got a free long bow

[silvergramma]

while picking up a wood burning cookstove that I had purchased from someone I knew ..the man said take a look around and see if there is anything else you would like to have..I'm cleaning out my garage and basement and need to get rid of a lot ..
I wound up with a lot of good free stuff and one of the best was a long bow
it takes a 64 inch string.
Now here is the kicker ..I'm 53 years old and have never used a bow and with what strength I have I know I will have to eventually build up the muscles in my arms to use this thing or save it for someone who visits to use it..
I do all the chores on the farm,, from throwing hay over the fence to the horses to bringing in wood for the stoves..I can toss half a small bale over the fence and also tote 50 lb sacks of feed on my shoulders into the house..
anyone out there recommend some exercises I can do to prepare to use this bow? thanks

[rAcErRicK]

:) That's great SilverG. Just a friendly word of warning about the longbow. As they age and the moisture dries out of the wood fibres, they lose their elasitisity to spring back, and can shatter into many pieces, and could easily cause an injury to you. Ask me how I learned this :secret: I had already been warned but decided to shoot one of my old ones after I restored it. Just as I released the arrow, the bow shattered into about 20 pieces, one of which was still attached to the bowstring, hit me on top of the head, luckily I had on a cap, but it still knocked quite a lump on my noggin. It sounded much like a rifle shot.

I would try to find someone who has experience with wood bows and let them examine yours and make a recomendation before I shot it.

[velojym]

There's also old glue, if the bow stave was made of more than one length of wood. I had an old bow I picked up cheap at a flea market, wood seemed fine, but when we tried to string it, the glue gave suddenly, and I was holding two limbs and a glue-on riser.

[offgridbob]

On my long bow I just snap shoot mostly on the account it's a 72lb pull and I'm 63. When I say snap shoot, I'm talking about one pull back and let go, no holding. I actually shoot better that way. 10 dead muleys can attest to that. The bst excercise is to practice with the bow.

[farmerj]

if you really are concerned about the bow, tiller it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J5CySxxhfU&feature=related

[grumble]

OGBob: "The bst excercise is to practice with the bow."

Ditto that advice. You didn't mention the weight of the bow, but if you can't pull it to full draw, just keep trying. In a week you'll be able to hold it back to your cheek with no trouble. Then practice holding it there.

It won't be long until some lumberjack kinda guy comes along and you can laugh at him for not being able to pull it to full draw.

FWIW, I still use a 45# recurve I got 45 years ago when I was 16. It isn't my primary bow anymore, but it still works just fine.