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Showing posts with label Archery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Archery. Show all posts

2-in-1 Archery Hand Guard / Arm Guard, Product Review



I purchased the armguard / handguard shown in the above two photos for use with longbows and horsebows a few months ago and I have been wearing it during that time period whenever I am shooting any of my longbows, flatbows or horsebows that don't have an arrow rest.

The handguard protects your hand from the fletching ripping into your skin as the arrow goes past your hand at a hefty speed. The flatbow I have been testing it on is 36 lbs, while the horsebow I have been using lately is 50 lbs.

The armguard is also excellent (and easy to put on and adjust with the drawstrings), although it only covers the forearm. Some archers who habitually hit their elbows or even their biceps may want a larger armguard that offers protecting for their elbow or bicep. I fortunately don't have that problem.

Fashion wise it looks very good and the colour I got even matched my thumb release glove I got years ago, thus whenever I am shooting with a thumb release on my horsebow they at least match.

Price wise it was only $19.99 CDN on Amazon.ca. Visit the following product listing:
  • www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07P9GDS5M/
Now there are probably fancier handguards out there, just like there are cheaper handguards out there, but a two-in-one solution for $19.99 CDN that is both a handguard and armguard, and it works very well and easy to adjust... well that is a very good deal.


Notes

This product review was not sponsored. I simply wanted a new armguard / handguard that I can use with my various longbows and horsebows, both for my personal use and for my archery students to use.

Now that I have confirmed that this one works well I may in the future buy a left-handed version for any left eye dominance students who want to learn longbow or horsebow.

Are you looking to learn how to shoot horsebow or longbow? Sign up for 3 or more archery lessons in Toronto and make a request to learn a specific style (or multiple styles).

The Old Archers Thumb Trick

Pretend for a moment you are used to standing up and aiming at something and then one day you decide to try shooting while sitting down or kneeling or even sitting cross-legged. Suddenly the angle of the ground to the target has shifted and it confuses you as to where to aim.

You could shoot... but if you've never shot from a kneeling or sitting position before then you could miss easily. It really does take practice and experience to learn how to shoot from sitting / kneeling positions with a greater degree of accuracy.

Fortunately there is an old archers trick for how to adjust your aim and make sure you are still aiming at the correct spot.

#1. While standing use your thumb to measure the distance between the center of your target and where you would normally aim off the tip of your arrow. Use the wrinkles and marks on the sides of your thumb to measure the distance. (This is where having a wrinkly old thumb is arguably better.)

#2. Sit down or kneel and then use your thumb again, remembering the same spot on the side of your thumb to measure the distance between the target and your aiming point.

#3. Now that you have a better idea of where to aim you can use that point of reference to do your first shot with little worry of missing.

Note - If you don't use the traditional method of aiming off the arrowhead and instead use the Gap Shooting method of aiming then you don't really have to worry about this problem. Using Gap Shooting you can just aim using that method and your shot will still be accurate.\

If you don't know how to Gap Shoot or want to improve your aiming techniques you can always sign up for archery lessons in Toronto.

In other news a friend wore the shirt below to the archery range and I decided to get a photo of it. Happy Shooting!


Whitetail Deer at the Toronto Archery Range

The video below is from last Thursday (August 22nd), wherein I got within 8 yards of a whitetail doe at the Toronto Archery Range located at E. T. Seton Park, and also pretty close to the fawn too.




The following video is a compilation of 6 smaller (and older) videos of whitetail deer at the archery range. They visit the range quite often and have no predators in the region (unless you count cars, trucks, etc).

Now you might think, gee, isn't that dangerous? Not really. We leave the deer alone, except for taking photos and video, and they leave us alone. The deer at the range are a bit curious about what we silly humans are doing, but otherwise leave us alone.



The 2019 Seton Archery Tournament

The 2019 Seton Archery Tournament is tomorrow.

When - Saturday, July 6th 2019.

Where - Located at the Toronto Archery Range, located within E. T. Seton Park.

Maps and Parking Info is available at:


Who - Local archers from the GTA will be competing. International archers welcome.

What Styles - Traditional Barebow, Olympic Archery, Compound Archery categories.

What to Bring - Your bows, arrows, archery equipment, and food/drinks to share. There will be a potluck picnic and BBQ.

Want More Info?

Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1114323525427983/ to learn more about the 2019 Seton Archery Tournament.

 This is the 3rd tournament of its kind thus far. The first two were in 2016 and 2018. In 2016 I took 2nd place in the compound division. In 2018 I was a judge. I have given thought to participating in a different category this year (so that I can eventually win in all 3 categories), but I might just spectate instead as I have been planning on bringing my 2 year old son with me tomorrow and he can be handful.

My wife however is thinking of participating in the barebow category. So we shall see what happens. She could compete and I could watch the toddler.

Later today I am going to an event that will last until later in the evening and I expect to be quite exhausted tomorrow, so most likely I will just be a spectator.

Below is the medals and trophies from the 2018 competition. [Photo by Ackson Lee.]


Whistling Arrowheads

For fun I got out my whistling arrowheads today and did a few long distance shots with my vintage 1972 Black Hawk Avenger (40 lbs) recurve bow. One of my favourite bows.

Whistling arrowheads don't really have a practical purpose in modern times, beyond having fun with them. Historically they were used as signal arrows or warning arrows.

Mongolians and Tibetans also reputedly used "howling arrowheads" in combat, which sounded like a ghost from a distance, and in warfare would demoralize the enemy as it would "sound like death coming towards you". The howling arrowheads used a different design which created a different pitch when the arrow flew through the air.

Below: My Black Hawk Avenger with two arrows tipped with whistling arrowheads.


Below: Four photos of the same thing, from slightly different angles while I play with the focus lens.





And lastly, because it was there, I take a couple shots at the deer painted on the target to get it in the heart zone (I used field points for these shots instead of whistlers).


Underwater Archery

TORONTO ARCHERY LESSONS

As unusual exercises and bizarre sports go, Underwater Archery should certainly rank up there.

It is certainly feasibly to do, but the range a person can achieve accuracy, the speed of the arrow, and even visibility is significantly reduced.

The problem is that the density of the water (as opposed to air) slows the arrows down significantly, so the distance a person can shoot is immediately hampered during the release, and the arrow slows quickly.

The usable range would be similar or less than a speargun or harpoon gun, which have an operational range of about 10 meters.

So do people compete at Underwater Archery?

Nope, not yet.

Could someone organize an Underwater Archery tournament? Probably someone could do it as a joke. It would be more amusing than anything else.

It doesn't make sense for fishing either. Bowfishing is easier to do from the surface when you are shooting at fish that are in relatively shallow water, that way the arrows are not slowed down too much upon impact.

As demonstrated below Underwater Archery is mostly for the purposes of photography.






The Assassin's Trail - Archery Fantasy Book

Hello Archery Fans!

Some of my archery students know that I also write fiction and non-fiction. eg. I sometimes publish articles in Archery Focus Magazine.

Regarding my fiction work back in April I published a paperback of one of my older books, The Assassin's Trail.

The Assassin's Trail paperback is available on Amazon.ca for $10.43.

Or if you prefer the ebook version, you can get The Assassin's Trail ebook for $2.99.

Plot Snippet:
Five years after undergoing the Test of Manhood, young Wrathgar is tasked with bringing back the head of the murderer Muddenklaw who sought vengeance against his own people and murdered innocents. But Muddenklaw has escaped from the Snowfell Mountains and fled south past the dreaded Ogre Swamp to the more civilized lands to the south, becoming a murderer-for-hire. Will Wrathgar be able to find the murderer, and bring about justice for those who were killed? Or will Muddenklaw escape into a world of assassins who hide in the shadows waiting to strike? Who will win in the showdown between the barbarian ranger and the assassin?

So is there archery in the book? Of course there is. Lots of it, plus also tracking, woodsman skills, flintknapping, murder, mayhem, magic and more! I am currently editing Book Two of the series, wherein Wrathgar and a team of other characters are faced with even deadlier dangers fighting the priests and followers of a dark god of murder. I am hoping to have Book Two available before Christmas 2019.

Happy Reading and Happy Shooting!

Sincerely,
Charles Moffat
CardioTrek.ca




Archery Biathlon Scoring

Q

How does scoring work in an archery biathlon?

A

In the regular biathlon (skiing with rifles) the Biathletes ski as fast as they can, then they must quickly calm down to shoot a target the size of a loonie 50 meters (55 yards) away from a prone position and shoot a second target the size of a Tim Horton's coffee cup lid from a standing position. Each time they miss they have to ski a penalty loop that is 150 meters long, which costs them a lot of valuable time.

Thus it is definitely a race. The first one across the finishing line wins.

So technically there is no scoring. You either get across the finishing line first or your don't.

There are also a number of challenges the biathletes face: How much wax they have on their skis, whether the snow is soft or hard or muddy, wind, rain, snow, fog. It is a true challenge and every competition will be uniquely different due to the snow and weather conditions.

The Archery Biathlon is very similar. They still have the challenge of skiing in adverse conditions and then calming down to shoot, but shooting a bow is much more challenging as they have to be very calm to get more accuracy.

So what are the differences?

#1. Archers don't shoot from a prone position, although they could in theory shoot from a kneeling position.
#2. They shoot three arrows instead of two bullets.
#3. They must hit a 20 cm wide target that is 20 meters away. It doesn't matter where they hit on the target (center or edge), so long as it is a confirmed hit.

So for every arrow that misses they still have to do the penalty loop, which is normally* 150 meters.

* The exact rules of archery biathlons can sometimes vary upon who is hosting them. The hosts make the rules.

Note - During the summer archers could still do something similar if they wanted to. "Run Archery" is a similar sport, but archers could also in theory use roller-blades or other methods of transportation to create their own sport. eg. Equestrian archers could use the above rules to compete on horseback.

Fun Fact

The Norse god Ullr is quite literally the god of the archery biathlon.

Trust the Norse to actually have a god for this sport, which back then was also a matter of hunting, survival and warfare.


Fast Flight Bowstrings vs Vintage Bows

Q

"I have a question if you have a second.

That [vintage Black Hawk Scorpion] bow I sent pics of. My buddy Forrest made me a string for free but its ff [fast flight]. Will that hurt it?

- Parker S."


The bow in question, a Black Hawk Scorpion:





A

Hey Parker!

Risky. I wouldn't use fast flight on any of my vintage bows.

It was good you asked before trying it. Would be a real shame to see a Black Hawk ruined.

So weird thing... you know how bowstrings are usually 14 or 16 strands, right? So if people really want their bow to shoot faster they can also just make a bowstring that is 10 or 12 strands instead. The weight reduction on the bow string is what makes fast flight string faster, but other strings can do the same thing, you just have to use less of it. It does lower the life expectancy of the bowstring because it is then less durable, but if speed is what the person wants then it doesn't matter.
 
The downside of fast flight string is that it tends to damage bows by cutting into the wood / fibreglass. A friend of mine once experimented with making a bowstring made out of fishing line, which turned out to be a very idea. Even worse than FF judging by the amount of damage it did.

Parker: Ok thank you. I think he just wasn't thinking about it when he made it. What should I use? B50?

Yep.

Also if you ever get into making your own bowstrings, expect the first 5 to be horrible but usable. By the time you make #10 you will be probably be happy with their quality. It is a fast learning curve.

Parker: Ok thank you very much.


Funny Archery Shirt


Okay so maybe it isn't "Haha Funny!", but I still enjoyed it. Archery humour sometimes has a pretty low bar for what we consider to be funny.

And if you don't get the joke, it is because archery is really difficult.

On a scale of difficulty I had a science teacher who explained how different kinds of science is considered more difficult.

1 - Chemistry. Pretty easy.
2 - Physics and Engineering. Twice as hard.
3 - Rocket Science and Orbital Mechanics. Four times harder, because you have to balance the weight of the rocket with the weight of the fuel, the thrust the fuel actually produces, the orbital velocity, the reentry velocity and angle... it gets super complicated in a hurry.
4 - Quantum Physics. Imagine trying to hit an electron traveling at the speed of light with a photon that is also traveling at the speed of light, while on a planet that is rotating at 460 meters per second and orbiting the sun at 30 km per second... and trying to determine where an electron will be at any given moment... theoretically. Yeah, have fun with that.
5 - Archery. Basically impossible to get perfect 100% of the time. There are too many unknown factors that you cannot account for all of them.

Yep, archery is hard.

This is why it is so challenging, but also so very fulfilling. You are constantly chasing perfection, but the realization that you will never achieve perfection. Sure, you get a bullseye once in awhile, more often if you take archery lessons and practice often, but the enjoyment of hitting the target is spliced with the enjoyment in the knowledge that you are getting better. Becoming a better archer, and hopefully closer to that perfection you seek.

Ideally you might even become a better person too, which is a nice bonus. Humbled by the beauty of the universe.

The Traditional Bowyers Bible - Volume I

On a side topic related to archery, for those people who are thinking of making their own bow or their own arrows, I recommend reading the following book:

The Traditional Bowyers Bible - Volume I

The good news is that book isn't that hard to find. You can get it at Basically Bows (Gary's shop at 940 Queen Street East), or you can purchase it on Amazon.

Or you download an epub version of it online for free.

If you are really serious about making your own bows and arrows I can also recommend a local bowyer who teaches bowmaking. I took a course with him years ago before I got married and it was invaluable.

Or alternatively, if books are more your thing, there are also Volumes II, III and IV of the Traditional Bowyer's Bible to check out.

I purchased all 4 books years ago from Gary's shop and they have been a valuable resource both for own bowmaking and also as a source of research for my fiction writing (which features archery frequently).

Win Two Archery Lessons from Cardio Trek

Hey Toronto!

So one of my archery students has run into a scheduling snafu. His boss has decided to give him a lot of overtime, even on weekends, and this has cut into his ability to practice archery / take archery lessons in Toronto.

Rather than have his archery lessons go to waste however he has asked me to donate them to a worthy student who needs help. So he purchased 10 archery lessons, got to use 8 of them, and had 2 lessons remaining.

So that is two archery lessons up for grabs. The value of the lessons is $120 CDN, and not redeemable for cash.

But how do I decide who is worthy? How do I tell who REALLY wants the two archery lessons?

What if I had some sort of contest, or a draw, or maybe a combination of the two?

I am thinking a combination of both a contest/draw. So how would that work?

Well, I am going to make it a social media contest, and the number of entries determines how many times a person's name is put into the draw.

How to Win Two Archery Lessons from Cardio Trek

1. If you want to enter your name in the draw the first thing you have to do is post an archery themed image on a social media account (Twitter, Instagram, your blog/website, etc) and include a link to www.cardiotrek.ca/p/archery-lessons.html

2. The site must be publicly accessible by non-members so that I can view it and confirm the archery image and link exists without needing to join/login. eg. If you post the link on a private Facebook account or a private group I cannot see then it doesn't count.

3. Then you need to email me via cardiotrek@gmail.com and include the link(s) in your email to where you posted on social media platforms to be included in the draw.

If you have any questions about this contest or cannot wait to book your archery lessons, simply email me. You can always just book your archery lessons and then maybe win extra archery lessons. That works too, right?

The contest is also open to former students who want more archery lessons, so that is certainly an option too.

4. For each time you posted on a different social media account your name will be included multiple times in the draw, using the following system:

  1. Posted once on social media = 1 copy of your name in the draw.
  2. Post twice = 3 copies in the draw.
  3. Post thrice = 5 copies in the draw.
  4. Post four times = 7 copies in the draw.
  5. Post 5 times = 9 copies in the draw.
  6. Post 6 times = 11 copies in the draw.
  7. Etc. The formula is X + (X-1) = D. Or X2 - 1 = D. Whichever. This system rewards the people who put the most effort in to the process, while still giving the person who did one Twitter post a chance.

So for example if you post on 10 different accounts your name is included in the draw 19 times. Remember - Posting on the same social media account multiple times gets you nothing extra. It only counts if you do it on multiple different social media platforms.

5. The winner will be randomly chosen from a hat (my brown Ducks Unlimited Hat) on May 28th (after the May 2-4 Long Weekend) by my toddler son Richard. I will record the draw on my cellphone, mostly because Richard is a toddler and very cute. So it is rather mandatory that when he is doing something adorable that he is being recorded. :)

6. Everyone who enters the contest automatically gets 10% off the purchase of one archery lesson. So even if you don't win you can still sign up for archery lessons and get a discount. Note - This is not cumulative with my Seniors Discount or my Veterans Discount. You can only get 1 discount at a time.

7. If you win the contest you can also choose to give your archery lessons away to a friend using one of my Gift Vouchers.

Doing my Income Taxes / Veterans Discount

So I am doing my income taxes today and looking at my records for 2018.

And sometimes I come across some weird numbers, which I realize are either due to the Seniors Discount or I was offering some kind of sale at the time.

I also realized that, overall, offering a Seniors Discount doesn't really cost me much, but it sure is a highlight when it comes to teaching archery. Teaching archery to seniors is very enjoyable and it gives me a whole fresh perspective on the sport when conversing with such enthusiastic students who are really there because they love the sport so much.

I have been offering a 10% seniors discount for years now and I plan to continue to offer the discount.

I have also considered offering a Veterans discount, for anyone who has served in the Canadian military - with proof of your military service, such as a Veterans card. It wouldn't take much convincing to get me to offer that, so I really should make it official. Lets do that right now. From now on Canadian Veterans (with proof of service such as a Canadian Armed Forces veterans card) get a 10% discount.

Who gives their kid the first name Jones? That is clearly a last name.

Note - The 10% discount is only applied once. If you are both a senior and a veteran you only get the one discount.

And for fun, check out the photo below of someone in 1965 using dynamite on the end of an arrow to destroy ice jams on a river. Because hey, why not. Sure hope the archer didn't hurt himself.



Spring 2019 Toronto Archery Lessons Availability

Attention Archery Students!

Due to time constraints I will only be teaching Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays during the Spring 2019 archery season.

So if you are looking for weekday archery lessons in Toronto, Thursdays is basically the only day available at present, and whomever books lessons first gets the best time slots.

Otherwise Saturday and Sunday time slots are still available, with the most availability being on Sundays.

In the meantime, check out the Turkish hornbows that a friend brought to the archery range recently. 44 lbs and 78 lbs respectfully.




Archery at the Canada Winter Games is an Indoor Sport

So here is the official description on the Canada Games website:

"Archery began on the program of the Canada Summer Games during the 1977 Canada Games in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Its last appearance as an outdoor sport was at the 1997 Canada Summer Games in Brandon, Manitoba. The 2003 Canada Winter Games was archery’s introduction as an indoor sport on the Canada Winter Games program."

If the concept of archery being an indoor sport with winter competitions seems weird to you, I agree. It is weird. I mean, if it is a winter sport, then why have it indoors? To me a winter sport should definitely be outdoors (with the exception of figure skating / etc).

Also to me archery is, and always will be, an outdoor sport, and furthermore an all-season sport.

Yes, archery can be done indoors, but then you are missing a large aspect of the sport. Learning how to adapt to the weather conditions, like how to adjust your aim based on the wind.

Moving it indoors during the winter is somewhat logical, as it is warmer certainly, but you could just as easily make the same argument for all summer sports. Move them indoors where it is air conditioned. It is the same logic.

Take the CFL for example, the Canadian Football League. Maybe that should be moved indoors completely so there is zero snow on the football field and during the summer everyone is air conditioned. It is the same logic.

But again people would be missing the point. Snow and heat is part of the game in Canada. The CFL wouldn't be the CFL if it was always the same indoor temperature.

Same with archery.

High school students typically practice archery indoors because of practical safety reasons. That is the sole reason. The sport is considered to be too risky to be doing outdoors in a soccer field that most likely borders on a residential neighbourhood and/or local streets where cars could be driving by.

But for a large organization like the Canada Games to move archery indoors it shows the continued trend towards abandoning many of the traditional aspects of archery.

They only have two styles of archery at the Canada Games: Compound and Olympic Recurve. No barebow competition, no traditional recurves, no longbows, no horsebows.

Instead everything is compounds and Olympic recurves. Gadgets galore doing the job that traditional archers do by learning positive habits that improve their accuracy.

Now that doesn't mean I despise compounds and Olympic recurves, I happen to own 4 of them.

But it does bother me that the sport has become all about gadgets and elitism. There should be, at very least, a barebow category at the Canada Games. People across Canada, the USA and the rest of the world do compete at various types of barebow competitions. So it isn't like there aren't people competing at barebow. It is simply that organizations like the Canada Games, the Olympic Games, the Pan Am Games haven't bothered to include barebow category.

Why?

Elitism and Exclusion-ism. It isn't just a matter of being elitist, it is about excluding people.

It wasn't always this way. Archery was part of the sports rosters of various competitions decades ago, and the sport was dropped due to waning popularity and later brought back when the sport became more popular.

When archery returned to the Olympics after decades of absence the sport was so drastically altered. The bows were suddenly full of gadgets that act as crutches for archers, some of whom probably never learned how to shoot without the crutches. It is so full of gadgets it is actually a turn off for many spectators like myself.

Do you know what traditional archers call the cams on compound bows?

"Training Wheels."

So there is also some bad blood between "traditional archers" and the Olympic / compound archers.

There is also several competition problems... the current method of competitions at the Olympics is to have duels wherein two archers compete against each other and the winner proceeds up the rankings. They do this because the older method of competing was considered to be too boring for spectators. Honestly, it is still boring to watch. But there is a second problem in that this method can sometimes mean that a good archer could have 1 or 2 bad rounds and then is knocked out of the rankings by a lesser archer who had 1 or 2 lucky rounds. So while skill still matters, luck throws a wrench into the rankings.

The old system of shooting and the archer with the highest overall points wins gold may also be boring, but there was less chance that luck would play a larger role in deciding who wins.

Some competitions still use the old system. The archers might shoot a score out of 300. 30 arrows x 10 points for the maximum possible score. In the event of a tie for the top score, the archer with the most bullseyes wins the tie.

The more grueling competitions go for even bigger number. 400, 500, 600 or more. The higher the number is the more accurate the result is said to be, because it eliminates the factor of luck more and more.

Having competed outdoors I know that wind is a big factor in that luck and that it plays two key roles:

1. It effects the arrow. Which means the archer's skill at adjusting their aim for the wind is being tested.

2. The wind pushes the archer physically, making it more difficult to relax and stand still while performing the shot.

But lets pretend you have a competition and the weather that day is very windy. The archers that adjust for the wind correctly, and resist the effects of the wind pushing them, are going to score higher.

That isn't luck any more, that is skill and experience. The archer who likely wins the competition will be the one who is the most skilled at adjusting their aim for the changing wind conditions, often the archer who has practiced the most, had the most experience dealing with the wind, and is otherwise very skilled at archery.

That to me is the evidence of the archer who has truly practiced and excelled, because they shoot well even under the harshest conditions. It is one thing to shoot well indoors, in air conditioning, but to shoot well when it is too hot, too cold, raining, windy - that means the archer has practiced in those conditions and knows how to react.

So how would I fix these competitions?

#1. Make the competitions outdoors, the way archery is meant to be. Find a safe place where it can be done properly.

#2. Use a mixture of the duels system and the overall top score system. Shoot the duels, so the audience is excited to watch, but the archer with the top overall score should still win gold. The duels should just be for show. Every archer does 5 duels, with each duel consisting of 5 rounds of 3 arrows. Thus each duel produces a score out of 150. Do five of these duels and they get a score out of 750. The archer with the highest score wins gold. Who the archers face in their duels is based on their overall score, but again it is just for show, and they never duel the same archer twice.

#3. Add more categories. Get rid of the Elitism and Exclusion-ism.

  • Longbow
  • Traditional Recurve
  • Archery Biathlon *Winter Only*
  • Equestrian Archery

And I would bet money that when people go to the Olympic Games and see things like Archery Biathlon and Equestrian Archery and there would be no shortage of spectators for those sports. They would be a joy to watch.

Update - I have a newer post about how scoring in an Archery Biathlon works.



The Do-It-Yourself Approach to Archery Lessons

The following article was originally published in a different source, which no longer exists, and I have decided to republish it here on CardioTrek.ca. I have updated the article for 2019 so this is effectively Version 2.0.

April 2019

Hello!

My name is Charles and I am a personal trainer/archery instructor in Toronto. I also teach boxing, swimming and ice skating. Depends on the season really. But my favourite thing to teach is definitely archery. I even teach archery in the winter whenever students are willing to brave the cold.

Thanks to all the movies and media fuss in 2012 it was my archery lessons that garnered the most attention between 2012 and 2016. There has been a slow down since then however, so to anyone thinking of getting into the industry I have to warn you that the fad is over. Mostly. The sport is still, from my perspective, at least 10 times more popular than it was back in 2011 or earlier.

Getting archery lessons is a bit of a challenge as there are not a lot of places or people in Toronto that offer private archery lessons. There are archery clubs like Hart House at the University of Toronto, the York University Archery Club, the Ryerson Archery Club and even various high schools with archery clubs, but you typically have to be a student or alumni to join such clubs. So for adults and kids who want private lessons and don’t want to spend a bundle there isn’t a lot of options. Especially for kids, since many places don’t teach kids.

Now you could hire me – that is a given. But I am pretty pricey as I charge personal trainer/sports trainer rates. Not everyone can afford to get archery lessons from me. So instead what I am going to do here is talk about the Do-It-Yourself Approach to Learning Archery.

There are also definite pros and cons to the DIY approach which I will explain.

 #1. Equipment Shopping List

Knowing what equipment to buy is the biggest stumbling block for a beginner. A beginner who doesn't know any better might buy a bow and then forget to buy an arrowrest.

For traditional archery expect to be spending about $350 CDN to get everything you need.

  • 12 arrows with the correct spine ($100 to $140)
  • 12 field point arrowheads ($6)
  • A decent recurve bow, horsebow or longbow with the correct poundage ($150 to $250)
  • A decent arrowrest for a recurve bow [horsebows and longbows don't need an arrowrest] ($35)
  • Shooting glove or tab ($15 to $25)
  • Arm guard ($15 to $25)
  • Bowstringer ($10 to $15)
  • Optional - Quiver, a backpack for carrying your equipment in, special arrowheads, portable targets, etc.
 Plus HST. You could spend more than that. The sky is the limit when it comes to more expensive archery equipment, but getting fancy equipment won't make you shoot any better.

Remember! Get the correct poundage for you to be able to practice proper form, and get arrows with the correct spine for your bow's poundage. Failure to do could mean you are using a bow that is too strong for you to pull properly, and arrows that are to weak for your bow. See 3 Frequently Asked Archery Questions

For Olympic equipment expect to be spending double or quadruple on everything. So expect to spend $700 to $1400 instead. I don't recommend a beginner go straight into Olympic style archery. They should really learn traditional recurve first before transitioning to Olympic recurve.

For compound archery expect to be spending $600 to $2000 instead. While it is possible for a beginner to go straight into compound archery, you will have a trickier time learning how to tune your compound bow, set the sights, and how to use it properly to full effect. If you do something wrong (such as dryfiring) you could end up damaging your compound bow and needing repairs, which can get very expensive. There is definitely advantages to getting compound archery lessons.

Note - Deciding what kind of archer you want to be is an important decision. It is a personal choice that each archer must make and their decision should be respected. You can even try learning more than one style of archery - I personally practice all 5 styles of archery. I currently (as of April 2019) own 34 different bows. Learning multiple styles is an extra investment as you will need different sets of equipment which are often not compatible. Beginners are recommended to try traditional recurve first, which makes an excellent springboard to trying other styles later.

#2. Buying Archery Equipment

In Toronto / GTA we have limited options for where to go shopping for archery equipment. Thus now that you have your shopping list, you need to determine what stores sell what you are looking for.

  • Basically Bows Archery (aka "Gary's") sells a broad selection of longbows, traditional recurves, horsebows, and even Japanese yumi.
  • Bass Pro in Vaughan sells most compounds and crossbows. They have a limited selection of recurves.
  • Al Flaherty's sells mostly compounds and crossbows.
  • Dufferin Outdoor Supply is mostly known for fishing equipment, but also sells compounds and recurves, and bowhunting/bowfishing supplies.
  • The Bow Shop in Waterloo has an excellent selection of different styles, but it is further away.
  • The Archer's Nook in London. (I have never actually visited this location.)
  • Amazon.ca
  • 3riversarchery.com
  • lancasterarchery.com
I am listing three reputable online sources because frankly it is often easier / simpler / cheaper to buy your archery equipment online. Some local stores might not have the particular brand/model you are looking for.

#3. Learning Proper Form

Several different ways to do this. Ideally archery lessons is best because it eliminates a lot of the trial and error. But there are other methods:

  1. Watch YouTube videos of experienced archers and do your best to copy what they are doing.
  2. Visit the local archery range (The Toronto Archery Range) and copy what other archers are doing. (Only copy those archers who are shooting the same style you are learning. So if you are learning to shoot longbow, don't copy the Olympic archers.)
  3. Find friends who also do archery and ask for a lesson. They won't be a professional teacher, but they're free.
  4. Read every archery post you can find on CardioTrek.ca. I have over 240 posts about archery, so that is a lot to read. Enjoy!
  5. Buy a book. The #1 book I recommend is “Precision Archery” and is edited / written by Steve Ruis and Claudia Stevenson (the editors of Archery Focus Magazine).
  6. Subscribe to Archery Focus Magazine.
  7. Get archery lessons. Sometimes the thing you are avoiding is the thing you need most. An archery coach can steer you away from bad habits and teach you good habits that improve your accuracy and consistency. Watching other people and reading about it doesn't really come close to having a coach who can spot instantly what you are doing wrong and tell you how to fix it.

#4. Weightlifting and Exercise

Now you don't need to do weightlifting or exercise regularly to do archery, but it certainly helps.

Thanks to all the archery movies and TV shows in the past decade archery is still super popular in 2019, but many of these films/shows present a false understanding of archery and convince people think that it is easy to pull a bow. It is not. Most beginners are stunned by how much more effort it requires just to pull a 24 lb recurve and hold it steady, let alone a 40 or 50 lb bow. The more powerful bows require quite a bit of strength and endurance to pull back and hold steady – strength that is beyond the average person.

This is why finding a bow that is easier for the beginner to pull is so important. The poundage needs to match the beginner so that they can practice efficiently, learn proper form, and then be able to build up their endurance and strength over time.

The analogy I use with students is to compare poundages to buying a set of dumbbells. You start off doing bicep curls with a 15 lb dumbbell and over months you work your way up to 20, 25, 30 lbs. You don't immediately pick up the 30 lb dumbbell and start doing curls because the average person will only be able to do 5 or less before getting tired.

Yes, it is possibly for a beginner archer to start with a 60 lb bow... but it is going to wreck havoc on their form because they cannot hold it steady at all. They need to learn how to shoot it properly before they start working on building muscle, and to do that you need to build endurance first and then muscle.

There are specific exercises I recommend to my students (eg. push ups are handy, as are rowing machines). Being stronger and having more endurance gives the archer a physical edge that boosts their accuracy. It isn't just a matter of building up the rhomboids and trapezoids (the most important muscles for archers), you also need to build the deltoids, triceps and the corresponding mirror muscles are handy too (biceps, pectorals). Do not forget the mirror muscles, they still help!

#5. Location, Location, Location

We are fortunate in Toronto to have a free public archery range that is open 24/7 365 days per year. Anyone can go there, day or night, and practice.

See 10 Tips for Night Archery

The Toronto Archery Range is located at E. T. Seton Park, near the corner of Don Mills Road and Gateway Boulevard.

Via TTC take the 25 bus from Pape Station and get off at the corner of Don Mills Road and Gateway Boulevard (near the Tim Hortons / Shoppers Drug Mart).

If driving I recommend parking near the Tim Hortons / Shoppers Drug Mart, or you can park in the Overlea Parking Lot inside E. T. Seton Park (the Overlea Parking Lot is shaped like a donut).

Outside of Toronto you will want to find a local archery range or a similar safe place where you practice. A farmer's field would be ideal, so get permission from the local farmer to practice there. If you have family who own a farm or cottage up north that might also be a great place to practice. If you have a garage or basement that is also good if you like shooting short distances. I do not recommend practicing in a backyard as you have to be careful about being charged with reckless endangerment with a firearm.

#6. You Are Going To Lose / Break Arrows

Guaranteed you will lose and break arrows. This will happen more often if you don't have a coach.

  • Buy at least 10 - 12 arrows. 6 is too few as you will easily break/lose several.
  • Don't be foolish with your arrows.
  • Don't do archery in a place where you will likely lose/break arrows.
  • Use a nice soft archery target that will not damage your arrows.
  • When in doubt aim lower. The arrow is arcing up. You need to aim below the target. Really low. Remember: Aim low, hit high. Aim too high, lose your arrow.
  • Learn how to repair damaged arrows.
  • Learn how to find your arrows.
#7. Don't Expect To Be Immediately Amazing

It takes year to master archery. Archery is a journey and it requires patience and lots of practice.

Teaching yourself using trial and error will be a slow and painful process, requiring lots of practice and mistakes. You can speed up the process dramatically by having an archery instructor, but not everyone can afford to be paying $60 for a 90 minute private lesson.

If you do decide you want archery lessons check out my archery lesson rates by visiting http://www.cardiotrek.ca/p/archery-lessons.html

Within 4 lessons I will have you shooting short distances, long distances, at moving targets, and I will have you set on the right track. Just check out my Archery Lesson Plan and see what all you can learn by hiring an archery instructor instead of trying to teach yourself.

Hey Toronto, Spring is here! Time to do Archery!

The Toronto Archery Range, March 22nd 2019.

My wife said she wanted to do some archery on Thursday so we went to the range and I took some photos and kept our son Richard company while she did some shooting.

I posted some of the photos and videos of my wife Debie shooting on my Instagram account at instagram.com/charles.moffat. I frequently post lots of archery and outdoor related photos and videos on my Instagram account so if those are things you enjoy, please subscribe.

If you watch the videos you will often hear our son cheering each time his mommy shoots.

Later this year, when Richard turns 2, I will be teaching him archery.

Normally I don't teach people under 16 years old, but I am known to make exceptions. Especially if a person is really determined to learn archery and is serious about the sport.

For archery lessons in Toronto just email cardiotrek@gmail.com.






Richard likes visiting the archery range. With both parents doing archery, how can he not?

Spring is almost here! Time to do archery!

March 16th 2019.

Spring is almost here. The first day of Spring is just a few days away, on March 21st.

Today I went to the Toronto Archery Range and took some photos to see the condition of the range. Just give it a few warm days and it will muddy, but the snow and ice will be gone.

Anyone looking for archery lessons in Toronto this Spring or Summer should email me via cardiotrek@gmail.com.

My time is limited. Always best to prebook ahead of time to get your preferred time slots!












Note - I met a friend there and I was distracting him. This is totally my fault for distracting him so much. ;)
Looking to sign up for archery lessons, boxing lessons, swimming lessons, ice skating lessons or personal training sessions? Start by emailing cardiotrek@gmail.com and lets talk fitness!

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