Archery for Beginners

Curious about archery as a sport or hobby? A survival expert, hunter and seasoned archer shares tips and advice on how to get started, equipment selection, safety considerations and more.

Archery is an ancient sport, but it is just as enjoyable today.

Rather than being used for warfare, as in days past, it is a great sport that covers a wide spectrum of interests, from hunting to casual applications.

Here, we'll explore an overview of archery for beginners, including its use in hunting, competitive archery, equipment selection, and safety considerations.

Archery Hunting

The hardcore followers of archery are hunters who use these weapons to hunt various types of game. The most popular pursuit is whitetail deer. I fall into this category and have been fortunate to succeed in this pursuit.

Dedication is required to be successful with the bow when hunting whitetail deer. Here are a few of the requirements:

Practice, Practice, Practice

Yes, it is almost impossible to practice too much.

There are many types of targets, with some being life-size replicas of deer, turkeys or other wildlife. For the sake of economy, block targets of dense layered material are also available. Most targets have an outline showing the desired area for impact.

Learn Your Quarry

Those who wish to hunt with archery equipment must learn as much as possible about their chosen quarry.

Most wildlife is extremely alert and requires great skill by the archer to be successful.

Learn Hunting Laws and Requirements

Archery hunters must be aware of the legal requirements, such as license requirements, special seasons, whether hunter orange is required in the area they intend to hunt and any other legal considerations.

There are also minimum draw weight requirements for those who plan to hunt big game. These may vary by location, so the potential hunter must do their due diligence before taking to the hunt.

Competitive Archery

For those who do not wish to hunt but are competitive, there are various clubs and other entities that host archery competitions. This allows the skilled archers to compete and reach advanced skill levels if they are dedicated to the sport.

A quick online search will yield local venues. Tyipcally, there are levels of competition so that novices do not compete with highly skilled archers.

Archery Equipment Selection

Deciding which equipment to choose for a beginner can be challenging. There are several different types of equipment to consider, including

Types of Bows

The Longbow

This is the oldest, most primitive type of bow, but in the hands of a skilled archer, it is very adequate for most uses.

They are usually longer (hence the name reflects their physical appearance). This is my choice, as an advocate for primitive and survival skills. I have taken several deer with the longbow and find it to be my bow of choice.

The Recurve Bow

As the name implies, the tips of the bow curve in the opposite direction from the main limb of the bow. This allows increased strength in shorter bows.

They are a little more sensitive to shoot than longbows, but are very popular for both hunters and casual shooters.

The Compound Bow

By the use of cables and pulleys, these bows allow archers to shoot heavier poundage bows. When the string is pulled back, at a certain point, there is a decrease in the poundage required to pull the string to full draw.

These bows are heavier and harder to work on, but have found great favor with many archers.

Arrows

Practice arrows and those for casual archery have points called field points.

Hunting arrows will have sharp-bladed points. There are many point types, even for field points, but hunting points include fixed-blade, insert-blade, mechanical points that expand on impact and others.

Arrows are made from wood, fiberglass and aluminum.

Remember, the bow, no matter how good, will not shoot well with inferior arrows.

Arrows for use with longbows and recurve bows are usually fletched with feathers, but arrows for use with compound bows often have plastic vanes.

Additional Equipment

As with most pursuits, the list of additional equipment is almost endless, but here are a few necessities.

Finger protection

Due to friction between the string and the fingers, it is necessary to wear finger protection. For those choosing to shoot “split finger” style, gloves on the dominant hand are required.

For those choosing to shoot, three fingers under the arrow nock, a finger tab is needed.

Sights

Some archers choose to use sights that have special pins that can be adjusted for various distances to the target.

Arm Guard

Due to the tendency of the string to slap the forearm, a leather arm guard is required.

Archery Safety Considerations

One must exercise extreme caution when shooting a bow. Even a practice arrow is very dangerous.

Be sure that there is a good backstop and that no person is near the target area. I have a densely woven fabric backstop that stops a practice arrow, and it works very well.

Be sure that neighbors are not in the target area. Arrows can deflect and travel long distances, so it always pays to be alert and take all precautions when shooting.

Final Thoughts on Archery for Beginners

Archery is a fantastic sport and can provide many hours of fun for the participants. The more you shoot, the better you will enjoy it. It provides a workout for the arms and back, and frequent practice will pay off with increased skill.

For more information about archery, here is my favorite short book by Byron Ferguson, a master archer, entitled “Become the Arrow”.

For more information and resources on archery for beginners, check out the following articles:

• Bowhunting for Beginners: An Insider’s Guide on How to Get Started
• Why I Hunt with Traditional Archery Equipment
• An Archer Who Has Made the Sport Her Mission