Constructing your Own Wood Arrows in Archery :As we may believe, Wooden arrows have been around for many years and probably century's. Wood is also most likely the first substance used in the making and production of arrows for archery. As the first arrow material, it's safe to say that arrow material used was the first when man started flinging shafts at game long ago. Wooden arrows are still just as popular today as they were yesterday. This being mostly because wooden arrows are traditional, people still like to use the traditional accouterment's. Wooden arrows have changed little over the years or century's, but we see many variations. In yesterdays gone by, when an archer wanted to shoot wooden arrows, they merely ordered a few dozen, or maybe even a few hundred. These were usually made out of Port Orford cedar, they were available in three grades, Premium, select or mill-run. The first two grades were a bit rigid in selection of the shaft by the distributor, shafts were matched in there spine and by there weight. Of course Premium arrows were of the finest grade and quality, these were excellent arrows. The Select grade were just a touch less matched than there Premium counterpart, these were still excellent hunting arrows. The Mill-run grade was what its name implies, hundred mill run shafts from a spin range of 60 to 65 pounds. For the most part these arrow shafts ran in this range, you would however end up with a few wild arrows from time to time. This of course was in the respects of there spine and weight measurements being a hair or two off. We would in turn, sort, match and construct some good arrows, dependent on the type of game or target we were after. Today, if you try to find Port Orford shafts, your going to have a big problem, it's just hardly available anymore. So in turn, different makers of arrow shafts have been searching for a good wood to replace the infamous cedar. One point to keep in mind is the fact, one needs more than just a fletching jig to work up good wood arrows. In this equation Pine maybe the answer looked for in the replacement of the cedar. One could construct these out of Canadian Pine with very good results. Remember that constructing your own arrows takes time and patience, So take your time and learn something new, But keep patience and don't give up. Supplies needed to construct Pine arrow shafts Sorted Pine Shafts (By weight and spine) Saunders Arrow Fletching Cement Two Tapering Tools (For the nock and broadhead tapers) Feathers (Such as TrueFlight for shield config) Fletching Jig Wood Stain Wood Finish Spray Paint for Shaftment Coloring Practice will make you a better marksman, It will also help you on your journey to marksmanship. Remember that Archery is more than aiming at a round target yards away. If its only to read and study about the history of Archery. It still holds a lot of information and learning potential for your mind to develop on something new. Get the Cat Scratch Fever, See the potential and learn about Archery today.

Archery has its roots in medieval times. Much before the modern warfare like bullets, rifles and pistols evolved, protection of territorial integrity and waging wars to conquer depended to a large extent on expert archers. Archery equipment in primitive times too differed vastly from the archery equipment available today more because the reasons for archery equipment have changed from warfare to sporting. Before you set out to buy archery equipment, it is necessary to learn a bit so that you buy exactly what is best suited for your purpose. Choosing archery equipment A major factor which influences people moving away from archery after an initial stint is the poor selection of archery equipment. This lack of adequate knowledge about archery equipment itself is a major threat to the development of archery as a sport. One look at the several web sites offering archery equipment will tell you that there are about 10,000 items of archery equipment on offer. While there are several aspects to be considered before procuring your archery equipment, in this article, we shall consider the major factors concerning selection of arrows. Selecting your arrows When you look at arrows in any of the archery equipment web sites, you will notice under the sub-head there are at least 5 product lines. These are Arrow cases, Arrow Components, Arrow Rests, Arrow shafts, and Arrow wraps. Arrows themselves are available in a variety of materials to suit every budget. Aluminium arrows priced around the £50 mark is ideal for beginners. Advanced arrows are made of a mixture of aluminium and carbon. Normally, carbon arrows are smaller in diameter and are lighter too. Carbon arrows are therefore much faster too lending greater consistency for shooting over long distances. Carbon arrows are naturally more expensive and can be upwards of £2000 per set of twelve arrows. After browsing through, or physically examining the various types and brands of arrows that you can buy, you need to understand the fundamentals of the arrows that can address your needs best. Arrow length From the safety perspective, the length of the arrow occupies great importance since you would not fancy the idea of having to pull your arrow beyond the arrow rest. Too much of your arrow protruding outside the bow too cannot be good for you since it can increase the weight of the arrow though its ability to fly may not be impaired. The disadvantage with improper lengths is that your aim should be much higher compared to arrows with proper length. Determining arrow length By using inch marks over the shaft length on an arrow that is extra long, the correct arrow length for you can be comfortably determined. The method employed is to add an inch to the reading from a point adjacent to the pressure button after the archer has attained full draw. There are other several other factors associated with selecting your archery equipment and you can browse a number of website like http://shop. eaglearchery. com to gain further knowledge.

Archery and a List of Archery Terms:When we think about all Archery has to offer we don't always look at terms. So today we will take a look at some of the terms used in Archery and see where they themselves correspond. Whether your talking Shortbow, Longbow or any other type of thing that has to do with Archery. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the terms used. A:A/C/CAluminium/Carbon/Competition arrow shafts made by 'Easton'. Made of multiple layers of carbon graphite fibres in a epoxy resin wrapped over a high strength aluminium shaft (0. 2mm thick). The code numbers printed on the shaft indicate its size:eg. 3-71/300 where 3 is the number of carbon layers, 71 is the last two digits of the core aluminium shafts thickness in thousandths of an inch (0. 271") and 300 is the spine of the arrow in thousandths of an inch. There are specific types of points and nocks for this arrow shaft. These shafts are lighter than the 'Ultra-Lite' Aluminium shafts. A/C/EAluminium/Carbon/Extreme arrow shafts made by 'Easton'. Made much the same as the A/C/C arrows, except the shafts are 'barrel-shaped', being thicker in the centre of the shaft and tapered at each end. This creates a much lighter and stiffer arrow. The code numbers printed on the shaft indicates its size:eg. 1206G/370 where 12 is the diameter of the aluminium core shaft measured in 64ths of an inch, 06 is the aluminium shafts thickness measured in thousandths of an inch, G indicates the model series and 370 is the spine of the arrow in thousandths of an inch. There are specific types of points and nocks for this arrow shaft. These shafts are lighter than the A/C/C shafts. Actual Draw WeightThe measured or calculated draw weight of an Archer. eg. a marked bow of 30 lbs. at 28" draw when used by a person having a 27" draw length will have an actual draw weight of 28lbs. (a 1" difference in draw length will make approx. 2 lbs. difference in draw weight. ) AimTo superimpose a sight pin on the centre of a target or, when not using a sight, the placement of the tip of the arrow on a particular point for a given distance. AnchorA combination of points to which the bowstring and/or index finger of the drawing hand are drawn to on the face and neck. Anchor pointDefinite spot on the archers body, normally the face, on which string and index finger come to rest. ArbalestA medieval crossbow that needed a windlass to draw the bowstring back. Arm guardA piece of stiff material used to protect the bow arm from the slap of the bow string upon release, worn on the inside of the bow arm. Arrow CaseA box of wood or other material to store and carry arrows. Each arrow being held separate either via foam, slots or clips to protect the feathers or vanes. Arrow plateA plate, adjustable or fixed, to which the arrow rest is attached. A piece of horn, shell or leather just above the handle of a longbow where the arrow passes as it leaves the bow. Arrow point or pileMetal point inserted into end of arrow shaft. Can also be that the shaft fits inside the point as in wooden shafts and some carbon shafts. Arrow restA projection or support on the bow or the arrow plate located in the sight window on which the arrow lies when nocked on the bowstring. ArrowsmithA person who makes metal arrowheads. AschamA tall narrow cabinet in which bows and arrows are kept. AxleThe bearing pin holding the wheel in the limbs of a compound bow. (The length of a compound bow is measured from top axle to bottom axle). B:BackThe side of the bow away from the bowstring. Backed BowA bow which has been backed with rawhide, wood, fibre or sinew. BallistaA very large medieval crossbow used by an army attacking the walls of a besieged town. This crossbow was capable of firing large rocks and spears long distances. BarebowThe discipline of shooting without a bow sight, stabilisers and release aid. Bass or BastThe twisted straw back of a straw mat target butt. BellyThe side of the bow nearest the bow string. Now called the 'face'. Blunt pointUsually a conical rubber arrow point with a flat tip designed not to let the arrow penetrate a target, but rather bounce off. Bob-tailed ArrowA arrow that is thicker at the point. It tapers to the nock end. BodkinA medieval type of arrowhead designed to shoot through protective chainmail or armour usually worn by Knights. BoltA short arrow used in a crossbow. Bow armThe arm that holds the bow. Bow handThe hand that holds the bow. BowhunterA person who hunts animals using a bow. In Australia, only feral animals may be hunted. Native animals are protected. Popular feral animals hunted are; wild pig, goats, foxes, deer and water buffalo. Bow sightA mechanical device attached to the bow with which the archer can aim directly at the target. Bow slingA leather or nylon strap, fastened to either the bow or the archer's hand, which prevents the bow from falling to the ground when the archer shoots without gripping the bow. BowstringA multi stranded string of either Dacron, Kevlar or Fastflight looped to the bow nocks or teardrops. Bow stringerCord with two pockets of dissimilar size or one pocket and one saddle, used to string a recurve bow. Bow staveA piece of wood used to make a bow. Bow squareT-Shaped device to measure brace height and nocking point location. BowyerA person who makes bows. Brace heightShortest distance from the string to the pivot point of the bow when strung. (Old English : Fistmele). BracerA name used for an armguard. Usually used to describe the leather armguard used with a longbow. BroadheadA arrowhead with triangular shaped cutting blades used for hunting animals. BubbleSee 'level'. Butt (Target Butt)Any backstop to which a target face is attached. C:CablesThe plastic covered steel cables that connect the string via the cams or wheels to the opposite limb of a compound bow. Cables can also be made of Fastflite string material. CamsThe wheels on a compound bow have a 'cam shape' to one side that controls the amount of force and the shape of the draw/force curve of the bow. Many different cam shapes are available to choose from;eg. Hoyt's 'Accuwheel' = soft cam, smooth shooting for target archers,'Performa Cam' = radical cam, stores maximum energy for bowhunters. CantTo hold the bow to the right or left while at full draw. The reference to right or left is determined by the position of the top limb. CastThe distance a bow can propel an arrow. Centre servingThe protective winding on the centre of the string where the arrows are nocked. Centreshot bowA bow where the sight window has been cut past the bow's centreline. Classic styleA method of shooting with as little deviation as possible from normal relaxed body position. ClickerSmall strip of metal mounted on the sight window in front of the arrow rest giving precise indication of full draw by snapping off the arrow point with an audible "click". CloutA form of target shooting in which an arrow is shot into the air at a 15 metre diameter target on the ground at distances of up to 180 metres. Cock featherThe feather or vane set at right angles to the slot in the nock (also called the index fletch). Composite bowA Bow made of more than one material. Not necessarily a laminated bow. Compound bowA hand-drawn, hand-held bow that for similar poundage at full draw, stores more energy than a recurve bow through the use of two cables and two eccentric wheels. Most modern compound bows have a 65% let-off of the peak draw poundage at full draw, e. g. a compound bow of 60lb. peak weight will have a holding weight of approx. 21lb. at full draw. CreepLetting the arrow move slowly forward before release (not maintaining draw length). Usually caused by loss of shoulder/back muscle tension. CrestingColoured bands applied to the arrow shaft used as identifying marks. These are just some of the terms that you may encounter in the world of Archery. See for yourself why Archery is the sport that it is, You will be glad that you did.

The arrow experts at 3Rivers Archery show you how to taper your wooden arrow shafts with a Tru-Center taper tool. (Scene from Crafting Traditional Wood Arrows DVD available from 3RiversArchery.com)

The arrow experts at 3Rivers Archery show you how to hand straighten wooden arrow shafts. (Scene from Crafting Traditional Wood Arrows DVD available from 3RiversArchery.com)