Archery is one of the oldest shooting sports, yet it ranks high in participation among both genders and youth. More and more women each year are joining the archery shooter statistics. Before you go out and buy a bow, the following should help to make your purchase a success for you at the range or in the bow stand.
As with most shooting and hunting equipment, proper fit is one of the most important aspects. Before purchasing a bow, you should get measured for length of pull and draw weight. Many companies have bows available for women and youth that are more compact for smaller stature and a lighter draw weight.
You don’t want too light of a draw weight if you’re going to use the bow for hunting, because the lighter the draw weight, the less kinetic energy in the released arrow and the less impact on your target. On the other hand, you don’t want the draw weight set so high that you can’t get the bowstring pulled back. Bows are designed that the draw weight can be adjusted up or down. It’s a good idea to start at a lower weight. Practice several days at the lower weight then adjust the weight up in five-pound increments over the next few weeks to a weight that you can comfortably pull back.
The next important issue is the length of pull. Most bow shops have a measuring tool to determine the length your arrows should be. They will have you pull the bow back and obtain a reading off the arrow tool while in a drawn position. When the arrow is nocked, which means that the nock end will be placed on the string and the front of the arrow is placed on the arrow rest, the tip end of the arrow should extend about an inch beyond the arrow rest. If too short, it could be drawn too far back and fall behind the rest.
Most bow manufacturers offer bow combo packages, which will include the bow, sight, arrow rest, quiver, stabilizer bar and wrist sling. This is the most economical, especially for beginning archers. The accessories included are very basic, yet are really all you need to get started shooting.
Some bow sights are equipped with fiber optic pins that are very visible and can be set for different yardages you want to be able to shoot. I would recommend you have a bow tech insert a peep sight in your bowstring. When the bow is drawn back, you’ll look through the peep sight and align with the pin set for whatever yardage you are shooting.
The quiver is attached to the bow for easy arrow access. It has a quick-detach mounting bracket should you want to take it off when moving through the woods or if you want to hang it in your stand.
Stabilizer bars are designed to balance the weight of the bow when shooting. The Limbsaver stabilizer bar features a high-quality noise and vibration design with a dampening material that takes the shock out of shooting your bow.
When shooting the bow, your stance should be perpendicular to the target, with your feet about shoulder width apart. This is not always a possible position when in a tree stand, but as you practice, you’ll learn to adjust for different scenarios. It’s also important when shooting from a bow stand to bend at the waist and not at the shoulders.
Many archers use a release for pulling the bowstring back and releasing the arrow. You can also use your fingers for this same mechanism. If using fingers, place three fingers below the nock, place the string on the tips of the fingers just before the first joint, pull back and release fingers simultaneously.
The wrist strap that is usually included in the combo packages attaches to the riser of the bow and slips around your wrist. This enables you to hold the bow out in a drawn position with your hand open, eliminating the possibility of gripping the bow when shooting. Gripping the bow can cause you to torque the bow to one side or another, thus not shooting from a level position. As you release the string, the bow will fall forward, which is what it should do, and the wrist strap will keep you from dropping the bow.
Archery shooting is a great sport. Many schools are reintroducing archery into their curriculum to improve academic performance of students and encourage participation in the shooting sports. If you haven’t tried it, go to the local archery dealer or sporting goods shop. Most of them have a bow you can try out and a range for firing a few arrows down.
