Guides for Archery Bow Making, Arrow Making and Free DIY Bow Plans

Angels Archery Bow and Hunting Store!

2010-01-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

Archery 101 - Introduction of Styles and Category In Archery

2010-01-23T10:48:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of styles in archery. And there are a lot of games too that uses bow and arrows. Any game that uses bow to shoot arrows are also considered as archery no matter what the purpose are. Find your own styles here. If you need to refer which type of equipments used for each type or styles of archery, then please click on this link.

COMPETITIVE ARCHERY
Competitive archery involves shooting arrows at a target for accuracy from a set distance or distances. This is the most popular form of archery worldwide and is called target archery. A form particularly popular in Europe and America is field archery, shot at targets generally set at various distances in a wooded setting. There are also several other lesser-known and historical forms, as well as archery novelty games. Note the tournament rules vary from organization to organization. FITA rules are often considered normative, but large non-FITA-affiliated archery organizations do exist with different rules.

Target Archery

Modern competitive target archery is often governed by the International Archery Federation, abbreviated FITA (Fédération Internationale de Tir à l'Arc). Olympic rules are derived from FITA rules. Target archery competitions may be held indoors or outdoors. Indoor distances are 18 m and 25 m. Outdoor distances range from 30 m to 90 m. Competition is divided into ends of 3 or 6 arrows. After each end, the competitors walk to the target to score and retrieve their arrows. Archers have a set time limit in which to shoot their arrows.

Targets are marked with 10 evenly spaced concentric rings, which have score values from 1 through 10 assigned to them. In addition, there is an inner 10 ring, sometimes called the X ring. This becomes the 10 ring at indoor compound competitions. Outdoors, it serves as a tiebreaker with the archer scoring the most X's winning. Archers score each end by summing the scores for their arrows. Line breakers, an arrow just touching a scoring boundary line, will be awarded the higher score. Different rounds and distances use different size target faces. These range from 40 cm (18 m FITA Indoor) to 122 cm (70 m and 90 m FITA, used in Olympic competition).

Field Archery
Field archery involves shooting at targets of varying (and sometimes unmarked) distance, often in rough terrain.Three common types of rounds (in the NFAA) are the field, hunter, and animal. A round consists of 28 targets in two units of 14. Field rounds are at 'even' distances up to 80 yards (some of the shortest are measured in feet instead), using targets with a black bullseye (5 points), a white center (4) ring, and black outer (3) ring. Hunter rounds use 'uneven' distances up to 70 yards, and although scoring is identical to a field round, the target has an all-black face with a white bullseye.Children and youth positions for these two rounds are closer, no more than 30 and 50 yards, respectively. Animal rounds use life-size 2D animal targets with 'uneven' distances reminiscent of the hunter round. The rules and scoring are also significantly different. The archer begins at the first station of the target and shoots his first arrow. If it hits, he does not have to shoot again. If it misses, he advances to station two and shoots a second arrow, then to station three for a third if needed. Scoring areas are vital (20, 16, or 12) and nonvital (18, 14, or 10) with points awarded depending on which arrow scored first. Again, children and youth shoot from reduced range.
One goal of field archery is to improve the technique and abilities required for bowhunting in a more realistic outdoor setting, but without introducing the complication and guesswork of unknown distances. As with golf, fatigue can be an issue as the athlete walks the distance between targets across sometimes rough terrain.+

3D Archery - Hunting Archery Practices
3D archery is a subset of field archery focusing on shooting at life-size models of game and is popular with hunters. It is most common to see unmarked distances in 3D archery, as the goal is to accurately recreate a hunting environment for competition.On these animals there are 4 rings, only 3 of these are used in ASA shoots. The one that isn't used very often is the 14 ring. This can only be scored if you call it before you shoot, and even then it may not be allowed. Next is the 12 ring inside of the 10 ring, inside of the 8 ring. Anything on the target that is outside of the 8, 10, 12, or 14 rings is a 5. If you miss the target, you score a zero. Though the goal is hunting practice, hunting tips (broadheads) are not used, as they would tear up the foam targets too much. Normal target or field tips, of the same weight as the intended broadhead, are used instead.

Clout Archery (G.N.A.S. rules in the United Kingdom)
Similar to target archery, except that the archer attempts to drop arrows at long range (180 yards / 165 m for the men and 140 yards / 128 m for women; there are shorter distances for juniors depending on age) into a group of concentric circular scoring zones on the ground surrounding a marker flag. The flag is 12 inches (30 cm) square and is fixed to a stick. The flag should be as near to the ground as is practicable. Archers shoot 'ends' of six arrows then, when given the signal to do so, archers proceed to the target area. A Clout round usually consists of 36 arrows. Clout tournaments are usually a 'Double Clout' round (36 arrows shot twice). They can be shot in one direction (one way) or both directions (two way). All bow types may compete (longbows, recurve, barebow and compound). Scoring. A 'rope' with a loop on the end is placed over the flag stick. This rope is divided into the scoring zones of the target: Gold (5 points), Red (4 points), Blue (3 points), Black (2 points) and White (1 point). The rope is 'walked' around the target area and arrows falling within a particular scoring zone are withdrawn and, on completion of the full circle, are laid out on the rope on the corresponding colours. The designated scorer would then call out the archers' names and the archers would (in turn) call out their scores as they pick up their arrows. The scores must be called in descending order as with target archery.

Flight Archery
Flight Archery can only take place where space permits usually in a protected area such as an aerodrome, subject to approval and access, since archers compete by shooting for maximum distances. Flight Archers shoot in various classes and weights and shoot six arrows at each "end" and then search for all of them marking the one which has been shot the furthest parallel to the datum line then marking this furthest one with an identifiable marker, the arrows can then be drawn from their landing sites. Alternative bows may be shot on subsequent "ends" and also marked as above with their bow types and weights. Only four ends are usual in one shoot. At the end of the shoot, archers stand or sit by their furthest arrows while judges and their assistants measure the distances they were shot. There are many bow classes and bow weights that one can shoot in. The archer who shoots the furthest in their class is the winner.

TRADITIONAL ARCHERY GAME
The following are not listed on the FITA website but are competitions that have a long tradition in their respective countries.

Kyūdō

Kyudo (above pic), is a japanese word and archery which literally means The Way of the Bow, is considered by many to be the purest of all the martial ways. In the past, the Japanese bow was used for hunting, war, court ceremonies, games, and contests of skill. The original word for Japanese archery was kyujutsu (bow technique) which encompassed the skills and techniques of the warrior archer. Some of the ancient schools, known as ryu, survive today, along with the ancient ceremonies and games, but the days where the Japanese bow was used as a weapon are long past. Modern kyudo is practiced primarily as a method of physical, moral, and spiritual development.

Their game is pretty complicated and it emphasize more towards the perfection of techniques and movements rather than accuracy. Samurais of old Japans were mostly trained in this archery art. Kudos!

Beursault
A traditional northern French and Belgian archery contest. Archers teams shoot alternately at two targets facing each other, 50 meters away. A perpendicular array of wooden walls secures a path parallel to the shooting range. After each round, the archers take their own arrow and shoot directly in the opposite direction (thus having opposite windage). One shoots always the same arrow, supposedly the best built, as it was difficult in medieval times to have constant arrow quality. The round black-and-white target mimics the size of a soldier: its diameter is shoulder-wide, the center is heart-sized.

Popinjay (or Papingo)
A form of archery originally derived from shooting birds on church steeples. Popinjay is popular in Belgium, and in Belgian Clubs internationally but little known elsewhere. Traditionally, archers stand within 12 feet (3.7 m) of the bottom of a 90 ft (27 m) mast and shoot almost vertically upwards with 'blunts' (arrows with rubber caps on the front instead of a pile), the object being to dislodge any one of a number of wooden 'birds'. These birds must be one Cock, four Hens, and a minimum of twenty-four Chicks. A Cock scores 5 points when hit and knocked off its perch; a Hen, 3; and a Chick, 1 point. A horizontal variation with Flemish origins also exists and is also practiced in Canada and the United States
A Papingo is also hosted during the summer in Scotland by the Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers. The archers shoot at a wooden bird suspended from the steeple of Kilwinning Abbey. Here only one bird is the target, and the archers take it in turn to shoot with a longbow until the "bird" is shot down.

The Next Big Project - How To Make A Self Made Custom Arrow

2008-02-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

MAKING THE ARROW SHAFT

Finding The Right Wood

The first thing that needs to be done when making an arrow is the selection of the wood that you would like to use for the shaft. The most common wood used today is Port Orford cedar, but the Douglas Fir, Norway Pine, and Birch are also fine sources to use. Birch is a hard, tough wood that is better to use for making hunting arrows, while the Port or Ford cedar is a soft but generally straighter wood and is better for target arrows. The wood you choose can be purchased in blocks that you can shave down and shape into a shaft yourself or you may purchase them already made and ready to go

Some enjoy the process of making the arrow from scratch by making their shafts from saplings that they cut down. When selecting the saplings the straightest one should be selected and if straight ones are hard to come by you should find ones that are fairly thick so that you have more to work with. Seasoning must also be done when using saplings. Seasoning is a drying and prepping process that can take from one to six months depending on the wood and the moistness of that wood.

Drying The Shaft

The first thing to do is bundle all your saplings together and let them dry in a humid environment allowing the wood to dry without splitting. Shrinking of the wood will probably occur as they dry, but you can compensate for this shrinkage by using water soaked organic rope that tightens very hard while it dries. After a few weeks you should undo your bundle and peel any bark that remains then rebundle them and let dry until they are ready. Then they can be worked down to the desired size. You should always leave a few extra inches in length so that you have some room for error. Most arrows are 28? 30?in length and 5/16?in diameter. The size may differ depending on what the arrow will be used for, the person using the arrow, and the bow in which it will be shot from.

Straightening The Arrow Shafts
Once your shafts are chosen, dried, and shaped they are then ready to be straightened. A good straight arrow is very important, especially when it comes to a target arrow. When it comes to hunting arrows, you have a little more leeway. Since you are usually shooting at a moving target any flaws in an arrow will usually equal out any inaccuracies involved in the shot itself.

There are a couple of methods that you may use to straighten your shafts. The first method is straightening them by hand and is referred to as the green method because it is used on saplings or any wood that is fresh and still moist. Basically you straighten the shafts as they dry. As soon as the bark is removed you take the shafts and bend them until they look straight. This bending process should be rather slow and gradual. If the wood does not bend the way you would like or if it feels like its going to break, then the next method may be better to use. Refer to video below for arrow straightening video guide.

Arrow Straightening Video Guide

This is a method that is used on shafts that are already dry, and is done by using heat to soften the wood to make it more flexible and easier to bend. The tools needed for this method are a candle, nonflammable grease, and an arrow wrench. An arrow wrench can be as simple as a strong piece of wood that has a hole at one end that is slightly bigger than the diameter of the arrow shaft. First thing to do is apply grease to the area of the shaft that needs to be straightened. The grease will keep the wood from burning and scorching. Next you take the candle and heat the area until it becomes flexible. Be careful not to over heat, because this can cause the wood to become brittle and weak. If it is a long gradual bend you can straighten it using your hands or maybe bend it over a knee. For smaller bends it is better to use the arrow wrench. Once you think that all the shafts are straight let them rest for two weeks. If bends still appear you may repeat the heating process and attempt to straighten them again.

Nocking
Once they are all straight it is time to cut nocks on one end of the shaft. The nock is the cut that the string of your bow will fit into when shooting your arrow. This cut is usually 3/8?deep and should be positioned at a right angle to the run of the wood fiber or grain. If positioned wrong it could cause the shaft to split while shooting. This cutting may be done with a hacksaw or, if available, a sawtooth flint flake. It is advised to reinforce the nocks of arrows made with softer woods by applying an inlay of hardwood. The nocks should then be sandpapered until they are nice and smooth. If you like you may purchase pre-made plastic nocks that are available at every archery dealer. They are inexpensive, durable, and easy to attach and change. Before attaching these plastic nocks, you must sand down the end of the shaft that will have the nock. It should be sanded just enough so that the nock can slide on. If the arrows have a good chance of being exposed to water, a water resistant adhesive should be used.

FLETCHING

The next step is the most difficult and probably the most important part of the arrow. It is fletching the arrows or applying feathers to the arrows. Today the most common feathers used for arrow fletching are from the turkey. In the past it was the gray goose feathers that were used. Both are good and easy to obtain, so it is up to you as to which one you want to use. One thing to remember is that it is not the tail feathers that are used, but rather the wing feathers or pinions. Tom feathers are preferred over the hen feathers, because they are heavier and last longer. The feathers of each wing curve a different way. The feathers from the right wing are termed Right and the ones from the left wing are termed Left? Both can be used as long as you use all Right or all Left feathers on each arrow and you use pretty much the same area of the feather for each. Using both Left and Right feathers on the same arrow will result in poor flight and can be dangerous. One alternative is, you may get your hand on a fletching jig like the one shown in the video below. If not, you may proceed with the traditional steps like the original hard way.

Preparing The Feathers For Flecthing
Once you have the right feathers selected it is time to prepare the vanes. Preparation of the vanes is basically the separation of the vane from the quill. There are two ways of performing this separation. The first one is stripping. It takes some practice to get this down so it might be a good idea to try it a few times on feathers that are damaged or low-grade. Stripping is done by holding the feather vertical with its quill in your left hand and your right hand holding the vane as close to your left hand as possible. Then separate the two at the very tip. Once you have it started you continue by pulling down with your right hand. This pulling action should allow the vane to split from the quill nice and clean. The other method of separation is paring. This method is more time consuming and can be more difficult than stripping, but some archers believe that this method has better results. Paring is done by the use of a razor to cut the vane away from the quill. You need to start at the thick part of the feather and work your way down. Take your time when doing this, because you need to cut it as close as possible to the web without actually cutting into it. Once they are split the feather is then the ends are neatly cut and prepared to attach to the shaft. Finished feathers are usually 5 in length.

Positioning and Gluing The Feathers
After the feathers are prepared it is time to position them on the shaft. There are three feathers that are applied and they are evenly spaced 120 degrees from each other. The cock feather, which is the feather that faces away from you while shooting, is placed at a ninety degree angle from the nock and should be a different color from the other two. There are many different glues and styles that can be used to attach these feathers. Some people like quick drying glue so that the as soon as he gets it in place it sets, while others choose the slow drying glue so that they can adjust and perfect the straightness or ideal curve of the feather. No matter what glue you choose, make sure that it is water resistant. When using slow drying glue you must wrap with cotton thread to keep the feathers in place. This should be done before the glue is applied. Once the feathers are set its time to trim them down to the size and shape that we need for that arrow. The size and weight of head that we use will determine the size we want our feathers to be. The lighter the arrowhead the smaller the feathers can be.

Arrow Heads or Points
Now that the fletching is done we can move onto the head or pile. A very common head for practice arrows is the bullet jackets. All that needs to be done is sand the tip down, apply some glue and slide the jacket on. Certain broad-heads and other hunting heads are attached the same way, but most of them are attached by making a slot or hole in the head of the shaft that you slip the headbase into and secure with glue. Some archers like to wrap sinew behind the head to secure it even more. Some archers like to weigh down their practice heads so that they have the same feel as the ones with the hunting-heads.

Cresting
The only thing left to do is to crest the arrows. This tends to be a fun and light-hearted task that brings an end to the hard work that went before. Cresting is a way of giving the arrow your signature. It is done to add to the over all beauty of the arrow. Cresting can also be a way to set up a system that helps you distinguish certain arrows, that may have characteristics that you need to account for, from the others. Designs may be very simple or quite elaborate depending on the individual. Use a waterproof paint that is easy to work with on small areas. Once the paint dries the arrows are ready to go.

Sources & References

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/ancienttech/arrow_making.htm
Edmund H Burke, Archery Handbook, Arco Publishing Co., 1960
Adrian Eliot Hodgkin, The Archer Craft, A.S. Barnes And Company
Robert Gannon, The Complete Book of Archery, Coward-McCann Inc., 1964
http://members.aol.com/bowyersden/arrowmak/htm The Bowyers Den
http://members.nbci.com/_XMCM/tgaaren/arrowmaking.html Making Arrows With Primitive Tools

The Big Project - Making Your Own Composite Longbow Or Recurve Bow

2008-01-31T05:41:00.000-08:00

LONGBOW MAKING GUIDE VIDEO - All in One

Before anything, i wish to tell to those who are going to make Composite Recurve Bows to refer to the Recurve Video Guides available below. And to those who are making a Composite longbows, stick to the above really good. Good luck from the beginning!

All right folks, before we start to jump around and shoot squirrels around the house, we are going to need some archery equipment. Easiest way is to buy it - but as a Guru I am somehow responsible to teach those who cannot afford to buy How To Make A Quality Composite Self-Bow.

A composite bow, by definition, is a bow made of two or more materials. Typically the composite materials are used to make the bow stronger, although it can be purely ornamental. Must remember, almost all composite bows are longbows or recurve type.

Exotic materials like horn can be used, but for beginners, wood, hide/skins, and sinew are probably the easiest. I'll show you how to make a basic bow, and also continue the project towards a finished composite bow.

Assuming you are an average skilled student in woodwork and craft at school, this project can take up to three days if you work it out straight for 3 hours a day.

The process is divided into 2 major steps. Please follow the steps properly. No horsing or bullshitting, guys - the bow you are going to make is a damn serious weapon.

Things You Need

Length of board from a lumberyard, this is your stave
a foot length of 2x4. This is your tillering board
Knife, draw knife, spokeshave, rasp- people like to use different tools, I prefer a draw knife.
Jigsaw and belt sander will decrease the amount of time, but are unnecessary
Sandpaper of varying grit
Material to make a bowstring (Easier to buy online from any online archery supplier)
Materials to make a matched set of arrows (Wood shaft, Fletching and Point)
Round file
Hide glue to bind the backing
Backing material such as snake skin, rawhide, sinew, wood, horn (very difficult to work with)
Finishing Coating such as Tung Oil
Bathroom scale (cooking scale is also good - sensitive)
Measuring Tape

Step 1 - Making and Shaping The Basic Bow

RECURVE VIDEO TIP 1 - Making The Recurve Shape Permanent

Select your wood. Go to a hardware store or an archery store.Don't chop down live trees.

- Look for a board that's 6 feet long, 1"x2".
- Oak and lemonwood are good woods for your first bows.Osage and yew make the best bows, but are difficult to work with.
- Do not use pine, poplar, or other soft woods.
Check the grain. The board doesn't have to be straight, but you want the grain to run straight, both on the face and the sides. Ideally, the grain should run straight down the length of the board, so that the back of the board is a single layer of wood unbroken by any growth rings. It's unlikely that you'll find such a board at lumber yard, so get a board with as few defects as possible.
Use a pencil to roughly draw the shape of the bow on the wood:
- For a longbow, you want it long and narrow taper to the tip.
- Follow the natural grain.
- If there are knots in the wood, work around them, not through them.
Glue on your second piece of wood now, if you plan to use one. It will be far easier to shape the two together.
Rough out the shape of the bow with a saw. To save a lot of time, you can use a jig saw to rough out the shape, or stick with a draw-knife, spokeshave, or coarse rasp.
- Rough out only the sides.
- Remember, don't cut anything off the back.
Create your tillering board.
1. Take a 2"x4" board 3 feet long.
2. In one end, cut a 1" inch deep notch across the board (the short way).
3. On the side of the board from the notched end, use a tape measure and mark off every inch, starting from 10 inches all the way to the end.
- Note that 20" is actually going to be 19" because you've carved a 1" notch.
1. Tie a string from one end of your stave to the other.
2. Stand the tillering board upright and rest the bow in the notch.
3. Push the string down. Since you haven't begun carving the belly yet, it won't bend more than a few inches.
  
  Recurve Video Tip 2 - Making The Handle Of The Bow
Carve and shave the belly of the bow with your chosen tool.
- Taper towards the tips of the stave.
- Don't take too much wood off at once.
- Every so often, go back to the tillering board and ensure that the limbs are both bending evenly.
- You can use a belt sander here which will save a lot of time, but it can also lead to big mistakes happening rather quickly.
  
  Recurve Video Tip 3 - Handle Work
  
  Recurve Video Tip 4 - Measuring, Shaping and Sizing The Bow
  
  Recurve Video Tip 5 - Limb Work
Make your nocks by cutting 1/8" slits angled down on both sides of the top and bottom of the bow.
String the bow (with the tillering string).
- From one end, look down the length of the bow and ensure that the string runs through the center of the bow. If you carve one side too much, the bow can twist and pull the string off-center.
Check the weight of the bow now and then. If carve too much, there's no going back. You want to aim for a specific weight at a specific draw length, and stop when you get close.
Carve the string nocks. At each end of the stave, use a round file and file the nocks for the string. They don't need to be too deep, just enough for the bowstring to sit. They should be diagonal, high in the back, low towards the belly.

Step 2 - Making The Composite Bow

Glue your backing material to the back of the bow with hide glue. Note that hide glue really stinks. Don't prepare the hide glue in your kitchen!
Wait for the glue to dry.
Put it on the tillering board. Go slow here, now is not the time to make a mistake. repeat the tillering process from above.
Check the shape and weight one more time.
Finish the bow.
- Put your mark on the bow.
- Mark the weight and draw length.
- Give it a name, sign it, make it personal.
Finish the bow with a few coats of Tung Oil. Tung oil protects the bow from the elements without hiding or damaging the wood.

Tips and Tricks

If this is your first bow, try making a plain "self" bow, without any backing. If the bow comes out OK, you can always add a backing later. That way if your first few bows don't work out, you're not wasting the backing.
Using power tools you can make a bow in a matter of hours, which will save you a lot of time over carving by hand. However it's easy to make a big mistake with a power tool and harder to learn what you are doing.
Don't bother with Osage or Yew. While they're ideal woods for a bow, you don't find them growing naturally in many places. The staves are expensive to purchase. And let's face it, the first few bows aren't going to be much to speak of, better not wasting the money on quality wood until you've got a few bows under your belt.
If you can find it, Ash is a great wood and is plentiful. If you see a tree down, ask the landowner if you can have a length. It should be at least 8 inches in diameter. A 6' length will produce 4 staves, or you can use a 3' piece and splice together 2 staves. The wood should be dried for several months, so if you're in a hurry, use boards from the store. Don't use green wood or chop down a live tree.
Oak is usually easy to find and is relatively cheap. It's an easy wood to work with and makes a decent bow, so it's a good wood to start with.
If you bought a 2"x1" board, you might want to glue a 2' piece of wood to the belly near the middle of the board if you want a higher draw weight.
Your arrows need to be matched to the weight of a bow. It's much easier to buy shafts and make your own arrows rather than trying to carve shafts yourself.
You can make a traditional bowstring from hemp or linen, but they are really easy to break, and breaking strings could damage the bow. Get some B50 to make your own bowstring.
You can carve diagonal notches in the tillering board (start 1/2 way between the inch marks and cut diagonally towards the notched end). This will allow you to step back and see the entire bow.
By putting the tillering stick on your standard bathroom scale, and then pushing down on the string, you can measure the weight of your bow.
Remember, this is a work of art, work with the wood. You don't need use a protractor and compass to figure out the shape of the bow. As long as it's long and narrow and tapers at the end, it's a "long bow". What matters is how you carve the belly, so that it bends like a bow. Carve away wood where the bow is not bending, careful not to take away too much wood at once. Take your time.

WARNING - ACHTUNG - AMARAN!!!

Okay guys, Here is some warning for you too - A guru gotta be responsible, man. Other than that, if you have a problem, please come back to me by leaving a comment. If you don't have the specified wood for the work, you may substitute it with thick bamboo. Bamboo's fibre is stronger, but it made lighter bow than wood. Perfect for children, though. Good luck!!!

You will be working with sharp objects, make sure you know how to use the tools!
Hide glue smells BAD! Don't prepare hide glue in your house. If you've got neighbors living close, they may protest if you cook it up on the back porch.
Don't dry fire (draw and let go of the string without an arrow) as this will damage the bow.
Don't draw the bow back beyond the draw length it was designed for, as this will damage the bow.
To string the bow, use a bow stringer; your tillering string will work. Basically start bending the bow with the tillering string, then slide the bowstring up into place. Don't do the under the leg step over thing you learned in the scouts, this can bend the bow in the wrong direction and break it.
Don't aim a loaded bow at any person or into the vicinity of people, someone might get hurt.

Sources and Citations - wikiHow
http://www.3riversarchery.com Try Three Rivers Archery, they carry everything you need to make your own bow, arrows, and bowstring.
http://gallifrey.org/bentstic.htm "The Bent Stick" by Paul Comstock, one of the authors who contributed to the "Bible"
ISBN 1585740853 If you're interested in becoming a Bowyer, the "Traditional-Bowyers-Bible" is a must have. There are three volumes, get the first, the others are interesting but not necessary for a beginner.

Bowhunting Begins! Archers Ahoyy!

2008-01-30T07:46:00.000-08:00

Okay folks, I hereby declare our bowhunting seasons and arrowing the animals to death BEGINS! Haha! Just a joke. But it's real though. As bowhunters, we hunt animals and kill them with bows and arrows. Check this video out guys, damn good shot?

Yeah, pity the animals. But there are a lot of animals that even greenpeace would give nods for us to kill. And it's not killing for pleasure of being sadistic at all.

I realized that many of the people out there doesn't agree with my opinion. But let me tell you something - I started bowhunting with my own bow - dad's handmade - since i was eight. Hunting rats and rodents that are destroying my parent's crops and crop seeds.

Oh sure.. we don't kill pheasant or deer just for fun. Occasionally, i would love to obtain seasonal license for hunting so for once in a few months, i can teach my son about foresting and tracking and skinning animals. One hell of a good boy's out night.

That is also the time my spirits were sky-high when i can feed my family with something well and truly from my own hands. Those who live near game park or farms, Thank God for your life. Much better bowhunting the rats around the farm rather than living in the rat race in the city.

Check out the bowhunting videos i have for you all above! Mind the skills - we're going to discuss them next two days. Bye Guys!

Selecting Your Bow And Arrow - What You Must Know

2008-01-27T05:05:00.001-08:00

Hello friends.

A man from Virginia was emailing me a few times telling me to write a bit more advanced stuffs rather than basic stuff. I will comply, of course. But I will take some time covering what other guides didn't cover much. I am planning to go to the subject of Bowfishing and Bowhunting - Focusing on the Equipment and Skills after some articles. Hope all of you can wait.

Before that, i will show you young archers of how to find your own suitable archery equipment. There are a few attributes of the bow and arrows that must fit physically with the archer. Or else, you might find yourself having a little struggle just to shoot the arrow straight. Here are the attributes:

BOW

Draw Weight
Draw Length

ARROW

Arrow Length (see Draw Length)

Draw Weight
This is the most basic knowledge that you should put in mind when selecting a bow. The draw weight. Even a seasoned veteran sometimes have problems in making this decision.
The draw weight is measured with the unit Pound (lbs). It determines how heavy it is in pound during the time you pull the bowstring to the aiming length. That is, when you fit the arrow - pull and take aim. This is one of the basic archery physics - Resistance created from the outer curve against the compression of the inner curve of the bow will provide the necessary force to shoo the arrow. The force can work with or against you.
The heavier the draw weight the speed and distance the arrow travel will increase. BUT - the catch is, the heavier the draw weight, usually the poorer the precision and the accuracy. This is because the heavier draw weight made the archer difficult to control the shot or aim the arrow.

When buying the first bow, you may want to refer to the manufacturer table. This table is to refer for the Draw Weight table like on the right - this is a table for Easton Recurve Bow. Every manufacturer has different charts.

In case you find a bow shop with out a chart, you may want to use this rough guide;-

8-12 years old = 10-15lbs
13-15 years old=15-18lbs
15-18 years old (beginner)=18-25lbs
18-21 years old (beginner)=25-35lbs

As for a beginner's concern, trying for a 50lbs bow would be very frustrating if you try to show some new beginner's bow adaptation excellence. Use a suitable bow and then you change to a heavier one. It will help you to develop the necessary musculature for archery activity that you have never used before and then improve it to a certain level.

Draw Length
Draw length is the length that is measured between your two hands during your aim. It usually corresponds with the length of the arrow. That is the main thing that many people missed - and found out that their arrow length and bow draw length mismatched. Sometimes this could lead to injury or even death.

In case to avoid nasty accidents, please follow the general rule of selecting the draw length and arrow length from the table below. Remember, the arrow must be about 3 inches longer than the draw length. This is to avoid the accidents happening.

Further more, refer to the video below for arrow selection guides.

What archery equipment you need?

2008-01-25T16:39:00.000-08:00

Okay Robin Hoods, the basic question of 'where to start?' usually will bring you to the questions;

Where to get the stuff? - get good stuffs
How much is the price? - get cheap ones

I will answer the question but one by one. First of all, there is always an option to build your own high quality bow and arrow set without much cost. But we will discuss that in later articles.

Where to get it?
If you choose not to built the stuff, you can always choose to BUY it. Haha! But where? - The online shops. I have many places that i have been shopping, and i found that certain companies are best in certain type of archery equipment. Here's my favourite list.

Traditional Archery - Longbows, Recurves, Wood Arrows, Field Tip and some accessories for any traditional archer, i would say my place is 3 River's Archery and Classic Bow. They have a lot of traditional bow with quite an awesome range of specifications and prices. Great starting point.

Modern Archery - Recurves, Limbs, Risers, Takedown Bows, Carbon-Aluminium Arrows and many other great stuff can be found at 3 River's Archery too. They have wide range of products for starters and advanced archers like Greatree, Tomahawk etc.

How much is the price?
Both traditional and modern archery do not cost much if you are a beginner. The most important thing to remember is, the price of archery equipment depends on the quality of the item in the sense of rarity, build, customizability and guarantee of accuracy. The better the equipment perform, the better the accuracy. Hence, if you are a good archer with good technique then you buy a USD500 bow and arrow kit and it shoots like spit out of a croc's lips, chances are the equipment is not worth the price. Archery is simple as that. The equipment must reach the target with accuracy and precision if the correct technique and judgement used with it.

Modern Archery - I would recommend to get a bow set for a starter. Prices range between USD50 to USD500 for modern archery bow set. The set comprises usually a complete bow, a set of arrows (3-6 arrows), a quiver and some accessories.

The reasonable price for a starter (if the Robin Hood to be is 16 years above) would be around USD80 to USD110.
I highly recommend the Greatree Youth bow set from 3 River's Archery. Polaris bow set in other way is suitable for older adults (18-20's). The two set is priced as below USD100 and can be ordered according to your specification requirements. The picture on the right shows a Polaris bow set.
The point of buying bow set is - instead of buying individual items and risk mismatching them, you can take a complete bow set without worrying for mismatching. For matching guide, read the article What Archery Equipment to Get.

Traditional Archery - This kind of archery is usually for seasoned archer and/or collectors. But discussing about the price, the cheapest hand made bow is around USD100-150. Traditional bows usually shoot traditional arrows - wood arrows. And they never were found in sets like modern archery bow set.

The design is purely traditional and usually come in ethnic styles like Schytian, Hun Bow, Turkish Bow, Korean Bow and many more. They sometimes are referred to as primitive bow, exotic bow, medieval bow, handmade bow and other names. But basically all those are for traditional archery only. FITA is not going to let you compete in Olympics with a Magyar (on the left pic) or a Turkish Bow. Haha!
Traditional bows sometimes were not traded for their accuracy or anything like it. But for the historical or aesthetic values. If you got yourself bow that shot the arrow that killed Elvis Presley and if by fact he did appear dead with an arrow on his side, then you might as well be a future-millionaire-but-condemned-criminal. Too bad it didn't happen that way, isn't it?

After all has been said - go and get the bow kit. Next post would be about how to find the correct size and specifications for you. See ya!

I'm Busy With Work and Kids - How can i start archery?

2008-01-17T16:23:00.000-08:00

Okay parents! First of all, I really want to congratulate all of you for admitting one thing - you are interested in archery. But i understand that sometimes, your time is used up for family, work and other myriads of things to do that you have to forget all the less necessary things like archery - even though you're dying to get your hand on a bow set. Here's some tips and tricks of how you can start learning and practicing archery and be a self-made archer;

Know your type of archery - What kind of archery you like? Is it hunting type archery as in bowhunting or bowfishing? Is it Olympic kind of archery? Is it exhibition archery like Byron Ferguson that attracts you? Or is it just the combination of two of those field? Visit The archery styles and category to find your the archery type and then go on to number 2 below.
Know what equipment to get - Different type of archery requires different kind of equipments. Field archery, Exhibition Archery, Competitive Archery, Bowhunting and Bowfishing all have their own specialized archery equipments - some are expensive, some are not. Read my short guide on what archery equipment you need to start on being an archer.
Know how and where to start your archery - After you have the necessary archery equipment like you have found out up there, you have to find out what archery games rules are all that you have to do is follow the below guide to have a five minute archery game at home.

Archery is actually a very easy game. Fit the arrow, pull the bowstring and let the arrow go. Unlike what you may think, kids love it. They watch a lot of their superheroes with bows and arrows and they think its cool. I learn that kids especially boys really enjoy archery especially when their parents stay and play with them. Like i said in my post Home Archery Game - Parents Guide to Quality Family Times, archery is not only a sport or an adults hobby. Archery can make you quality family time and at the same time teach your children something very important for their future like Self-esteem, Confidence, Focus, Consistency and whats more important that all those - Parents' Love.

Ask yourself, when was the last time you really have a good time with your kids doing something both of you like?

Archery 102 - Accuracy vs. Precision in Archery

2008-01-14T11:29:00.001-08:00

When talking about accuracy and precision in archery, many people prefer accuracy than precision. But accuracy without precision can simply be put as an archer's LUCK. A good archery technique is meant for us to produce the same accuracy AND precision. Remember, always try to make every shot the same, and you will find your archery improving automatically. It may seem a little boring at times, but believe me - pretty soon you will be landing the arrow very near the bullseye.

The tried and true archery training technique dictates that you must learn to use the same posture, arrow and bow, breathing, anchoring, range, windage and elevation. All controllable factor of archery precision must be controlled and repeated until you can get the same result landing the arrow at the same point of impact every time. In easier words, I would say that a good archer train for precision archery FIRST rather than accurate archery. This is because when you can shoot and land your arrow at the same place every time, it shows that you have the necessary control and enough sensitivity to make every shot consistent. This is very important.

Archery is a precision sport before it is an accuracy sport. If you cannot maintain the accuracy and therefore the accuracy is discounted. I do not mean to say accuracy is not important, but first and foremost, make sure you get the grip of precision.

Bowfishing and bowhunting are not sports, but they are still archery. They also demanded precision rather than simply accury. Of course, you can shoot a few game sometimes, but it will not improve your consistency. Like sports archery, both bowhunting and bowfishing demand a skill that requires you to be able to put the arrow where you want to - which is precision.

It's safe bet to say that training to be a good archer takes 80% of the time in initial training for accuracy. Only 20% is devoted for aiming accuracy. Getting accurate shots are very easy once you are consistent and precise in placing the arrows.

That is what i think. Other people? Maybe not the same. What is important - what do you think?

Arrows - What about Them?

2008-01-14T11:21:00.001-08:00

A normal arrow consists of shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other. Shafts are usually made of solid wood, fiberglass, aluminum alloy, carbon/alloy composite or carbon fiber. Wooden arrows are prone to warping. Fiberglass arrows are brittle, but are more easily produced to uniform specifications. Aluminum shafts were a very popular high-performance choice in the later half of the 20th century due to their straightness, lighter weight, and subsequently higher speed and flatter trajectories. Carbon fiber arrows became popular in the 1990s and are very light, flying even faster and flatter than aluminum arrows. Today carbon/alloy arrows are the most popular tournament arrows at Olympic Events, especially the Easton X10 and A/C/E.

Shaft
The shaft is the primary structural element of the arrow, to which the other components are attached. Traditional arrow shafts are made from lightweight wood, bamboo or reeds, while modern shafts may be made from aluminium or carbon fiber reinforced plastic.The stiffness of the shaft is known as its spine, referring to how little the shaft bends when compressed. Hence, an arrow which bends less is said to have more spine. In order to strike consistently, a group of arrows must be similarly-spined. "Center-shot" bows, in which the arrow passes through the central vertical axis of the bow riser, may obtain consistent results from arrows with a wide range of spines. However, most traditional bows are not center-shot and the arrow has to deflect around the handle in the archer's paradox; such bows tend to give most consistent results with a narrower range of arrow spine that allows the arrow to deflect correctly around the bow. Higher draw-weight bows will generally require stiffer arrows, with more spine (less flexibility) to give the correct amount of flex when shot.

Arrowhead

The arrowhead or projectile point is the primary functional part of the arrow, and plays the largest role in determining its purpose. Some arrows may simply use a sharpened tip of the solid shaft, but it is far more common for separate arrowheads to be made, usually from metal, horn, or some other hard material. Arrowheads are usually separated by function:

* Bodkin points are short, rigid points with a small cross-section. They achieved prominence in the Late Middle Ages through their greater effectiveness against armor. They would normally be used only for war. The smaller resistance against a highly solid material provides high penetration power to this kind of points.

* 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. Occasionally, the arrow shaft may penetrate the head and the target; safety is still important with blunt arrows.

*Broadheads are used for hunting. They are expensive and usually not used for practice. They usually have two to four sharp blades that cause massive bleeding in the victim. There are two main types of broadheads used by hunters. One is the fixed-blade, while the other is the mechanical. While the fixed-blade broadhead keeps its blades rigid and unmovable on the broadhead at all times, the mechanical broadhead 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.

*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.

*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 broadheads, without getting lodged in target materials and causing excessive damage upon removal.

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

*Safety arrows are designed to be used in various forms of reenactment combat, to reduce the risk when fired 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 lbs of draw for use against well-armored individuals.

Arrowheads may be attached to the shaft with a cap, a socketed tang, or inserted into a split in the shaft and held by a process called hafting.Points attached with caps are simply slid snugly over the end of the shaft. Split-shaft construction involves splitting the arrow shaft lengthwise, inserting the arrowhead, and securing it using a ferrule, sinew, or wire.

Fletching
Fletchings are found at the back of the arrow and provide a small amount of drag used to stabilize the flight of the arrow. They are designed to keep the arrow pointed in the direction of travel by strongly damping down any tendency to pitch or yaw. Some cultures, for example most in New Guinea, did not use fletching on their arrows.
Fletchings are traditionally made from feathers (often from a goose or turkey) bound to the arrow's shaft, but are now often made of plastic (known as "vanes"). Historically, some arrows used for the proofing of armor used copper vanes. Flight archers may use razor blades for fletching, in order to reduce air resistance.Artisans who make arrows by hand are known as "fletchers," a word related to the French word for arrow, flèche. This is the same derivation as the verb "fletch", meaning to provide an arrow with its feathers. Glue and/or thread are the main traditional methods of attaching fletchings. A "fletching jig" is often used in modern times, to hold the fletchings in exactly the right orientation on the shaft while the glue hardens.
Fletchings may be straight, or arranged with a slight offset around the shaft of the arrow to provide a slight rotation which improves accuracy. Most arrows will have three fletches, but some have four or even more. Fletchings generally range from two to six inches in length; flight arrows intended to travel the maximum possible distance typically have very low fletching, hunting arrows with broadheads require long and high fletching to stabilize them against the aerodynamic effect of the head.
With conventional three-feather fletching, one feather, called the "cock" feather, is at a right angle to the nock, and is conventionally placed so that it will not contact the bow when the arrow is shot. However, many modern target archers have no "cock" feather on their arrows, thus improving accuracy. Four-feather fletching has the advantage that there is no cock feather, so making nocking the arrow slightly easier; this may help very young children in particular to enjoy archery.
A flu-flu is a form of fletching, normally made by using long sections of full length feathers, in most cases six or more sections are used rather than the traditional three. Alternatively two long feathers can be spiraled around the end of the arrow shaft. The extra fletching generates more drag and slows the arrow down rapidly after a short distance, about 30m or so.Flu-Flu arrows are often used for hunting birds, or for children's archery, and can be used to play Flu-Flu Golf.

Archery Bows and Types of Archery Bows

2008-01-14T11:18:00.000-08:00

Longbow

A longbow is a type of bow that is tall (roughly equal to or greater than the height of the user), is not significantly recurved, and has relatively narrow limbs that are D-shaped in cross section. The traditional English longbow is usually made so that its thickness is at least ⅝ of its width. If the thickness is less than ⅝ of its width then the bow would be disqualified from most modern longbow competitions. Typically a longbow is widest at the handle. Longbows have been used for hunting and warfare, by many cultures around the world, a famous example being the English longbow, during the Middle Ages.

<<Shortbow

A shortbow is any shorter version of the longbow or flatbow design. While it is lighter and more maneuverable, it can be drawn less far, therefore stores less energy and hence has a shorter maximum range. Short bows were used for hunting by, among others, many West Coast American tribes (often with a flat or lenticular cross-section) and by South African Bushmen (often with a rounded cross-section similar to the classic longbow).

Recurve Bow >>

A recurve bow is the only class of bow that is shot at the Olympic Games. Its basic working principles are similar to that of a traditional longbow. Its defining feature is that the ends of the limbs curve forwards, which increases the power gained from the bow and smoothens the draw. Composite bows are recurved in form.

<< Compound Bow

A compound bow is designed to reduce the force that an archer must hold, yet increase the overall energy stored by the bow. Most compound designs use cams or elliptical wheels on the ends of the limbs to optimize the leverage exerted by the archer and to reduce the holding force of the bow at full draw in what is known as the "let-off". With less force required to hold a compound bow at full draw, the muscles take longer to fatigue, thus giving a compound archer more time to aim. A compound bow must be adjusted so that the let-off occurs at the correct draw length appropriate to the archer.

Crossbow

A crossbow is a variation on the general bow design. Instead of the limbs being held vertically, they are mounted horizontally on a stock much like that of a firearm. The limb design can either be compound or a recurve but the basic concept of shooting is the same. The string is pulled back either manually or with a windlass and locked into place. The string remains in this locked position, held solely through mechanical means until the energy stored in its limbs is released by a trigger mechanism, which launches the loaded arrow. The energy stored in the shortened limbs is comparable to the longbow but packed into a smaller design that is also much easier to aim. Crossbows shoot quarrels or bolts, which are shorter arrows than those usual for bows.

Archery Safety Equipments

2008-01-14T11:16:00.000-08:00

As you all might know, archery involves releasing arrows from a bow and bows, releases arrow at such a high speed because it stores energy in either it's shape or construction material or both (refer to this post for Bow). Inevitable, the close proximity of the archer to the bow, the speed of the launched arrow and also the recoils produced combined together will produce hazard. Hazard in turn produces risks for injuries. I have seen many injuries related to incorrect release or use of equipment in archery. Believe me - you don't want that.

So in this post, I wish to introduce you to common archery safety equipments. There are myriads of other items used in archery, mainly depending on the purpose and/or the style of the archery itself. If you want to have a go at field archery, you will not be using some of the equipments in bowhunting and vice versa. These are the universal accessory equipment that an archer use.

Bracers or Armguards

Worn around the forearm of the archer's bow hand (the hand that's handling the bow). The purpose is to protect the arm from abrasion by the string during the bow release. In some cases, the string nock may even tear the skin of the arm not protected by these. It must be worn on the inside of the arm, a little of the archer's bow arm's elbow. Considered a mandatory protection each time, anywhere an organized archery is held- So you know how serious this is.

Finger Tabs or Gloves

Both finger tab and gloves have a purpose to protect the arrow fingers (usually 3 fingers - index, middle and ring fingers) and to comfortably allow the archer's fingers pull/release the bowstring. During the drawing of the bow, the force and energy of the bow stresses the finger face, hence it may cause a some discomfort. When releasing the arrow, the archer may even feel a little pain. And boy, it's just ONE arrow! During training, I sometimes fire a thousand arrow in a day. Without further warning, WEAR this!

Chest Guards

Ahah! This.. is a Boobguard, er... Chestguard! Pardon the pun, guys. But I really had a lot of trouble convincing some guys to wear this. Even the girls in my class, sometimes they had to be told a story about how the legendary Amazonian (Women Warriors, expert bowgirls) usually cut up their left breast for a good reason.

Without a chestguard, it is possible the strings will 'pull' ur shirt and maybe some flesh during an arrow release. Worse case, a busty girl over-drawing her strings pass her sternum and releasing without wearing this. No dirty words intended - but she might just go home a nipple short! No more jokes, this is serious. Also, the contact of ur soft shirts WILL disturb the string during release, therefore it may considerably reduce accuracy.

Quiver

Well.. Some of you guys may not consider this as a kind of safety equipment, while in effect and practice, it IS! Letting your arrows lying around are bad archery practice and arrows are not cheap! Not to mention that arrows are still 'hazardous to health' while not in flight. Certainly it will not cause you a brain cancer or anything, but any arrows out of it's owners quiver, better be on the target. If it's not, its an 'unaccounted for arrow'. All such arrows, bring hazard and risk. Especially if you are bow-hunting using a broadhead tip! The end of the day you might be surprised to see ur friend limping home with a leaking foot.

History of Archery - Where on Earth Did it Came From?

2008-01-14T11:13:00.001-08:00

History of Archery

Bow First Found
The bow seems to have been invented in the late Paleolithic or early Mesolithic. 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 Hamburgian culture (9000-8000 BC). The arrows were made of pine and consisted of a mainshaft and a 15-20 centimetre (6-8 inches) long foreshaft with a flint point. There are no known 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. In the 1940s, two bows were found there. They are made of elm and have flat arms and a D-shaped midsection. The center section is biconvex. The complete bow is 1.50 m (5 ft) long. Bows of Holmegaard-type were in use until the Bronze Age; the convexity of the midsection has decreased with time.

Mesolithic pointed shafts have been found in England, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. They were often rather long (up to 120 cm [4 ft]) and made of hazel (Corylus avellana), wayfaring tree (Viburnum lantana) and other small woody shoots. Some still have flint arrow-heads preserved; others have blunt wooden ends for hunting birds and small game. The ends show traces of fletching, which was fastened on with birch-tar.

Bows and arrows have been present in Egyptian culture since its predynastic origins. The nine bows symbolize the various peoples that had been ruled over by the pharaoh since Egypt was united.

In the Levant, artifacts which may be arrow-shaft straighteners are known from the Natufian culture, (ca. 12.800-10.300 BP) onwards. The Khiamian and PPN A shouldered Khiam-points may well be arrowheads.

The bow was one of the earliest forms of artillery. Bows eventually replaced the atlatl as the predominant means for launching projectiles.

Peoples Who Used Archery
Classical civilizations, notably the Persians, Macedonians, Nubians, Greeks, Koreans, Parthians, Indians, Japanese, and Chinese fielded large numbers of archers in their armies. Arrows proved exceptionally destructive against massed formations, and the use of archers often proved decisive. The Sanskrit term for archery, dhanurveda, came to refer to martial arts in general.

During the Middle Ages, archery in warfare was not as prevalent and dominant in Western Europe as popular myth sometimes dictates. Archers were quite often the lowest-paid soldiers in an army or were conscripted from the peasantry. This was due to the cheap nature of the bow and arrow, as compared to the expense needed to equip a professional man-at-arms with good armour and a sword. Professional archers required a lifetime of training and expensive bows to be effective, and were thus rare in Europe (see English longbow).

Archery was highly developed in Asia and in the Islamic world. In East Asia the ancient Korean civilizations were well-known for their archery skills, and South Korea remains a particularly strong performer at Olympic archery competitions even to this day. Horse archers were the main military force of most of the Equestrian Nomads. Central Asian and American Plains tribesmen were extremely adept at archery on horseback.

The advent of firearms eventually rendered bows obsolete in warfare. Despite the high social status, ongoing utility, and widespread pleasure of archery in England, Japan, Korea, China, Turkey, America, Egypt, and elsewhere, every culture that gained access to even early firearms used them widely, to the relative neglect of archery. Early firearms were vastly inferior in rate-of-fire, and were very susceptible to wet weather. However, they had longer effective range and were tactically superior in the common situation of soldiers shooting at each other from behind obstructions. They also required significantly less training to use properly, in particular penetrating steel armour without any need to develop special musculature. Armies equipped with guns could thus provide superior firepower by sheer weight of numbers, and highly-trained archers became obsolete on the battlefield. "Have them bring as many guns as possible, for no other equipment is needed. Give strict orders that all men, even the samurai, carry guns."

The last recorded use of bows, in an English battle, seems to have been a skirmish at Bridgnorth, in October 1642, during the English Civil War. The most recent death in war from British archery was probably in 1940, on the retreat to Dunkirk, when a former archery champion who had brought his bows on active service "was delighted to see his arrow strike the centre German in the left of the chest and penetrate his body". In Ireland, Geoffrey Keating (c. 1569 - c. 1644) mentions archery as having been practiced "down to a recent period within our own memory" Archery continued in some areas that were subject to limitations on the ownership of arms, such as the Scottish Highlands during the repression that followed the decline of the Jacobite cause, and the Cherokees after the Trail of Tears. The Tokugawa shogunate severely limited the import and manufacture of guns, and encouraged traditional martial skills among the samurai; towards the end of the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877, some rebels fell back on the use of bows and arrows. Archery remained an important part of the military examinations until 1894 in Korea and 1904 in China. Ongoing use of bows and arrows in some African conflicts has been reported in the 21st century, and the Sentinelese still use bows as part of a lifestyle scarcely touched by outside contact.

Traditional Archery
Traditional archery remained in minority use for sport and for hunting in many areas long after its military disuse. In Turkey, its last revival for this purpose took place with the encouragement of Mahmud II in the 1820s, but the art, and that of constructing composite bows, fell out of use in the later 1800s. The rest of the Middle East also lost the continuity of its archery tradition at this time. In Korea, the transformation from military training to healthy pastime was led by Emperor Gojong, and is the basis of a popular modern sport. Japanese continue to make and use their unique traditional equipment. Among the Cherokees and the British, popular use of longbows never entirely died out.
In China, the revival of archery continued until the Cultural Revolution, when it was suppressed; the last of the traditional Chinese bowmakers is now working again. In modern times, mounted archery continues to be practiced in some Asian countries but is not used in international competition. Modern Hungarians have revived mounted archery as a competitive sport. Archery is the national sport of the Kingdom of Bhutan.

Modern primitive archery
After the American Civil War, two Confederate veterans, Maurice and Will Thompson, revived archery in America. The two brothers and Thomas Williams (a former slave) lived in the wild in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia. As ex-Confederate soldiers they were not allowed to own guns, so they needed other ways to hunt for food. For some reason, Thomas Williams knew something about English-style Archery (using a longbow) and showed Maurice and Will. Later, Maurice wrote a book, "The Witchery of Archery," which became a best seller and enthused people about the sport of archery. In 1879 the National Archery Association was formed. However, public interest in archery soon subsided.

That all changed when Ishi came out of hiding in California in 1911. Ishi was the last of the Yahi Indian tribe. Once he came out of hiding, he was extensively studied and then lived at the University of California at Berkeley Anthropology Museum.His medical caretaker, Dr. Saxton Pope, was an instructor of surgery at the school. Dr. Pope was very interested in Ishi and his culture, especially archery. Ishi willingly taught Dr. Pope about his culture, how to make tools the way the Yahi did, and how to hunt using a bow and arrow. Soon, Dr. Pope was joined by archery-enthusiast Arthur Young.

Ishi's time was short however, and he died in 1916 of tuberculosis. Dr. Pope and Mr. Young did not lose interest in archery, and set about proving that archery could be used to bag large game.They hunted in Alaska and Africa and took several large game animals.

Because Dr. Pope and Mr. Young demonstrated to Western society that archery was effective on not only small game, but large game as well, archery did not lose public interest so easily. Many methods that Ishi taught Dr. Pope are still used today by primitive archers. From the 1920s, professional engineers took an interest in archery, previously the exclusive field of traditional craft experts.[16] 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 Bible" (see bibliography).

Source: Wikipedia - Archery