Bow and Arrow for Dummies

This Instructable is going to show you the best way to shoot a bow and arrow. I may have a different technique than you may have, (if you have one.) This WILL require practice, determination, and quite a bit of welds on your arm, that is if you don't wear an armguard. If you are a starter, it is HIGHLY recommended that you wear one!

WARNING! ANY HARM THAT YOU DO TO HOMES, ANIMALS, PEOPLE, OR ANY OTHER THING IS NOT MY FAULT. IT IS YOUR PATHETIC AIM'S FAULT. NOT REALLY, BUT DO NOT SHOOT AT ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE TARGET.(Do NOT make your target a human.)=D

Step 1: Supplies

Here are some supplies that you will need:
-Bow
-Arrows
-Target
-Armguard(optional)

You can get these supplies from Dick's Sporting Goods, Bass Pro Shops, or any other sports related store. Wal-Mart is not the best place to get these things. (I hate Wal-Mart anyways.)

Comments

[jamiespark]

also recurve has a lover draw weight but will shoot farther

[Bushie]

Further than what ???

Is your 35-40 lb. recurve going to shoot an arrow further than my 65 lb. compound ??

[mbreukel]

dont comparise apples to pears, any compound should shoot faster then a recurve, just like pretty much all recurve/1P hunting bows should shoot faster then most of the flat and especially longbows out there.

note, this is even without taking lbs in concideration. my 40# can shoot faster then a 16 pound recurve, but that isnt a really fair competition of course ;).

[Hammie83]

Not bad! You should define what "nocking" is since you may have newbies reading this.

[Imcrazydude]

No offence but have u even shot a longbow I like shooting longbows better then compounds and recurves in my opinion just suck

[Ole bally]

Hold the bow on the thumb pad of yr palm holding it with yr thumb an forefinger. The other three fingers, tuck into a loose 'fist'. As you draw the bow, rotate yr elbow outwards as best you can. now yr string can't hit yr inner forearm...no blood shed! No torque on the bow either.

[_Scratch_]

Just use a wristguard. Even if you do this every time, theres probably going to be a hit or 2 on your wrist.

[Ganoderma]

I agree that you should use a wristguard, but that isn't a replacement to rotating your elbow outwards.
If you rely purely on your wristguard, the string will hit it very often, not only ruining your shot (yes, this makes a huge difference to where the arrow lands) but also quickly wearing out your bowstring.

A simple practice for rotating your elbow out: hold a door frame like you would a bow and then rotate it out. It's easier since the doorframe isn't gonna turn and you should be able to feel which muscles you should use to rotate your elbow without rotating your bow.

[crash98]

Um I have a question. I can't seem to use my shoulder muscles to pull back. I always use my arm muscles, and that gets me maybe a little less than average.

[esmith37]

Try standing at a (slightly) different angle to your target, and maybe use a rowing machine to get better at isolating your trapezius and rhomboid muscles.

[esmith37]

I'm not very knowlegable about Archery stance, but for Slinging (yes, as in David & Goliath) The best stance is with your feet at about 45-60 degrees to your target.

[nalk55]

You did pretty good, didn't act like a robot with no emotions, I loved the animals joke.

[_Scratch_]

Ahhh! The knees are not slightly bent!

[Ole bally]

You use your 'rotator cuffs' to draw yr bow. they are the muscles running down yr back from the neck on either side of the spine by yr shoulder blades. Pushing away with your bow arm and 'cocking' your string arm. The string must slip from yr fingers and be almost a surprise when it's gone. 'Letting go' consciously causes you to 'pluck' the string and causes inconsistent strikes on the target!
The more you shoot, the longer your draw length will become and a solid 'anchor' point is a must! There are many aids to help you with the anchor point, such as a 'kisser button' for one!

[Cheezpaper]

The bend in recurve bows are to add power. When drawing the bow, it flexes out straight and curves again when tension is released; adding power.

[nvxcmz]

You shouldn't call ur instructable "archery for dummy's"  because with a compound bow their is no skill involved. i'd like to see u pick up a long bow without a sight or stabalizer and  actually hit something. with a compound your cheating.

[That Inventor Dude]

Hell yeah! I use a recurve/longbow thing and i tried to use a compound and it was just over complicated and if you have any skill youd be able to hit a target using a pin as a sight with a stick with twine for string. almost impossible to use as i was to busy laughing at the bicycle wheels on the ends ( my group calls them bicycle bows)

[tincanz]

hear, hear!!! I am a barebow recurver and I think compound bows suck!!!

[KingRohvo]

Amen to that! Compounds are indeed cheating. Recurve hunting is the only fair or humane way.

[_Scratch_]

How is hunting with a recurve any more humane? Either way, theres gonna be an arrow flying through that animal, and its either gonna be at 80fps, or 300fps. I would say compounds are more humane if you hit the right place.

[KingRohvo]

True, the animal is going to be dying either way, but I feel that with a non-compound bow, it's more of a fair game between you and the animal. No fancy sights or gears or anything. It's nature against nature. Not machine. I don't REALLY care either way, I believe God put animals here for us to kill them or use them for our own purposes, no matter how we do it. But if you're going to do it, you might as well make it a fair game. And thus a more fun game.

[_Scratch_]

Well the animal cant make bows. Fair game would be beating down the animal with your hands or something along those lines. Compounds are just as natural as regular bows, but more developed. Superior intelligence v.s. nature. lol

[joeyay]

Wow i completely agree

[Cubie2]

That's why its for 'dummies'!
But i agree with you- check my earlier post

[glitcher]

why would you want to? I've used both compound and long (a few years back, weak bows, I was young) and there was a very little difference.  I didn't have a sight or stabilizer on my compound, all it did was make it easier to hold back.  So if you would like to pull a muscle in your back by holding your longbow back while aiming for your target, be my guest.  plus, nobody said you had to use a sight/stabilizer.

[nvxcmz]

all I'm saying is its more traditional . with all the new advancements in bows its turning into a lazy mans weapon. like firearms for instance, archers used to be vital for hunting and fighting. but now we use high powered guns and even robots to do the fighting for us. the first mistake we made was relying on the crossbow because it required less training and skill . but all it did was take avay a great warrior from history.

[NapoleanDynamite]

You know... I would like to see you pick up a compound bow and shoot a bullseye from 60 yards away. You mean to tell me that that requires no skill? So I guess you could hit that bullseye every time since it doesn't require skill huh? Yeah that's what I thought. :)

[TheInventor1997]

robin hood when he shot the arrow in half, it was bamboo in the movie

[grevious]

what exactly is a "hollow tip" and what does it "do" and what circumstance is it "used" in?

[NapoleanDynamite]

Huh?

[grevious]

well ive heard about a certain type of arrow calld a "hollow tip" and im confused about what it is and what it's used for?

[fartnocker]

 There is a type of BULLET that is called a hollow Tip and the end of the bullet is hollow and have a somewhat explosive effect.

for more info google it

[cruzpeter11]

hey man i think who ever told u that was a gold tip its a kind of carbon fiber arrow comment back pleas

[grevious]

lol what?

[cruzpeter11]

its a kind of arrow that is what i use gold tip

[shadleyhax]

I've heard of arrows that have a cut out in the tip so when theyre fired they whistle. apparently they were used to drawing attention to certain targets. they were used with a spiralling tail to slow the rate at which they flew. I dont know how true this is but because of the shape of the tip of the arrow, mehbe this could be related to what youre looking for?

[AnarchistAsian]

no no

you're thinking about guns and fire arms

a hollow point bullet has a hollow tip that will expand on impact with flesh...

[grevious]

actually i was watching a program that was suppost to be a "skit" and the person in it had a bow and his arrows were "hollow tips". maybe the show had it's facts wrong im not quite sure?

[AnarchistAsian]

it was a skit, so obviously most of it will be made up...

[grevious]

well i have contemplated that and it seems like the most possible answer. so i guess ill go with that.