Advice on choosing your first bow
Buying archery equipment is a daunting prospect to anyone new to archery, because there are so many choices and opinions, and it can be very difficult to know what you should choose. You will obviously want to ensure that the equipment you are looking to purchase will be right for you. There are many different manufacturers and products and you will need help and advice on their relative advantages or otherwise, keeping costs in mind. Also, you may want to check with the Club to see if anyone has any second-hand kit for sale…
When choosing a bow there are many things to consider; your height, your draw length, a suitable limb weight, the type of archery you will be participating in, your future development needs, and very importantly the budget you have available. We would recommend spending a sensible amount on a good riser (the bow’s ‘handle’) and economising on the limbs initially, as you will probably want to upgrade your limbs as you get stronger and more experienced.
Your draw length will have a bearing on the length of the bow you will need; you will develop your shooting style better with a bow which is the correct length. Recurve bows typically are 66” or 68” long for adults, less for juniors.
Your draw length may be a bit erratic at the beginning, and will only settle down once you have been shooting for a while, so bear this in mind when it is time to decide on arrow choice, length and spine. Buy arrows that are at least 2” longer than your maximum draw length, for the sake of safety.
A bow that is too heavy to pull back will not help you to develop the correct shooting style, but a bow that is too light will not give you good sight marks or accuracy at longer distances. Our trainer bows will be around 20lbs draw weight, but when you buy your own bow you will need to try a few bows to find a weight that you are comfortable with - it is very important to select a draw weight which is not only ok for shooting your first 6 arrows, but also the 100th! You do not have to be a strong individual to participate in the sport either - everyone can take part, including disabled persons. We would suggest that a draw weight of 26-28lbs is sensible for an adult male beginner, less for a female.
Most people come to the sport via a beginner’s course run by a local club like ours, and in the first few months shoot a recurve bow for target archery. As your shooting ‘form’ improves, factors like draw length and the amount of draw weight you can comfortably shoot will getter better. This does not happen immediately, and will probably change gradually during your first year.
You need to have somebody who is very experienced in helping you choose your archery equipment and who is also prepared to set aside time to set it up correctly (tiller, bracing height, limb alignment, centre shot, and arrow spine for example). If you don’t have this, then pro shops like Perris Archery can help you with expert advice. However, Ely Archers have experienced fully trained archers who can advise and help you to select the right equipment before you commit to buying anything, and we will base our advice to you on our own experience. We will also show you how to set it all up correctly for trouble-free shooting.
Our priority is for you to enjoy your archery, so let us help you!