AT HOME ON THE (ARCHERY) RANGE

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COMPLETE YOUR TACKLE

Your next purchase should be arrows, which may be made of wood (least expensive), fiberglass (medium-priced), or aluminum (most costly). I suggest that you get a half-dozen wooden arrows for starters. They should be an inch longer than your draw length and matched to the draw weight of your bow. In other words, if you buy a 45-pound bow, you'll need arrows with a "spine" (stiffness) of that rating, or they'll fly erratically ... and inexpensive "spineless" (not rated) arrows can break while being shot, and could injure you or someone else as a result.

Before long you'll lose some of your first batch of wooden ammunition. By that time, though, you'll probably be ready to buy fiberglass or aluminum arrows that take screw-in points. That way, you won't have to purchase separate ones for practicing and for hunting. To prevent problems later, be sure your shafts have snapon nocks ... the kind that will grab the bowstring.

To keep your arrows close at hand, you should buy—or make—aquiver. In the beginning, a hip or belt model, which holds about a dozen shafts, will be adequate. Later, you may want to switch to a largercapacity shoulder quiver.

The bow sight is another item that's become very popular in the last few years, for the simple reason that it helps people shoot better. You should have one on your bow when you begin archery . . . and keep it there. The sight is just a metal plate, attached to the bow, that holds one or several pins. When you hold the bow at full draw, your pulling hand is always at the same place (your "anchor point"), and a pin should be positioned so that it appears in the target's center.

To adjust the sight pin, shoot a couple of arrows, then move the pin toward the spot where the arrows hit. If, for example, you're shooting low and to the left, move the pin down and to the left. That has the effect of moving the arrow up and to the right.

To complete your archery tackle, you'll need an arm guard (sometimes called a "bracer") and a shooting glove. You might also, as an option, want to check out the portable, easily moved target backstops on the market that can be used in lieu of hay bales.

If you luck into finding some good secondhand equipment, you might be able to get outfitted for less than $50. By shopping carefully, it's even possible to get a new bow, six arrows, bow sight, glove, and arm guard for $100 to $125. (However, although the same items may cost more at an archery shop than in a discount house, the specialist's expert service may be worth the higher prices.)

When your archery range and equipment are all together, fit your shooting glove to the hand that pulls the bowstring . . . so that the connecting strip of elastic or leather runs along the back of the hand from the finger sleeves to the wrist strap, leaving the palm bare. The bracer goes on the inside of the opposite forearm.

Start shooting from a point only five yards from the target. That will seem ridiculously close, but the "easy" range will free you to concentrate on the mechanics of the art. (At this point, you should be concerned with the act of shooting, and shouldn't have to worry about whether or not you hit what you're aiming at.)

Stand with your left side to the target and with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Snap the nock onto the string below the nocking point, and slide the arrow up against the locator. Place the first joints of the index, middle, and ring fingers of the right hand on the string . . . index finger above the arrow and the other two below it. Make sure your fingers are spaced far enough apart so they don't touch the shaft's nock. If they do, the pressure will likely cause the arrow to fall from the bow's rest, or to rise off the rest when you pull the string.

Use the sight pin, which should be positioned at about the center of its adjustment range, and draw the string (with the arrow attached) back to your face. Keep your left arm straight out, pointing at the target. Once you're at full draw, place the tip of your right index finger against the right corner of your mouth. That's your anchor point. Move the bow until the pin appears over the target .. . relax the fingers of your right hand . . . and watch the arrow fly!

As long as you hit the backstop, don't worry (for now) about where the arrow hits. Just keep shooting from that distance until you begin to feel comfortable with the process . . . but be sure to take a break when you get tired. You may be able to shoot only a dozen arrows a day at first, because archery employs little-used back and shoulder muscles that will need to be strengthened. If you push yourself, you could develop bad shooting habits, which can be difficult to break. These include "creeping" (an unconscious tendency to permit the drawing hand to ease forward a fraction of an inch just before the release) and "snapping" (letting an arrow go before a steady aim is attained).

When most of your arrows hit in a group, indicating some consistency in your shooting, you can adjust the sight. (Remember to move it in the direction of the error.) It won't be long before you'll want to increase the distance between you and the hay bales, and—as long as you're keeping the arrows ort the target, though not necessarily in the bull's eye—it's all right to do so. Eventually, you'll probably have sight pins adjusted for 10, 20, 30, and 40 yards.

After you've mastered the basics, which are mostly physical skills, you'll find that (as is the case with all shooting sports) the real challenge of archery is mental. A good archer is the embodiment of self-discipline. To shoot well, you must be able to concentrate completely on the task at hand. It follows, then, that when you're right on target, you can—for a time—escape today's pressures and tomorrow's problems. All that exists is you and the target.

In fact, it's easy to become so engrossed that you're not completely aware of what others around you are doing. Remember, though, that a bow can be deadly, and always conduct yourself accordingly. Be aware, too, that an arrow can skip or ricochet a hundred yards or more . . . and never shoot a shaft straight up to see how far it will go, because you never know wh

ere—and on whom or what—it may come down.

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