Recurve shooters....I NEED HELP!!

[willyqbc]

I recently acquired a PSE Impala takedown recurve at a benefit auction for one of the fellows in our bow club who broke his back. I have a bunch of questions I could use your help with. It is a 40# pull, 60" string at 28" draw according to the limb. My normal draw length on my compound is 32" , do I need to get a longer string or is this set-up ok? Also the arrows that came with it are aluminum 2216' s, with 100grn feild points, they look to be full length shafts, with feathers not vanes. Is this an appropriate arrow for this bow? I have been trying both glove and tab and am equally horrible with both!!! I' m figuring out how high or low I need to hold and the groups are not too bad for a novice, but everything ends up 2 feet to the left?? any suggestions as to why? Any addditional tips or info would be GREATLY appreciated, cause I' m REALLY, REALLY HORRIBLE with this bow right now!!!
Thanks
Chris

[Bodkin]

Your draw lenght will drop by a good 3-4" with a recurve. Try drawing to the corner of your mouth middle finger touching your lip. That will give you a right on draw. Try 1916 arrows cut to 28" with 100-125 grain field points as a plce to start.

[LBR]

It looks like you have a 60" AMO bow, 40# pull at 28" (40@28). Depending on your shooting style, you may draw a couple inches less than you do on a compound to about the same. Start by picking an anchor point that is directly under your eye--this will line you up left and right.I like to use an upper tooth for an anchor point, as it won' t move (at least not as long as you behave).

Draw the bow to your anchor and have someone mark the arrow for you at the back of the riser. Do this several times to make sure you get a true measurement, then allow an inch or two in case you make some changes in your style or anchor--you can always cut the arrows off again if you want, but it' s a bugger to make them longer. This will give you your draw length. You don' t put on a longer string for a longer draw. If you draw much over 28" , you are probably going to feel the bow stack--the only solution is going to a different bow--but you can shoot that one.

I' m not too up-to-date on aluminum arrows, but I believe 2216' s are going to be too stiff with 100 grain points--you can go with a heavier point to reduce the effective arrow spine and get better flight if needed. Feathers are appropriate, as they will not cause the arrow to deflect as it passes the riser like vanes will.

Start close, work on form--consistant anchor, release, and follow through. Don' t be concerned with the bull' s-eye until you are consistant. Try canting the bow to get the arrows over.

I like Byron Ferguson' s " Become the Arrow" for some good pointers on shooting. It' s short, easy to read, and to the point. Don' t worry about trying to follow it word-for-word, just use the basics and go with what works for you. I don' t agree with the section on wooden arrows, but there is a lot of great information that should get you on the right track as far as your shooting goes.

Good luck!

Chad

[JRW]

2216' s wih 100 grain tips are going to be WAY too stiff for that bow. 2016' s would be closer, but maybe not perfect.

JRW

[IrishLad32]

Hey, Willy, your arrows are hitting to the left ' cause they' re too stiff. Which others have already said, but that' s what happens when you have arrows that are too stiff. And when they' re too weak, they hit to the right. To fix this you can either get arrows with a weaker spine, get a heavier point to weaken the spine, or lower the brace height to increase the power stroke which will furthe weaken the spine. But if you arrows are hitting two feet to the left, you probably need to do a few things. I' m not up on aluminum sizes, but get some of what the others suggested and try them with different point weights, but bare shaft them. Shoot them without fletchings and see where the hit. If they hit left they' re too stiff, if they hit right they' re too weak. If they hit where you want them to they' re a good spine. I think you can get some good tuning tips at O L Adcock' s website, which I think is www.bowmaker.net I don' t really want to get into tuning ' cause it gets extensive in explanation. But that website has some tuning tips and you can buy some books on setting up longbows and recruves and such.
With recurves the string length isn' t really going to change by draw. The string length fits the bow. In your case you' ve an AMO 60" bow, which means you need a 60" string. No one is good at first, it takes time to get your form down and learn how to aim. First arrow I shot out a recurve I hit a block wall. As for figuring out how high or low to hold, you' ll figure that out as you shoot more. With compounds you figure that out by setting your pins, but with recurves you figure it out by feel and your aiming method. You don' t have a pin telling you where to hold, you learn it by shooting over and over. It' ll come though, just be patient and have fun.

Brandan