Posted: 10/12/2008 2:36:14 PM EDT
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someone talk to me about Target Archery. My daughter has been expressing some interest since she out performed everyone in school (and My dad and I Have having hunting bows probably doesn't hurt)  I know jack about target archery.. I'd like to cultivate this interest.. anything that gets my kid outside and doing something sports related is good, IMHO. I don't know of any local places with bows other than Sportsman's Warehouse, and they only have hunting related gear. any advice and/or personal insight with this would be helpful |
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I am hoping to get my daughter involved in a 4-H archery program soon (just finished a small bore rifle session, have also shot small bore silhouette, and muzzle loader via 4H). The 4-H shooting sports program is not particularly focused with competition (but that varies club to club - some are very 3P or very shotgun). The focus is intended to be on building life skills, while teaching the youth to enjoy shooting sports safely. While I am competition oriented, I have seen this strategy be VERY successful for our club (we are one of the most active clubs in Texas, we tons of new shooters every season, and reasonable retention - given all the demands on both parent and student time). I spoke with a level III instructor/trainer a few months ago, and have some notes on beginners equipment - but will not see that till next week. From what he said, there are some decent recurve bows starting around $125-$150. His thought was that kids grow quickly - I am not sure your daughters age - but mine is growing like a weed right now (so will probably not get her a high dollar bow quite yet (or an anschultz - but soon). |
For a growing archer or perhaps something that several kids (or even adults) can learn on, look into Genesis bows. They are compound bows with no fixed anchor point, the lower eccentric doesn't lock, it keeps rotating to its max point, which is a HUGE draw length. There is no let off, so it is a lot like shooting a recurve, but it is adjustable and much easier to store and add things to. They are fairly inexpensive, but they are awesome bows. |
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Just curious - I know normal hunting compound bows are not easily finger released (simply due to their shortened geometry). Do the Genesis series of -0- let off have geometry that allows finger release? The instructor/trainer recommended the recurves for their generous range of draw length. I suspect he was also thinking about durability for club bows. Club equipment tends to be abused a bit - if you are not careful. Our anschultz rifles are treated with respect, but those poor muzzle loaders... |
 I shot at a nationally competitive level from the age of 12 through 22. I qualified for two world teams, was a member of the Junior US Archery team, and was All American in college. It's an excellent opportunity. If you decide to, you and your kids can travel all over the country, and the world competing in tournaments. Your daughter can even shoot through college. Here's how it works ---------------------------------------------- You start in JOAD = Junior Olympic Archery Development (pronounced JOE-ADD) Thats what the youth program is called. ----Find a local archery shop, ask about JOAD programs. It will be a class, probably once a week.. Bring your daughter to that class, it will cost $8-$10 per class, she'll shoot with other kids, and it's more of an instructive class than competitive. Is your sig correct? You're from colorado? Give this contact info a glance.
----Once your daughter starts to improve in the classes and enjoys it.. start talking to the joad coach about equipment. The two options are Recurve and Compound. Try to put it in your daughters mind that she wants to shoot recurve. Why? The opportunities are greater.. Recurve is the only bow style allowed in the olympics, and recurve is a little more forgiving on the scores. Your daughter will be able to be more competitive and have more options to excel with a recurve. ---- After you get equipment.. she can start going to local state tournaments. Ask the JOAD instructor where the tournaments are. Buddy up with one of the other parents, they'll help you stay up on tournament info. She will be grouped with other girls her age with the same bow style. The first tournament is scary, like everything else in life.. but that will wear off. ---- After she shoots the state tournaments, talk to the coach about the national tournaments. Theres an Indoor (18m) and Outdoor (varying distances). ---- After that.. With a recurve bow.. if you can get your daughter to practice consistently, she will be in the top 5 of the national ranking without question. Archery is going to be a great opportunity if she puts energy toward practice, she'll be able to smoke the shit out of the majority of her field. She doesn't need to train like a hardass, but just have range time at least 2-3 times a week. She could be a member of the Junior US Archery team if she practices, and even travel abroad to compete for the US. Do yourself a favor and don't spend any money on equipment until she goes the JOAD classes for a bit. You aren't going to buy the correct equipment, so don't even try. College Archery is a pretty big deal.. There are a lot of schools with programs (Ehem, ASU  )Get your daughter involved!!! usarchery.org/ www.usaarcheryjoad.org/ |
Recurves get beat badly! They don't hold up well to club use at all, even with thoughtful instruction and careful supervision. The Genesis are easily finger released because the draw weight isn't as heavy as a hunting compound bow. You don't have to over come the eccentrics rolling over and stopping, which for youth can be tough. |
| There was a recent episode fo Shooting USA talking about this. I recomend finding that episode and watching it. The Mathews Genisis Bow looked like a great bow for a newb 20lbs of pull and not set draw length. Constant 20 lbs. Also available in pink for your girl. |
The only problem is, the genesis isn't "enough" bow for a 14 year old girl to compete with. It's great for club bows, which is what it was intended for. |
She's going to need to learn some fundamentals before she can compete.
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Ahhh it looked like they were shooting some type of competition to me. As the entire show was about archery competition in schools. I do not know what type of competition you are talking about. As there are many. |
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unpleasant, while I don't disagree with you, you are starting to contradict yourself from your best piece of advice. Competition equipment, especially archery, is pretty specific to each shooter and will likely change vastly from the start to the peak of competition, and that going all out now on something is not the best option. From the initial post it seems that she is young and inexperienced (learned at school). This along with the inexpensive Genesis and its universal appeal (as long as you are either a righty or a lefty) makes it a great starter bow that doesn't require a bow tech and can be used by all family members. I'd never suggest it for competition, you essentially lose the best part of a compound for competition by not having any let off. ETA: The Optima Heritage is basically a PSE brand, and its not a bad bow, lots of options. |
I reread my notes this weekend. I should have taken better notes  . I remember specifically asking about fletchers and bows - but my notes do not even mention the fetcher brand, and while I wrote down the model, I missed the brand on the bow as well (he did not not mention it so I assumed it was obvious). Anyway, it probably is obvious - he said Bullseye. Not sure if that meant specifically Bear, or included the clones. I think it is probably a pretty entry level bow - very possible not what you will want to end up with (simply good enough to start with). More depressing to me is it is right hand only. Back to the drawing board. |
Build her and yourself some bows. groups.msn.com/FerretsArcheryWebPage |
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Go to an archery store or a club even if you have to drive a bit. Get her measured, get top shelf arrows and sights. Big box stores like sportsman etc suck at archery. There are several different types of target archery. Expose her to all of them via local archery club. Archery to me is the best family sport you can do. My wife and I have had some excellent times together shooting. And archers typically are extremely nice people. When we first got in to it folks were genuinely warm and helpful. Much less of that what kinda gear are you using stuff in archery than in guns. |
Au contraire, fanboyism is alive and well in archery. Not so much at field archery tournaments, but at get togethers and of course on certain forums. I began archery with a 42" ata compound bow (wheels not eccentrics/cams) shooting fingers. Got fairly good at it and my dad would drive me around to various regional and state-level tournaments. Picked it up again about a year ago due to rising ammunition prices. I'm back to shooting field again. Any of the major bow companies should have something that'll work for your daughter. I wouldn't get too caught up in the gear race as bow technology is improving by leaps and bounds each year. |
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Very interesting... I'd like to get into archery myself. I am drawn more toward traditional archery, and I dislike compound bows and all the newfangled shit that people hang off of them. A straight limb longbow does it for me. Although reading a bit here, competitive archery would be fun, so I may want to look at recurves. I like the idea of buying a riser, and getting different limbs for it depending on the draw weight (and I'm sure there are other characteristics). Taking the bow down will also be nice, since stuffing a 68" bow in my car would be kinda... well... impossible. I wouldn't have a huge budget to start with, but it seems to me you can get in the door for not a whole lot of green. Turns out there is a club in Austin that does some competition. I will look into them... I've had the curiosity about it for a while now. Maybe it's near time to get into it! |
If you decide to go the compound route take a look at the Darton Ranger 3. It is very adjustable in weights and draw lengths. My daughter lovers to shoot hers. She is 9. We will probably never shoot competitions because there are none around here. I wouldn't mind finding some 3D shoots but I haven't had any luck. |
If you can find it. Its amazing how short of grass an arrow will disappear in. I'm still looking for one where I know exactly where it went and hit. |
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So I signed up at Archery Talk... Trying to find some primer on competition archery. I'd like to get a recurve, and I see some cheap risers and cheap limbs, and some very expensive risers and expensive limbs. I think the break-down style of recurve will work well for me, since I have a small car - breaking down a bow to stow it in the small trunk will work great! So if I were to choose a riser and some limbs, what else do I need? What's a good pull weight? I'm adult, but not overly strong in the upper body... I'd think 30# to 40# would be good. |
I admittedly don't know much about shooting longbows, but I can tell you what I've learned. Most new archers overestimate what they can draw. Yes, you may be able to comfortably draw 75# at the shop, but try doing that 4 times per target x 14 targets in a round of field. That's 64 draws while holding at an incline or decline on targets up to 80yds away. Some Field tournaments change the target facings for a round of "animal"; so you may end up shooting double the above amount. I obviously don't know you, but I'd try to move up a bit in draw weight. It's going to be hard to hit extended range targets with a 40lb draw. IMHO, go to an archery shop (not a chain warehouse ie Gander Mtn.) and have them fit you for draw length. Long bow draw weight isn't static and is proportional to the distance the string is drawn. For example if your draw length is 28" and you purchase a takedown bow tuned for a 60# draw at 27", you'll actually be drawing a bit more weight than 60#. Instinctual shooting (long bow/take down) is a lot of fun, but it takes lots of practice. Maybe you could try pin sights at first (so as to build confidence) and then transition to no sights/no peep. |