Indoor longbow

Corax67

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This thread is not just to all stick and string merchants :


I ventured indoors to a local club open night last week prior to entering their forthcoming comp at the end of this month - I caused many uplifted eyebrows and mutters after my first end of sighters.

My pointy sticks had gone into the straw bosses with a more than satisfying thud, in fact a level of thud that far exceeded any of the arrows around it including the other 3 longbows present.

When asked what I was shooting and saying it was 52# @ 28” the consensus was I shooting an inappropriate bow for indoor ! The other longbows in use were 25#, 30# & 32#.

I own 3 longbows, two of which I constantly lend to fellow club members and are sub 40#, but I only really shoot my 52# Gary Evans seriously. I shot the round anyway despite the grumbles and finished on a 443 which I was really happy with considering it was my first longbow Portsmouth; it was also enough to beat the other longbows, the 4 barebows, several recurves and a compound ( who was having a total nightmare).


My question is : is my bow inappropriate for indoor rounds ??

What do others shoot indoors and would you have objections to an archer bowed like me at a comp or club night?



Karl
 

LionOfNarnia

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Personally I reduce my # for the indoor season - 36# limbs instead of 44# - because at 20yds the big pull has no advantages & makes getting the arrows out of the boss even harder.

If the club has no objections I'd say 'shoot what the hell you wanna shoot' & 'sod the bitch-faces'. I wouldn't have a problem shooting alongside you - but I can get damned close to 500 on a Pompey with 'Excalibow' ;)
 

bimble

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if you can shoot it, it's not inappropriate... to me it just sounds like they're NOT used to longbowers shooting at that poundage and so it's more "that's not how we do it" than 'you shouldn't be doing that.'
 

Geophys

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I shot for years as a member of the club you were shooting at, the longbow that I used indoors was rated at 45lb at my draw length, and yes was more powerful than any of the other longbows being used. Oh and I came second twice in the AGB January challenge using it. My scores varied from 450 to a best of 522, so no I never felt I was overbowed, My advice is to use the bow that your most comfortable and most used to shooting, so I always used the bow that I used up to 60 yds. (I switched to 51lb for 80 and 100).

I personally prefer the flatter trajectory of the higher poundage bow indoors, I found it more consistent and several times made 3 compounders 10s ends (as Kidcurry can testify)

Stick with the bow you're comfortable with.
 

Corax67

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Thanks all - my intention is to continue using the 52# as I don’t really want the fuss of having to make and tune a set of arrows for one of the lower poundage bows this close to the comp.


Karl
 
D

Deleted member 7654

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Neither you nor your bow are the problem...
Your post sums up perfectly why I tend to shun clubs and competitions.
Del
 

Timid Toad

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I absolutely *do not* reduce my poundage going indoors. What's the point? I'd only get used to it and then have to build up going outdoors again. If I need to do form work I do that on a light bow alternating with my usual bow.; that's a different issue. No one tells a compounder to drop poundage indoors so why should you. What a load of rubbish.
 

SighKey

New member
I would have to agree with others here. Even though i only just started, who is to say to anyone what is appropiate and what isn't. As long as you aren't being unsafe i wouldn't see the issue.

Well as long as you pull your own arrows that are buried deep into that boss as well (wouldn't like the risk of helping you out on that)
 

Whitehart

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No, I am sure they are not asking the compounders to do the same. Some clubs use the worn out bosses for longbow indoors so careful you don't damage your equipment.

I am Recurve and use indoors for training, I shoot my outdoor kit indoors including skinny arrows - this way I am not faffing about and getting used to a higher draw weight again in March.
 

LionOfNarnia

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Hmm, I'm quite happy to set up for lesser poundage & fat arrows for winter then changing up again for spring - including the SPTs to condition m'sel for heavy poundage again.

- But I'm only just starting my 2nd full season so that might change in the future.
 

HongKongPhooey

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Seems a bit off considering the mess c*mpounds make of bosses, we have several longbows shooting indoor 50# plus without any whinging
 

Corax67

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I think it was probably just a case of someone shooting something a bit different and it threw some people.

Shot the longbow for Frostbite and Portsmouth outdoors at our club yesterday - glorious autumnal morning - no one batted an eyelid because they used to a lot of longbows on the line and us shooting at all ranges.

It’ll be an interesting comp in two weeks time 😉


Karl
 

Emmadragon

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I was told yesterday of someone who shoots a 120# warbow indoors - apparently they have to move the target forwards onto the line after every end. I gather it's lift, draw, release very quickly, there's no question of holding at full draw.
But no, you're not overbowed for indoors, we have no end of longbowers at our club shooting 40# and upwards, and no-one would dream of asking them to reduce their poundage indoors.
 

Corax67

Well-known member
I was told yesterday of someone who shoots a 120# warbow indoors - apparently they have to move the target forwards onto the line after every end. I gather it's lift, draw, release very quickly, there's no question of holding at full draw.
But no, you're not overbowed for indoors, we have no end of longbowers at our club shooting 40# and upwards, and no-one would dream of asking them to reduce their poundage indoors.

Ooh now I want a war bow for indoor 😁


Karl
 

Riceburner

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if you can shoot it, it's not inappropriate... to me it just sounds like they're NOT used to longbowers shooting at that poundage and so it's more "that's not how we do it" than 'you shouldn't be doing that.'
That's what it sounds like to me.

FWIW when I was a student I joined (briefly) the uni club and shot once indoors. Bearing in mind my bow was (iirc) about 28# at 28", I genuinely did not expect every arrow I shot to go THROUGH the boss and smack into the breeze-block wall behind the net which was behind the boss. I reasoned that I couldn't afford a new set of arrows for every end and packed up and left after the existing senior members merely shrugged their shoulders. :(
 

Emmadragon

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That sounds a lot like bosses that really need replacing...we're lucky, our club shoots mostly layered foam indoors, and we've just had a new set of those. The few straw bosses we have indoors are generally used by the longbowers, a bit more hard wearing. Although I think there is a debate going on right now on what to replace them with, they starting to wear out, but new straws are stupidly expensive. I think we're very lucky, we're a big club, affiliated to two local universities, so we have something like 250 club members, which gives us a bit of money to spend.
 

Timid Toad

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If you are an AGB member, so long as it's under 60lbs you are ok indoors and out. Of course warbows aren't under 60lbs, so you might need to join the heavy bow society for that.
 

Emmadragon

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I believe arrow lube is extensively used for the warbow arrows, although the subject came up when I was commenting on the size of my target partner's arrows in competition (longbow, so no limitations on fatness, I gather). He was saying that warbow guy was basically using broom handles!
 
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