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Post by TheCrunchyCrouton on Jan 31, 2012 18:47:49 GMT
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Post by Tendrax on Jan 31, 2012 22:27:48 GMT
Either one of those looks to be a decent bow for the money. I can't remember the performance differences between hickory or bamboo, I believe bamboo is a little faster, but don't quote me on that. Otherwise it would just be aesthetic preference. The horn tips are the nocks on the tips of the bow, if you don't get them the nocks will be cut into the wood, if you do get them they glue a piece of buffalo horn on the end and put the nocks in that. if you look at this page: rudderbowsarchery.com/shopping/ ... ffuk524b23 The half hook is the one far left in the picture, strait is the middle one. Only an aesthetic difference. Other than that, start with the lightest weight. A lot of big strong dudes start with a high poundage bow because they're a "man" and can "handle it", but archery uses muscles you barely ever use, and you you will hurt yourself if you start out too strong. Also keep in mind when you get arrows if you want the best performance they need to be spined properly for your draw weight. It's better to er on the side of too strong. Too strong and they just shoot to the left, too weak to the right, but if they're way to weak they turn into shrapnel and go nowhere. That's about all I can think of, just have fun man. Archery is a fun hobby, and if you like hunting or needed to you can use it to put food on your table.
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Jan 31, 2012 23:55:08 GMT
I own that hickory backed Ipe ELB from Rudderbows, purchased it some 6-7 years ago. Great bow, good speed and a smooth draw. I really don't think you'll be disappointed. I ordered mine with a simple strike plate instead of the arrow shelf, though. Bamboo backing may be a better option for you. I received great customer service through them and, when I order my next bow (considering the Osage tri-lam, though this one also looks interesting: rudderbowsarchery.com/shopping/ ... vnee5ro426), it will definitely be through them. Edit: To add on what Tendrax is saying, getting a heavy weight bow doesn't just increase risk of injury, it also is a surefire way to instill poor form. And once you develop bad shooting habits, they are extremely hard to shake off. Find out what the minimum legal hunting weight is in your state/area (usually it's right around 40-45) and go with that. It's light enough to learn from and heavy enough to last you years of hunting if you so desire. Then when you feel ready you can move onto something heavier.
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Post by TheCrunchyCrouton on Feb 1, 2012 2:01:39 GMT
Thanks for the replies! I don't hunt, nor do I plan on starting to. Just target shooting. Thanks for the nock info Tendrax, I think I will be going with the old fashioned method. By the way, good to see you back on the forums! Haven't been seeing you around as much.
Aaron- I didn't expect to hear from anyone who owned one! That's fantastic news. I think I'll get the bamboo backed one then.
Also, you both said different things about draw weight, Tendrax said the lowest, but I am not the size of an average person. I am about 6'3" and around 175 lbs (Still in my teens). Do you still think I should go with the lowest (20-25), or start off at around 40? I know it's better to start low, I just don't want it to be so low I feel like I have to replace it within a month of buying it. I also forgot to mention that I have done a small amount of target shooting, but the last time I did was around 2 years ago.
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George
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Post by George on Feb 1, 2012 8:47:33 GMT
Just make sure you don't take an arrow to the knee
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Post by ineffableone on Feb 1, 2012 9:19:19 GMT
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Post by ineffableone on Feb 1, 2012 9:31:24 GMT
20-25 draw weight is pretty low, I think you would want to start at least 30-35. 40-50 is hunting draw weight, enough to kill a deer with. 60+ draw weight is getting into the heavy difficult draw weights. Definately make sure you get arrows with a correct spine weight for your poundage of bow. If your arrows are too low spined, they can shatter upon release. There are videos of this happening on youtube if you want to see. Wood arrows make it pretty easy to spine. Though you do need to take 3 things into account the length of your arrow, the type of string you have, and the arrow heads. 3rivers archery has this pdf download for a arrow spine chart www.3riversarchery.com/pdf/ArrowCharts.pdfOr you can find other spine charts around on the web.
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Feb 1, 2012 14:27:02 GMT
My very first bow when I was around 13 or so was 25-30#, but I was much smaller than you are now, and it was no struggle at all to learn decent form. I'm about your size now (though significantly lighter) and I shoot a 45# and again, extremely easy even with my light build. I would say, at your size, a 50# draw would be light enough to learn good form with.
If you're really, really worried about it, get a lighter draw. If all you'll do is target shooting it won't be much of a problem, and you'll be able to shoot for longer without getting sore fingers (or just, you know, wear a shooting glove. I tend to not wear one). Be aware that you won't be doing any kind of distance shooting with a light poundage bow, you get some pretty significant arrow drop at distance with an ELB. They just don't have the speed that recurves do. Perhaps the bamboo backing will help offset that, though.
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jhart06
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Post by jhart06 on Feb 1, 2012 14:43:39 GMT
I've almost always shot recurve or horsebow (and i'm very much a novice with both) but 3rivers is extremely reputable. 40# shouldn't be too bad, and at that weight, a few months should have you shooting fine. However, if you havent really shot before, you'll be surprised at how quickly your arms hurt. But I assure you, work on proper form like a fiend, and you will see your shots improve, and the weight will seem to drastically decrease.
also, not sure how a longbow is, at all, but do wear a glove.. I know a horsebow can really screw your thumb/hand up if you get slapped by the string.
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Greg
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Post by Greg on Feb 1, 2012 15:55:37 GMT
If you feel the need to have a leather grip or all the other bells and whistles that rudder has, go with them. BUT, if you are just looking for a basic bow at the BEST entry level price, go with these guys: stores.ebay.com/KP-Archery?_trksid=p4340.l2563I've now bought 2 bows from KP. My first was a 45# and I shot that for months until it became to easy to draw. Then I contacted KP and asked if they could make me a 65# bow (as there was not one listed on their website) and sure enough, they were happy to oblige. I can not brag on this company enough. Even ordering a custom weight like I did, I still got the bow in about 10 days. When I ordered the first bow, it showed up in 4. I still have both bows, and they both shoot amazingly well. If you are looking for a simple basic bow to get into archery with, go with KP. After you've fallen in love with the sport, then go and spend a little extra for a grip, arrow rest, laser sight, whatever tickles your fancy. And if you are like me, you'll eventually want to move up to a higher poundage.
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Feb 1, 2012 16:13:27 GMT
He'd have to contact them about a custom draw length. I guarantee his draw length is at least 30" (Mines 31" and we're the same height). But if they can do one for that cheap it may be worth a shot, those prices look hard to beat (and I wonder how on earth that guy makes any money off them... :lol: ). Looks like a great place for some entry-level bows to start someone off in the hobby. Have some karma for the link Greg (and hey, show your face around here more often, will ya?)
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Greg
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Post by Greg on Feb 1, 2012 21:33:15 GMT
Had some life things getting in the way of my sword things, but I'm more or less back to reading some threads everyday. Yeah, the guys at KP made my 65# a 30 inch draw, so they know there stuff. I'm sure they could make a bow to fit anyone.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Feb 1, 2012 22:02:13 GMT
I'd take the bamboo backing and go with 40#. That's what I started off with and I was about 15 and not exactly what you'd call broadly built (nor am I now). I got a recurve, but that shouldn't make much of a difference since we're both shooting traditionally. If you go too low, you'll end up having to buy a new bow after a few weeks. 40# is a good poundage I think, light enough to learn good form but still packs enough punch to be fun on longer distances. If you go too light your arrow will drop too much to shoot on more than 30-40 meter (that's still a good distance, don't get me wrong but you'll want to keep shooting for a while, right?).
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Post by Tendrax on Feb 1, 2012 22:19:24 GMT
I guess my experiences are biased from the SCA way of doing things. They tend to limit themselves at 30# draw because that's the safety limit for SCA combat. I also benefited from my teacher having a ton of loaner bows in varying weights, so I was able to start with 20# and work my way up to the 45# I shoot now. As a result all the people I shoot with think my bow is completely ridiculous in regards to power since they're all shooting between 20-35#. Lol.
Anyway, 40# should be fine to learn on. I was mainly thinking of guys that try to learn on an 80#+ bow and hurt them selves or get frustrated because they can never get their form right.
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Post by TheCrunchyCrouton on Feb 2, 2012 2:32:44 GMT
Thanks for all of the replies, you were all very helpful. Because I work a summer job, which I haven't started yet, I'll buy a bow from KP archery and then work my way up until I am ready for the Rudder or a different one. Now, about arrows. Would cheap fiberglass/carbon arrows be acceptable at first, if I used the proper length?
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Feb 2, 2012 2:48:57 GMT
You could if there was no other alternative, however I would not suggest it.
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Post by TheCrunchyCrouton on Feb 2, 2012 3:16:51 GMT
Okay, what would you recommend? I'd rather not spend $80+ on a dozen arrows until I'm confident I can shoot them safely.
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Feb 2, 2012 3:32:21 GMT
I found some wood arrows on ebay for 30-40 dollars. Just typed in "wood arrows" and it was on the first page...Honestly as long as they're spined to the right weight you can shoot them safely. I've still got my first set that I bought some 7 years ago with my bow and the only problem I've had is one of my field points came off (easy to reglue, just never got around to it). I've missed my target quite often and haven't ruined any fletchings or broken any shafts. Wood arrows aren't unbreakable, obviously, but they're much more durable than most people think.
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Post by TheCrunchyCrouton on Feb 2, 2012 3:48:56 GMT
Oh man, doing a search didn't even cross my mind :? It's been one of those days.
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Post by Tendrax on Feb 2, 2012 5:29:42 GMT
I've shot cheap aluminum arrows out of my bow before, and they were surprisingly easier to put where I wanted than my $90 set of custom wooden arrows. :lol: My bow while "traditional" is still a fairly modern design compared to an english D Longbow, so your results could be very different if you choose to go that route. I'm not entirely certain what the differences in the physics and applied power to the arrows is between the two style of bows.
Aaron, if you don't mind my asking, why would you suggest away from modern arrows? Fiberglass I wouldn't use for anything but bowfishing, but I can't see any major downsides to carbon or aluminum arrows outside of historical accuracy or traditional purity.
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