[mrgeetar]

Hi all,

I'm considering buying my first bow very soon. Outside of ninth-grade P.E. class, I've never before shot a bow in my life, so I want to make sure I'm doing this the right way.

I plan only to shoot on a range at first. I'm approaching archery as a serious hobby and may eventually go hunting with my bow, but for the first six months to a year shooting will be more recreation for me than anything else.

So endeth the one-minute intro. On to the questions:

1. I read in other topics that I should shoot different models for myself and find the one that's best for me. I'd like to start with a smaller bow before considering moving up in the future. What bow manufacturers are the most respected overall? Any I should simply avoid? What are some good models in the $500 and under price range for simple traditional, recurve and compound bows?

2. What material should my first arrows be made of? How many shots does a single arrow typically last on a range, assuming I don't abuse or misuse it?

3. What armguards and tabs would you recommend? I want something that will last me a long time. I'm willing to spend more on protection if it means not having to buy more later.

4. Can I get a "crash course" in general archery lingo? I'm familiar with basic terms like draw, nock and the like. What other words and phrases should I be able to recognize?

5. Are there any ranges within 50 miles of Charleston, SC? Google wasn't much help in this department.

6. Good archery shops in the same area? Knowledgeable and helpful salespeople are far more important to me than prices or proximity.

7. How much and what kinds of maintenance should I expect to perform on my bow? Could you recommend a good book on equipment maintenance?

My apologies if anything has been answered previously. I did try to do my best due diligence before asking all this, but if something is answered well in another topic, please feel free to point me where I need to go.

Thanks in advance and I hope to be able to post more often as I learn!

 

[akgator]

I'm just getting back into archery myself and asked pretty much the same questions! It would be presumptuous of me to offer any real advice but I can pass along a tip I got here on AT. For question #4, try http://www.archersreference.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ . I just purchased my first compound bow today. After learning and shooting a recurve for years and then being out of archery for quite a while, it felt like I was starting from scratch! The best thing I did was read the posts here and spend time in my local archery shop asking lots of questions. One thing I did factor into my purchase decision was to go with a specialty shop. I figured (right or wrong)they would know more than a guy in a big box store and I want to see shops like that stay in business! Good luck!

 

[sweet old bill]

I think there is one or two archery clubs in the area, one is about a few hours away and it is in Myrtle Beach sc and called sand dune, the other is right near were you live and called low country archers. Or do a search for NFAA in SC...will list the clubs. I would suggest you go to a club and see a lot of the bows, all will try to help you get into the sport. You may even find soneone who has a good used bow at a good cost saving. Or a local archery pro shop to show you what is the current models and the overal projection on what cost would be to you. As a archery dealer I would first measure you to get the right draw length and then have you shoot in the shop several of the models to get the feel for them. You can find middle of the road models in the 300 price range. If you want a traditional bow I have new from 300 to 500 and also some demo in the price range of 150 and up...You should be aware that the biggest problem of why people quit archery is they get the wrong setup to start with, wrong draw length or the bow is to heavy for the archery in peak draw weight...good luck and let me know how you do.

 

[chad e johnson]

Charleston

The place you need to go is the Archery Shop in Summerville. Bub Westmoreland runs the place. It is in the telephone book. He is up on Hwy 78.
He is one of the top 3-d shooters in the state and is really a nice guy. Sells mainly Mathews and Bowtec but will try to get you anything you want.

Chad