Ive recently become curious about archery. I dont know much about it though so I thought id make this thread in case some of you are knowledgeable in this area. I have a few main questions. The longbow is what has gotten my attention the most, what is the learning curve like for them? Is it something that with solo practice you can master?
Well I will explain my history with archery. I started with a compound bow with every gadget you coud get sights, stabilizers ....... well I honestly loved it. I was extremely accurate with it. but to where i had to find ways to make harder shots n such during practice to feel like i was trying to improve...I stumbled across a recurve n a yard sale that had looked like it had been in a attic for 30 years. I bought it for like 15 $ no string so I cleaned it up ordered some cheap arrows and a good string and finally got it in. Went out set up bulls eye first shot of course I felt like a bad ass but I continued to shoot for about a hr or so and never came close again it was major beginners luck. I have been with this recurve which was the original one I have had it for about 2 years now and prob since I first picked the recurvve up only have went out with my compound once. I am fairly accurate now no where close to what you can do with a compound but ai like it
Longbow is the way to go in my opinion. It is more rewarding and more fun. Learning curve varies greatly from person to person, some people have "the eye" some take don't at first and it takes them much longer to pick it up. Remember the release is extremely important and do not focus on aiming. it is not like a sighted Compound where you focus on the pin or dot. A longbow is more about feel and it should become an extension of yourself so you do not aim you just intuitively know where the arrow is going to go. I would expect the average fella should be grouping well in a 10 inch circle from 15 yards after a good month of practice. Have fun! It is a blast
I absolutely love archery. It's been a few years since I went to the range, but I was a very active archer as a teenager. I used a longbow. It is very much like an extension of your body like Guerillas said. You can definitely learn it solo, but I am of the mindset that you can learn anything solo. Utilize youtube videos, and maybe splurge on a few private lessons if you can.
Great! Thanks for the info im definitely looking forward to picking this up. I have a fairly large backyard so Im going to set up some practice spots all around. Is there a better/more specific website to order a bow and arrows or would amazon/ebay work? I would like to order a good bow so im not sure if there would be any difference between buying from an archery website or not. The youtube video is a great point i had not thought of! There are youtube videos for everything and they really do help. Thanks for your input Darcy.
Yeah let me know how it goes, if you enjoy it. Maybe post photos of your bow. Suddenly I wish I could take it back up again.
As a beginner you would be better off visiting a local archery store as the bow size and draw weight should be fitted to your size and strength, otherwise you may endup with a bow that doesn't work for you which can be pretty discouraging especially if you do not know why it isn't working for you. Good Luck!
Guerillas has it right. I have been to a State-level archery tournament and using the right bow makes it a hell of a lot more fun. I used a compound bow btw, no attachments.