vain....
it was more accurate and flew straighter than any of my other arrows and this was a cheap shitty no brand carbon arrow.
Experienced archer here.
Target+Flight
Gonna teach you about REAL longbows, ie English and Welsh warbows, and their European predecesors.
On the left my new tri lam warbow (Back:Hickory, Core:Wenge, Belly:Lemonwood) 100#@28", 120#@32"
Currently under braced as I'm shooting it in and building up strength, pulling around 90#@28".
On the right my filthy old Osage Orange selfbow : 70#@28"
Starting to torsionally twist out on the bottom limb at full draw which is scary as fuck though so not ahooting it much.
>>730154
Unstrung new bow, has a little cast, but not terrible.
Next to it my arrows currently in progress, 1/2" tapered to 3/8" (from ~30%mark to nock )
Gonna have 7 1/4" fletchings, silk bindind and round, 1/2" target points.
Self nocked with horn inserts. Done a few sets before, had a guide to my last set archived from /diy/
Only made one bow before, gave it to my mum, Ash ELB, ~20#@28", shoots suprisingly well with the matched arrows I made her... would post but they have her name on them :(
Plan on making some more soon, had some pretty shitty english yew, but got a couple of good back pieces from the sap, planning on doing a Yew Sap, Hickory bow later this year, if I can get it, with a lemonwood belly.
>>729092
As other people have said, depends n draw weight. If your not already crippled or mega underweight, working up to any recurve / trad bow upto 40# wont make a difference. Compounds(training wheels) have "let off" meaning you only hold around 10-20% of the full draw weight, so other than building right biceps up a little, makes fuck all diference to your body.
100#+ true bows do fuck with your body a bit. Richard III was 'hunchbacked' due to it. But look up Joe Gibbs, he shoots 175# ( and reportedly once 215#) bows regularily and just looks teaditionally built. Mark Stretton, Ben Johnson etc all shoot similar region, though they are bigger lads to be fair.
It's fucking my back a bit, but i hadnt shot in a few months when i started and my work has also added very awkward manouvering and lifting, so its hard to tell if its the archery to blame.
Tl;dr
Yes at 100#+
No below, so long as you work there. I suggest starting at 25# - even if you can do 35#, bad habits develop easily and virtually cant be lost, learn technique at 25#, go in around 4-8# jumps up to your desired draw weight, with at least 500 arrows between each jump.
>>729130
>>travel
>>trolling
Its a fucking slingshot.
Bows store mechanical energy in bent limbs using tensioned, non-stretching strings. That uses a rubber band to shoot 5g metal pellets 25yrds. World record distance for a bow shot is over a mile.
>> britfag. No idea. But we also have level1/2/3, essentially, alot more paperworky shit fir 2&3, anyone with 5+years of experience & lvl 1 is qualified enough.
>>725764
Pine can only be used if its the right pine, and the bow profile is right and liw poundage.
Bottom of the bough from scandanavian pine, especially coastal is best (or so i am instructed )
Ideally dont use it at all.
Yew (European and American) is very good
Osage Orange (terrible handshock though)
Hackberry (US wood? Never seen it here before)
Hickory
Wychhazel
Elm (esp scandanavian)
American Ash (though bear in mind the belly wood develops chrysals easily and develops string follow and breaks very easily)
Other woods are good of course aswell, but often only in lams, and can be more expensive, tho there are many other selfbow woods
>>730184
Will be monitoring this thread.
In the meantime , the archived thread.
https://warosu.org/diy/thread/754810
This was actually 2 sets ago, and i disliked the end result alot. 11/32" points snap off of 1/2" arrows too easy.
Here's my current ones ( werent bad, but litterally only 6 left)
Pic left to right;
Point pusher
Finger Glove&Bracer (note, no glove needed for bowhand, bow is set up to avoid slicing fingers )
Arrows
Fag/lighter for scale purposes only
Arrows/quiver, very cheap quiver, but leather and pretty decent! (Back one modified for hip use because back quivers make you look like an utter eejet)
>>730199
Also, on linked archived thread;
Dark colour is from burning when tapering. Causes serious issues, old man rebuilt the jig with a dust spacer on the bottom of the bars using square section ally tube rather than wood.
Works like a beaut now.
>>730168
>Richard III was 'hunchbacked' due to it.
He was verified as heaving scoliosis from birth though. Must've done some pretty advanced archery in the womb :)
>>730208
Fair call. That was the theory up untill his remains were found - hadn't looked at it since, seems like your right.
>>730199
That pic with the carbon arrow is nasty. What happened there?
>>730154
For self bows, how bad is using the step-through stringing method compared to using a stringer?
I have a stringer but the step-through is so damn convenient
>>730351
Depends how theyre nocked
If it has a protruding horn nock, it unevenly applies pressure through the glue joint, pushing with a large moment on the belly side and ripping at the back side. I broke £470 worth of longbow this way - took a national champ title from me, was working on a streak aswell.
The bow I've made, and all future bows, have/ will have a pretty top nock and a flat bottom one; ie flat piece of horn, (1" wide arrow nock piece) boiled/steamed for a while to make it soft, glue on the wood, ziptie/clamped over the bottom end. File&sand to shape after.
There are ways to get around it with normal longbow nocks, but not always 100%, Id always suggest using a stringer on longbows (english style, american doesnt matter)
Also note, always hold the top limb as far up as possible, and ideally use the pull, rather than push technique.
If for a 68", >35#, I just hold the tips and pull them in dropping the riser down, and get someone else to slide the string. I can inly do this due to relevant strength (not built, but archery experience, as mentioned, I shoot relatively heavy bows, nothing mega though)
Only on cheap bows though - its just not worth it just in case. I'd suggest using a stringer always. Make/get a better one of a different style if it annoys you.
What kind of bow is it?
Pics?
>>730318
Compound carbon fell of off rest, possibly hit the bow after loose , went into hand. If they hit anything hard, they can either shatter or splinter like this. Either way, incredibly dangerous and painful.
Carbons have a place, and are totally safe when used properly. If you have never had proper training, however good you think you are, your technique is likely shit. Technique keeps you safe when shooting carbons - over draw is how this happens. No point shooting carbons anyway unless theyre decent, no point spending decent money unless you're decent.
Note, carbon can splinter and create swarf like objects, but the body doesn't push them out like wood or metal, so they continue to be painful and dangerous, and can't be detected by xray.
Fuck all carbons anyway, you want a skinned one, fmj's are the bomb.
Hi guys!
I was looking at Ragim's website considering a bow and couldn't figure out how to tell if I was the right height or whatnot when I stumbled across [image related]. Does that have anything to do with getting fit for a bow and if so how do I tell what that all means? I was thinking of buying their "archery set" ( http://www.ragim.org/product/beginners-bows/archery-set ) under their beginner's category; costs about $175 on Amazon ) but I'm hesitant to make a purchase until I know if I'm a match for it or not.
>>730533
Pic failed to load. Here it is, I hope...
>>730533
That has nothing to do with your physical height - brace height is the distance between the string and the pivot point in the grip (i.e. the bit that's contoured in) when the bow's strung. Different models of bow have different recommended brace heights, which is what you've found.
What you want to do is find out what your draw length is (which roughly corresponds to height) and go find a chart which gives you correct bow length for a given draw length and order based on that.
> 2016
> not making your own bow
>>718070
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEG-ly9tQGk
Stop what you're doing and watch this video, before you make any of the wrong decisions or buy into the hype that is modern archery. Lars Andersen has studied the actual historical texts that warrior archers learned from, and compiled a style created from accurate, practicality driven teachings. Modern archers will want to load you up with all kinds of compounds bows, sights, quivers, carbon fiber arrows, etc. These are all generic consumer products that will not actually help you grow as an archer, rather hinder you by building bad habits and reliance on them.
Seriously, don't fall into the modern myths of archery, the study is changing and Lars is leading the way, following him is following thousands of years of far more effective archers than we can hope to become today.
>>731703
pls stop
>>731725
Seems like she's wrong and everyone sees it but biased fags.
hey guys is there an easyish fix for fletching arrows without a jig?
Gonna have my first lesson in archery tomorrow. Anyone got some tips what are obvious signs of a good or bad archery teacher?
>>731739
Lars lies throughout his video. A number of his stunts are pre set up, and whilst he does shoot accurately, fast and gymnastically, following excessive practice, his techniques are only possible due to the low draw weight of the bow (he never fully draws, so its half whatever he says it is)
He takes snippets of text out of context, when the previous passages contradict it, and uses select evidence whwn the majority contradicts it.
>>733476
If you shake at full draw, poundage is too high, a good teacher would start lower to get good technique in first
>>733482
he's pretty much a bow magician. He is entertaining and good at what he does, but there's alot of smoke and mirrors going on
>>733488
Most of the complaints I have seen haven't been about what he does anyway - they all admit that he is good at trickshots.
It's about his ridiculous claims and saying that everyone but him is doing it wrong.
I got tired of not having a quiver so I made one today. Black Lodge style
>>731725
The comments on these videos make me want to kill myself. So much fucking ignorance from people who like to think they know what they're talking about. Lars is a good shooter and he is good at handling a bow, but his style is ineffective, impractical, inconsistent and weak compared to historical combat and hunting archery. Half of his claims about technique and equipment are retarded. Shooting to kill and hunt is not about how fast you can shoot pissy weak little arrows out of your half-drawn low poundage bow at targets ten meters away. Ah well. Doesn't really matter at the end of the day if he has misinformed the public, 99% of those people will never even pick up a bow.
How do you all feel about crossbows? I recently found both the PSE TAC Elite and the PSE TAC 15 Ordnance ( both discontinued but highly praised crossbows ) new in the box and I'm thinking of making a purchase before somebody else scoops them up. At about $800-$1000 they are just at the end of my pricerange and I'm hoping somebody here can give me advice on selecting a crossbow. Pic related.
>>734007
maybe ask /k/ as well. not sure how many crossbow folk are on here
>>734007
If you plan to hunt with one be aware of your local regulations. In some places unless you are disabled they are regarded as modern firearms for hunting purposes. Not sure how the AR-15 ones would be regarded in places where crossbows don't explicitly count as modern firearms.
Hopefully you've done some research and are aware of the advantages and disadvantages of those two compared with more traditional crossbow designs.
So as far as personal feelings go, do what you want to do, half the kids here get butthurt if you shoot anything other than traditional but everyone anywhere will smirk at
>tactical crossbow
if that matters.
>>734232
I have. I'd have to say the biggest pro to this crossbow is the crank on the receiver that not only makes loading easier but actually allows you to uncock the crossbow safely/without damaging it without having to fire it to do so. The biggest disadvantage seems to be the size of the crossbow; being bigger than a lot of others on the market.
oh god how did these get here i am not good with bow
>>731934
No
A jig at canadian tire is like 40 bucks.
>>731934
Yes.
>>735937
This. Dunno about Canadian tire, but the Decut jig sold by multiple outlets between £17-25 is very, very good. Many tweaking options, very solid build.
Have managed to modify mine to take fletchings upto 11" from the nock (so i could put on 7 1/4" feathers starting 1-2" from the nock.
They are excellent. Worth every penny. Although for small vanes, theres plans for a laser cut plastic one online that seems pretty amazing. Does 3 at once, and is very simple.
