First time shooting elb & afb

[kool4katz]

Hi there,

When i started archery just before xmas 06 , i wanted to go trad but was stumped about how to get up to a decent draw weight. So i decided recurve with exchange limbs,get up to weight and then maybe try trad bows.

WOW.... last night an old friend turned up at the club who happens to shoot elb and he let me try it. My God i'm hooked.I shoot at 32# at the mo on my recurve and this thing was 52# so i could only manage 6 arrows but 5 hit the target at 40 yds and one was in the gold so encouraging for me

I also had a go on an afb which was 35# so no probs there. Nice musical twang on the string but boy was there hand shock.

Anyway, this experience has made me realise that i want to change so i thought i might buy a decent afb as it is easier to learn with than elb and then move up at a later date and bigger draw weight on an elb once i have got used to it

So, do you reckon a 40# afb would suffice or maybe 45# as i found drawing the 35# afb ok

Cheers

[jaarus]

Its all personal - but a very general rule of thumb is you can go 10lbs heavier on a traditional bow (this was on a english longbow page) compared to a recurve due to the change in styles used.
Personally I went from a 38lb recurve to a 50lb longbow - I could barely string it to start with and now a month later its no problem at all to use - but everyone is different.
(In fact since then I have upped my recurrve limbs to 42lbs as it just felt so light after the longbow!)

Using that very loose rule either should be ok - 32 + 10 is 42 so 40-45 should be no problem.
However - since an AFB is actually very similar to a recurve - I suggest waiting until someone familiar with those bows comes along to advise on it.

But I personally would go for the 45lb.
But thats me.

EDIT:
Isn't it always the way, as soon as you hit the button you think of something you should have added!!

Which ever you go for - take it easy - what ever weight you go for always remember that its a big jump in weight to what your back and shoulders are used to. The last thing you want to do is cause yourself an injury and be unable to shoot for a while - so take it out shoot a few ends and dont push yourself - if you start straining then stop until next time.

Whatever you decide to go for I hope you enjoy it, and do wait for a reply from someone more experienced with AFBs - I may have gotten it all wrong lol

[steve58]

I agree with Jaarus about taking it steady. I had been shooting about 6 months when someone let me have a go on a longbow and I was hooked. My recurve was 34lbs @28" and I found I could handle a 43lb longbow (which fits with the +10lbs rule of thumb that seems to be quite common here). However, then I got all carried away and got a 54lb bow (in hindsight this was a stubborn beast of a bow and stacked short of my draw length so I could never get a consistent, confortable shot going). Silly! Spent my first outdoor season over-bowed and really struggled. I was eventually persuaded to come down in draw weight and got my form back together. Now I can manage my 53lb bow. The other thing to say is that bows are very different, some feel smoother to draw despite the weight, when I first drew my current bow I could not believe how it felt, if I had not seen it on Bickerstaffe's scales I would not have believed the marked weight.

Hope you find a bow you enjoy shooting!

[Macbow]

Go with 45# - in no time you won't even notice the weight and for field/target archery there really isn't any need to go higher. My advice would be to buy the very best bow you can afford (or can't) if you wish to avoid the handshock issue although most reflex/deflex AFBs should have minimal handshock if set up properly. Getting a good bow from the outset will also save you money in the long run (honest) as you won't need to get a decent one when you get serious about it. My choice of bow would be the Blackbrook Epsilon made by Andy Soars - almost as fast as the superb Zeta but more forgiving. Good luck whatever you do.

[FunTee]

Hi, I've just picked up my first longbow and I agree with the personal choice statement. I'm just shooting longbow for fun (as a distraction when I'm having a bad recurve day! ) I actually went down 10lbs with my longbow, just because it was a nice bow.
My advice is to try as many as you can as each one is different, even the ones that are from the same bowyer and draw weight. But once you find the one that is right for you, you'll know.
Good Luck!

[provins]

If you can't afford Andy Soars prices then have a look at Dave Folwells oferings at BowTec Archery I know people with these bows and they're very impressive.

[kool4katz]

Thanks for the replies Seems 45# is about right then.

I had a look at the Blackbrook site but no info on the epsilon. My first choice was a Bowtec AFB .

[Macbow]

Originally Posted by kool4katz

Thanks for the replies Seems 45# is about right then.

I had a look at the Blackbrook site but no info on the epsilon. My first choice was a Bowtec AFB .

Andy's website is well out of date - he's a busy engineer and a very busy bowyer not a web designer - but if you email him he will get back to you. As someone who has owned Bowtec, Border and Blackbrook AFBs any future bow purchase would be a Blackbrook every time.

[English Bowman]

Any idea what the Blackbrook recurves are like?
My wife shoots trad with an old Marksman Princess and I'd like to get her a bow that will shoot faster, but she doesn't like modern metal risers and would prefer a one piece bow,

Daniel