Samick Polaris bow

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A number of years ago, we had a woman living in our house with us. She and her two children were in a toxic situation in the town where they lived, yadda yadda, and, after several months, my spouse and I figured out that part of the reason for her situation was, well, irrelevant to this post.

When she left, she left a fair bit of stuff behind.

Including a Samick Polaris recurve bow that is no-telling-how-old. I don't know how good it is, but it seems to do nicely for what I'm doing with it.

Because I'm getting Olde, and looking for some hand-eye coordination exercises in addition to the ten-yard cordless hole punches that some call pistols, I pulled it out of storage, bought a few $6 Aluminum alloy arrows from the nearest Academy Sports and Outdoors store, a bag target on special pricing from the nearest Cabela's store, and set up a little archery range in my back yard.

Not having ANY experience with archery, I did the YouTube thing and found a primer video or three, figuring to reduce odds of destroying the arrows or other stuff.

Then my spouse found a cluster of arrows at a thrift store for $25 or $30--roughly thirty arrows, if one counts the short things that I suspect are bolts for a crossbow. All of these new arrows are Carbon Fiber, and only a few had field points in them, so off to Academy for a $5 package of a dozen field points--all of which are larger diameter than the carbon arrows, making them a little bit more difficult to pull out of the bag target (I'm guessing it's essentially polyethylene "burlap" with some sort of filler, and the weave holds on to the field points unless the arrow is the same diameter).

I noted that some archers use a glove, some don't. Out of curiosity, I tried on a couple gloves, and found that my screen name is indicative--they were too small. But I found that there is an archery supplier that shares my name, AND they offer an archery glove that fits my, um, paw!

So, every day or three, I go out in the yard, put the quiver against the far fence, and shoot a dozen or three arrows across the yard (being careful to not shoot when the dogs are "helping" me entertain myself.

I've found a new exercise. It's interesting that it's relaxing.
Eventually I'll figure out this signature thing and decide what I want to put here.

Re: Samick Polaris bow

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I enjoyed archery when I was a kid. The subdivision we lived in was still in development, so it was mostly open fields. I would shoot arrows in a high arc, then get them and shoot again. I walked a couple of miles doing this. I had a Bear bow, which, as an adult, I foolishly sold. After my dad died, I got my father's Bear bow.
Perhaps we can go shooting sometime.
All religions united with government are more or less inimical to liberty. All, separated from government, are compatible with liberty.-Henry Clay
Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms.—Aristotle

Re: Samick Polaris bow

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We enjoy it as well here. Our yard has enough space to comfortably set up a target in back. It’s nice to plunk arrows at a target without having to go anywhere. I’ve certainly gotten to a point where I enjoy easier draw weight that I can shoot consistently well (for me, not in any objective sense), than my heavier bow.

Quo

Re: Samick Polaris bow

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The way it is in my town is it's legal as long as the arrow doesn't go out of your yard. I found this out the hard way. Back in the day I was shooting my 55lb compound that I had chrony'd at 225 fps. This was in maybe 2002 or so. I was shooting 100 gr target tips into a coffee sack filled with shrink wrap.

Now, that was a great bag. Every couple years I'd take it down to C Bar D Feeds and they'd sew another burlap sack on for five bucks. So it stopped the arrows very well. Sometimes they'd hang down some, and that would expose them more to getting hit by other arrows. Started to cost me, so I moved to a better bag. Pretty soon I'll be in a closed cell backstop I have to second mortgage my house to buy.

So there I was shooting into a bleach jug hung from the bag to prevent that sag, and I missed the bag. Danged if the arrow didn't leave its fletchings this side of the cedar fence and disappear into the alley--this could be a drag. I could see the hole but not the arrow. So I walked around and down the alley, and there it was in the alley side of the back neighbor's fence, sticking right out with no feathers. I got it. After that I put up a 4x8 piece of 3/4 plywood behind the bag. Problem solved.

New problem, though, with angels and flames, as it were. If I miss the bag and hit the ply, I have to use pliers and a hammer to get it out. So I see that as strong motivation to not miss the bag. I believe I've become a better shot.

CDFingers
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack

Re: Samick Polaris bow

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Yeah, the whole backstop thing. Fourth rule of firearms is to know what is beyond the target, right?

So I stood the bag up in front of my wood pile, in my shed that I built two summers ago. I've missed the bag a few times, and had to REALLY pull to get the arrows out of the end of the firewood!
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And I have no idea why these images are turned funny...

But I will assume that it beats having the arrow go through the privacy fence behind my shed and into the neighbor's yard to possibly hurt them or their dogs.
Eventually I'll figure out this signature thing and decide what I want to put here.

Re: Samick Polaris bow

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tonguengroover wrote: Sun Oct 17, 2021 7:40 pm How about a few bales of hay. Gots to cost less than plywood these days.
I destroyed a bale of rice straw in four weeks. A backyard can absorb only so much rice straw, which is the strongest of all straw bales. Like I say, I'll end up with a closed cell backstop of extreme value. But it will last me ten years if I don't shoot too many broadheads. It comes down to each shot. I can't miss or I have to go get the short handled hammer and the channel loks. Embarrassing. I think it really helps me shoot well. My range is about 27 yards. Almost first to second base.

CDFingers
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack

Re: Samick Polaris bow

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The one piece of equipment I recommend for a beginner is a vambrace. Something to protect the inside of your left forearm from the string. As far as gloves go, I used to use regular leather gloves - garden variety work. Not just for your string fingers, but to prevent cuts to the knuckle from a fast moving vane or feather. I've had to pull fletching material out of my knuckle. Do not recommend.

Look around for ranges. There may be something nearby. I've got several closer than my gun range, but getting out is just as difficult. I've yet to ever find anyone else there shooting.

There are little rubber arrow-removing tools that you clamp on behind the head to pull it out, cost $5. Good investment. The first shot I took at a target with a recurve I picked up this summer, didn't go anywhere near where it would have back when I shot longbow, and went halfway through a 4x4 at 10 yards. Treat the bow with the same due caution you would a firearm. They're equally lethal, as recent news attests - and penetration is often better.

Re: Samick Polaris bow

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That's a nice back stop.

Now, the thing with the arm guard actually exposes a small error in form. You fix it this way: place your palm against the wall with the angle in the same way as if you're holding your riser. Four fingers off to one side and the thumb off some to the other. You can see the elbow there is right in the way of the string. So Jake Kaminski in some of his videos talks about this: with your palm against the wall like you would hold your riser, rotate your elbow away from the string, the imaginary string. See your shoulder there, and how your attention is pulled more to the web of your thumb? When you rotate away like that, the geometry changes. As a recurve shooter, my aim system changed. Now, best. Check it out.

Well, check it out.

CDFingers
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack

Re: Samick Polaris bow

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Just something to go along with this thread.
All religions united with government are more or less inimical to liberty. All, separated from government, are compatible with liberty.-Henry Clay
Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms.—Aristotle

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