[Archers] Archery rules

[Siegfried Sebastian Faust]

A couple quick responses ... Curious to hear your answers Muirghen ...

>I will be brief, those that have said the use of straps is for accuracy 
>are correct.  I am an NAA instructor/coach and the use of this particular 
>piece of equipment has little to do with safety.  The use of a wrist sling 
>or finger sling (the correct term) is to permit the hands to be open and 
>therefore not induce any odd forces on the bow during the draw and 
>release.  Safety is NOT the reason.  Now whether or not to allow its use 
>is another question.  Is there any period documentation for its use?  If 
>yes, then use it, but do so with the understanding of why.  Personally, I 
>suspect not based on the technology of the bows at the time.

Ok, except, it's been said before, why ban something just because it's not 
period?  There are tons of things we allow that are not period.  Most of 
our rules go along the lines of: "Does it glare out as not period."  And 
personally, I don't think that wrist slings glare as non-period to 
me.  Especially no more than aluminum riser bows with ducttape over the 
holes :)  I hand straps are banned because they aren't period ... then I 
have a large list of other things I will bring up that should be banned as 
well ...

(PS.  For those the don't know, I'm a crossbow shooter - and the odd times 
I shoot a bow, I've never used a handstrap - So my views are not caused by 
myself caring for their use, just on a general conceptual level)

>As for sighting marks on the bow, I believe that this is common practice 
>everywhere within the known world and ancient world as well.  Early 
>crossbows had sights, why would a longbow not.  Further, and this is 
>important, is there a reason why we should advocate creating a 
>disadvantage to our Kingdom in inter Kingdom competition?

Ah ha!  *grin*  Ok, so you say that we shouldn't ban any kind of sightings 
marks, even though we can't prove them to be period; and especially because 
we would create a disadvantage to our Kingdom in interkingdom competitions.

Yet the handstrap has been argued by some, to be an 'unfair advantage', 
making a bow more accurate.  Yet all kingdoms allow them, In Atlantia bans 
them, then we will be creating a disadvantage to our kingdom in 
interkingdom competitions.

Siegfried



_________________________________________________________________________
Lord Siegfried Sebastian Faust    Baronial Web Minister & Archery Marshal
Barony of Highland Foorde        http://highland-foorde.atlantia.sca.org/