[Archers] Beginner bow

[Garth G. Groff]

M'Lady Kateryn, Greetings.

That's a tough call. Most of the lower priced bows are just junk.

Your newbie could get by with a light traditional stick longbow for a 
little over $100, but I don't recommend they start there. A traditional 
bow shot off the hand takes quite a bit of patience and practice to use 
well for most people. We wouldn't want a new archer to get frustrated.

They might consider a light take-down recurve from 3Rivers, FS Discount 
Archery (lowest prices), or Old Bow.com. Some of these are less than 
$200, even as low as $119. This is the sort of bow they could use for a 
year or two with good results, then pass on to another archer when they 
want something better. Just make sure you advise them NOT to get 
something with an open riser that will have to be taped over to be SCA 
legal. Most of these have wooden risers anyway.

Here are my best recommendations for moderately-priced bows they might 
want to keep for years:

Black Rhino M-58 bow: $225 from Black Rhino: 
http://www.bows.net/blackrhino.htm

Ragim Fox longbow, $239 from Old Bow.com: 
http://www.oldbow.com/ragim_fox_longbow_ss1.htm

Ragim Wolf longbow, $249 from Old Bow.com: 
http://www.oldbow.com/wolf_longbow_ss1.htm

Nirk/Martin Rebel recurve, $199 from 3Rivers: 
http://www.3riversarchery.com/Youth+Archery+Bows++Nirk+Rebel+Recurve+Bow+By%3A+Martin_c16_s94_p0_i2307X_product.html

3Rivers/Martin Shadow longbow, $250 from 3 Rivers: 
http://www.3riversarchery.com/Youth+Archery+Bows++3Rivers+%22Shadow%22+Longbow_c16_s94_p0_i3360X_product.html



Several of my friends shoot the Nirk Rebel with excellent results. This 
is probably the best value for the money.

I favor the Shadow longbow as an excellent choice, though it only comes 
in three draw weights. It is essentially the little brother (sister?) of 
the Tred Barta longbow, also sold by 3Rivers, which I shoot. The Barta 
bow is a truly outstanding bow, but not available below 40#. The Shadow 
comes from the same factory and uses the same basic design, though it is 
a bit shorter.

Some of the youngsters on my range use various Black Rhino bows. These 
are excellent quality. The M-58 is large enough for an adult.

In the past I considered buying the Ragim Wolf for myself, but went 
another direction. Now it and the slightly shorter Fox cost almost as 
much as the Shadow. They are available in a greater range of draw 
weights than the Shadow, but the Shadow is probably a better choice.

They might get a good used bow from Old Bow.com. These will be in good 
condition, but selection may be limited. I don't recommend buying a used 
bow on eBay. This is a good way to get burned with something that is 
cracked or worn out.

Your new archer should work closely with an experienced marshal to 
measure their correct draw weight. If possible they should find an 
example of the bow they are interested in  (even if it is a different 
draw weight) in they can hold it and feel for the comfort of the grip.

Kind regards,


Lord Mungo Napier, Shire of Isenfir TA Marshal





On 6/2/2011 11:35 AM, Marybeth Lavrakas wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I recently had a fairly new person to the SCA ask me what bow I would 
> recommend for a beginner to start with. I didn't have a good answer 
> for him, because I've only ever shot with longbows and know nothing 
> about recurves or other styles.  What would be your top recommendation 
> for a new target archer who understandably doesn't want to spend $300 
> right off the bat.
>
> (Although...didn't Ascham say something about it being better to pay 
> double for a good bow than half for one that breaks?  LOL)
>
> Thanks,  Kateryn Rous
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Archers mailing list
> Archers at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
> http://seahorse.atlantia.sca.org/listinfo.cgi/archers-atlantia.sca.org

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