American Flatbows

[jadlem]

My wife and I treated each other to a flatbow each this xmas. They are great fun to shoot and I'm getting reasonable results so far. Having read a couple of books on the subject (both by Americans and Hunters) where do they fit in with recurves and longbows over here in the UK? Similar principles apply with a flatbow but they have the added advantage of a shelf and centre shot.

Has anyone else become addicted to making traditional wooden arrows or is it the smell of Port Orford Cedar thats got me hooked?

Jonathan

[Miner Willy]

he-heh it's the smell of POC that does it, it smells fantastic, ahh tree sap or colophony resin to be precise. Don't get too carried away with sniffing as quite a few people can become sensitised to it esp. asthmatics. Sound like scaremongering but has happened.

Don't know about the flatbow but there are a couple of people shooting Samick flatbows at our club and they shoot great.

enjoy... the flatbow and POC.

[TJ Mason]

The AFB is the ginger stepchild in UK target archery, unfortunately. Daft, because the Olympic recurve is basically a development of the AFB with Asiatic-style curves in the limbs. Fiel archery is a bit more welcoming of this great bow.

[Macbow]

AFBs are just such a great design - superlight, very tough, so quiet, very forgiving of spine, aesthetically beautiful and a joy to shoot. I guess you could say I like mine! But remember an AFB is not just for Christmas.
Addicted to POC? Definitely but as Miner Willy says take care, especially with the sanding dust as it really isn't good for you. I find making my own POC arrows is almost as enjoyable as shooting them but its a habit that gets expensive. Once you've learned how to make them pretty the next step is to make them as perfect as possible. Before long you'll have a cresting machine, a spine tester, a couple of fletching jigs, dipping tubes and a grain scale in the quest for a great set of arrows. I use Rogue River POC tapered shafts and there is simply no going back to parallel shafts after them so I also invested in a tapering jig to taper my own. I shoot a pretty challenging field course which takes a heavy toll on my woodies. Making a dozen arrows with matched spines and weights is a big investment in both time and money. It's worth checking out the Carbon Express Heritage shafts. They look like a 5/16 woody but are extremely tough and very consistent and with a bit of tweaking weigh in virtually the same as my woods so I can use the same aiming gaps. Slightly less romantic than POC but cheaper in the long run. I now practice with them and can keep my Rogue Rivers for comps. The one thing with the carbons is they are less forgiving of a poor release which helps me improve my form. And when you do go back to woods it feels so sweet.
Apologies for getting carried away - initially I was just going to agree with you.

[Yew Selfbow]

I have to agree with what Macbow says.... I have a Bear Montana.. not the best AFB on the market but a real joy and pleasure to shoot.
...as for wooden arrows...don't get me started on that one....once you make one, thats it your hooked for life.
..enjoy

[jadlem]

I cobbled together my first dozen arrows having been given the components by my parents for xmas, I needed them for a field shoot on the 2nd January. Promptly bought a new bow and arrow parts for the wife at that shoot! Made a proper job on hers, staining, sealing and wax polishing them. Have just done the same with a new set purchased from quicks this weekend. Got some great bronze barred 5.5" shield back fletchings too....... Are there any support groups out there?!?! Arrow fletchers Anonymous?

The flatbow seems so rewarding to shoot. Have finally started getting good groups at 20yds.

The 3d foam football was taking a bit of a pounding in the garden at 10yds plus Merlyn my collie thinks it's a great new tugga toy!

[Judge]

Originally Posted by jadlem

My wife and I treated each other to a flatbow each this xmas. They are great fun to shoot and I'm getting reasonable results so far. Having read a couple of books on the subject (both by Americans and Hunters) where do they fit in with recurves and longbows over here in the UK? Similar principles apply with a flatbow but they have the added advantage of a shelf and centre shot.

Has anyone else become addicted to making traditional wooden arrows or is it the smell of Port Orford Cedar thats got me hooked?

Jonathan

Hi Jonathan

Your flatbow can't compete with the longbows I am afraid, the definition of a longbow in GNAS is that "at no point shall the depth of the bow, measured from back to belly, be less than 5/8 of the width of the bow at the same section", rule 206A. If you were shooting target then you could compete as recurve barebow. If you were shooting GNAS field archery then you could shoot recurve traditional as long as your arrows are wooden with feathers. If you were shooting a FITA round you could shoot as FITA Standard Bow. This is a quite complex category, but with the basicness of the flatbow it should fit OK! Check out the FITA rule 7.3.2. There are special awards like the FITA Stars for shooting FITA standard bow called the FITA Arrow Badge.

I am a GNAS archer that last shot NFAS many many moons ago, but back then NFAS did have an american flatbow category for it's field archery.

I hope this is comprehensive enough for you!

Judge

[Little Miss Purple]

Fiel archery is a bit more welcoming of this great bow.

Is this a new discipline TJ??

[TJ Mason]

Originally Posted by Little Miss Purple

Is this a new discipline TJ??

The "D" is on my pointy hat... I'll go and stand in the corner.

[laminatekid]

forget poc have you tried hex shafts http://www.hexshaftarrows.com/ they are manufactured wooden shafts....they rock!! tighter groups ,more consistant...i will say no more