Canadian Airgun Forum

I am wanting to add archery to the list of things I can do outside, since I luckily live in a place where I can shoot things outside legally.

I've decided to go the recurve route since 1) recurve bows seems to be much less expensive than compound bows and 2) are more akin to traditional archery and therefore seem they will be more fun (at least to me) and this is just a fun thing I want to do.

Although I have nothing against hunting, I do not hunt myself and I am not competitive, just looking to shoot some arrows outside.

I went onto an Archery forum to ask some basic questions and I gave them information that I am "6'4 and around 280LBS.

I was recommended by someone knowledgeable:

Draw Weight: 20lb (low weight so I can learn fundamentals, and then go to heavier limbs later)

Draw Length: 30" or preferably 31"

they also recommended I get a bow that is at least 68" but preferably 70".

Of course recurve bows don't have a maximum draw length, so I think they recommended a "68 or "70 inch bow so that I don't get one that's too powerful for myself as a beginner.

I will be going to a store in Port Colbrone on Monday called "Erie Tracker" they have lots of archery stuff there, and according to one review "a good bow technician", so I'll ask them what they would recommend for me, get some in person service.

I've also been told by others though that at my size and weight I could probably be good starting at 26lb limbs.

If anyone else here also does archery, and knows anything else, then feel free to comment, I need information for sure.

I've spoken to Wes, and he has some bows which might be good for me, but I want to pin point the right one, and not hastily buy something, and possibly get something I won't like or is not the best fit for me.

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"Positive thinking and positive action add up to results." - Anton LaVey

"I went to god just to see, and I was looking at me" - Marilyn Manson, "The Reflecting God" (1996).

At 6'4" and 280 - your handle does not fit!.

What bow you choose depends a LOT on what 'type' of shooting you want to do.

For a GROWN man or lad, I would recommend something over 40 pounds, like 45 or 50.

You need to practice drawing it, using your shoulder blade muscles to pull the string back.

If you buy a 20 or 30 # bow, you will out-grow it in 1 day.

If you want to shoot recurve as in Olympic style with sights, clickers, etc, then 35# will do.

If you want to shoot instinctively - no sights, you need to find some traditional shooters who will be more than happy to help you.

Much depends on what 'type' of shooting you want to do.

My brother and I started serious archery with my Dad's LesDunsden 9Brandford Ont. fiberglass long bow. It draws 34# at 28". We outgrew our little 24# fiberglass recurves
by the time we were 8 years old & went right to Dad's long bow.

This is a 'shot' of me back in about 2010 with a 73" (between the nocks) Hickory "D" section long bow, drawing 55#.
I'm just a little guy - 6'1" and 240.

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Best Wishes
Daryl

To be good with a bow it pretty much has to be shot daily. People that want to shoot once and a while they are better off with a recurve crossbow. I shot bow only for the past 15 years. Became blind in my right eye and had to switch everything over to lefty. Was not easy. Bought an old #50 Hoyt and sat in front of the TV every evening pulling it back as far as I could. Now I can not even pull a right hand bow back anymore. Had to sell all my righty bows and buy lefties. Good luck to you.






End bow closest to wall is a custom Discovery bow and cams with 40lb Browning Micro Midas 3 limbs so it can be shot at fish just like a recurve so you don't need to pull to full draw.

I think the reason the people on the archery forum recommended a lighter weight, is because they think I should not worry about weight so much when I first start out, but rather focus on learning fundamentals.

So I think I'll get one that I can get replaceable limbs for, so I can change the weight as time goes on.

I could most likely do 40# or even 50#, but it seems that it's not best for beginners to start out with a heavy bow.

_________________
"Positive thinking and positive action add up to results." - Anton LaVey

"I went to god just to see, and I was looking at me" - Marilyn Manson, "The Reflecting God" (1996).

You should be fine starting with 35-40 draw weights. Just like others said here, you want the first bow (you will have more than one ) to be light so you can focus on technique and prolong your shooting sessions. I use my lighter bow to warm up first at the archery range before switching to the heavier weights. Also, make sure you get a modern bow with modern materials as your first bow. Some traditional bows (i.e. self bows/one piece all wood bows) have special care instructions and can't take too much abuse.

With recurve, you can do instinctive shooting or Olympic style with sights. Both are fun. I would also suggest getting some good quality carbon arrows. The staff at the store should be able to recommend some suitable ones matched for the bow's draw weight.

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"...await the right moment for one, and only one well-aimed shot" - Vassili Zaitsev

I'm getting a little confused on the draw weight issue now, so I guess I better ask at the store if I can hold back the strings on some bows with different draw weights to see how I feel.

_________________
"Positive thinking and positive action add up to results." - Anton LaVey

"I went to god just to see, and I was looking at me" - Marilyn Manson, "The Reflecting God" (1996).

I'm no expert on bows myself, but I guess my reccomendation on a 26lb bow was coming from the instructor at the local archery club. He won Canada games in Recurve last year, so I figured he knows what he was talking about, lol, and he recommended staying under 30lbs and even lower, in the low 20's, saying it was the most common mistake people make, choosing a heavier bow, as it causes them to learn the wrong form, and then they are hopeless at ever getting good after that.

That's for target archery though, not shooting long range or for hunting.
Cheers,
Wes

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Website: https://airgunarcheryfun.ca/

I've heard between 20 and 30 many other places as well, so that seems right.

and honestly for just shooting at targets further back on my few acres of land, I don't need anything all that powerful anyways.

_________________
"Positive thinking and positive action add up to results." - Anton LaVey

"I went to god just to see, and I was looking at me" - Marilyn Manson, "The Reflecting God" (1996).

Get a lightweight recurve bow. Get a bow stringer at the same time. Much more fun to shoot. Get to heavy and five shots your accuracy goes way off from sore arm. Hunting club and 3D I usually take a #40 compound bow. I have heavier weight bows but it is more fun when people say "WOW look at your arch." I can shoot all day long and not get a sore arm and accuracy is always there. Want it always aimed at target the whole pull back incase it slips you are still on target and it will slip. I kick people off the range if they have to sky a bow to pull it back. Bow is to heavy for them if you have to raise it up to pull it back. Plenty of people are over bowed and have to sky it. CHEERS!

The shop is right you should stick with the light bow as a 28 inch bow as most bows are measured this way but as you draw past 28 the bow becomes stronger by 6 to 8 lb for every inch more on average .I shoot many bows long and recurve from 18 lb to 70lb and find I go back to the lighter bow for 3D 46@28 and hunt with the 68@28 black widow but found a nice 21 st century longbow 53@28 last week kind of like finding a fw300 for $100 bucks.This will be the bow I take to the NALS this summer in Rock Creek
Find A good anchor and start slow get some good muscle memory then move to a heavier bow .
Good luck Aim small hit small

hi twig. I live in port colborne . I go to erie trackers to buy my pellets and have bought a few pellet guns there too. they have a indoor archery range right in the store . so they would probably set you up with what you need and let you test it out right in there. good luck.

Oh,

I didn't know that, that's great news. Tomorrow morning should be fun then.

_________________
"Positive thinking and positive action add up to results." - Anton LaVey

"I went to god just to see, and I was looking at me" - Marilyn Manson, "The Reflecting God" (1996).

I,d call first before the drive. easter Monday they might be closed. probably not but you never know. number is 905-834-9218.

I have to go to Port anyways, not such a big deal if it's closed.

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"Positive thinking and positive action add up to results." - Anton LaVey

"I went to god just to see, and I was looking at me" - Marilyn Manson, "The Reflecting God" (1996).

I had a great lesson yesterday.

Used a 62" 20# recruve bow for most of the time, and it was pretty good, though they did agree that 70" would be best for me.

Only 5 arrows went way off and needed to be tracked down, but then they showed me and taught me proper form, and after that everything was landing on target. Later on I got arrows close to centre a lot, and close to each other a lot. They said they were glad I decided to buy a lesson, because so many beginners do things by themselves and learn the wrong habits, having to unlearn them, however, I am learning the right baits off the bat.

I was shaking a little when pulling back initially, but they showed me that it's because I had my fingers opening when pulling back, they told me to close (bend back) my fingers, and after that there was no more shaking.

So I got the form learnt, now it's just practice, to aim better, and to get the form perfect, and automatic.

So I bought the 70" 20$ bow off amazon yesterday, and some arrows. The arrows are going to take a while to get here, however the bow is expected on may 6th, I am supposed to meet a 66 year old man on the 7th at the Niagara Falls Archery club to help me set up my bow for the first time.

_________________
"Positive thinking and positive action add up to results." - Anton LaVey

"I went to god just to see, and I was looking at me" - Marilyn Manson, "The Reflecting God" (1996).