I had already been in touch with Martin, one of the club coaches, to ask advice on buying kit, and he had offered to loan me a set of limbs that he keeps for training. I have shied away from buying limbs too quickly as I have only ever used an 18lb training bow, and know that moving up in poundage is not altogether straightforward. By borrowing this set of limbs (SF Premium) I can start to judge what draw weight limbs I should buy for myself.
Martin also offered to make me a string and loan me a set of arrows he had spare. Mrs EA had already given me a spare sight (Cartel Q-sight) so I was in a position to start using my own (most of it!) bow. I pre-arranged with Martin to assist me with setting-up for the first time at the indoor club session on Tuesday evening. I have seen this done before when Martin helped EA jnr set up his bow for the first time almost a year ago but, to be honest, I had forgotten a lot of it.
First Martin explained the various parts of the riser including the sight mounting holes, the position for the arrow rest (already fitted, of course), where the stablizer is mounted and the pockets for the limbs. This riser takes standard International Limb Fitting (ILF) limbs, which allows you to mix and match risers and limbs from any manufacturer. (Although I have seen a couple of warnings about some manufacturers [HOYT] going slightly away from the standard on some of their equipment). Each limb is marked with the length (Short, medium, long) and the draw weights on each of 25" and 23" risers, as well as Top or Bottom. This set of medium limbs has a draw weight of 22lb on my 25" riser giving a 68" bow, but a draw weight of 24lb on a 23" riser, giving a 66" bow. The slots in the limbs fit under the large washer, and the locating pin in the riser slides into the dovetil at the end of the riser. What I didn't realise at first was that the locating pin had a push-down pin in the centre, which must be pushed down to get the locater to slide into the dovetail. When properly inserted, the limbs are a very loose fit in the riser but the spring-loaded pin prevents the limbs from just sliding out.
Next came the string, which Martin had made to order that afternoon out of blue and white strands - 10 of each colour - and he explained that less strands could be used to allow for nocks with narrower throats. Using a bow stringer I attached the string and then we checked the bracing height, which I am told should be around 22.5cm to 23cm. The bracing height is the distance between the centre of the arrow rest and the string when the bow is not drawn, and is most easily measured using a bracing height gauge, which clips onto the string. We found that the bracing height was a little high, which is resolved by unstringing the bow, removing a few twists from the string and then measuring again after restringing the bow. It took a few iterations, but we eventually got there! The other important measurement is the location of the nocking point on the string, which should be 4mm above the point at which the arrow sits on the rest. The bracing height gauge has this conveniently marked on it so that when the long arm of the gauge is sitting on the arrow rest, the nocking point can be read next to the string. Thankfully Martin had already marked the nocking point on the string with pieces of dental floss & superglue and a quick check showed it was in exactly the right place.
Now it was time to check that the string and limbs were properly aligned. To do this, Martin clipped a string alignment gauge to each of the limbs, close to the riser. With the bow supported, stand back and see that the string passes through the centre marking on each of the gauges, and also through the hole in the middle of the riser. Thankfully this was fairly close and, as these limbs were only going to be used by me for a short time, we accepted the status quo. If there is any misalignment, it can be resolved by adjusting the limb attachment bolts on the riser.
The pressure button was next. This screws into the riser from the right (RH bow) so that the spring-loaded plunger protrudes by the arrow rest. A knurled nut allows you to adjust how far the plunger protrudes and the knob can be fixed into place with a grub screw. To adjust the button, clip an arrow on the string and place it n the rest with the bow supported vertically. It also helps if a stabiliser is fitted to the front of the riser. Once the arrow is loaded, stand slightly back and sight the string along the centre of the bow and see where the point of the arrow is. Ideally it should be about one arrow-width to the left of the string and if it is not, screw the button in to adjust it left, or out to move it right. Once in the right place, hold it still and turn the knurled nut so that it is tight against the riser and then tighten the grub screw with the supplied hex key. Ideally the button should be kept in the riser, but my case won't allow it, so it will have to be attached and removed each time I shoot.
Arrows 1 and 2 flew directly over the boss, so I adjusted the sight up a long way. The next arrows thankfully hit the boss, if not the target. Although this bow nominally has a draw weight of 4lbs more than the training bow, I found it very comfortable to draw and the action is certainly a lot smoother than the trainer. I suspect that the limbs are adjusted to the minimum weight, so it's possible that I was drawing a pound or two less than the rated 22. I will probably adjust this up over the next few sessions as I get used to drawing more weight.
Over the next 30 or 40 minutes, I shot alongside the other members, most of whom were scoring a Portsmouth round. At the other end of the range, EA jnr was shooting just to practice, and managed a cracking two arrows at one point - it was a shame about the third. After a while I was getting some reasonable groupings and everything felt very comfortable.
The only real problem was that the arrows tended to snake in the air, which Martin suggested was probably due to the arrows being the wrong stiffness for the bow, being more suited to a bow of a higher draw weight. Arrows are made from a number of different materials with a range of outside diameters and varying wall thicknesses, and these variables combine to define the stiffness of the shaft. The shaft stiffness must be matched to the length of the arrow (draw length of the archer) and the draw weight of the bow to achieve the optimum flight characteristics. The physics of this is quite complex, but you could try reading this article. Thankfully arrow manufacturers supply cross reference tables that allow you to select suitable arrows based on draw length and draw weight. I know these arrows are not ideal, but they will suffice until I buy my own set, and they will perform better as my draw weight increases.
I am very grateful to Martin for loaning me his limbs and arrows, and for his guidance on equipment and taking me through the setup. The other coaches and members have also given advice when asked and I have found this invaluable. Buying your first equipment really is a minefield and you can easily make expensive mistakes or end up with unsuitable equipment that may hold you back. I know that coaches are discouraged from recommending equipment to new starters, probably to preclude any possibility of financial gain, but I can see some new starters feeling cast adrift in the minefield of equipment after a beginners course. I am lucky in having two archers already in the household so have someone to keep me on the right track, and I am confident enough to ask for advice from others, but this probably not a common situation.
Hoping for good weather this weekend so that I can get some practice in on Saturday. Sunday is out this week - church parade with the scouts!
* When I see or hear Sebastien Flute, I can't help thinking of the character Sebastian Flight in the comedy series The High Life, and his catch-phrase 'oh deary me'. A work colleague also pointed out that there is a Sebastian Flyte in Brideshead Revisited. I suspect that the name of Alan Cumming's high-camp steward is no coincidence.
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