(QUICK LINK) Films Food / Drinks Random Extreme Sports Music Instruments Arts
Music Dancing Spiritual Exercise / Sports Collecting Games
 

 

Archery Contents :

1. Main Article
2. Handpicked Links
3. Online Videos
4.Books / Products

 

Hit Counter

people want to start this hobby!

 

 

Webmasters You can sponsor this hobby for free.

 

 Social Bookmarking

Connotea
del.icio.us
Digg it
  Furl
Google
ma.gnolia
 Netscape
Netvouz
Newsvine
reddit

  Simpy

Spurl
Squidoo
StumbleUpon
Yahoo MyWeb

 

HOME

 

Exercise / Sports

  Arching
  Badminton
  Boxing
  Body Building
  Camping
  Cardio Workout
  Croquet
  Fencing
  Fishing
  Golf
  Hiking
  Horseback Riding
  Hunting
  Ice Skating
  Inline Skating
  Kayak and Canoe
  Martial Arts
  Pilates
  Running
  Sailing
  Skiing
  Snowboarding
  Swimming
  Tennis
  Wakeboarding
  Waterskiing
  Weight Training - Gym
  Yoga

Dancing

  Ballet
  Break dancing
  Salsa
  Swing
  Tango
  Waltz

Random

  Investing
  Stand Up Comedy

Extreme Sports

  Airplane Flying / Combat

  Auto-Racing
  Go Karts
  Hang gliding
  Kite Surfing
  Motocross
  Mountain Biking
  Mountain Climbing
  Mountaineering
  Off-Road Driving
  Paintball
  Paragliding
  River Rafting
  Skateboarding
  Scuba diving
  Shark Diving
  Skydiving
  Surfing

Games

  Billiards - Pool
  Board Games
  Bridge
  Card Tricks
  Chess
  Dominoes
  Foosball
  Magic Tricks
  Other Card Games
  Pinball / Arcade Games
  Poker
  Radio Controlled Vehicles
  Table Tennis - Ping Pong

Spiritual

  Astrology
  Lucid Dreaming
  Neuro linguistic Programming
  Palm Reading

The Arts

  Architecture
  Calligraphy
  Candle Making
  Ceramics / Pottery
  Fashion Design
  Film Making
  Jewelry Design
  Languages
  Painting / Drawing
  Photography
  Quilting
  Screenwriting
  Sign Language

Food / Drinks

  Bartending
  Beer Brewing
  Cooking
  Make Sushi
  Wine Tasting

Music

  Bass Guitar
  Beat box
  Compose Music
  DJ
  Guitar
  Harmonica
  Percussion (Drums)
  Piano / Keyboard
  Songwriting
  Voice (Singing)

Collecting

  Antiques
  Coin Collecting
  Comic Books
  Fine Art Collecting
  Model Cars
  Movie Memorabilia
  Music Memorabilia
  Sports Collectibles
  Sports Trading Cards
  Stamp Collecting
      

 

 

Sports : Archery - Bow Hunting

     

      Archery and Bow-hunting can be very fun and challenging hobbies. While arching mostly refers to shooting at targets and competing in tournaments, Bow-Hunting is the act of hunting animals with your bow.  Depending on which you prefer, below are many great beginners bows and places where you can learn Archery and Bow-Hunting for free!

Good Luck and Have Fun,

Duncan Davis

 

Learn how to get started with Archery

  • History

  • Tradition

  •  Bows

  •  Arrows and Fletching

  •  The Art of a Good Aim

  • Places to Shoot

History

Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow.  Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity. One who practices archery is typically known as an "archer" or "bowman," and those who are fond the sport are referred to as a "toxophilites."

The bow seems to have been invented in the late Paleolithic or early Mesolithic periods. The oldest indication for its use in Europe comes from the Stellmoor in the Ahrensburg valley north of Hamburg, Germany and date from the late Paleolithic, about 10,000–9,000 BC. The arrows were made of pine and consisted of a main shaft and a six to eight inch long foreshaft with a flint point. There are no definite earlier bows; previous pointed shafts are known, but may have been launched by atlatls rather than bows. The oldest bows known so far come from the Holmegård swamp in Denmark. Bows eventually replaced the atlatl as the predominant means for launching shafted projectiles on every continent except Australia.  Bows and arrows have been present in Egyptian culture since its pre-dynastic origins. In the Levant, artifacts which may be arrow-shaft straighteners are known from the Natufian culture 12,800–10,300 years ago and forward. Classical civilizations, notably the Assyrians, Hungarians, Persians, Parthians, Indians, Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese fielded large numbers of archers in their armies. The Sanskrit term for archery, dhanurveda, came to refer to martial arts in general. Archery was highly developed in Asia and in the Islamic world. In East Asia, ancient Korean civilizations, such as the Shilla, Baekje, and Goguryeo were well known for their regiments of exceptionally skilled archers.  Central Asian and American Plains tribesmen were extremely adept at archery on horseback.

With the advent of firearms, archery has become all but obsolete.  Even the most devoted of archery-powered armies gave way to the accuracy and mobility of hand guns and rifles.  Armies were brought up to speed more quickly because troops didn’t need to work on developing the special musculature required for accuracy, and firearms were much easier to maneuver when shot from behind barriers. 

Tradition

                Possibly because of the bow and arrow’s use in the myths of cultural gods, or perhaps from the strong desire to bring popular medieval legends to life (such as Robin Hood), the tradition of archery is far from dead.  It is still very alive as a sport and as a method of hunting.  The craftsmanship involved in producing a good bow and the physical challenge of an accurate aim and release has continued to be an honored tradition.   In England in the late eighteenth century, Sir Walter Scott helped establish archery as a pastime of the gentry, with all the costumes and glamour that is implied with any sport of the well to do.  Women were included in the activities and were even allowed to dress as the men at these events.  In the United States, competition archery and bow hunting employed English-style longbows. The revival of modern primitive archery may be traced to Ishi, who came out of hiding in California in 1911. Ishi was the last of the Yahi Indian tribe.  His doctor, Saxton Pope, learned many of Ishi's archery skills, and passed them on.  The Pope and Young Club, founded in 1961 and named in honor of Pope, is one of North America's leading bowhunting and conservation organizations. Founded as a nonprofit scientific organization, the Club is patterned after the prestigious Boone and Crockett Club. The Club advocates and encourages responsible bowhunting by promoting quality, fair chase hunting, and sound conservation practices.

From the 1920s, professional engineers took an interest in archery, previously the exclusive field of traditional craft experts. They led the commercial development of new forms of bow including the modern recurve and compound bow. These modern forms are now dominant in modern Western archery; traditional bows are in a minority. In the 1980s, the skills of traditional archery were revived by American enthusiasts, and combined with the new scientific understanding. Much of this expertise is available in the Traditional Bowyer's Bibles. Modern game archery owes much of its success to Fred Bear, an American bow hunter and bow manufacturer.

Types of Bows

There are three main types of bows; the longbow, the recurve, and the compound bow.  And though all three utilize the same basic mechanics (they use a flexible string which is attached to a brace for holding stored energy), they can be divided down even further into 1) bows which release an arrows upon pulling back on the string, itself, or 2) bows which release an arrow when a mechanism releases the string, as with the compound bow. 

You can subdivide types of bows even further by noting the differences in limb construction, notably self bows, laminated bows and composite bows. Bows can also be classified by the bow shape of the limbs when unstrung. In contrast to simple straight longbows, a recurve bow has tips that curve away from the archer when the bow is unstrung. The cross-section of the limb also varies; the classic longbow is a tall bow with narrow limbs that are D-shaped in cross section, and the flatbow has flat wide limbs that are approximately rectangular in cross-section. Cable-backed bows use cords as the back of the bow; the draw weight of the bow can be adjusted by changing the tension of the cable. They were widespread among Inuit who lacked easy access to good bow wood. One variety of cable-backed bow is the Penobscot bow or Wabenaki bow, invented by Frank Loring (Chief Big Thunder) about 1900.  It consists of a small bow attached by cables on the back of a larger main bow.

A compound bow is a bow designed to reduce the force required to hold the string at full draw, allowing the archer more time to aim. Most compound designs use cams or elliptical wheels on the ends of the limbs to achieve this. A typical let-off is anywhere from 65%–80% – for example, a 60-pound bow with 80% let-off will only require 12 pounds of force to hold at full draw. Up to 99% let-off is possible. The compound bow has greatly become the most widely used type of bow for all forms of hunting in North America. The compound bow has only recently become a highly popular form of archery, so much so that it is the most commonly used bow form in archery today. The compound bow was first developed in 1966 by Holless Wilbur Allen in Missouri, and a US patent was granted in 1969. The compound bow has become increasingly popular. In the United States, the compound is the dominant form of bow.

Mechanically drawn bows typically have a stock or other mounting, such as the crossbow. They are not limited by the strength of a single archer and larger varieties have been used as siege engines.  A crossbow is a bow mounted on a stick (called a tiller or stock) with a mechanism in it which holds the drawn bow string.  The bow (called the "prod" or "lath" on a crossbow) of early crossbows was made of a single piece of wood, usually ash or yew. Composite bows are made from layers of different material—often wood, horn and sinew—glued together and bound with animal tendon. These composite bows, made of several layers, are much stronger and more efficient in releasing energy than simple wooden bows. As steel became more widely available in Europe around the 14th century, steel prods came into use.  The crossbow prod is very short compared to ordinary bows, resulting in a short draw length. This leads to a higher draw weight in order to store the same amount of energy. Furthermore the thick prods are a bit less efficient at releasing energy, but more energy can be stored by a crossbow. Traditionally the prod was often lashed to the stock with rope, whipcord, or other strong cording. This cording is called the bridle.

Arrows and Fletching

The pointed end of the projectile, of course is called the “head” of the arrow.  Originally carved from stone or from the shaft itself, it is the part designed for penetrating the target, game, or enemy.  The arrowheads are attached to the shaft of the arrow to serve as a projectile.  Similar points can be attached to spears and launched from atlatls.  The process of attaching an arrowhead to a shaft or spear is called “hafting.”  This usually involves creating (or knapping or grinding) a sort of flange at the end opposite the head or point, and then the flange is hafted into a slit in the shaft and bound on with sinew or similar cord.  Before their extinction about 24,000 years ago, the Neanderthals developed the extensive use of hafted stone tools. Archaeological investigation provides little evidence of the use of antler or bone.  The Cro-Magnon hafted antler points onto spears between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago.  The Clovis culture is noted for its use of hafted spears in the Americas around 11,000 years ago. Stone Clovis points were formed in a way that may have allowed them to break off on impact with a target.  Hafted tools thought to have been created by Homo Floresiensis up to 90,000 years ago have been discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores.

 

Arrowheads are usually separated by function:

•             Bodkin points are short, rigid points with a small cross-section. They were made of unhardened iron and may have been used for better or longer flight, or for cheaper production. It has been mistakenly suggested that the bodkin came into its own as a means of penetrating armor, but research has found no hardened bodkin points, so it is likely that it was first designed either to extend range or as a cheaper and simpler alternative to the broad head. In a modern test, a direct hit from a hard steel bodkin point penetrated Damascus chain armor. However, archery was not effective against plate armor, which became available to knights of fairly modest means by the late 1300s.

•             Blunts are unsharpened arrowheads occasionally used for types of target shooting, for shooting at stumps or other targets of opportunity, or hunting small game when the goal is to stun the target without penetration. Blunts are commonly made of metal or hard rubber. They may stun, and occasionally, the arrow shaft may penetrate the head and the target; safety is still important with blunt arrows.

•             Judo points have spring wires extending sideways from the tip. These catch on grass and debris to prevent the arrow from being lost in the vegetation. Used for practice and for small game.

•             Broad heads were used for war and are still used for hunting. Medieval broad heads could be made from steel, sometimes with hardened edges. They usually have two to four sharp blades that cause massive bleeding in the victim. Their function is to deliver a wide cutting edge so as to kill as quickly as possible. They are expensive, damage most targets, and are usually not used for practice. There are two main types of broad heads used by hunters: The fixed-blade and the mechanical types. While the fixed-blade broad head keeps its blades rigid and unmovable on the broad head at all times, the mechanical broad head deploys its blades upon contact with the target, its blades swinging out to wound the target. The mechanical head flies better because it is more streamlined, but has less penetration as it uses some of the kinetic energy in the arrow to deploy its blades.

•             Target points are bullet-shaped with a sharp point, designed to penetrate target butts easily without causing excessive damage to them.

•             Field tips are similar to target points and have a distinct shoulder, so that missed outdoor shots do not become as stuck in obstacles such as tree stumps. They are also used for shooting practice by hunters, by offering similar flight characteristics and weights as broad heads, without getting lodged in target materials and causing excessive damage upon removal.

•             Safety arrows are designed to be used in various forms of reenactment combat, to reduce the risk when shot at people. These arrows may have heads that are very wide or padded. In combination with bows of restricted draw weight and draw length, these heads may reduce to acceptable levels the risks of shooting arrows at suitably armored people. The parameters will vary depending on the specific rules being used and on the levels of risk felt acceptable to the participants. For instance, SCA combat rules require a padded head at least 1 1/4" in diameter, with bows not exceeding 28 inches and 50 lb. of draw for use against well-armored individuals.

Fletching was designed to stabilize the flight of an arrow by providing air resistance.  Fletching is usually made of strips of feather (each strip of feather or modern facsimile is called a “fletch”).  Traditionally, three strips of fletching are carefully strapped or glued at the end of an arrow shaft, opposite the tip.  By using even distances between the fletching, the archer can achieve a more consistent draw and reliable aim at the target.  If the fletches are attached in a slight spiral arrangement, the arrow will spin somewhat in its path to the target.

Archers who choose the traditional means for making their own arrows take much pride in their work—not only in choosing the proper length for their arrows (this is determined by the length and pull of the bow), but also in the color patterns, means of attachment, and precision with which the fletching is affixed.

The Art of a Good Aim

Here are some excerpts taken from an article called “Practice or Cry” by Ted Nugent:      

Believe it when they say, it’s 99% mental.  Be it known that there are many archers and marksmen far superior to your humble guitar player out there, and we can all learn much from these dead-eye, precision shooters…  The best shots all have one thing in common; they look and shoot smoothly and comfortably, with a fluidity derived from many, many hours at the range. Simply stated, they are obviously one with their bows. Their every move is confident, graceful and sure, their weapon a natural extension of their very being…  Conversely, the bad shots also have certain traits and movements in common that can best be described as awkward and uncertain.

The description of the natural oneness with the bow cannot be overemphasized.  If you find yourself squirming to get your arrow on the nock or the bow orientation at exactly the right angle for distance, you will most likely have already lost your best chances at a good result.  Your muscles will already be under the prolonged stress of the aim, thus becoming more unstable for the draw.  Here are some good, basic pointers for beginning shooters.  But remember, this is only a step by step description of what should be a fluid process.

1)            Your body should be perpendicular to the target, and your feet should be placed shoulder’s width apart.  Though you may find a personalized stance at a later time, begin with this position.  The leg furthest from the shooting line will be a half to a whole foot-length in front of the other, on the ground.

2)            To load, point your bow toward the ground and place the shaft of the arrow on the arrow rest, which is attached in the bow “window.” The back of the arrow is attached to the bowstring with the 'nock' (a small plastic component which is typified by a 'v' groove for this purpose). This is called nocking the arrow.  Often bow strings have a nocking guide, which will help you to consistently place the arrow at a consistent height.  As mentioned above, most typical arrows have three fletches, so orient the arrow so that the prominent fletch (often a different color) is faced away from the bow as it is set into the nock.

3)            Hold the bowstring and arrow with three fingers. Your index finger should be placed above the arrow, with the other two fingers below it. The bow string should be placed in between the first or second joint of the fingers.

4)            Raise and draw the arrow to the bow.  This usually done in one fluid motion.  Draw the string hand toward the face, where it should rest comfortably at an anchor point somewhere between the corner of the mouth or on the chin.  The bow arm is held straight and outward, toward the target. The elbow of this arm should be rotated so that the inner elbow is perpendicular to the ground (especially important if you have a hyper-extendable elbow).  This position should help prevent you from getting stung by the string as it releases the arrow.

5)            If you are standing correctly, your body will form a “T.”  Pull the arrow to the correct draw length (again, to your anchor point).  Your anchor and your nocking should always be consistent.  If you are adjusting for distance or height, that is done with your aim.  At a full draw, the arrow should be sticking out one or two inches past the front of the bow.  If it differs substantially, you should be fitted for a different length arrow or new bow.

6)            Releasing the arrow is done by simply relaxing the fingers of the drawing hand.  By doing this, the drawing arm will remain rigid and, and its muscles will not relax until after the arrow has already hit its destination. 

The “sight picture” is the framing that includes the target and the bow, as seen by the archer. With a consistently fixed "anchor point" (the position near your face to where your string is pulled) and a fully extended bow arm, successive shots taken with the sight picture in the same position will fall on the same point. This allows the archer to adjust aim with successive shots in order to achieve a good standard of accuracy. A fixed anchor point cannot be used with short bows, which by definition do not allow a full draw. Modern archery equipment usually includes sights which mark the predicted impact point. Sight picture aiming is universally used with modern equipment and also by many archers who use traditional bows. It allows good accuracy to be achieved after a moderate amount of practice.

Instinctive shooting is a term often used, but there is no agreed definition. Some use it to mean shooting with a sight picture but without giving it conscious attention. Others use it to mean shooting without a sight picture.  The main thing to remember on aiming is this that you should shoot the same way every time.  Only the height of the bow, itself, should change based on the distance you need to hit your target.             

Places to Shoot

Whether you want to pursue your hobby on a practical basis (such as for hunting), competitively, or to honor the past through historical re-enactments and tournaments, there are many opportunities available for you to try.  A good place to start would be to find nearby practice centers (either indoor or outdoor), and meet the people who use those places and post events on the bulletin boards.  Get on their mailing lists.  Learning from seasoned archers can be truly rewarding, just as the tradition has always been.  You may find they are not using the same type of bow you are using, but much of their technique is valid and transferable, if you are willing to apply it.  If hunting with a compound bow is your goal, read the magazines, use the internet, or ask to go along on hunting trips (if anything, offering to haul a deer to the truck can be a very kind gesture!).  If you’re looking to improve your technique on a re-curve, try to attend events and competitions (and of course practice) whenever you can.  To practice with the Society for Creative Anachronism, you will need to sign a waiver, but you’re not obligated to join the organization.  These groups usually practice on a weekly basis at designated spots, and there are many imaginative events you can attend that use various targets and techniques, including crossbow challenges.      

In addition to bow hunting and target archery, there is field archery, 3-D archery, Olympic archery, Clout archery (in the United Kingdom), field crossbow archery, flight archery, ski archery, horse archery, and several others.  Visit the FITA (International Archery Federation) or the USA Archery website to help you pick a direction and get your new hobby off to a good start.

The above article uses general information and content taken from the below WIKIPEDIA articles. As such this text is now available under the "Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike License". Anybody that wishes to reuse the content is free to do so as long as they attribute this article with a backlink.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archery

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossbow

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrowhead

 

Learn Archery Online For Free

Do you know of a useful learning article or online site related to this topic? Help us build our learning community by Recommending a Link Here

Archers Reference Guide - PDF file for learning professional arching. Very comprehensive, covers equipment, tuning, technique, training, and types of archery (Currently down but should be back shortly).

Bowhunting Basics - Everything you need to know for bow hunting.

BowHunting.net - Large bow hunting resource for advancing your learning and keeping up-to-date with Bow hunting news.

BowHunting.com - Has free articles ranging from bowhunting basics, to advanced topics such as paper tuning and scent free hunting.

Wikipedia - Archery - Terrific article with history, technique, instructions, and other useful information.

BigDamFish - Largest Online directory of archery - crossbow resources.

ArcherySociety - Huge online archery resource on almost any information you can want.

MyTarget - Download free printable targets. They are in PDF format so you need Adobe Acrobat which you can get at Download.com.

Archery World - Biggest archery forum for all equipment, hunting, tournament issues. Get questions answered asap.

The Archery Network - Small but good forum for archery. Has beginner area, classifieds, etc areas.

USarchery - Online directory where you can find clubs, camps, and pro-shops, around the USA.

OutfitLocate.com - Locate outfitters around the US. Most sports included: hunting, fishing, archery, rafting, horseback, photography.

Do you know of a useful learning article or online site related to this topic? Help us build our learning community by Recommending a Link Here

 

 

 

Learn About Archery Hunting Videos

 

 

 

 

 

 

Archery Buying Guide

Junior Arching Bow

Sharp Shooter (SET) - $44.99 - This great bow for kids and teenagers has terrific aim, a 9.5 lb draw weight, and very high quality components. Includes 2 safetyglass durable arrows. Right hand only. Highly recommended for kids and teens wanting to start out.

Adult Arching Bow

Alpine Archery® Fast Trac XL 60-lb. Bow - $199 - This compact and light bow is powerful and accurate enough for even seasoned professionals. Features an adjustable draw length from 27" to 31" to fit you perfectly, left or right handed shooting, 2 different draw weights (50 to 60 lbs), and generous 7 1/2" brace height so your string does not catch your clothes. Great price on a top quality bow!!

Click Here for Online Archery Store; Bows, Arrows, and Targets

 

 

 

The Best Books for Archery and Bowhunting

 

Product List: Get Started Bowhunting

 

Product List: Learn About Quality Bowhunting Practice

BOOK : Hunting with the Bow and Arrow

BOOK: Bowhunting Equipment and Skills

BOOK: Fundamentals of Bowhunting

BOOK: The Archers and Bowhunters Bible

BOOK: Instinctive Archery Insights

BOOK: Archery Anatomy: An Introduction to Techniques for Improved Performance

BOOK: Bow and Arrow: The Comprehensive Guide to Equipment, Technique, and Competition

 

BOOK: Precision Archery

 

 

Didn't find what you were looking for??

Try searching below.

 

Google
  
Web www.discoverahobby.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Contact  |  About Us
Copyright © 2004 Discover A Hobby Inc. All Rights Reserved
Ultimate Guide to Starting New Hobbies