Archery questions

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prizzley

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Does anyone know enough about archery to help me out? I have two problems.

1. Someone who has spent 5 years practicing archery tries a different and heavier bow.

a. Since the draw weight (is that the right term?) is higher than he is used to, what is the likely result? Would it affect his aim, distance or both?

b. Would he feel the effort to draw in his shoulders, lower back, thighs?
2. A 9 year old (small for his age) picks up a adult-sized bow for the first time. He’s watched the owner target shoot so thinks he knows what to do.

a. Would he able to draw the bow at all?

b. If so, would he be able to shoot any distance or hit anywhere near the target or would he end up with all the arrows round his feet? I’m assuming he keep trying to shoot for between one and two hours, but with frequent rests. I presume he’d be very stiff and sore afterwards, but he's also very determined and used to hard work.

c. The arrows have wooden shafts. Would these break easily on hitting a wall or tree trunk?
I’d be grateful for any help. Thanks​
 
I haven't done any archery for a while (my uncle "borrowed" my left-handed bow) and I won't be able to help you with all of your questions, but I shall have a stab at part 1b and 2a.

1b. You feel the effort in the bits between your shoulder blades on your back, and if using a longbow, down the entirety of your back, especially the muscles than run down next to the spine. Also in your arms and collar bone section if you spend a while practicing.

2a. If it is a longbow then no. Definitely not. The long bows were sized and made for each individual and required years (and I mean starting when you are five and constantly working on it, gradually being given bigger and bigger bows until you are fully grown and have an extremely lethal weapon) and years of work. A random 9 year old upon picking up an adult's longbow would first have to string it, which would be practically impossible for him; the bow would be bigger than him and he wouldn't have the strength. Secondly if he found a strung bow (owner has gone for a pee in the bushes) he would struggle to even hold the thing properly as it is bigger than him, and the tension would be incredible.

Longbows are something I absolutely adore and is a skill I think has been sadly lost. I know there are still some people out there (yay!) but not enough. If an archer was taken captive, it would be so unlikely that the enemy could use their bow and many longbow archers who were caught had their bows broken and their draw fingers chopped off. That was how lethal they were and how amazingly brilliant they were. (Also think of the rippling back muscles :wink: )
 
Thanks Kylara. I was thinking of a short bow, rather than a longbow.
 
In which case, an adult bow will still be outsized for a 9 year old but not as crazily so as for a longbow. Doubtful he could draw it to full and if he has had no tuition then arrow placement and range would be way off; dangerous even. Also he is likely to hurt himself, either muscle pulled or that nasty string burn you get if you hold it a little off and on release it hits your inner forearm. Are you talking new or old bows? If new I am not your person at all, I dislike them intensely, but old school bows are great...
 
1. Someone who has spent 5 years practicing archery tries a different and heavier bow.
Click to expand...

Would depend how much heavier and how different. They would struggle and accuracy and distance would be affected. They would probably have to practice with it and the likely-hood of them pulling off a good shot on their first attempt would be small. They would feel the strain along the muscles that ride over the spine between the shoulder-blades (like Kylara says). Smaller amounts of increased strain would be felt in the upper arm and shoulder and further down the back.

2. A 9 year old (small for his age) picks up a adult-sized bow for the first time. He’s watched the owner target shoot so thinks he knows what to do.
Click to expand...

I doubt it. He wouldn't be able to do anything with it at all. Would be more likely to hurt himself than anything else - if he pulled hard enough the string would leave a nice groove in his fingers maybe - the kind you get from the handles of a heavy plastic bag. He wouldn't be able to draw the bow and keep an arrow steady at the same time as it would take all his effort just to hold the string back any distance - with a two-handed grip! It would have nothing to do with talent, or the lack of it, he just wouldn't have the necessary strength.

c. The arrows have wooden shafts. Would these break easily on hitting a wall or tree trunk?
Click to expand...

If the arrows are travelling straight then the shaft follows the arrowhead and if the arrowhead can pierce the wood then the shaft wouldn't be affected. If it hit the tree with a glancing angle then it might shatter.

Depending on speed and angle, arrows hitting a stone wall would either drop to the ground or break.

hope that helps :)
 
It depends on the bow. I started archery around nine or ten. I'm pretty sure the first one I used was a recurve, probably between 20-30 LB.

I really don't see a nine year old using a 50 LB bow, unless (s)he is a beefy one :p
 
Kylara said:
many longbow archers who were caught had their bows broken and their draw fingers chopped off. That was how lethal they were and how amazingly brilliant they were. (Also think of the rippling back muscles :wink: )
Click to expand...

For what it's worth, this is a myth, although it makes a good story. In medieval warfare the sole reason for taking prisoners was to ransom them, and archers (being peasants) were worth nothing as ransom. An archer who was captured alive would have been killed. Mutilating them would be pointless, and there's zero historic evidence of this practise.
 
1. Someone who has spent 5 years practicing archery tries a different and heavier bow.
Would depend on the difference in the draw weight.

a. Since the draw weight (is that the right term?) is higher than he is used to, what is the likely result? Would it affect his aim, distance or both?
They would not be able to draw the bow is the more likley result, and might hurt themselves.

b. Would he feel the effort to draw in his shoulders, lower back, thighs?

2. A 9 year old (small for his age) picks up a adult-sized bow for the first time. He’s watched the owner target shoot so thinks he knows what to do.
I'm not so sure here but I'd imagine shoulders and back, I can't see legs being a problem.

a. Would he able to draw the bow at all?
No

b. If so, would he be able to shoot any distance or hit anywhere near the target or would he end up with all the arrows round his feet? I’m assuming he keep trying to shoot for between one and two hours, but with frequent rests. I presume he’d be very stiff and sore afterwards, but he's also very determined and used to hard work.
Does not come into it, a 9yrs old kid would not have the strenght to draw the adult bow.
c. The arrows have wooden shafts. Would these break easily on hitting a wall or tree trunk?
Direct on no. side on, not likley I'd say as wood can be flexible.


I like the story behind the two fingered salute and it had to come from somewhere as it was reconised in England as an insult for a long time. The truth it seems, is unknown...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_longbow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_fingers
 
Thanks everyone. That's very helpful.

Grimbear said:
Would depend how much heavier and how different. They would struggle and accuracy and distance would be affected. They would probably have to practice with it and the likely-hood of them pulling off a good shot on their first attempt would be small.
Click to expand...

Not much heavier and not very different. Both the bow he's used to and the one he tries are homemade.

Another problem occurs to me. The "new" bow hasn't been used for a while. He's experienced enough to check it out before he goes hunting, but if a wooden or maybe composite bow was properly stored, even if unused, would there be issues? It's not likely to snap when he draws, is it?
 
hehe well, we have a couple of bows in the garage we haven't used for a while and until I can be bothered to shell out for x-rays they shall remain in their sheaths. An unused bow can be dangerous. It can shatter when you try to string it (we have a metal one too which my dad is convinced would be "lethally amusing" if we strung it without an xray and it broke) wood bows need maintenance and if you happen upon one in a dusty old corner of the attic, don't even try to string it...shattering bows are extremely dangerous, especially if they are mid shoot...
 
As above, I suspect it could dry and become brittle - and then snap/break when used. Could be painful...
 
They can have hairline fractures inside which, when stressed cause them to shatter, sending splinters shooting out and impaling nearby things... this is a recurve bow snapping (probably a riser defect, but I dislike recurve bows so I'm not an authority...) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFkgswaKsVQ (youtube so as always, can't vouch for comments!) and this is a pvc style bow snapping (this guy is great, he does a whole load of stuff of bow failures (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF7FJFLWct4 - go to 3:30) with wood et al you get much more shatter and large splinters, especially dangerous if the handle part shatters...
 
Sounds Like fun research. I should do the same. I have two bows that I never use and I arrow, being 16 I don't think I can buy any more arrows. My mom says I can only use the bows if I get a target other than the side of the house.

Now I am wondering since neither of the bows have been used in over two years should I get new ones. They're both some kinda hard plastic I think, and they're both compound bows. This seemed like a good thread to ask that on.
 
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