From the Lions' Den - A freestylers' journey.

Emmadragon

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I know you're getting a new riser anyway, but you asked for pictures of the Arios, so I've loaded them into your Arios thread.
Pictures of my full bow set-up in the 'pictures of your riser' thread too.
That WA18 is a bit of a bugger, isn't it?
Fortunately, we have a postal league in our county called an L&R 300 - a dozen arrows each on a Portsmouth, a Worcester and a WA18 single spot face, so everyone is well used to shooting them. All 3 faces go onto the same boss. http://www.lrcaa.org/assets/downloads/lr300/General/LR-FaceSetup2019.pdf
Even our long bowyers will shoot the WA18.
ETA: just checked the October result for the L&R, I came 20th! Pretty pleased with that!
The WA18 tournament next weekend has been cancelled though, not enough entries, so boo! to that.
Next one is a Worcester tournament in December. We have a triple event tournament called the Countesthorpe Triple, which is comprised of a full Portsmouth tournament, a full Worcester tournament and a full WA18 tournament. You can win each of the events individually, and then there's an additional set of prizes for winning the Triple. Good fun!
Good luck on the 24th. Glad to hear you got the car sold, too.
 
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LionOfNarnia

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Thanks Emma.
You're lucky to have so many compos to choose from, the calendar is a bit more bare around here - just one suitable shoot left this year, a boxing day Worcester in Durham (52 miles). It's free (donations to 'Hounds for Heroes') so I'm going. Being a confirmed Pagan I don't 'do' chrimbo so any escape from the commercial mayhem is very welcome.
 

Emmadragon

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We are very lucky, there's 15 clubs just in the two counties (Leicestershire and Rutland), so there's a really active tournament scene going on, plus my new club (SOOO pleased I moved!), organises all sorts of fun shoots and internal tournaments, and does just about every postal league there is, so there's loads to do. The joys of having a permanent non-shared field, I think. Plus, if we really want to we're pretty close to Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and the West Midlands. Even Lilleshall is not a ridiculous distance away from us.
 

LionOfNarnia

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Yule on 21st December?
Hopefully a bit more like Saturnalia ;)
But I do like to spend the Solstice around a fire, in a cave, beneath(ish) a stone circle. Shame is, my back is too knackered to let me go 'shrooming these days. Will have to make the water of life suffice.
 

LionOfNarnia

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Sometime between now & 3pm, my 'new' riser is due to be delivered (Hermes).

I was planning to set off for Carlisle around 1pm but I have to be in coz it needs a siggy.

Either way, I'm unlikely to be posting pix etc until late 2moz, I won't be back until mid-afternoon & have to set off for the club before 6pm - but I'm hoping to get at least a few ends in with her before I do a write-up.

Not much news, true, but if I don't do something I'll be chain-smoking til it arrives, which ain't good.

I've decided to name her "Megaera" ;)
 

LionOfNarnia

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So, her Ladyship arrived intact not much more than an hour after my last missive.

After lovingly divesting her of her 'travelling attire', I gazed in wonder at her smooth ebony lines for a moment before grasping her waist and raising her to the heavens (Don't worry, the ceiling is 10' at the ridge ;)) with a mighty roar of 'Behold Magaera!' to the godz of archery.

Despite my desire to depart not too far from my scheduled hour I dared to tarry a while with her, slipping the 44# Samick limbs into her resisting, yet eager, sockets & easing on a string. She felt lithe & nimble in my trembling hands, at once both lighter yet more rigid in my grasp.

No, of course I could never have resisted the desire to gave her a damned good scaling!

47.2# OTF :D

BH perhaps a touch low @ 223mm. But n'e'r mind, no time for tweaking.

She is, so far, everything I dared to dream she would be...

...but what, exactly, does 'so far' actually mean?

Well, since she arrived all I've done with her is the above, plus a couple of sets of SPTs yesterday & today. Oh, and posed her for the somewhat-candid pix below. Probably the only time she'll ever be seen again so bare. For 'tiz recurve she is destined for, with all the fine accouterments that are so becoming, so desirable in a young bow. My 'better angels' were adamant that with one practice session remaining for the Ivernia Open it would be self-defeating to get too distracted by her potential right now.

- So I'm yet to experience the thrill of sliding my ACE out of it's quiver, gently fingering it onto the string then powerfully drawing back, pausing for a moment then releasing her all for the first time. Then, and only then, will I know for certain that she is my one true love.

Behold Magaera!

M 1.jpg

M 2.jpg

M 3.jpg

M 4.jpg

M 5.jpg

M 6.jpg
 

LionOfNarnia

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The Ivernia Open - Sunday 24th Nov '19 - Benwell (Bowmen of Walker) Newcastle-on-Tyne.

I shot like an Imperial Stormtrooper!

Yep. That badly.

All over the bloody place, left, right, high, low, I haven't been that far out of the groove in 10 months. More misses than hits, it was absolutely awful. My first ten ends netted a lowly (& so close to being too embarrassing to carry on) 131

- With 20/20 hindsight & reflection, I feel I understand the why's & what's & far more importantly the 'what do I do about it'. Hard but valuable lessons learned.

The final thirty began much as the first had ended. Maybe a little less erratic, but still not 'on'.

About half-way, maybe an end or so later, an angry thought slipped past my guard - what if all this is because 'she' knows this will be the last time I ever 'take her to the ball' & she's pissed about it and letting me know it?

"ALL RIGHT YOU *ITCH!!!!"

(*Please prefix the 2nd letter of our alphabet for accuracy, or the 23rd for sensitivity ;) )

"If that's how you wanna go out, fine by me, no more Mister Cuddly, it's LION time <RAWR!>"

Shooting angry. Shooting like make-up sex. Drawing like I hoped I'd snap her spine.

....and d'ya know what?

The 3-hit ends started coming, followed by some 2-gold ends, my very last ends were an X-10-7 & a 10-10-8. Not enough to 'save the day' but just about (barely) sufficient to salvage some pride with my boss-mates. 193 for the 2nd thirty for a total of 324.

I didn't photo my card, I didn't stay for the presentations, just packed up & quietly hit the road.

Oh, I can't remember where it was mentioned but somebody asked me, if I could solve the riddle of the vertical 3-spot please post it. Talking to a very talented archer during a smoke-break it appears the answer is to always go to full draw on the middle target, then bend your waist a fraction right for the top target, a fraction left for the bottom target. MUST be with your core not your shoulders otherwise you get inconsistency & inaccuracy.
 

Kerf

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Oh, I can't remember where it was mentioned but somebody asked me, if I could solve the riddle of the vertical 3-spot please post it. Talking to a very talented archer during a smoke-break it appears the answer is to always go to full draw on the middle target, then bend your waist a fraction right for the top target, a fraction left for the bottom target. MUST be with your core not your shoulders otherwise you get inconsistency & inaccuracy.
[/QUOTE]

That was me. I can’t get my head round the bend to the right and left to raise/lower the aiming point. Still, I’ll not argue with your informant. I’ll try it next time we put a three spot up in the club. Thanks
 

LionOfNarnia

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Spending the day tweaking & twiddling Magaera ready to take over as my main bow on Friday - in between doing other household & admin tasks.

Current state - 225mm BH, +5mm tiller, +6mm NP & an impressive 41.4# OTF (36# limbs).

The sight bracket has been fitted too.

Next steps - Centreshot & rest adjustment. Not sure yet whether to leave the fitted shibby mag rest on until it falls off, or fit the wrap-around from the Axiom.

I'll do some pix when she's fully kitted out.

The Axiom has the 44# limbs on, for winter SPTs. Gonna crank it down & see if I can get over 50# OTF as soon as Magaera is finished.
 

Big George

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Oh, I can't remember where it was mentioned but somebody asked me, if I could solve the riddle of the vertical 3-spot please post it. Talking to a very talented archer during a smoke-break it appears the answer is to always go to full draw on the middle target, then bend your waist a fraction right for the top target, a fraction left for the bottom target. MUST be with your core not your shoulders otherwise you get inconsistency & inaccuracy.
That was me. I can’t get my head round the bend to the right and left to raise/lower the aiming point. Still, I’ll not argue with your informant. I’ll try it next time we put a three spot up in the club. Thanks
[/QUOTE]
The centre spot is like the centre of any 40cm or 60cm target so your “proper” stance should mean your arrow ends up in the centre of the target (normal aiming issues not withstanding). Your shoulders will have been level and low (not lifted, see other discussions on making sure the bow shoulder does not lift). Now, trying to get the top target by raising/lifting your aim point means your are lifting your shoulder and moving away from your correct stance. To not do that you need to bend/tilt at the waist keeping your shoulder line intact but moving your aim point to the top (or bottom) by tilting the appropriate way (think back for top and forward for bottom). An extreme view of this in clout shooting where they bend back to get the distance. At three spot distance it’s not much of a tilt. Not sure if I’ve explained it any better but the tilt does work (it’s getting use to tilting that’s fun).
 

Kerf

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That was me. I can’t get my head round the bend to the right and left to raise/lower the aiming point. Still, I’ll not argue with your informant. I’ll try it next time we put a three spot up in the club. Thanks
The centre spot is like the centre of any 40cm or 60cm target so your “proper” stance should mean your arrow ends up in the centre of the target (normal aiming issues not withstanding). Your shoulders will have been level and low (not lifted, see other discussions on making sure the bow shoulder does not lift). Now, trying to get the top target by raising/lifting your aim point means your are lifting your shoulder and moving away from your correct stance. To not do that you need to bend/tilt at the waist keeping your shoulder line intact but moving your aim point to the top (or bottom) by tilting the appropriate way (think back for top and forward for bottom). An extreme view of this in clout shooting where they bend back to get the distance. At three spot distance it’s not much of a tilt. Not sure if I’ve explained it any better but the tilt does work (it’s getting use to tilting that’s fun).
[/QUOTE]
Ok, thanks. That’s clear and that’s what I thought Aslan’s informant meant. I didn’t understand the left and right references in his post.
 

LionOfNarnia

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...didn’t understand the left and right references...
LOL yes, they would be wrong for a lefty for a start.

(Seems like the dude was spot-on though.)

Maybe better to say 'lean toward the boss to bring the aim to the lower target & lean away for the upper'?

*************

Mageara is ready to shoot but it's too dark for pix.

Axiom needs a slight tiller-tweak (+10mm atm) but scales 50.4# OTF - no biggie, she's only for keeping my conditioning up until it's time to crawl out of our sportshalls & wonder what that burning thing in the sky is, again ;)

...maybe I'll even have new limbs by then (car/MOT expenses notwithstanding) I have a hankering towards a pair of WNS FC 100 (48# Long) atm.
 

olis

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Do you mind me asking why you want such a high draw weight?
I upgraded to FC100 40# (43 ish fingers) and they're great!
But I shoot my indoor arrows stiff because I want to stay in control of the shot and that's about as much as I can cope with.
Is it because you feel that having a massive draw weight holds it all together for you?
If so that may cause problems with fatigue on 1440 days etc
 

LionOfNarnia

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Ah, the only answer(s) that matter(s)...

...because I want to.

...because I can.

...because I'm enjoying pushing myself.


(...and with just a respectful nod towards the 'operational' reasons - lower trajectory = less wind drift, etc.)

...and if you think the draw weight is high, take a peek at what I have on the ends of my stabilisers!

(Long is maxed at 7 oz until I get a longer screw. 2 oz waiting to go on. Sides, 6 oz sight-side 7 oz body-side.)

I've always been a 'push the envelope' -type of guy, it's in my nature to strive to raise my personal limits & I have been blessed with a powerful body - I'm a former semi-pro american footballer, among other adventures ;)

Nice to know there's at least one 'satisfied customer' for the FC 100 out there though :)
 

Stretch

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Bit baffled by this thread.

Sorry but you know that archery is about control? It’s not about strength. I shot 53# for a while (borrowed kit after my bow disintegrated) and l have no strength background - always control sports for me. Shooting high weight is about technique not strength. And volume of arrows... high volume.

With 53# I shot 570 Portsmouth’s, 550 40cm, 1140 1440 rounds. I dropped to 47# my scores went up (1220 1440) and then I dropped to 43# (mainly by accident) and shot 1250 1440, 1100+ York, 570 40cm, 590 Portsmouth. I eventually moved back to 46 to 47# and ultimately shot my best scores there. Timeline of about 6years shooting a few hours a day at least, every day.

You just look a muppet if you are shooting masses of weight with no control. Learn technique and control then shoot 65# if it takes your fancy.

It does depend on your reason for being in this sport but when I coached I have had many novice archers shooting 550 Portsmouth in under a year. Some 570. And one 570 18m 40cm. And you can but some 1100+ 1440s along with that. Always down the path of control and technique.

In my opinion (and of course you are welcome to ignore me or tell me to go and take a flyer ... or something with more expletives).

Stretch
 

LionOfNarnia

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Bit baffled by this thread.
Maybe read it from the beginning then?

It's late, very late, so I'm too fuzzy to do a point-by-point. But HINT I'm only just into my 2nd year of shooting and I very well aware that poundage is only useful when it's controlled. I can't shoot the volumes I'd like to (yet, but I'm working on it!) but I am doing SPTs daily to improve my 'power'. Indoors I'm only using 36# limbs. By the time we go outdoors again 50+ pounds will not tax me in the slightest. Already I can hold full draw with the 44's for over a minute.

...and I'm yet to find the coach who I'm confident will take me to the 'next level'. Soon I hope.
 

Timid Toad

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I'm rather with Stretch here, so I'm going to be pretty blunt, sorry.
It's not just the poundage but the mass you think you can control. Over the decades I've seen so many archers drop out through injuries because they had to be the biggest and the heaviest without the technical understanding or the technique to exercise control. So I find your posts amusing but delusional. SPTs won't help you, you need to be hitting the gym.
If you can totally own 90m with 45lbs that's where you should be looking, and any good coach will advise you of that. If you want to shoot high poundages and push yourself join the Warbow Society and find out what the real men (and women) are shooting. Your 50 odd pounds won't impress them there.
I know you won't listen to anything I have to say, but I will have the satisfaction of pointing you back here when you've got a rotator cuff injury that's taking months to heal. I've seen it all before.
 
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