Should I give guns a rest and take up archery?

[JohnL2]

I was thinking that considering the rising cost of ammunition, maybe this a good alternative to get my marksman jones.
Considering I'm a lefty, how deep am I going to get financially? I mentioned getting into archery to a guy at the gunshop and he knew I was a lefty and he said not to do it. I'd be worse off just looking for equipment.
Wet blanket.

I can shoot it ANYWHERE! Big plus!
The extra challenge of bagging big game with a bow and arrow is extremely attractive.

 

[El Tejon]

If you wish, but dry practice is a tremendous boon to your martial skills and it only costs time and effort.

 

[buck00]

Bow season last longer than rifle. I'd look into it.

 

[robert garner]

I am not going to make any friends but ebay is your first stop!
find a cheap left hand bow,my recomendation would be for a recurve.
IF you find that Archery is in your future,THEN consider sinking the price of a weatherby into a new rig with all the bells and whistles you wish! If you and archery don't get along you won't be out much this way. oF COURSE YOU MAY FIND THAT THE TRADITIONAL EQUIPMENT suits you fine now your good to go!
If like me, a slingshot lived in your back pocket as a youngin', the learning curve will be real short,if not you may wish to start there,(even cheaper)
Just look at the target ,pull,and release till you contact more often than you miss,the recurve works exactly the same!
Try it you'll like it
robert
Edited to add: Search E-bay for "longbow" saw a range of 30-50 USD
These can be used Rt or Lt handed hint dont go for the one with the horn tips
(its mine) don't go tellin the wife ok? I don't go lookin for trouble, it jus' finds me.

 

[yesit'sloaded]

My uncle has a bowshop so I'm going to tell you it's not that much cheaper for good equipment. Figure at least 300 for a bow, 200 in arrows, 100 for decent game targets, and remember that arrows can break and usually cost more than $10 to replace for the good stuff. You could also go to Academy or somewhere similar and pick up a small bow and some wooden arrows for under 100. But thats like buying an ill fitting .22 with a box of Walmart ammo-great for kids and starting out, but you will want to upgrade if you want to do any hunting.

 

[Baba Louie]

In some ways it's cheaper... in other ways it is just as addictive.

There's yer basic stick and string, and cedar shaft. Buckskins & leatherstockings (don't wear those out huntin' tho )

Then ya gotta have a recurve (or two), w/ one maybe a takedown. Do the Robin Hood men in green tights when out taking the Kings deer (yer wife'll love it )

Of course, for optimum gizmo and ease ya need wheels, cams, cables, carbon shafts and camo, camo camo.

Bambi doesn't stand a chance. But you might still want to take a good handgun with ya if your state law allows.

 

[Zen21Tao]

Just get yourself a decent .22lr or BB gun that (as best as possible) simulates the size and/or design of your larger caliber handguns. For example, a Kimber .22 upper if you have a 1911, a Sig Mosquito, or a Walther P22. Using the .22 or BB gun will at least keep you in practice of basic firearms operation (aim, breathing. trigger pull, etc.).

 

[BruceB]

....and you'll need a coach.

Go to the forums at www.accuratereloading.com and look on the American Big Game Hunting Forum for the thread titled "my new bow instructor, what do you think?"

WARNING: Be SURE that your blood pressure and heart medications are up to date and functional before doing this!!!!!!!!!!

 

[22-rimfire]

I'd go for it. Lots of fun and a whole new hunting experience. You'll probably be spending around $1000 to get started correctly. That buys a lot of ammo.

Rest nothing. Just add to your outdoor experience.

 

[Geno]

It makes a nice addition to the hunting seasons. I personally have an archery range in our basement...it's so fun!

Don't overlook .22LRs, BB guns, pellet rifles/pistols, etc. Finally, also recall that trigger time (dry-firing) is extremely effective practice...it's basically free.

Now, go set up your range. Get a regular backstop and a couple of 3-d targets. I have a life-size boar.

Great thread!

Doc2005

 

[feedthehogs]

Getting setup correctly will take funds better suited to ammo or a good quality pellet rifle unless your going to recoup the costs in actual hunting.

I find setting up targets in the back yard can be very challanging and pellets are cheap.

One particular thing I like is an 1/8" galvanized wire pulled tight between two boards.

I then shoot the wire from various distances.

Makes frre hand shooting that much easier with a regular rifle as breathing and stance forms are the same.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

archery is great, I shoot my bow much more than my guns....but it's no replacement for firearms. It's fun, but different
Oh yeah, and if you're looking to save money in the short term, it's not the way to go. A top of the line bow and accessories will cost you $1000-$1300. That could buy reloading equipment and lots of components.

 

[Muzzy_B]

Do Both

Keep shooting and buy a bow too. Make sure you buy from a pro shop that will custom fit the bow to you.

 

[wheelgunslinger]

I've been practicing archery since I was 12. I'm 35 now.

It's addictive and much more thrifty than guns, for sure.

If you just wait until deer season is over, or just bow season, you'll find a lot of good deals on bows as people realize that bow hunting takes considerably more skill than rifle hunting.

The one major piece of advice I can give you is to not start with junk equipment. Buy a good quality bow that works well for you.
The best way to find that is to go to a pro shop and get measured and have a bow selected that will fit you well.
Next thing you know, you'll be fletching your own shafts, sharpening broadheads and field points, and having a great time.

Chances are there is an archery group near you that you can shoot with too.

Archerytalk.com A forum for all things archery.

 

[Mr White]

As a lefty archer, I'll say that LH bows aren't nearly as scarce as LH guns. Any decent archery store will carry most of their popular bow models in LH.

And one of the nice things about archery... arrows are reusable. No cleaning, resizing, decapping, charging, seating bullets. You just pick 'em up and shoot 'em again.

Here in PA, archery starts in early October and runs thru mid November, for 6 weeks. Rifle season runs for 2 weeks after Thanksgiving. Personally, I like being in the woods during archery season. The weather is better, the days are a little bit longer, DST is still in effect for much of it, so you can get in a few hours of hunting after work.

There's alll kinds of cool ways to accessorize your bow if you're into that... sights, rests, quivers, releases, stabilizers, strings, silencers (no NFA stamp needed for these silencers)

And don't let Kimber1911 06238 scare you. You can get a decent bow for under $400, a dozen arrows for ~$50 (did I mention that they are reusable?), maybe another $100-150 for sight/rest/release and you're ready to shoot.

Once you kill a deer with a bow, rifle hunting will lose a lot of its glamor. It won't ever replace shooting your guns, but the hunting aspect of it is much better.

Did I mention that you can reuse your arrows w/o having to do anything to them besides just picking them up?

 

[cpaspr]

As a lefty archer, I'll say that LH bows aren't nearly as scarce as LH guns.

True. But I know from personal experience that if you decide that archery isn't for you the resale value of left handed equipment is much less than for right handed gear.

And I agree that if you get good enough to bag game with a bow and arrow that your bang sticks will lose some of their appeal - at least for hunting purposes. They'll become "too easy".

 

[erict]

Get over to Archerytalk.com and search the for sale section.

Bows depreciate very fast and you can pick up 1-2 year old equipment for 1/2 price. I just sold my Matthews bow with 2 dozen Easton ACC"s a $70 release 3 quivers and a ton of other good stuff for $450. All of that stuff would cost around $1200 new.

They have alot of left handed goodies over there to choose from as well.

 

[Zeke/PA]

I took up serious bowhunting about 30 years ago mainly to be able to extend my time spent afield.
Been at it ever since and USUALLY fill my first tag of the year with the bow.
If you are serious, the best place to begin is a dedicated archery shop where advice is free and your equiptment willl fill your personal needs.
Lefty?? Not a problem as ALL tackle manufacturers cater to southpaws.
Expense is something else again.
It's a case what you wish to spend to get started.
Bows are expensive, arrows not far behind.
I build my own arrows and it is STILL not cheap.
Whatever you decide though, let the pros at a first rate shop help you along.
Respectfully, Zeke