Oops

[Saw Finger]

No lectures please...... I always leap before I walk

I have just bought a longbow
The bow itself is 79 inches end to end, with a length of 77 inches nock to nock, and has been tillered to 28 inches at 42Lbs.

I could do with a little advice with the "must do's" and "dont's".

Thanks
Saw Finger

[Mad Archer]

Where do you start? Are you after advice on shooting your bow or on looking after it? What sort of shooting do you do e.g. target, field etc.?

[komtox]

A definate "must do" is join a club. There you'll get good advice, on a one to one basis.

[RichardH]

First off - is this your first bow?

Looking after your bow:
Bickerstaffe website

There was a bow on eBay recently. On enquiring, I discovered that the owner had had it permanently strung for the last six months - so at least find out how to store and care for your bow before anything else.

[Saw Finger]

Thanks for the replys.
It is my first bow but not the first time i have shot. I will be doing a mixture of targets, field target and LARP.

I was hoping for advice on stringing, storage etc. The sort of things that a beginer would do that could ruin a bow or arrows.

SF

[RichardH]

Well that link I gave to Pip's site has some info. For a slightly different opinion, take a look at Longbow Instructions - Yew Tree Archery - he recommends the "step through" method of stringing, which Pip doesn't - however, again there's some good comments on storage etc.

[TimS]

As RichardH says, Pip is fiercely against the 'step through' method - and having seen one example of a good bow destroyed by it in my club (I used to use it until Pip issued me a bollocking) I vote with him.

The real danger is if you stand with your feet close together and the leg about which you are bending the bow is halfway down the lower limb. In fact if you stand with your feet wide apart and bend at the knees you (apart from looking a complete prat) can get the 'bending leg' to the handle of a normal length longbow (assuming you are near to six foot).

I now use the push/pull method but it does take a little practice - its more technique than strength.

You can of course use the stringer, and probably need to for bows over the 80lb mark anyway, but its not as 'manly', you get called a whuss (at best) if caught with a stringer by our lot!

[English Bowman]

Originally Posted by Saw Finger

Thanks for the replys.
It is my first bow but not the first time i have shot. I will be doing a mixture of targets, field target and LARP.

I was hoping for advice on stringing, storage etc. The sort of things that a beginer would do that could ruin a bow or arrows.

SF

Don't LARP with a 40 lb + bow. If you hit anyone with it they won't thank you!

I also agree with the join a club comment above.

Daniel

[gino]

I agree with Dan, definately do NOT LARP with that bow, someone will get seriously hurt.
I dont LARP but I reenact, we use 30lb bows and shoot up into the sky so the blunt arrows fall onto helmets (everyone is required to wear a helmet).

[Mad Archer]

Good comments here already. As far as stringing the bow is concerned I always use a stringer. It's the type that works on both nocks of the bow, so the bend is taken by both limbs evenly. I haven't been called a wuss for doing this (we're softy southerners anyway I suppose), but I wouldn't care if anyone did - I like my bow and intend to treat it as carefully as possible. Just let your shooting do the talking!