Discussion
Just wondering if there was anyone on here prepared to give a recommendation.
Long time ago I bought two fun chinese compound bows for myself and my son to have some fun in the garden. Nothing serious. They were about £100 each.
That inevitably led to buying a proper 1.2 meter target and stand. This then started to move backwards in the garden as we got better.
We started to get competitive with each other and bought some other bits including drop down rests serving, peep sights and the wrist strap things progressively over the last two years. We only play for a couple of weeks in summer but we are pretty much hitting reds and yellows at 45meters currently.
Then the cam on my bow broke. End of fun. Now looking around for something along the same lines and possibly a bit posher but sensible. I think possibly a budget of 3-400 each. Don't want to get all serioud and spend silly money but at the same time I want to extend a bit beyond the £100 stuff. Don't mind compound or recurve (but I have no experience of recurve).
Anyone got any suggestions? .
Long time ago I bought two fun chinese compound bows for myself and my son to have some fun in the garden. Nothing serious. They were about £100 each.
That inevitably led to buying a proper 1.2 meter target and stand. This then started to move backwards in the garden as we got better.
We started to get competitive with each other and bought some other bits including drop down rests serving, peep sights and the wrist strap things progressively over the last two years. We only play for a couple of weeks in summer but we are pretty much hitting reds and yellows at 45meters currently.
Then the cam on my bow broke. End of fun. Now looking around for something along the same lines and possibly a bit posher but sensible. I think possibly a budget of 3-400 each. Don't want to get all serioud and spend silly money but at the same time I want to extend a bit beyond the £100 stuff. Don't mind compound or recurve (but I have no experience of recurve).
Anyone got any suggestions? .
Depending on where you're based, Wales Archery have some excellent equipment, they are based just outside of Chepstow. https://walesarchery.com/
I'll make the usual patronising suggestion- find a local club.
look on ebay at a used Hoyt. Don't be all Billy Big b
ks and get something you can't shoot comfortably for 2 or 3 hours.
Buy a Cartel release aid because if you been shooting compound off your fingers then a release aid will make life much better. You'll soon be shooting golds at 45 metres all day.
Also don't forget an arrow off a decent compound will make nasty hole in anything or anyone it hits.
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I gave up archery when I moved from West London to North Devon and sold all my gear. I certainly wish I hadn't. Firearms are a lot more expensive.
Good luck but definitely join a club. Generally speaking you get nice people in archery clubs.
look on ebay at a used Hoyt. Don't be all Billy Big b
ks and get something you can't shoot comfortably for 2 or 3 hours.Buy a Cartel release aid because if you been shooting compound off your fingers then a release aid will make life much better. You'll soon be shooting golds at 45 metres all day.
Also don't forget an arrow off a decent compound will make nasty hole in anything or anyone it hits.
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I gave up archery when I moved from West London to North Devon and sold all my gear. I certainly wish I hadn't. Firearms are a lot more expensive.
Good luck but definitely join a club. Generally speaking you get nice people in archery clubs.
Edited by Johnspex on Tuesday 23 August 09:51
Edited by Johnspex on Tuesday 23 August 09:54
Use a wrist strap release. currently using a 50lb pull weight.
Looked online at hoyt bows and to be honest I'm not sure it would make much difference to me which is part of the reason I'm posting.
Obviously I'm in competition with my son, which would totally go out of the window if I bought an expensive bow. Secondly Hoyt bows seem to start at silly money even second hand.
What I want is a bow I can buy two of. That are not so cheap as to be the limiting factor of our particular skill level
I was looking at something like a diamond edge XT, but am starting to think recurve might initially seem a step back but might be more fun due to the competition factor.
If I can hit reds or yellows with a compound at 45m, what am I expecting if I switch to a recurve? Will the arrow make it to the target? I really have that little experience.
As far as clubs go I've looked around but couldn't find much near me. Live west kent.
Looked online at hoyt bows and to be honest I'm not sure it would make much difference to me which is part of the reason I'm posting.
Obviously I'm in competition with my son, which would totally go out of the window if I bought an expensive bow. Secondly Hoyt bows seem to start at silly money even second hand.
What I want is a bow I can buy two of. That are not so cheap as to be the limiting factor of our particular skill level
I was looking at something like a diamond edge XT, but am starting to think recurve might initially seem a step back but might be more fun due to the competition factor.
If I can hit reds or yellows with a compound at 45m, what am I expecting if I switch to a recurve? Will the arrow make it to the target? I really have that little experience.
As far as clubs go I've looked around but couldn't find much near me. Live west kent.
They shoot 90 metres in the Olympics with recurves, so, yes anything of a decent weight will hit 45.
If you're going to carry on in the garden , a couple of points,
Stick to compound. You'll find the change to recurve very odd.
You'll never really progress if you just shoot with your son in the garden.
What lies behind the target ? You should really have a Good 60 yards overshoot. If you're shooting towards public land Gawd help you if you miss and hit someone
If you're going to carry on in the garden , a couple of points,
Stick to compound. You'll find the change to recurve very odd.
You'll never really progress if you just shoot with your son in the garden.
What lies behind the target ? You should really have a Good 60 yards overshoot. If you're shooting towards public land Gawd help you if you miss and hit someone
Johnspex said:
They shoot 90 metres in the Olympics with recurves, so, yes anything of a decent weight will hit 45.
If you're going to carry on in the garden , a couple of points,
Stick to compound. You'll find the change to recurve very odd.
You'll never really progress if you just shoot with your son in the garden.
What lies behind the target ? You should really have a Good 60 yards overshoot. If you're shooting towards public land Gawd help you if you miss and hit someone
Recurve shoot 70m in the major outdoor comps (Olympics, Worlds etc) and Compound 50m. Obviously longer distances are shot in the UK if your shooting the old imperial rounds such 100yds for York, St. George + a couple of other rounds.If you're going to carry on in the garden , a couple of points,
Stick to compound. You'll find the change to recurve very odd.
You'll never really progress if you just shoot with your son in the garden.
What lies behind the target ? You should really have a Good 60 yards overshoot. If you're shooting towards public land Gawd help you if you miss and hit someone
Echo the warning about shooting in your garden. If you are shooting in a field to ArcheryGB guidelines you should have at least 150yds if compunds are being shot.
Its a good suggestion about approaching your local club, they will know if any lapsed or current members are selling/have spare equipment. Although they might not want to deal with someone that isn't a member.
The problem with buying 2nd hand is you have no idea how the equipment has been treated. A member at our club bought a 2nd hand pair of good Hoyt limbs and one exploded whilst at full draw within a couple of weeks. Bows can take an amazing amount of force for years, but dry fire one and you can damage one very easily.
Also remember that with compound you only pull the draw weight until you trigger the cams. I.e a 40lb draw weight you will only be holding 20lbs or so at full draw, which is why you see compound archers holding at full draw for a lot longer than recurve archers. With recurve if you have a 40lb draw weight you are holding 40lbs a full draw until you release.
Edited by Russ35 on Tuesday 23 August 13:47
Yep. 60lb compound aimed flat at the target is hitting the floor well before it gets the to the end of 120m. Even if it did get that far it would have to negotiate think hedges and trees before finally getting out to an forty acre open field.
No arrow has made it out of the garden or even reached the trees in the last six years. So I think we can put the health and safety argument to one side for now.
I was looking at an M128 or possibly buying up to a salinda hero x10 which is about as close as I want to get to a hoyt.
Local archery shops prices start at 1K and refused to even look at the damaged cam on my cheap bow.
I suspect I might just have a punt because I'm enjoying playing with my son. Pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy spending +1K on a bow and joining a club as not a very clubby person, and of course my son wouldn't go.
No arrow has made it out of the garden or even reached the trees in the last six years. So I think we can put the health and safety argument to one side for now.
I was looking at an M128 or possibly buying up to a salinda hero x10 which is about as close as I want to get to a hoyt.
Local archery shops prices start at 1K and refused to even look at the damaged cam on my cheap bow.
I suspect I might just have a punt because I'm enjoying playing with my son. Pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy spending +1K on a bow and joining a club as not a very clubby person, and of course my son wouldn't go.
Wacky Racer said:
Looks like a good range of stock but is pricey for their kit. for instance salinda hero £100 more than most other places. Hoyts too are about £100-150 above most other placesRuss35 said:
Johnspex said:
They shoot 90 metres in the Olympics with recurves, so, yes anything of a decent weight will hit 45.
If you're going to carry on in the garden , a couple of points,
Stick to compound. You'll find the change to recurve very odd.
You'll never really progress if you just shoot with your son in the garden.
What lies behind the target ? You should really have a Good 60 yards overshoot. If you're shooting towards public land Gawd help you if you miss and hit someone
Recurve shoot 70m in the major outdoor comps (Olympics, Worlds etc) and Compound 50m. Obviously longer distances are shot in the UK if your shooting the old imperial rounds such 100yds for York, St. George + a couple of other rounds.If you're going to carry on in the garden , a couple of points,
Stick to compound. You'll find the change to recurve very odd.
You'll never really progress if you just shoot with your son in the garden.
What lies behind the target ? You should really have a Good 60 yards overshoot. If you're shooting towards public land Gawd help you if you miss and hit someone
Echo the warning about shooting in your garden. If you are shooting in a field to ArcheryGB guidelines you should have at least 150yds if compunds are being shot.
Its a good suggestion about approaching your local club, they will know if any lapsed or current members are selling/have spare equipment. Although they might not want to deal with someone that isn't a member.
The problem with buying 2nd hand is you have no idea how the equipment has been treated. A member at our club bought a 2nd hand pair of good Hoyt limbs and one exploded whilst at full draw within a couple of weeks. Bows can take an amazing amount of force for years, but dry fire one and you can damage one very easily.
Also remember that with compound you only pull the draw weight until you trigger the cams. I.e a 40lb draw weight you will only be holding 20lbs or so at full draw, which is why you see compound archers holding at full draw for a lot longer than recurve archers. With recurve if you have a 40lb draw weight you are holding 40lbs a full draw until you release.
Edited by Russ35 on Tuesday 23 August 13:47
julian64 said:
As far as clubs go I've looked around but couldn't find much near me. Live west kent.
Hurst Green: https://www.thwac.co.uk/Tenterden: http://www.1066archery.co.uk/about.html
Both pretty close to West Kent!
Rosscow said:
julian64 said:
As far as clubs go I've looked around but couldn't find much near me. Live west kent.
Hurst Green: https://www.thwac.co.uk/Tenterden: http://www.1066archery.co.uk/about.html
Both pretty close to West Kent!
I’ve done archery for a few years but recurve only. I suggest you get a few ends in on a recurve if you are considering swapping. Although the skills are transferable your grouping will be nothing like your compound.
Recurve is a bit like Triggers broom. I bought a secondhand kit but almost nothing remains of the original bow. But you can spend as much as you like and there is a thriving market in secondhand parts.
A mate is spending over 800 quid on a new riser.
I’d agree with joining a club even if it’s just to get the basics correct if you get a good coach. Our club is tiny and it just feels like a group of mates out for a shoot.
I just looked. There are loads of used compounds and recurves on ebay.
By the by. Steer clear of full carbon arrows. Full ally and carbon/alloy can be found with a metal detector. Full carbon can't.
We didn't allow full carbon for this reason. We shot on a private football pitch so nothing was ever left in the ground or we'd have been out on our ear.
By the by. Steer clear of full carbon arrows. Full ally and carbon/alloy can be found with a metal detector. Full carbon can't.
We didn't allow full carbon for this reason. We shot on a private football pitch so nothing was ever left in the ground or we'd have been out on our ear.
julian64 said:
Where do you go for second hand kit. Its a possibly I've not looked into. There is usually an occasional advert on a club website. ebay has nothing probably due to its rules
Facebook is best. There are several pages including UK 2nd hand Archery equipment. Although the items may be named oddly to avoid Facebook rules e.g arrows may be called pointy sticks 
.If you do join a club members often swap/give away/sell amongst themselves. The guy who I said above I’d buying an 800 quid riser is selling me his almost unused https://thearcheryshop.co.uk/hoyt-arcos-recurve-ri... for 50 quid. Although to be honest you don’t come across bargains like that very often.
Also https://www.archeryinterchange.com/ is a good resource for knowledge. As you may have discovered archery isn’t as straightforward as it seems.
Edited by Drawweight on Friday 26th August 14:51
julian64 said:
Where do you go for second hand kit. Its a possibly I've not looked into. There is usually an occasional advert on a club website. ebay has nothing probably due to its rules
A bit late to the thread, but last year I bought an ex-demo Mybo Origin compound from Merlin via their Ebay shop. It's not got the name of Hoyt but they are very good bows with a wide range of adjustment. After seeing mine, another club member bought one and the make is common at our winter indoor series.They come up second hand from £200-ish upwards and the good news is that Mybo is British and still supplying parts.
As for Recurve, I'm a recurve guy and yes, 100yds is possible but for me it means I'll be picking up arrows from the ground (skill level). But 80yds/70M is do-able with 40lbs and I know ladies who do 80yds with lower poundages. At 40-50yds you'd be expecting to see all of them in the red/yellow.
Recurve bows are generally cheaper with a wide range of prices, anything from a couple of hundred upwards. It's much harder to group arrows and it will be a steep learning curve, but if you both wanted a challenge then you'd have a lot of fun/frustration getting there.
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