New to archery

[Jmurdock]

Hey guys, I'm completely new to archery. I have always been interested but always had a busy life, playing sports and going to school, but my sports life is done and now I finally have some "me" time   .

SO, my questions begin. First off I need a bow (obviously). What should a new archer look for in a traditional bow? I'm sure height and strength play a part in deciding, but I'm not sure exactly what to look for. My friend let me borrow his 30# recurve bow and, being a collegiate athlete, this was extremely easy to pull. Is that bad? do I want a heavier bow? maybe in the 50#+ realm? I've only shot it a handful of times and was decently accurate... nothing to brag about though.

Next I would need arrows. Is there a specific size or something I need? I've been reading up on shooting, and I read that you want different arrows for different sized bows? Like I said before I'm completely new, and don't really know what to ask about, where to start, what to look for, basically I want to know anything and everything I can wrap my brain around.

Thanks so much for your help, and hopefully my scatterbrained questions didn't confuse anyone too much  

[Robertfishes]

are there any archery pro shops or archery clubs in your town? if so then maybe you can try a few bows out. If your going to target shoot only then a 40 lb bow or less will be all you need

[just_a_hunter]

Rob (a Tradgang Admin) has put a lot of effort into   this  advise.

Good luck and welcome....

Todd

[Mudd]

Welcome to one of the best journeys you could ever choose to take. There is a lot to learn but as Wingnut so beautifully put it "you can't eat a whale in one meal" or something along those sentiments anyway. There are a lot of folks on here from California so you could have some good help close by. A good mentor would be my 1st recommendation, a bow that works for you with a matched set of arrows being a close second.

You're on the right track with doing some research before laying out your cash.

Welcome to the best addiction would could ever have. IMHO
God bless,Mudd

[KentuckyTJ]

Originally posted by just_a_hunter:
Rob (a Tradgang Admin) has put a lot of effort into   this  advise.

Good luck and welcome....

Todd

What Todd said and welcome from Kentucky glad to have you here.

[inn8hunter]

If you have access to a 30# that would be awesome to develop all of the form/release issues. I am trying to do it with a 45#'er and I could shoot alot longer practice sessions and do better work with a 30# bow as I am new too.

Tim

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

Welcome! The learning curve may seem daunting but you've come to the right spot. It will all "click" for you and you'll be doing something that's been in your geneitc memory for thousands of years. About as natural as walking, really. Best advice I can give you is shut off the thinking and feel your way through the shots. Soon you'll develop the muscle memory and putting arrows where you're looking. It's one of the coolest feelings!

[lpcjon2]

Welcome from the other end of the country.  

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

Oh and by the way, if you happen to be in the North Bay, send me a PM and we'll get together. It's a whole lot easier if someone shows you the ropes. I'm in Santa Rosa.

[BadKarma]

Welcome from the Ozark Hills!!! I spent sometime in Long Beach in the Navy.

The link Todd posted is a great way to get the ball rolling on the learning. Here's a book with a lot of good information, Timeless Bowhunting: The Art, The Science, & The Spirit by Roy S. Marlow. Good basic information ot get you started and once you start shooting try Become the Arrow with Byron Ferguson(?) great book to learn instinctive shooting.

It's a lot of fun and remember, You can't have just one bow!!!! They are like Ruffles.