Archery

[Matblack]

Anyone do or have done this as a hobby?

I tried yesterday for the first time in years and really really enjoyed it, I suspect I have a reasonably build for it being tall and having a strong back the tutor seemed impressed with my draw and asked if I had done it much in the past, only once or twice in fact when I was small.

So, anyone?

MB

[Blackstar]

Me sort of, i occasionally go along to the archery society. Joining properly next year. My friend Noami is in the society this year, has her own bow etc, it gets expensive quickly.

[Jonny69]

Hmmm, could have sworn I replied to this earlier...

Yes, I was on the university team. Haven't strung my bow sonce the day I graduated though :(

[Matblack]

Most interesting, what kind of bow did you shoot, recurve?

I presume you both do/ did target shooting if it was a uni, thats what interests me at the moment with may be trying field at a later date :)

It does seem to have the potential to be expensive but also possible to get into competitions and do well with maybe £300-500 worth of kit which to me seems quite good when you only pay ongoing club fees and the odd set of arrows once you have a good set of kit.

I'm looking at a club in Maidstone which seems very active with club nights in the week and Saturday and Sunday sessions plus indoor in the winter months :)

This sport actually seems a lot more popular than I would have thought with 4 clubs in Maidstone!

MB

[Belmit]

I've done it every chance I've had, mostly at activities weekends and stuff, but never really used the proper high-tech equipment. Last time I did it was on a work away day - was quite good at popping the balloons on the board. :D

[Lomster]

Tis Faysh,

I'd love to have a go, proper old fashioned English yew longbows, none of this modern carbon fibre, sighted, counterweight nonsense.

[Dymetrie]

I've fired proper longbows, the ones that are nearly as tall as me.

They're seriously hard to draw and give some proper kick when you loose them but are absolutely amazing.

I'd love to get back into it with a proper yew bow but it's well out of my pocket-money range :(

[Zirax]

I've had a go a few times in the past. Good fun but I was only messing around.

There are some clubs in Chelmsford, now that the better weather is coming in I may have another look.


Ooooh there is a club at Channels golf club if anyone is thinking of joining. Any Chelmsford people fancy a laugh on a sunday morning?
http://beehive.thisisessex.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=2636&PageID=11964


edit:- Dym, my grandad has actually made a longbow. Subsequently they were banned from the lodge after an arrow went straight through a wooden ceiling beam :D

[Flibster]

Love archery. Haven't managed to do much of it at all though.

Have had a go with a longbow. Could barely pull it back. I found out afterwards that it was a 170lb draw! :shocked: The 80yr old whose bow it was could fire off a dozen arrows a minute with it - accurately as well. Bastard...

Was much better with the crossbow. So used to rifle shooting.

Would love to try it again - but the doctors won't allow it. Crossbow may be possible with a winder instead of pulling it back.

Simon/~Flibster

[Blackstar]

I'll speak to Nomi about it, only just got back from hers and am terribly drunk but here is the club site http://archery.eusu.ed.ac.uk/

[Dymetrie]

Have had a go with a longbow. Could barely pull it back. I found out afterwards that it was a 170lb draw! :shocked:

Yup, made my entire back ache for two days when I played with one :(

Beautiful piece of kit though, was chucking arrows well over 200 yards and making the targets cry :D

[Stan_Lite]

I went to the local archery club a few times with my sister in my late teens and enjoyed it. Unfortunately (due to being in my late teens), I enjoyed carousing much more and as the archery club meetings were on a Friday night, the carousing won.

I'd love to give it another try now that my carousing days are all but over. I might look into joining a club if there's one nearby.

[Desmo]

I've only done it one but enjoyed it a the time, although it was a bloody long time ago. Hopefully will get another go a CP when we go there :)

[Jonny69]

Everybody note: you shoot arrows, not fire. No fire involved :D

I've got a secondhand recurve bow that I picked up for about £350 as a complete box of kit with arrows, bow stand, sight, weights, quiver, release, wristbrace etc. It's a vintage dark wood bow made by Border of Scotland, it's absolutely beautiful to draw and shoot and very satisfying. Bear this in mind when you buy a bow, carbon limbed bows are much lighter but they are sterile and dull to draw and cost a lot more if you want a good one. Don't go to heavy on the drawing weight. To a degree it does improve your shooting but archers seem to be obsessed with getting bows that are too heavy for them and start to struggle after just a few arrows, then it becomes detrimental to their shooting.

Arrows, stick with aluminium ones to start with because you will bend and break a few and carbon ACE arrows are hideously expensive to replace for example. If you shoot a wooden bow you will probably want to stick with an aluminium arrow anyway because they absorb the shock from the bow a bit better.

I was second/first best on our team beating other people who were convinced several thousands of pounds of kit would make them better archers. Not true, it's mainly down to your technique. Understand your kit and be consistent. Draw it the same amount each time and release straight (ie don't pluck the string) and you'll be laughing.

The only thing I'd say Mat, you're a tall bloke and you might struggle to find a secondhand bow big enough for you. Taller you are the further you draw and you'll overpull a bow that's too short for you. See if a few people in the club will let you have a feel of their kit (mwahahaha :D) but don't be offended if they won't let you pull their string (mwaahaah :evil:) or shoot any of their arrows. You'll get an idea what you want.

[Matblack]

I'm desperately trying to get a training session/ set of sessions booked at the moment, I certainly won't being buying anything until I've completed some training and am accepted by a club, the only problem is getting clubs to reply, I have a feeling that people who run clubs don't understand computers because I got a message back from one webmaster saying he would pass on my message in person because the club sec doesn't have a PC :shocked:

I really want to shoot recurve because I find the compound bows a little too hi tech and I'd like to really feel the action of the bow, not have it go light at the end of the draw.

I've read quite a bit and now just need to get some training and join a club then get along to a store to get fitted :D

I think is could be a hobby I stick with and one which will get me out and about :)

MB

[Zirax]

Yes the clubs are very backward. You'll have to ring them as none appear to be in any way capable of using the internet yet.

[Snuggle Ferret]

Anyone do or have done this as a hobby?

I tried yesterday for the first time in years and really really enjoyed it, I suspect I have a reasonably build for it being tall and having a strong back the tutor seemed impressed with my draw and asked if I had done it much in the past, only once or twice in fact when I was small.

So, anyone?

MB

Did it at school .. loved it.

[Steeps]

Used to do it when I was younger at a local club on borrowed equipment. There were talks of our university starting a society but they basically put us in a room and said sort it amongst yourselves, as no one was willing to take charge it never took off. Would like to get back into it at some date.