I got the bug to relive my childhood so I just acquired some gear to get back into archery again - target only, no killing anything.

The equipment has come a long way since the 1950s when I had an old wooden longbow (from where I can't remember) & home made arrows with expended .303 cartridges as heads. All of the neighbourhood kids had their own bows & I have very fond memories of spending our days in the woods shooting at trees & various targets & hunting for lost arrows. Now kids sit in the house doing archery on a PlayStation!

So, my wife & daughter got me this model plus accessories for my upcoming birthday. At a 40 Lb draw weight (rather week compared to many bows), there are muscles in my upper body that I haven't used in a long, long time:

http://pse-archery.com/shop/heritage-bows/mustang-recurve-bow/

I've set up a small range (up to 30 yards) in my back yard; however, we have a really nice Fish & Game Club facility up in the mountains above our town that has quite extensive ranges for both archery & firearms that I may join...

TAM

We'll be starting again this year. My oldest boys (6&9) have shown interest in learning.
I haven't been part of a club for 20 years, I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Finally got my backstop (heavy carpet hanging from a tree limb) so I took the bow out for some shooting.

After 50 years of not having drawn a bow, I actually did quite well out to 10 yards. No stray arrows into the neighbours's yard, ha!

YouTube is great for some tutorials...

TAM

Don't be offended if you find the neighbor's kids & dogs wearing orange tomorrow...

My neighbour is older than me, IOW, ancient - so no kids; however,
I must be aware of the 6 cats that reside in our 2 houses, ha!

I thought that this would be easier than a golf swing, but it isn't. More challenging than I thought...

TAM

I took up Archery (target only) about 3 months ago & have flung a lot of arrows down range in my backyard - many quite errant!

Last night I finally managed a decent grouping from 12 Yards back. My 8 arrows were all within 3" of the dead center; however, I calling me 'Robin' would be a bit premature as archery is much like golf - just when you think that you've got it, you are humbled yet again & again, ha!!

Notice how I used one of my empty Axiom cartons (FMS Stand) as a target box. I just left all of the styro-foam packing inside but that arrows penetrate it easily.









TAM

What did that poor box ever do to you, for you to hit it center mass so relentlessly?

I have half of a garage full of Axiom cartons right up to the ceiling that are just waiting for the 'Trade Up' program, ha!

Unfortunately my wife has different ideas. Since she just retired after 44 years of nursing, she is around a whole lot more & is now after me to get rid of a bunch. So I guess that I'll kill them off one by one with arrows & send them to the recycler....

TAM

Reduce while you reuse before you recycle....

How not to become Hawkeye.

I used to do it regularly when I was young, long before Hunger Games made it cool. I never owned my own bow (well, not one that wasn't homemade) but my best friend's uncle uncle had a pretty fancy hunting bow that he let me borrow every time I visited. Which was often. Because, you know, he let me use his bow.

He pretty much taught me to drive as well. Sometimes on our way out to the woods where he hunted rabbits and I pretended to miss rabbits even though by then I could pretty much hit them in the eye. I think he knew I wasn't trying but he never called me on it. I used it less and less as I got old enough to actually draw it all the way. Because, you know, he let me use his car.

I pretty much dropped it by college. Because, you know, girls.

Now, I'm tempted to pick it up again. Because, you know, Jennifer Lawrence is hot.

So you're a hipster?

Only if I pick up the bow again. Until then, I'm just mostly naturally annoying without the use of any conformist lifestyles.

My adult daughter's birthday is coming up & I have a bow of lesser draw weight (28 lbs vice my 40 lbs) on layaway at our local sports shop to see if it fits her:

http://pse-archery.com/shop/heritage-bows/razorback/

Just for shooting in the back yard when she is here for a visit...

TAM

TAM, are you open to the idea of adopting me?

Do it, TAM!!! Make him play "William Tell" with you!!!!

When we play 'William Tell', I know which end of the range that I'll be standing, ha!!

TAM

Oh, I hope you didn't misunderstand. I was placing the apple squarely on Mark's head.

Actually, I think that a watermelon would be better, especially for Mark...

TAM

Then you wouldn't know which watermelon to aim for!

The big green one...

TAM

Yeah? WHICH big green one?

The one on top of the other one.

Who's on first??

TAM

Lol

I had to read this twice, then think about who is talking here, then it clicked. That is some Funny Stuff right thar!!