Are you Bowfit?

[Mauserfan in TX]

I was just wondering what y'all do to keep in shape for archery, beside shooting your bow. I am no Arnold S. but i try to workout at least 3 days a week to keep in shape. What about yhe rest of y'all?

[davidlt89]

I would like to tell you that I do something to keep in shape for bow, but it would be a lie. last year I only shot about 20 arrows before going hunting. Needless to say, I get tired fast when shooting and I only have a 60lb pull. This year has been a little different, but I have been lazy. I will have to shoot at least until I get the bow shooting right, not quite sighted in yet. I did make myself up a workout once so I would not have to pull the bow out all the time, but that got neglected. I have time this year so I may make more of an effort. God Bless.

[scoper-uk]

what sort of power are we looking at for a hunting bow,do they have to be from 60-70, or can they be lower,im new to this and could do with a fough guide/ i tried my freinds bear whitetail 2 and it was realy hard to draw/ im hoping the modern versions arent as hard to draw

[davidlt89]

Scoper
all compound bows can be adjusted by loosening or tightening the limbs. It can be tricky if you have never done it before since each limb has to have the same abount of pressure. Most any shop can do it for ya. My bow can be taken down to 45lbs if I want. I think 60lbs is the max for it also. You can also determine this when you buy it. it will have a sticker on one of the limbs that tells you the draw weight, max pull, etc..... Most grown men can handle 60lbs pretty well. God Bless.

[m gardner]

I workout 5 times a week. Mostly back, abs, and three 5mile runs and two 2 mile runs. I shoot at least 100 arrows a week. I shot in a league the last 5 weeks. Won money twice for first place 2 man team and was the first to robinhood an arrow in competition this year. I did it the hard way. Two twelves on the pig 3-D target. Things are looking good for deer season.
mark

[scoper-uk]

thanks david 89,so would it be wise to buy a 50- 60 lb draw and loosen off if need be,im in the uk,and am buying from the USA,ive not held a bow for years but the yearnings always been there,im semi in the sticks now and have more opportunity to shoot,but need a change from the rifle,or just a choice!

[scoper-uk]

well mark it looks to be paying you back,nice shooting fella, would you reccomend a single cam, over twins,ive chose my bow but keep thinking wether or not to ask for a single cam job before its all sorted/i keep reading how theyre less likely to go out of line/sync/i know once i get it i wont be able to put it down,20 or so years ago my V fingers were like stone,so il get a release this time, and i reckon im reasonably fit,i walk four to five hours a night with my rifle and rucksack,the hw 97 weighs over 11 lb scoped,

[davidlt89]

Scoper,
you won't need to go below 50lbs, trust me!!!!! your bow will come with either dual cams or single. If you want to change that, then you would probably have to select a different bow. Personally, I have a dual cam bow and have not had problems. I get it tuned every year and she works fine. But, I don't shoot what would be considered alot either. either way, you will be happy and get hours of good shooting. God Bless.
 
Mark,
    you need two or three kids running around the house to take up some of that time!!!!!!! (lol)

[m gardner]

Scoper, David said it. Just get the bow you like and have it tuned. The single cam Martin Jaguar I've got takes some tuning and I've learned to do it myself. In the past two weeks I've retuned it and gained 20 points on my scores. I think you'll just need to develop good form through some proper practice. Fifty pounds of draw should be fine unless you have physical problems. from the sounds of things you don't so just enjoy your bow when you get it.
Mark
P.S. At my age two or three kids would kill me. That's for the young and fearless!
  God bless.

[bowhunter 51]

I was just wondering what y'all do to keep in shape for archery, beside shooting your bow. I am no Arnold S. but i try to workout at least 3 days a week to keep in shape. What about yhe rest of y'all?

Truth is, Mauserfan'n TX, I really don't work out that much any more
prior to bow season aside from just shooting...Use to...did pushups and
had some weights but don't really have much time for, time-consuming
work-outs...I quess I've used a bow for such a long time that the muscle
needed to draw and hold are kinda natural now...My job is physically
demanding too, and I've developed a shooting style that is kinda, 1,2,3
release, totally focused on my sight pen, stance and a tiny spot of a
target...I totally avoid drawing and having to hold for lengthy periods of
time, cause I've been there too many times and I don't hit well when I
git tha shakes:) .................................................................................BH51

[scoper-uk]

Thanks a lot guys for the seasoned advice,thats cleared a few things up.is it a good idea  not to bother with the string peep sight,just get used to the bow sight,

[davidlt89]

Personally, I would not shoot well without the peep. I would imagine you would be more accurate with it. There are several types of other sights also on the market my friend. I ordered one called the hindsight II. It is kinda like using rifle sights. Only on pin fits in the center. If used right, they will eliminate all your bad habits, canter, etc..... I found two things wrong with it. First you have to center on the same pin everytime when shooting, then drag the pin you need to the target. Also, it took alot of effort to keep the pin in the sight, at least for me. I got more cramps in my back trying to do that, I just took it off. I would be happy to send it too you if you wanted to try it. I will never use it, I am used to the peep sight and can't seem to change. If you started with this, then it would become second nature. The only time a peep sight can be a pain is in low light. I pulled back on a bear in the woods around dusk and could not see the peep sight at all. Your bow will come with a peep anyway if you got the package. Good shooting and God Bless.

[Mauserfan in TX]

I appreicate the input from y'all. I think we could all learn from Marks' example. I don't run long distance anymore, but i do other things for cardio conditioning. Yesterday i did 5 four minute rounds on the heavy bag , after a really good routine of bodyweight and weightlifting combos. Today i only shot my bow, i stepped off about 25-28 yds and shot 5 arrows. They all went where i wanted them to, so i called it done and ended it on a good note. Most importantly, my wife said my bow is looking pretty worn out and i should start shopping for a new one. I am one lucky man.:D

[scoper-uk]

thanks again lads,  the bow comes with a copper john sight, and whisker biscuit holder there is a peep sight fitted as standard,a friend of mine has a white piece of thread tied around his string for  low light shooting, i dont know if this helps or not, used it to line his eye up with the sight ,im sure its all been tried before,

[scoper-uk]

well mauserfan, it sounds nice to be told to go  hunting for a bow, any ideas what your likely to buy.