Caliostro:
Reading through this whole thread so far, I have to ask: Why bother?

Bows are a thing of yesteryear... And it's not like people pick real "hardcore" bows that are just "hard piece and string" anymore... These things have sights, fiber optics, lights, magnifying lenses... Just get a rifle... More effective, less hassle, just as much crap on it.

And if you go out hunting with it (or with a rifle mind you...or with anything really) then I hope a tree falls on you or you're caught in a forest fire. Every time a hunter dies in an accident I laugh. There's no good reason to go kill innocent animals when your local grocery store has fucktons of meat you can get from animals that are already dead.

Hunting keeps the animal populations under control in my area, if hunting was outlawed the deer would become overpopulated, unhealthy, and most likely starve themselves to death, or get wiped out by a disease. If you want to debate hunting go find and revive the hunting thead and debate it there.

Wouldukindly:

cthulhu257:

Wouldukindly:

cthulhu257:
I don't bother with archery. Guns were made to replace bows, so why stick with obsolete technology? It's one thing if it's an antique bow, but I just don't see the point of modern compound bows if a rifle will be better no matter what.

In case of a 'Dies the Fire' scenario.

Also, up intil the 1880s the faster reloadable weapon was the English longbow. 'Old' technology has the habit of tricking you.

In the event that guns stopped working and compound bows became superior technology, I would have no problem with them. And again, I like longbows, but I just think that if you're going to use the most modern compound bow available, you might as well use a better modern weapon instead.

Well I use Recurves because I want a challenge and to actually develop a skill...the most modern Compound I could find would make things way too easy for me, as would crossbows.

Recurves are okay too, but as I've said, I just don't like modern bows, or crossbows.

I personally would like to know what one needs to do to become involved in archery. I always say to myself to make is a personal hobby so I can at least go outside and enjoy but I do not know what to really buy or to get started.

[qoute]That's kind of strange considering I am at Nottingham right now =o I must know you if you did archery...[/quote]

I turned up to the Fresher's taster, then found Fencing was on at the same time, then I found I didn't have the time to commute to Sutton Bonnington campus, then I found out just how much work there is in Biochemistry, then I failed and dropped out.

Might be heading back, but aiming for Classics.

Would be really fun to pick up both Archery and Fencing again. A mate of mine has just picked up LRPG-ing (LARPG-ing without magic, apparently) and sounds like a laugh to try, and might be an idea to combine both into one activity.

From this thread I am certainly keen to look into Archery with a Recurved bow (I don't like the look of Composites, it must be said, I'm a bit of a traditionalist).

++EDIT++

I'm with the above poster. Do you have to have your own bow to get into Archery (since they are expensive, from what I've seen) or do most clubs have equipment around already?

Nexus Zef:
Are there any fellow Escapologists out there who take part in the strangely pyromaniacal sport of archery? I haven't really come across any other folk in the various gaming communities out there who have done more than just fling a few arrows around at holiday camps (as an activity, not homicidal rampaging).

i have taken archery classes. it's great fun

Yup used to do archery alot literally got || that close to owning my own bow but i decided i needed a new pc instead.

Re-Curve FTW!.

Compounds are for girls.

Superbeast:
I'm with the above poster. Do you have to have your own bow to get into Archery (since they are expensive, from what I've seen) or do most clubs have equipment around already?

Anyone can take part, you just need to go to your local club and talk to them about trying it out. If you are in the UK then go to www.gnas.org and use their site to find your local club. You don't need your own bow to do archery, most clubs have equipment you can borrow and that way you don't need to invest in your own stuff unless you really enjoy it and want to carry on. It shouldn't cost you anything extra to borrow club equipment, but you will find that most clubs will only have basic recurve bows. If you want a traditional bow (eg. Longbow) then you might have to buy one. But the concept is still the same so you should have no problems with learning the basics on a recurve and switching later.

Anyone is allowed to shoot provided you don't have some kind of medical condition that might make it unsafe to shoot. If you look at the Paralympics you can see how even some blind people can do it (might take some searching though, but it can happen)! It's a good social sport and you meet plenty of strange and wonderful people, plus you can be competative and win medals like me =D

Outside of the UK I wouldn't really know how to go about finding a club near to you other than searching the internet and hoping they have a website.

[Gavo]:

xitel:
My sport of choice is fencing, but I've tried archery in the past. Wasn't very good at aiming.

Nice! Me too, what weapon?

Mostly when I fenced (I haven't in a while) I used basic foil, but I tried epee once or twice.

I used to be quite good at archery at summer camp to the point that I would often get compliments about it. Then I got progressively worse surprisingly. However soon after, a longbow came into my brother's friend's possession and he often times brings it over here. Of course our activities with it include shooting the neighbor's fence posts and knocking apples off our apple tree, however it's great fun to use.
Also for all those who talk about "Why bring a bow for hunting?" for one it's less likely to injure another person as it's far easier to see an arrow than it is to see a bullet, and at the same time it's a lot quieter than any gun out there so it won't scare animals away.

Larenxis has a compound long-bow which I enjoyed firing a few times. Though I admit, I'm not very good at it. It's not in my move's list (MK joke... move along).

xitel:

[Gavo]:

xitel:
My sport of choice is fencing, but I've tried archery in the past. Wasn't very good at aiming.

Nice! Me too, what weapon?

Mostly when I fenced (I haven't in a while) I used basic foil, but I tried epee once or twice.

Oh, cool. I used to do that. Now I'm a lazy epee man.

i once tried and it was fun

[Gavo]:

xitel:

[Gavo]:

xitel:
My sport of choice is fencing, but I've tried archery in the past. Wasn't very good at aiming.

Nice! Me too, what weapon?

Mostly when I fenced (I haven't in a while) I used basic foil, but I tried epee once or twice.

Oh, cool. I used to do that. Now I'm a lazy epee man.

Sabre all the way. A real man's weapon.

At this "specal" camp I went to a few years ago I got to try it out, and I had a really good time showing off to all the other kids... At least till I found the BB guns.

I'm not sure if pyromaniacal is the right word for it, but yes, I do enjoy archery and I do have my own bow. I prefer recurves over compound bows. There still is skill to using a compound bow, of course, just like no matter how many accessories you put on a sniper rifle you still can't put a donkey behind it and expect the same result as a SWAT dude. However, for me it's just a lot less fun to use a compound. One day at a local archery range near a park I used to live by, a guy came in with much more traditional equipment. Leather quiver, wrist guard, and finger tab; wooden arrows with real feathers; and of course, a recurve bow, which actually had a draw weight better than your common compound bows.

I don't shoot much anymore, though. My bow's hanging from the wall in my dad's garage right now.

I think the world record for the heaviest bow pull was freakishly near to 200lbs and was a longbow of some sort. They'll get you plenty of distance but are as accurate as a pillow case full of squirrels.

I try to but my target broke and there isn't a range nearby.

Knight Templar:
I try to but my target broke and there isn't a range nearby.

Then buy a new one of those foam square targets from Wal-Mart.

Archery is awsome fun, although I don't do it with a club or anything.
I have a mate who has a 40 pound bow and a (I think) 60 pound bow. Really good fun, although a lot of my generic gamer friends struggly to pull them back.

I use a medieval longbow replica. With it, I'm pretty sure I could hit that tree over there, the one behind the hillock. Not the big hillock, the little hillock on the left. On a good day.

I do prefer a more direct approach to weapons. Go up to target, hit it with stun-stick 'till it falls over.

The Immortal:

Knight Templar:
I try to but my target broke and there isn't a range nearby.

Then buy a new one of those foam square targets from Wal-Mart.

I live in OZ, and wouldn't shop at wall-mart if I could help it.

TMAN10112:

Hunting keeps the animal populations under control in my area, if hunting was outlawed the deer would become overpopulated, unhealthy, and most likely starve themselves to death, or get wiped out by a disease. If you want to debate hunting go find and revive the hunting thead and debate it there.

Well that's a nice logic. To keep the deer from dying, you're going to kill them. Fucking amazing epiphany batman! Let's see if it works for other things: "Well, starving children in africa are starving to death, so we should kill them so the others can share the little food they have"... Nop, doesn't seem right...

Humans are possibly the only species to whom this kind of PETA shit makes any sense... "Animals are dying! they might starve to death!... So let's kill them to save them!", yet when an old man that lost all his limbs and half his face in an accident begs to be put out of his misery "we can't allow that! That would be a crime against fucking humanity" wouldn't it?

....augh..

Caliostro:

TMAN10112:

Hunting keeps the animal populations under control in my area, if hunting was outlawed the deer would become overpopulated, unhealthy, and most likely starve themselves to death, or get wiped out by a disease. If you want to debate hunting go find and revive the hunting thead and debate it there.

Well that's a nice logic. To keep the deer from dying, you're going to kill them. Fucking amazing epiphany batman! Let's see if it works for other things: "Well, starving children in africa are starving to death, so we should kill them so the others can share the little food they have"... Nop, doesn't seem right...

Humans are possibly the only species to whom this kind of PETA shit makes any sense... "Animals are dying! they might starve to death!... So let's kill them to save them!", yet when an old man that lost all his limbs and half his face in an accident begs to be put out of his misery "we can't allow that! That would be a crime against fucking humanity" wouldn't it?

....augh..

That logic does work for some animals if done in a proper manner. Watch the following video since it helpfully explains why.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00gmxq9/b00gmxm6/Kill_It_Cook_It_Eat_It_Series_3_Deer/

And as someone else said, if you want to voice your loathing of hunting do it in another thread. This is supposed to be about archery =)

Used to shoot compound & longbow at my old uni (Reading), and was pretty good.

Started my course at Leicester, and there's no archery club (the SU are a real bunch of tossers, veto calls for archery, airsoft or paintball clubs, and try their damndest to can the rifle club).

cthulhu257:
I don't bother with archery. Guns were made to replace bows, so why stick with obsolete technology? It's one thing if it's an antique bow, but I just don't see the point of modern compound bows if a rifle will be better no matter what.

That's assuming that making the shot is the point. Sometimes it's about finesse, or knowing yourself (any kyudoka in the house?).

I took a fencing class and loved it, and I'm in the archery club at university. I shoot recurve without a sight, because I like to challenge myself and I sure could use the exercise.

I actually went to a casual archery competition at a nearby university - one of the other archers there Robin Hood-ed an arrow. 'TWAS AWESOME.

Nexus Zef:

That logic does work for some animals if done in a proper manner. Watch the following video since it helpfully explains why.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00gmxq9/b00gmxm6/Kill_It_Cook_It_Eat_It_Series_3_Deer/

And as someone else said, if you want to voice your loathing of hunting do it in another thread. This is supposed to be about archery =)

"Currently BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only"

The point is: Killing something to SAVE it is STUPID. Move them to someplace that can host them, put them in zoos or let nature take it's course. Killing them isn't saving them, it's killing them, it's the exact opposite of saving them.

And if you don't want me to talk about it, why are you replying to me?

Archery looks like fun but the bows today look a bit too complicated :D

I used to do some archery. But after a year or two I quit...
I have been back with a friend of mine a couple of times but I never started again...
During my time there I did get to know a girl that is the worldchampion right now...

I have a 40 pound recurve bow sitting in my closet. Needs a new bowstring though.

I've done it.

I've always wanted to, and we were about to last year in Physical Education (Generally the biggest waste of time possible, but I was excited about archery), but everyone in my class whined except me and a few others, so we didn't. Pissed me off.

PersianLlama:
I've always wanted to, and we were about to last year in Physical Education (Generally the biggest waste of time possible, but I was excited about archery), but everyone in my class whined except me and a few others, so we didn't. Pissed me off.

On the one hand, I would have loved to have the chance to do archery in PE class in grade school. On the other hand, considering the regular basis with which I got hit with sports equipment (volleyballs to the face are more painful than they look), I'm not sure I would have escaped with my life.

I got a nice bow for last christmas and I enjoy shooting it...but I've lost or bent all of my arrows and need to buy some more...games always made me feel like shooting the bow would be easy...but it ISN'T at ALL!