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Warbow Shooting
Hawkswood:
Hello mates,
I've been shooting my sissy 50# warbow look alike for about a week now (500 odd arrows) and am enjoying it immensely. I set up a short range in my yard and am shooting constantly. It is a 76" Hickory bow with a draw of 33" at about 45-50lbs that Jim at Rudderbows made for me. This being my first archery experience at 34 years old, I thought it would be better to get an easy and cheaper bow to shoot so I would not have to constantly fight the bow. The only information I've got on shooting form is basically from the internet and youtube. Bigbowbrum and the boys being my favorite videos. Are there more authoritative sources? Are there any good books that deal specifically with shooting in the medieval style. None of this fancy arrow rest and wheels and such please.
I bought one book called "Shooting the Stickbow" which I thought was pretty good, but not the right style of archery as it was mostly meant for modern shooting being anchored from the chin. A few friends who hunt and shoot in the modern style insist that I must have an anchor point, but I'm not sure how this works when I draw back past my ear. I mostly just try to do it the same every time. I can now keep all my arrows on the target, but that's not quite good enough. I will keep practicing and maybe after the first 50,000 arrows these things will sort themselves out. ;D
Thanks,
Dan Kost
PS. I'll try to post some pics if I can get my wife to film me.
Dag:
Hey Hawkswood! Sounds like someone is catchin' the warbow bug! HAha. I myself own a Rudderbows 76" tri-lam warbow 110lbs@32" and love it! I'm glad you like your bow as well.
As for form, I got started watching bigbowbrum as well, I studied N. Brimingham's from intensely and my shooting has done just fine. Another archer you should study is Mark Stretton. He shoots similar to N. Birmingham of bigbowbrum, i.e. with is backside sticking out. This technique is what is called "shooting in the bow". You can't go wrong with those guys.
As for books, Robert Hardy and Matthew Stricklands The Great Warbow I've heard is a great resource. Also Arrowstorm by Richard Wadge is another good book on the English warbow. If you can find The Grey Goose Wing at a local library, it has lots of great info on English warbows as well! This is a very small list of all the books on English warbows, but they are some of the finest and they get mentioned on this site a lot.
Hopefully, this was helpful! Welcome to the world of the English warbow, haha :)
Take care!
bow-toxo:
--- Quote from: Hawkswood on July 10, 2011, 02:23:12 am ---
I bought one book called "Shooting the Stickbow" which I thought was pretty good, but not the right style of archery as it was mostly meant for modern shooting being anchored from the chin. A few friends who hunt and shoot in the modern style insist that I must have an anchor point, but I'm not sure how this works when I draw back past my ear. I mostly just try to do it the same every time. I can now keep all my arrows on the target, but that's not quite good enough. I will keep practicing and maybe after the first 50,000 arrows these things will sort themselves out. ;D
Thanks,
Dan Kost
PS. I'll try to post some pics if I can get my wife to film me.
--- End quote ---
The archers mentioned are great role models. Focused practice would be the key. There is a book [With a Bended Bow] to be published by The History Press, I'm not sure just when, that would deal with mediaeval shooting in considerable detail.
CraigMBeckett:
Hawkswood,
I have not yet come across any books etc on the subject of shooting the English Warbow, shooting the English longbow yes but not the warbow. As you are aware members of the English Warbow Society have issued at least 2 instructive videos, oif I remember correctly one on sitting into the shot and the other on the rolling loose
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyEIk_INOaY
Unfortunately for you most of the efforts of the Warbow shooters are directed towards distance shooting not target shooting so they are of limited help.
--- Quote ---A few friends who hunt and shoot in the modern style insist that I must have an anchor point,
--- End quote ---
In many ways they are correct if you intend to hunt or shoot at targets, you need to pull back to a consistent arrow length and ensure that at the time of release the string is held in the same position relative to your eyes. You may achieve these by touching your ear or someplace else with your thumb whilst feeling the correct draw length by touch of the head on your index finger, or by whatever other means you develop to do the same. I gave up trying to touch my ear with my thumb when I began drawing past the ear, what I try and do now to ensure alignment is to make sure that I can feel the fletches brushing the side of my face.
The point is for accurate shooting at targets, be they static or not, you need to develop the equivalent of an anchor, so its a case of practice, practice and more practice trying to end up with the string, arrow and bow in the same place each time.
Best of luck.
Erik,
Regarding the book you mention, do you have an Author's name?
Is "The History Press" an American publisher? I don't seem to be able to locate them on the internet.
Craig.
bow-toxo:
Craig--The History Press is described on the internet as "the UK's largestand specialist history publisher" aith main office in Gloucestershire.
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