The Basics

THE BASICS OF TRADITIONAL ARCHERY

Listed below are some hints that will help those who are new to traditional archery to be more successful with their bow.

If you are new to traditional archery you should know that you should always use a stringer when stringing and unstringing your bow. If this is not done limb damage could occur. Do not leave your bow strung for an extended period of time. A weekend hunting trip is fine but otherwise store the bow at room temperature on a flat surface. Wall pegs are great or even hung vertically. Do not leave the bow in extreme heat or cold, and do not stand it up on end.

DRAW LENGTH

The process of determining your draw length is relatively easy to do but is very important to the success of any archer. There are several methods for determining your draw length many of which can be found by doing a simple internet search. One of the easiest and most accurate ways is to measure you wingspan and divide by 2.5. To do this you will need at least one person assisting. Stand with your back against a wall and spread out your arms horizontally forming a "T" with your body. Extend your fingers and measure from the tip of your longest finger on one hand to the tip of your longest finger on your other hand. Divide this measurement by 2.5 and you have your draw length!

For example my wingspan from fingertip to fingertip is 70". 70/2.5=28. My draw length is 28" If you end up with a draw length such as 27.8" go ahead and round up to the next 1/2". So a 29.3" draw length would get rounded up to 29.5" It is not uncommon when shooting a traditional bow to draw less than your measured draw length.

As you get into shooting you will be able to determine which draw length is the most comfortable for you and your shooting style. This will aide in developing a bow that meets your desired draw weight at your desired draw length.

ARROWS

For arrows you may use aluminum, carbon, or traditional wood arrows with inserts or glue on tips. Personally I prefer carbon arrows because of their consistency and durability. I recommend heavier arrows of at least 10 grains per pound of draw weight. A 45# bow would need at least 450 grain total weight arrows. If you are using aluminum or carbon arrows you can add weight by purchasing brass washers or inserts to add weight to the front of the arrow, or weight tubes to add weight to the entire length. These can be purchased online from traditional archery suppliers.

Traditional bows also need feather fletching. Plastic vanes are not as forgiving when shooting off of the bow shelf. I like 5" feathers on my arrows. I would recommend that your arrows have between 10% and 15% FOC (Front of Center). This means that your arrow's balancing point is 10% in front of the center point on the arrow. For example, a 30" arrow would have 10% FOC with a balance point 3" to the front of the center point on the arrow. To find FOC measure the total length of the arrow with your broadhead installed. Find the balance point of the arrow using a sharp edge such as a ruler. Mark this balance point and measure from it to the nock end of the arrow. Using this measurement subtract one half of the arrow length. Divide the remainder by the arrow length and then take this number times 10 and this will give you your FOC.

PRACTICE

If you plan on hunting with your recurve or longbow, and I hope that you do, I would recommend that you practice shooting your bow as often as possible to become proficient with it. Learning traditional archery takes lots of practice and dedication. Also do as much as you can to learn proper shooting technique and form. Start by reading books, talking with experienced traditional archers, or looking for advice online from websites such as stickbow.com.

BROADHEADS

Practice tips are great for shooting targets but for small game hunting I would recommend blunt tips. For hunting larger game such as deer and turkeys you will need a razor sharp cut on contact broadhead. Of course there are hundreds of broadhead designs to choose from but I would recommend no less than 100 grains and something with a wide cutting diameter. Small compact broadheads are great for high speed compound bows but will result in less penetration in the slower speed traditional bow. A large cut on contact broadhead and a heavy arrow will give you the best results.

FLEMISH STRING

When ordering a new string you will need to order one 4” shorter than the AMO length of your bow for recurves and 3" shorter than the AMO length for longbows. For example a 60” recurve requires a 56” string. I have had good success with the D-97 strings but fast flight and endless bow strings will work with all CCA bows. Keep a good coating of wax on your string and take care of it when you string and unstring the bow and it should last you a long time. The ideal brace height (distance from deepest part of the grip to the string) is between 7.5” and 9.5” for recurves and between 6.5" and 8.5" for longbows and can be adjusted by adding or taking away twists from the string in either direction. This will affect the flight of the arrow, draw weight, and the level of noise of the bow.

GLOVE OR TAB

I prefer shooting with a leather tab rather than a glove. I have found that the tab gives me a smoother release. I also have had a hard time finding a glove that I like! Some people prefer to shoot split finger with one finger above the string nock, personally I shoot with 3 fingers under. I "cant" the bow to approximately 1:00 so that the bow and the string sit better in the hand and there is less torqueing of the string, and I anchor with my middle finger in the corner of my mouth. There are also several “aiming” styles. The most popular being instinctive shooting, but many archers have had success with Gap shooting, String Walking, and Fixed Crawl shooting. Do some research and find what works best for you.

HAVE FUN!

Traditional archery is so much fun! It can be frustrating but with good practice and learning proper form and technique you can become quite proficient. Make it a family affair or invite a friend or neighbor to try it as well. Start at close range, even 5 yards and work your way out to longer distances. Most shots on whitetail deer are within 20 yards but becoming proficient at longer ranges will help to build your confidence and hunting skills.