Archery for little ones.

[jgelt]

We are leaving "the city" for rural setting. understandably the children have mixed feelings about it. So I have been spinning the positive side of it as much as possible.

My 5 yeard old boy asked if he could shoot bow and arrow "on the big land." I told him he most assuredly could.

Now I didn't start shooting bow until I was probably 12 (Had an old recurve). I've been out of it for 20 years being in the military.

He was quite adament he did not want a toy. He wants to shoot arrows into haybales and when he gets good enough, deer.

Any suggestions on a good bow to start with for a little guy?

[longshot]

well i wont tell you what is better or not you should decide that but i will tell you what i did.

i went to walmart and got a little 9pound fiberglass bow kit for about 20 bucks comes with bow arrows finger tab and a target for putting on a hay bale or cardboard box etc. i use this to each archery to my son, he's nine and we've been working at it for a couple of years along with rifle work since he was six.

dean

[swampyankee]

I'm not too sure about your area, but alot of states have a minimum amount of pull for a bow. I think around here it's 40 pounds. Might be a bit much for a five year old., but getting them started early is definately the way to go. I wish you luck on the "big land" and hope your son takes to the bow like a duck to water.

[jgelt]

Thanks for the good info. I'll check out that Walmart rig.

H'es going to be target shooting for quite a bit before her can hunt so he can stay below legal while he figures out if he like it.

My wife just spotted this. I've seen their catalogs but never bought anything from them. Any thoughts?

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp;jsessionid=ON4TIMI135WKTLAQBBKCCONMCAEFKI WE?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=perf&id=0004391418293a&navCount=6& podId=0004391&parentId=cat600270&masterpathid=&nav Action=push&catalogCode=QW&rid=&parentType=index&i ndexId=cat600270&hasJS=true&_requestid=217022

[TNDadx4]

well i wont tell you what is better or not you should decide that but i will tell you what i did.

i went to walmart and got a little 9pound fiberglass bow kit for about 20 bucks comes with bow arrows finger tab and a target for putting on a hay bale or cardboard box etc. *i use this to each archery to my son, he's nine and we've been working at it for a couple of years along with rifle work since he was six.

dean


I picked up the same bow kit for my (then) 10 year old. He loves it and has been working with it. It's easy to put together and take apart (done by dad, usually) and provides for a LOT of fun.

[Wolfer]

Another one that Is pricey is Put out by Mathews called the genisis. Its a small compound with No breakover fully adjustable for Draw weight and Draw length.... And I Know of a santa that is starting to young hunters this year with the same bow.

[mtdrtbag]

There uased to be alot of good little fiber glass recurves out there, but the selection has gotten kind of small. I started my son out on a Martin 50" 20-25 lb. recurve. I put a little longer string on it to reduce the draw weight to approx. 15 lbs. Most of the Walmart packages are kind of junky (no offense guys) but you can get into the Martin for about 50 bucks which isn't much more than what Walmart wants for one of their packages. The fiber glass arrows they sell these days are indestructable, but they don't fly for beans and if your kid isn't hitting what he aims at he will get bored in a hurry. Stick to wooden arrows as they will fly a whole lot flatter and faster out of these light weight bows. I started my son out shooting bows when he was 5 ,also and this combination has worked well for him. He still shoots (and so do I)this little Martin and an old Shakspere B-8 Rocket that I had when I was a kid. He is now 12 and started shooting a Browning Micro Adrenaline Compound in a 40-50lb draw weight that is detuned to about 38lbs. He should be able to shoot this bow into his mid teens. Try to find a bow that a kid can grow with. My son now shoots right along side of me in 3-D father/son shoots and does exceptionally well. He turned 12 in the middle of hunting season this year and missed the archery season altogether, but will be bow hunting with the Browning this next fall.

[reyecat]

I don't blame him for not wanting a toy.

We started our little guy with a sling shot... *something to consider.

both our kids now have "real" recurves. *just go to a dealer and get them to set you up, they are so knowledgeable and mostly not out for cash, just really into what they do. *you can prbably find used ones in your are[a... at his age you can find good ones that other little guys have outgrown. *we find all the guys/coaches up here super helpful. *Our coaches love, love, love our daughter and help her so much. *Get him into lessons... even though you know how to shoot a bow and arrow there are things that coaches and such know that you can't know... and they have a way with kids. *lessons are super cheap here.....

BTW... depending on where you are varies the price... martins up here in our kids sizes cost around $400!!!

Also have him start doing 10 push ups a night... really helps.

[mtdrtbag]

Martin 50" *20-25lb fiberglass bow at amazon.com is $55.75 plus shipping from Cannon Sports. Maybe a Mathews costs $400, but probably not a Martin. Most of their bows are pretty economical. I shoot Martin's in competition and even I can afford them.

[reyecat]

Martin 50" *20-25lb fiberglass bow at amazon.com is $55.75 plus shipping from Cannon Sports. *Maybe a Mathews costs $400, but probably not a Martin. *Most of their bows are pretty economical. *I shoot Martin's in competition and even I can afford them.

i must have mistaken the name.... sorry for the mis-info!

We ended up getting our kids a middle of the line one at about $130 per bow.... you can change out the arms... which makes it nice as they need longer and harder pulling bows..... very nice bows. they are called Polaris made by chiron archery.

[Techstuf]

Since the boy is 5, he will perceive any arrows without suction cups to be "real". So go with any number of kids bows that will fit his draw and put an arrow into a bale. After his level of dedication to the sport is determined, the sky's the limit.


TS

[Rimfire_Red]

Don't forget your daughters! Mine got a Browing Mirco Midas when she was about 10 and had naturally good form right from the start. She started duck hunting that year with a .410. She downed a honker sitting in a kayak at 10 years old with a .410 along with several ducks! At 14 she was cleaning nearly all of our pheasants and her (wild) turkeys! At least give them the chance!

[longshot]

man its been awhile since anyone hit this thread my son has gravitated to rifle shooting from the bow. hope your son is enjoying his bow or gun if he moved like my son. I'd defiantly give a daughter an equal chance if she wants to shoot but we've only been blessed with one child.


dean