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Looking for something fun to give a loved one for Valentines Day in Toronto?
Why not give them an Archery Lesson for Two?
Or Archery Lessons...
2 Students, Weekdays or Weekends
$100 for 90 minutes; 3 Lessons - $290; 5 Lessons - $470; 10 Lessons - $920.
Contact cardiotrek@gmail.com to get a Gift Voucher Number and have a Happy Valentines Day!
If you have never done archery (or have very little experience) there are essentially three ways to get into the sport.
#1. Get Archery Lessons
Obviously this is me tooting my own horn, but if you're looking for archery lessons in Toronto then I invite you to contact me to book archery lessons. Archery lessons are the fastest and easiest way to learn the sport, but they are more expensive and thus geared towards people who are more serious about wanting to learn archery in a hurry and want to excel at it.
If you have a friend who does archery they can also try to teach you, but this is often a test of patience on their part as they may not have a lot of experience teaching archery (or anything else). So when getting archery lessons I do recommend hiring someone with a lot of experience teaching archery and know what they're doing.
Speaking for myself: I have been teaching archery since 2009, and I have been doing archery since 1989.
The book I currently recommend is by my colleagues Steve Ruis and Claudia Stevenson: "Precision Archery".
You can try to find the book at your local bookstore, and if they don't have it then you can order it from the store using the ISBN number... Or order it online.
ISBN 9780736046343
And if you want to go a step further you can also get yourself a subscription to Archery Focus Magazine, which gives you access to their back catalogue of magazine PDFs.
Which coincidentally also gives you access to various articles that I wrote for Archery Focus Magazine:
Oh and I am working on my own nonfiction Archery How To Book. So stayed for that to be released.
Note - Reading a book about how to do archery isn't perfect. Ideally you want an archery instructor, but if you don't have one then a book is the next best thing. There are other books on the subject, but "Precision Archery" is the best book currently available in my opinion.
#3. Teach Yourself / Watch YouTube Videos
I have a low opinion on the subject of YouTube videos teaching archery and while there is the potential for someone to learn that way, I firmly believe it is a bit like "the blind leading the blind" because often the people making such videos are beginners themselves.
Or if they are experienced archers they're not necessarily good at teaching it or explaining it properly.
And then there's the YouTube feuds...
For example, there are two specific YouTubers I am thinking of who argue back and forth in their videos about the proper way to do something. Just two men (and their egos) arguing.
Honestly, rather than watch YouTube videos you might be better off just being completely self taught, assuming you cannot find a book on the subject or cannot find an archery instructor.
Being self-taught really comes down to practicing regularly and socializing with other archers, because you will learn so much about the sport by talking to your fellow archers and observing them while they shoot to see what they are doing correctly, but also what they are doing wrong. If you can learn from their mistakes and triumphs it will speed up the process of teaching yourself. (Of course, you would learn even faster if you had an instructor to teach you what to be looking for.)
Conclusions
A combination of options #1 and #2 above is arguably the best you can do. Getting both an instructor and the aforementioned book on the subject, so you get the best of both worlds.
Or options #1 and #2 and buy a whole library of archery books (which is what I have on my bookshelves). In some cases I even have multiple copies of the same book, the result of people gifting me books that I already have copies of.
"Hey, there's an archery book! I should get that for Charles!"
And unfortunately I have copies of almost every archery book in the English language. Plus I am such an archery dork that I write nonfiction (and fiction) on the subject.
And I have 5 different books just on the subject of bowmaking and arrow making.
So yes, if you want to get really good at archery... Just copy everything I've done. Get archery lessons, buy ALL the books (even the bowmaking books), practice multiple days per week, get really good at it, learn multiple styles of archery, become an archery instructor, and of course publish articles on the subject... And start writing a How To Book on archery.
Whatever.
I think the point I am trying to make (again and again) is that you should either get archery lessons or buy a book like "Precision Archery". Or both.
Practice makes perfect. Aim small miss small. Have Some Apple Pie.
Print out the above image to have a Spooky archery target this Halloween. Enjoy!
One of my archery students back in July sent me this GIF of their arrow hitting a bottle and then catapulting backwards. Seen in a loop it creates the impression that the arrow is hitting the bottle and just bouncing back and forth, while the lid goes flying each time.
Enjoy!
Photography Credit: Robin Kuniski / www.robinkuniski.com
So what's the big deal?
Well, the flag is approx. 70 yards (210 feet) away from where the archery student was standing... And this was only their 5th archery lesson.
Oh and it was a tad windy that day.
That's why such results are worth taking photos of.
So what is Clout Archery?
Clout Archery is a long distance sport wherein archers compete to see who can get their arrows closest to the flag pole, which is generally placed really far away.
Usually 140 to 180 yards away, which are the competitive distances for Clout Archery.
However since the Toronto Archery Range is only 140 yards long (and lots of trees behind that) we have to use a shorter distance which is still challenging for a beginner, but also surprisingly a lot of fun.
Getting a cluster of arrows to land near the flag pole is also very challenging, even for experienced archers who are used to getting their arrows in clusters at shorter distances.
If you look closely at the photos on the right you will note that some of the arrows are touching or almost touching. That is some very good consistency for a beginner archer.
This isn't unheard of for my archery students however. I have periodically had students hit the flag pole or the flag itself at distances of 80 yards, 90 yards or more.
Getting to the point that you can do Clout Archery with this degree of accuracy isn't for beginners really. I generally only teach this to my archery students who sign up for 5 or more archery lessons.
When students sign up for 5 archery lessons they generally (I will sometimes customize the lessons for the needs of the student) get the following:
Lesson 1: Safety Lecture, Eye Test, Lecture on How to Aim Traditionally, Lecture on Proper Form, Field Archery Practice.
Lesson 2: Target Archery Practice, Lecture on Arrowheads.
Lesson 3: Long Distance Field Archery Practice, Lecture on Arrow Spine.
Lesson 4: Target Archery Practice, Lecture on How to Aim using Gap Shooting, Moving Target Practice.
Lesson 5: Clout Archery or Gap Shooting Field Archery (varies on the student).
Thus it really depends upon the student. Some students are more into learning Gap Shooting and others are more interested in long distance shooting.
Note - When someone signs up for 10 or more lessons I don't really have to choose so much. I will just teach them both, but I will still be customizing the lessons to the student's needs or interests.
Clout Archery Tips
Don't aim at clouds. They move. Instead you need to measure on the sky where you want to aim. I teach several different techniques for how to measure and aim at the sky so that students can choose which method works best for them.
Proper Form! If you don't know how to properly perform a shot then you should either get archery lessons or buy a book on the subject (I recommend "Precision Archery" by Steve Ruis & Claudia Stevenson).
And if you're in Toronto or the GTA you have no excuse not to get archery lessons from a dedicated professional like myself who teaches multiple different styles of archery and different archery sports like Clout Archery.
Browse the links below to learn more. Happy Shooting!
See Also
Today I had a bonding experience with a fellow archery instructor during which the topic of "students who don't listen" came up. For me this experience of commiserating with a fellow archery instructor was cathartic.
What is the point of getting archery lessons (or any other kind of lesson) if you're not going to listen to the instructor?
There
is nothing more annoying to an instructor than trying to teach someone
who refuses to listen. I have, historically, refunded lessons to people
who didn't listen and I didn't want to bother teaching them.
Especially
if I considered them to be a danger to themselves and others. It would
be irresponsible, in my opinion, to teach someone I consider to be
dangerously ignorant and refuses to correct their mistakes or listen to
the instructor.
This is one of the reasons why I rarely teach
children any more. There is a measure of responsibility and maturity on
the part of the student that needs to be there before I even agree to
teach archery to a child... And if they later turn out to be the type of
person who doesn't listen then guess who is getting the remainder of
their lessons canceled and refunded*...?
* Partly because of
liability issues in which I don't want to be legally responsible for a
child (or adult) who is a danger to themselves and others. So this isn't
really a choice for me. It is basically a legal requirement on my part
to be responsible about who I choose to teach.
As noted by my
colleague and myself, this problem of students who don't listen is
mostly an issue of children who lack maturity. It is rare to meet an
adult with this particular problem, although not unheard of. I sometimes
come across an adult or even a senior who has become set in their ways
and doesn't want to listen, even when they know it is in their best
interest to do so.
The problem I find often stems from students
thinking that they know more than the instructor because they have been
watching too much television/movies, did archery at summer camp with
someone who didn't know how to teach archery, or they've bought into
misinformation about the sport they learned from other sources
(fictional books, YouTube, Facebook, etc). This is why, in my opinion, it is
often better to teach a student who is a blank slate. The less
misinformation they have previously received the better.
Just
because you saw a cartoon character doing archery a certain way doesn't
mean that you know more than the archery instructor. You don't. Get over
it.
Clout Archery is a sport in which archers compete at shooting a "clout of arrows" as close to a target flag pole as possible, often at really long distances such as 140 or 180 yards away.
For people new to clout archery (or when the field is shorter than desirable) you may want to use shorter distances such as 60, 70, 80 yards, etc. Or if you have a really large field available, you could even try shooting longer distances like 200 yards or more.
The image below shows the results of 1 round of shooting with one of my archery students recently on June 4th 2022, shooting at a distance of 60 yards (180 feet). She got two clusters near the flag pole as you can see, nearly hitting the flag pole despite windy conditions that day.
Which brings me to the topic of what makes Clout Archery something that is useful to learn:
#1. Clout Archery is really good for archers learning how to adjust for wind conditions.
#2. Clout Archery is very good at teaching people how to shoot long distances accurately, with the distances often being more than that used by Olympic archers (70 meters).
#3. Because shooting long distances magnifies any mistakes the archer makes it forces the archer to be more of a perfectionist than shooting short distances in comparison.
BONUS THOUGHTS
Shooting such long distances can also be quite fun as there is a level of joy in watching an arrow fly so far and yet manage to land near the flag pole (or on rare occasions, even hit the flag pole).
For extra fun you can also use whistling arrowheads.
To make it easier to find your arrows (depending on the distance) you can also use wingnuts behind your screwed on field points so that when they hit the ground they dig in like an anchor and are easier to find. Alternatively, you can also use large (flu flu) fletching on your arrows.
Clout Archery Lessons?
Anyone wanting to learn archery (and specifically Clout Archery) can sign up for archery lessons in Toronto and mention that you want to learn Clout Archery.
As time goes by eventually your archery targets will get holey (or fall down) in which case you either need to replace the material or repair it in some manner.
Repairing Natural Tentest Targets
In the case of Natural Tentest targets, like those at the Toronto Archery Range located at E. T. Seton Park shown above, one way to repair the big gaping holes is to wait until one of the target butts collapses and falls down - often due to heavy rain and/or wind - and then you can use the broken fallen pieces of Natural Tentest to stuff the holes in the other targets.
And for fun, you can also add a large water container to the target butt which collapsed so that people can still potentially shoot at something until that target's tentest is replaced.
Repairing 3D Targets
In the case of 3D targets (deer, raccoons, etc) that are popular with hunters one of the best ways to repair them is with foam, like in the video below. What brand or style of foam you use doesn't really matter, what is really important is that you don't overfill the holes you are repairing because otherwise excess material will leak out (as demonstrated in the video below). A "less is better" approach is best for that scenario.
Repairing DIY Cardboard Targets
The beauty of cardboard targets is that they're super easy to repair and cost effective. Just make a habit of saving any large pieces of cardboard from your home and/or workplace and you can easily just rip out any damaged pieces of cardboard from your DIY targets and replace with new cardboard.
Best of all, the old cardboard is still recyclable so it has simply been reused before eventually reaching the recycling bin.
Your cardboard archery target doesn't need to be fancy either (like the one in the image below). It simply could be a cardboard box which is filled with cardboard. Having a wooden frame is really unnecessary for most people's purposes. But once you have a cardboard target they're very easy to repair.
About one year ago my colleague Steve Ruis wrote a blog post called "The Ikigai of Archery".
Ikagai is a Japanese word which means "live reason" or "reason to live".
Basically Ikagi is when you have something that helps you get out of bed in the morning and provides a purpose or meaning in your life is certainly helpful.
Can archery be a reason to live?
I believe so.
Sometimes we just don't want to get up in the morning, but we force ourselves to do so because we have to get to work - often to a job we dislike.
I am fortunate that I have a job I really enjoy and love to do. There are many people out there who wish they could quit their regular jobs and just do what they love to do.
Even so there are definitely days when I am excited to teach archery and do some personal practice, and then there are other days when I have to go to work and I would rather stay home if I had the choice.
I find the quality of sleep I got the night before is a factor.
Same thing goes with my students. I can tell based upon their focus and the quality of their shooting whether they didn't sleep well the night before - or worse, if they're hungover, distracted by something, stressed or upset, hungry, etc.
And yet they still got up and they came to their archery practice because it was something they wanted to do, because they deemed it important, and quite possibly they were excited about it.
Thus in this case I think Ikigai is an excellent word, and an apt word. If archery can be the crutch that helps people get up in the morning - and in some cases to strive and find purpose in their lives - then so be it. Sometimes people need a crutch to help them to keep on surviving so they can find other reasons to live.
I believe people can have multiple reasons to live, including
an important one: Family. Speaking for myself then my wife and my son are two of my biggest
reasons to live, but archery is another. As is writing. I have many reasons to live.
For my students who are curious about the more spiritual sides of archery I usually recommend two books:
1. Zen Bow, Zen Arrow
2. The Unfettered Mind
The 2nd book isn't actually about archery. It is about Zen Buddhism and swordsmanship, but also about being a good person who learns to manage their thoughts and emotions. So while it is primarily about swordsmanship, the principles described in the book also apply to archery.
Years ago I even published my own book of poetry on the subject, a book called "Dreaming of Zen Archery". (The ebook version is $2.99 if you're curious about it.)
So yes, I believe archery can be an Ikigai - a reason to live.
It doesn't have to be your sole reason to live however, but it can be the crutch that keeps you moving forward until you find other reasons.
Hello Toronto!
Do you want to learn archery? Of course you do, you're here reading this aren't you?
Well, the good news is that I am accepting new students for the 2022 archery season.
Contact cardiotrek@gmail.com to book your archery lesson(s) today. When in doubt I recommend starting for 3 lessons for $200. See my archery lessons page for more details / discount rates / etc.
So what's so special about my archery lessons?
#1. I make them fun and informative. So you're learning, but you get to have fun while doing so.
#2. I have been teaching archery so far for 13 years (and doing archery for 33 years). Suffice to say I have been doing this for a long time and have learned some of the best ways
#3. I have published articles over the years in "Archery Focus Magazine", which recently released their final issue in November 2021. (My article "Gap Shooting: Aiming for Versatility" was included in the final issue.)
#4. Browse my Archery Lessons Plan to learn more about the how each lesson is different.
#5. One on one lessons. No group lessons. You get personalized attention from an archery coach and I tailor the lessons to meet my individual students needs.
#6. I also teach people with adaptive archery needs. So if you're in a wheel chair or have other difficulties, not to worry, you can still do archery. Just email me to discuss your situation.
#7. People over 65 get a 10% Seniors Discount and people from Canada's armed forces get a 10% Veterans Discount.
Above is a photo of one of my archery students after she successfully pierced the string on a moving target. It was her 6th lesson.
I usually start teaching how to shoot at moving targets on the 4th lesson or later, but actually splitting or piercing the string on a moving target is very rare. More rare than "Robin Hooding an arrow", which is when you pierce your own arrow in the end of the nock.
How to make a Moving Target
I find one of the easiest ways to make a moving target is to use an empty water bottle and dangle it from a string. The water bottle blows in the wind fairly easily, but not so easily that it is impossible to hit if you're good at it.
When dangling the bottle from the string you want to offset it from the target. A broken arrow or a stick inserted into the target works well. If you do not offset the moving target then it will rub against the target and the friction will reduce how much the bottle moves about.
How to make it easier...
If you want less of a challenge you also use a larger bottle. Eg. A 2 liter Coca-Cola bottle is a great size if you want something less challenging. If you want to make it even easier pick a day to shoot when there is very little wind.
How to make it harder...
Cut the bottle in half. Or only use just the bottle cap. The moving bottle cap makes for a very difficult target to hit. If you want to make it even harder try to do it on a windy day.
But not impossible.
I did it twice in one day (back in 2015) when I brought a tripod and a camera to the archery range. The first time however the camera stopped recording so I didn't actually manage to record it. The second time however the camera did record it properly. Thankfully it wasn't too windy that day.
Anyone wishing to book archery lessons in Toronto for 2022 should feel free to contact me. Better to contact me sooner to start booking your lessons.
The final issue of Archery Focus Magazine is now available. I am fortunate to have been part of it.
I will miss it.
People interested in reading the final issue or reading back issues can learn more at:
Well, I have good news and bad news...
The good news is I have another article that is being published in "Archery Focus Magazine". It will be coming out in the November-December 2021 issue.
The bad news is that the November-December 2021 issue will also be the final issue, the farewell issue, of the magazine.
It saddens me that the final issue is coming so soon. I am aware that many magazines thrive and survive based on subscriptions, and that if those subscriptions eventually falter that the magazine may be unsustainable. Many print media magazines and newspapers have ended during the past 20 years, and digital magazines are similarly vulnerable due to the subscription format.
Between 2017 and 2020 I contributed five articles to the magazine in the following issues:
I regret not writing more articles. Contributing 1 or 2 articles per year was one of the highlights of teaching the sport, but I could have written more. I have been very busy doing other things like teaching, raising my son, and writing multiple series of fantasy books... But I could have contributed another article or two. Sadly, we writers have to learn to live with our regrets, just like archers have to learn to live with their botched shooting.
I have also been writing my own "how to book" with respect to archery, so perhaps I will devote more time in the near future towards finishing and publishing that book. Or I might solve my thirst to publish more articles by contributing to magazines like Traditional Bowhunter or TradArchers' World. We shall just have to see what happens.
One last bit of good news...
While the magazine is ending, the back issues will continue to be available. You can visit archeryfocusmagazine.com and get any of the back issues of the magazine dating back to the first issue from 1997. You can get unlimited access to 25 years worth of the magazine's back issues for $160 USD.
Hello Toronto!
Bad news if you wanted to book archery lessons in Toronto for August, September or October of 2021. I am already fully booked and am no longer accepting new students for this year.
Have a great day!
Due to COVID I am going to be restricting how many students / time slots I teach this year during August, September and October. It isn't a matter of time constraints, I am available, but I am putting a limit on the total number of archery lessons I am willing to teach this year.
So my advice is that if you want archery lessons between now and the end of the season you need to contact me sooner rather than later and hope that there is still time slots available and I haven't reached my "quota" for the year.
Basically the point I am trying to make is that this year, due to COVID, I am setting a quota for the maximum number of lessons I am willing to teach. So if you want archery lessons in Toronto then you should email me today and start booking.
If you wait too long you might have to prebook for 2022.
My Writing Career
In related news, my book sales during 2021 are expected to triple my 2020 book sales, which tripled my book sales from 2019, which in turn dectupled my 2018 book sales... So if you can do math that means my book sales are up by a factor of 90 in the past 3 years.
If my book sales continue to triple annually I will be able to quit my day job (teaching archery) and focus on writing books sometime in 2025.
Now don't get me wrong, I love teaching archery. Absolutely love it. But there are days when I would love to just sleep in, spend more time with my wife/son, and focus on writing instead.
Teaching archery, and being good at it / able to make a living doing it, has given me the freedom to pursue my writing career during the cold winter months when very few people in Toronto ask for archery lessons.
Becoming a full time professional writer is the dream of pretty much every writer. I love archery and I love teaching it, but I foresee a time when I will just jack up my prices and only teach on 1 or 2 days per week so that I can focus my energy on writing.
Or quit teaching archery entirely and focus solely on writing. In addition to getting an annual tripling in book sales I keep getting 4 and 5 star reviews, so that's always a nice feeling to know people really like my writing. Cannot complain about that.
And what is the content of my writing? I mostly write heroic fantasy featuring, you guessed it, archery.
You can find my books, available in trade paperback and ebook formats, at amazon.com/author/moffat. I expect to be releasing audiobook versions in 2026 if my book sales continue to go up at the current rate. Hardcover versions of the novels are also expected sometime. If you have the paperback ISBN numbers you can order my books from your local bookstore.
The bow in the photo above (and below on the right) is a Samick SKB horsebow (sometimes also called a shortbow).
Learning how to shoot a horsebow is trickier than learning how to shoot a traditional recurve, although they have many similarities in design. There are some additional challenges, which is why I recommend that students take 3 lessons of traditional recurve before progressing to shooting horsebow, so that they have a good grounding in proper form in that style before proceeding to a more challenging style of archery.
(Same goes with anyone wanting to learn how to shoot Longbow or Olympic Recurve. Definitely study traditional recurve first, then make the transition.)
There is an issue concerning the matter of the poundages made available by the manufacturers.
Many manufacturers who make horsebows do not make low poundages: 20 lbs or less.
This phenomenon of manufacturers not making lighter poundages is not limited to horsebows either. Some manufacturers who make longbows and the higher end traditional recurves also limit what poundages they produce, knowing that their target customers are adults (and mostly men).
The Samick SKB horsebow shown above (and on the right) only comes in 25 lbs to 55 lbs (with 5 lb increments). The bow I purchased was 30 lbs, which I felt was a good poundage for my needs as an archery instructor, and knowing that most of the people wanting to learn horsebows usually have an end goal of purchasing a horsebow that is in the 30 lbs to 50 lbs range.
This consequently creates limitations on who can potentially be using the bow. Eg. Most children won't be able to pull it properly, and many people who are complete beginners really should not be using a 30 lb bow.
However someone who has done 3 archery lessons previously, and proven that they can handle 18 lbs, 20 lbs and 24 lbs, and expressed an interest in learning horsebow. Well, then we can discuss the matter as they might be capable of pulling 30 lbs.
Otherwise they will need to purchase their own equipment - which is usually the standard situation when it comes to anyone who wants to learn how to shoot horsebows (or compounds, or Olympic recurves), and archery in general as the goal of most archery students is to eventually buy their own equipment so they can practice on their own.
Someone who is petite in size will find a difficult time finding a quality horsebow that is sized correctly for them and offers a poundage they can use properly. There are a few manufacturers who make children's bows (and youth bows) that offer lighter poundages, but the issue of quality means there is a gap in the market for well designed bows that fall into these age categories. In some cases they simply don't exist, and what does exist is slim pickings.
The big name manufacturers simply aren't interested in making certain types of bows aimed at children, youth and petite adults.
Still, that doesn't mean a person cannot do archery. It just means they are limited to doing traditional recurve (or potentially longbow or compound shooting) because there are bows being manufactured and sold which are aimed at children, youth and petite adults.
The market is there in my opinion, but nobody is making them.
Personal Note
I feel an almost fatherly pride when I see my archery students excelling at the sport.
And I get that sense of pride whenever I see my students returning again and again to the archery range, becoming almost religious about practicing. They're not there for lessons any more. They're there to practice because they love the sport.
It doesn't matter whether they had 3 lessons, 10 lessons, or whatever. It is good to see them out there practicing, and knowing that I had a hand in their tutelage is a matter of personal pride for me.
And as my son grows and is already obsessed with archery, I look forward to seeing him grow and shooting. I want to note that I am not forcing archery upon him. He is naturally obsessed with it because he gets to see both of his parents shooting and he wants to do it too.
Even if by some chance in the future he gets bored of archery (which I highly doubt will happen), it won't matter. Because I will still be proud in the knowledge that when he was 2 - 4 years old he was obsessed with the sport and wanted to shoot "bow arrow" with daddy as often as he could.
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!
PS. The photo below of my son is from February 2021. I remember that day fondly. The stonework in the park looked a bit like a castle, so we were playing with his bow and arrow in there. (With all the heat lately that snow looks wonderful.)
It feels really good to be teaching archery again. The photo above is recent, from June 2021, and shows a quiet moment at the Toronto Archery Range.
Anyone interested in archery lessons in Toronto (one-on-one lessons only) should contact me to discuss scheduling and availability.
Happy Shooting!
I got my first shot of Moderna today and I am pleased to announce that I will resume teaching archery on June 2nd when the current lockdown/stay-at-home order in Ontario ends.
Various archery students have been contacting me since January asking for archery lessons, but due to the cold winter weather + lockdown measures I have been unable to teach.
My vaccination also lined up nicely 8 days before the reopening so I happy about this new turn of events. Thanks to the new stage one reopening of sports areas (tennis courts, golf courses, archery ranges, etc) plus my vaccination I can now say with more confidence that I am finally able to teach again.
People interested in archery lessons in Toronto are invited to browse my rates and let me know which days they are looking to book lessons.
And it couldn't come soon enough. While I enjoy gardening in my backyard, I clearly need to get out more! Just look at those trilliums and ferns. They are doing just fine without me! 😋
Q
"When is it time to buy new archery equipment?"
A
Well, it varies for many people.
#1. Can you afford it in your budget?
Not everyone can afford to be buying 1 or 2 new bows (or more!) every year. *Cough Cough* as I glance at the bows in the basement that require a new bow rack on the wall so I can store them properly.
Some of us (eg. actors seeking to expand their skill sets that they can put on a resume) can even claim things like riding lessons and anything related to owning a horse as a business expense on their taxes because they want to star in a Western someday. Or a fantasy film, or a historical film, or a post apocalyptic film featuring horses... Basically any film with horses.
Likewise an actor could in theory claim their archery expenses as business expenses, as I am sure William Shatner did during the early days of his acting career.
But not all of us can do that and thus we also have to weigh whatever financial pressures we are facing against our thirst to go buy more and more archery equipment.
So let's pretend that money is not the issue...
#2. Do you want a stronger bow?
Some archers (usually men) want a stronger bow because they want to be able to go hunting someday, or perhaps they just want their arrows to fly faster, or perhaps they just want to get more exercise by pulling a harder bow.
For whatever the reason I recommend waiting at least 6 to 12 months after you purchased your first bow before you go and buy your second bow. Why? Because hopefully during that 6 to 12 month period you went out and practiced with the first bow at least once per week (or sometimes twice). So at least 24 or even 48 times.
After that much practice the archer then might be ready for a higher poundage, at which point they should consider getting a bow which is 5 to 6 lbs heavier.
Thus if you started off with a 24 or 25 lb recurve it would now be time to consider getting a 30 lb bow.
Or if your bow is a three-piece recurve bow, well then you could just buy bow limbs that are 5-6 lbs heavier.
Why should you not make bigger jumps? Like 10 lbs or more? Because it is a bit like dumbbells at the gym. You start with the 10 lb dumbbells and repeat that for a few months and then switch to 15 lbs. Then 20, then 25, then 30. You take your time doing it and focus on your form.
If you skip ahead a person's form will frequently suffer, you lose accuracy, you stop making progress with respect to the quality of your form, and such inaccuracy effects your mental confidence. You stop shooting because you think you suck at the sport... But in reality you just pushed yourself too quickly.
Personal Note - I go through this process every Spring. I start by shooting my lighter bows and then practice with them slowly, rebuilding any strength I lost during the Winter. I gradually build up my strength until I am used to shooting 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 or even 60 lbs.
#3. Do you want a prettier bow?
This is certainly a thing. Some archers just want a bow that looks really nice. There are some very pretty bows out there. But here's an interesting rule when it comes to price, prettiness and accuracy.
And nobody wants to buy a bow that is pretty and cheap, because guaranteed it won't be accurate.
Take for example the bow below... It is a Blacktail Elite VL Series bow... It is currently priced at $1470 USD. It is a very pretty bow and suitably accurate when you consider the price tag, but most of what you are paying for is the looks.
This is actually one of their less expensive bows too. They have other bows from their Legacy series which are priced at $4500, $6500 and $8999 USD.
So yes, you can buy super expensive bows it you really want - bows that are essentially more art piece than craft, but would you really want to shoot that bow regularly or take it hunting???
My advice for anyone who is new to archery is that you should aim smaller when it comes to buying a prettier bow. Something in the $400 to $800 range is still a very pretty bow, but you won't need to get financing just to buy it. (Seriously, Blacktail Bows offers financing on their website...)
#4. Do you want to collect archery equipment?
Yes? Awesome.
Most collectors however are not buying "new archery equipment". They're buying vintage. Specifically they are looking for bows that are 40 or more years old. So right now that means anything from the 1970s or earlier.
It also means you are usually browsing bows on eBay or similar websites where people auction off old vintage bows.
When buying such bows you want to look carefully at the photographs being offered. There should be photographs of every part of the bow, and from every angle. Usually that means 16 or more photographs, in high resolution, with no blurry photography.
#5. Do you need new arrows?
Honestly this is the most common reason people buy new archery equipment.
Usually it means they have:
Now if you are just dealing with damaged arrows that could be repaired, then absolutely, you should learn how to repair them. You can buy replacement nocks, replacement fletching, replacement inserts, replacement arrowheads... Modern arrows are rather like Lego. Most of the parts are interchangeable and can be replaced.
If they are broken beyond repair / lost, well... Yeah, not much you can do about that. Time to buy new arrows!
#6. Did you break your bow?
Breaking a bow is a very rare occurrence. Extremely rare. Most modern bows are very durable if you take good care of them and are not mistreating them, and the rare manufacturing defects are quite rare.
If it was a manufacturing defect you should check your warranty and see about getting a replacement from the manufacturer. If you don't have a warranty... Well then, you need to buy a new bow.
I definitely recommend buying a bow that comes with a warranty. You never regret it.
Note - Vintage bows definitely do not come with a warranty. Likewise certain cheaper companies don't offer warranties at all. Likewise, there is also the problem of counterfeits - you send the broken bow back to the manufacturer and then they inform you that your bow is a counterfeit, and thus there is no warranty. (Counterfeits are more often purchased online during some kind of sale or discount, so you need to beware of any company selling bows online at large discounts.)
#7. Do you want to try a different style of archery?
One of these days I am going to buy a Japanese yumi bow. It is on my Wish List of bows to buy, but it might be a few years before I do that.
Wanting to try different styles of archery is just something that many people want to do, so you're not alone in this desire. The problem is that certain styles of archery are more expensive, and learning the different style of archery is also an issue.
Eg. When learning a new style you should probably get archery lessons in that specific style.
So yes, if your goal is to try a different style then you should get lessons in that style, and presumably your archery instructor can give you advice about what kind of bows you can purchase, what other archery equipment you will need, where to purchase, anything else you should know, etc.
And if you live in Toronto and want to learn one of the five styles of archery then you should contact me to get archery lessons, because I teach all 5 major styles of archery.
#8. Accessories and issues...
Wear and tear is a thing. Take for example the common three finger glove used by traditional recurve and longbow archers. Made from rawhide (usually) they eventually wear down and stop offering you protection from the bowstring. When you start experiencing this you need to buy a new archery glove.
Same thing happens with bowstrings. You can maintain them as best you can by waxing them, taking good care of them, but eventually you will need to reserve them if they unravel or replace them when they break.
Your gear will wear down and/or break over time and certain things will need replacing. My recommendation whenever replacing an item is to try and replace it with something that is better quality / more durable that will last longer.
Eg. When replacing a plastic arrow rest aim to replace it with either a traditional fur arrow rest, or with a wire arrow rest. Fur or metal will last a lot longer than plastic.
Personal Note - I once bought a plastic arrow rest back in 2010 that broke on the first day. Complete trash. I will never buy another plastic arrow rest.
Additional Note - I routinely see plastic arrow rests on the ground at the archery range. Not broken ones necessarily. Some of them look to be brand new. But this is the inherent problem with them. They're so bad (and people know they're bad) that people are just littering with them.
#9. Did I miss anything?
When in doubt ask yourself the following question: "Do I need this new piece of equipment?"
If you're talking about buying an armguard because you keep hitting yourself, then the answer is probably yes.
But if you are thinking of buying a new armguard just because it is pretty, and you already own 3 other armguards... The answer is no.
But hey! Maybe you are collecting armguards, in which case that is your hobby and who am I to throw stones? I have 30+ bows in the basement that need a new bow rack...
