Archery During SHTF – Is It Right For You?

Archery can be learned at any point of your life. Most people think archery is as simple as picking up a bow, knocking an arrow and letting it fly.

While that’s essentially the basic concept, like with most things, there’s significant training and practice that’s involved.

I’ve been an archer for almost 15 years. I started my archery journey in college by taking an introduction to recurve. When the class ended, I swiftly made my way to my local archery shop and bought a Browning compound bow.

At the time I wasn’t into brand names, didn’t even know what Browning was, I just knew that I absolutely loved the bow. It’s a shame Browning doesn’t make bows anymore because it was honestly my favorite bow still to this day.

I’d still have it, too, if a moving company hadn’t lost it.

Anyway, my point is, I’ve been at this archery game a long time and I still have as much passion for it today as I did 15 years ago.

Even though I’ve been doing this a long time, I certainly feel ‘out of shape’ if I don’t shoot at least once a week. So it’s important to try to practice at least once a week, if you can.

Let’s look at a few considerations:

Why do you want to get into archery?

Why is it that you want to get into archery? To hunt? To bow fish? For an SHTF situation, archery would primarily be for hunting or fishing. A bow is quiet, you can retrieve your arrows and use them more than once and you can always make your own arrowheads. If you want to use your bow for hunting or fishing, I highly encourage you to get started now so you understand what your bow can and cannot do. Hunting with a bow is much different than with a firearm.

Type of bow

The type of bow that you want can make a difference in what you use it for. I also encourage you to have a variety of bows.

Let me first say that there is no such thing as a ‘beginner’ bow. There’s only the bow that is going to work for YOU and YOUR needs, your height, the draw, etc. You need to find a bow that is going to fit your build, as well as your overall needs. I’ll talk about that in the next section.

Compound – Compound bows have a lot of working parts to it. They’re not easy to maintain yourself. If you want to maintain it yourself, such a switching out the string, you’ll need a special machine to help you do it. A compound bow is quick, quiet and strong. It’s a great choice for anyone because even if it has a 50 pound draw, 75%-ish of that will be let off when you pull back so you’re only holding a fraction of the weight, which is preferred by many.

Recurve – I always recommend that people start out with a traditional recurve or long bow. It shows you the foundation and basics of archery. From there, advance to a compound or stick with the recurve or long bow. Traditional bows are lightweight, easy to maintain yourself (no mechanical parts to fuss with) and it’s a lot easier to make your own arrows for a traditional bow.

Crossbow – I’ve never been a fan of a crossbow, but many people like them because of their speed. Crossbows can be difficult to reload for many, even with the assistant tool. Also, it’s not easy to make your own bolts (arrows) for a crossbow. Also something else to keep in mind is that just like with a compound, there’s a lot of moving parts and to make any adjustments on it, you’ll need a machine.

Whichever bow(s) you decide to use, get the necessary tools for it, or have a backup. I have a compound and a recurve. I love my compound because it shoots farther and quicker than my recurve, but I also know that it has a lot of moving parts and I don’t have the machine to fix any problems that might occur with the string. So I also have my recurve with some extra string for it.

Overall, though, as long as you properly maintain and take care of your bows and arrows, they should last you a very long time without having to do anything to them. I’ll talk about that a bit later on.

Finding a bow that’s right for you

I highly encourage you to head down to your local archery shop and get properly fitted for a bow. Don’t go to a big box sporting goods store, go to an actual local archery shop. They’ll have the knowledge you need and will properly fit you with a bow that you feel comfortable with. They should also let you shoot a couple arrows, which is highly recommended in finding the right bow for you.

Look for a bow that’s right for your height. You don’t want the bow to be too long or too short. This is especially important with a recurve. You need to be able to string and unstring a recurve by yourself or with the help of an assistant tool. Either way, the height matters. If it’s too long and you can’t string it yourself, then it’s a bit pointless.

Also pay attention to the draw weight. You want to be able to grow into a larger draw weight, but most compound bows only have a 10-20 draw weight variance. Meaning, if you start at 40, it may only go up to 50 or 60. Depends on the brand. Regardless, start a weight that’s right for you, if you’re struggling to pull it back, it’s too heavy. If you struggle just a tiny bit, you’ll grow into it. Ask the bow shop for advice.

Make sure to set a budget for yourself. Archery can get expensive real quick. Don’t buy a bow just because it’s ‘cheap’. Buy a bow that’s right for you. There are many budget friendly bows out there, but again, you want to be satisfied with your choice. If you’re not happy with the bow, then you’ll never shoot it and it’s wasted money.

Also be VERY careful about buying used bows. You have no idea what the history of the bow is, how it was treated, etc. If you are planning to buy a used bow (which I strongly advise against), bring a flashlight and put it up against the limbs and look for any cracks or splintering of any kind. A bow may ‘feel’ ok, but it could be failing and one day might shatter in your face. Which will most likely hurt, but it’ll also be a huge waste of money. Be VERY cautious with used bows.

Keep your bow maintained

Keeping your bow well maintained and taken care of will extend the life of your bow.

For all bows, keep the string waxed. After your shooting session, lube up the string with some wax and you’re good to go. This keeps the string from fraying and breaking.

For all bows, NEVER dry fire! This could crack the limbs and in some cases, break your bow completely.

For recurves, always unstring it after each use. This releases the tension on the limbs and keeps the limbs in better shape for longer.

For a compound, change out the strings every couple of years, or every year, depending on how often you use it. The more you use your bow, the more the strings will stretch and you’ll have to keep adjusting your sights in order to make up for the adjustment of the stretching strings.

Learn to make bows and arrows

Once you’ve gotten the hang of archery and you’re now addicted and loving everything archery has to offer, maybe it’s time to make your own? Learning to make your own bows and arrows from wood or PVC is a lot of fun and a great skill to have in SHTF. You can trade the bows/arrows, use them for yourself or even sell them. Get out to the woods and make a crude bow with some basic arrows. Go to the hardwood store and make your own PVC bow. Also consider learning how to make your own arrowheads from rocks or even glass.

Take lessons

Whether it’s online lessons or in person lessons, take lessons! It’s important to understand how to properly use your bow with the proper form. There’s a bit more to archery than just knocking an arrow and letting it fly. Form, breathing and follow through are very important. Some people even have target anxiety and this can be resolved with practice.

Practice practice practice

Practice with your bow regularly. Practicing will not only make you more accurate and in tune with your bow and skills, but it will keep you strong and sharp. Adjust your own sights, learn to shoot while sitting, shoot while kneeling and shoot around objects. Aim small, miss small. Challenge yourself to hit the images of the hearts, clubs, diamonds or spades on playing cards. Have fun with it and get better every time you practice!

Is archery right for you? You’ll never know until you try! If you’ve ever thought about getting into archery, especially for hunting purposes, there’s no better time than now.