Santa Strike Force: Barrettstown Brigade need your help.

Evil Phil

Folks,

I'm the Barretstown Gang (BTG) co-ordinator this year and I need your help. They've asked us to purchase archery kits for the kids amongst other things. I've no idea about archery.

Basically they're to be suitable for kids so hard-wearing and not too specialised seem to be what we need. Can you advise on cost, manufacturers and where to buy? I think they want alluminium arrows too.

cheers
Evil Phil

toxof

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=158941

If you have any more questions just ask. There are lots of people on the boads that are willing to help.

Arrows start at about €2.50 each and a basic bow will be about €70

trig

Could you give us an idea of the age range of the kids cos you can get bows in a whole variety of different weights (the force you have to pull against to draw back the bow) and obviously the younger the kids, the less weight they'll be able to pull.

Any other information about where they'll be used (indoor/outdoor) and over what kind of distances would be useful too.

There's a few other bits and pieces that it might be worth picking up such as arm guards to prevent the string tearing chunks out of the kids arms.

Evil Phil

There good points trig, plus all of these kids are suffering some form of an illness. I'll get onto Barretstown and let you know.

halenger

Arm guards are essential... Tight long sleeved clothing can be a help also.

For kids 10 metres is more than enough to shoot at, sometimes less.

Young kids often require a lot of help even drawing the lightest of bow. I honestly can't remember what weight bows we had for the kids at the summer camp in DCU. 16 or so might've been the lowest, but I'm not sure. You do want low but you don't want to get too low or the arrows will go nowhere.

Aluminium are better and all that but you'll go through a lot of them probably. Good netting and no obsticles (such as a pillar :rolleyes:) are a good idea.

Oh and back to equipment. Finger tabs are a good idea. Little hands can suffer a string more than older, especially if they need assistence in drawing the bow.

oscarBravo

I'm pretty sure the cubs in our club all start with 15# bows and work up to 20 or 25. A full kit would need to consist of a bow, maybe three arrows, a finger tab (or glove) and an armguard. A wee quiver is nice too.

I'd be a little concerned about just giving kids archery sets though. Before they are even shown how to nock an arrow, they should receive safety instruction. Is there someone on hand to teach them properly?

halenger

Well personally I wouldn't be giving them a kit at all.

Not sure if that's exactly what you mean Evil Phil. At least I wouldn't think that's what you mean.

As for arrows. When teaching(/whatever you wanna call it) kids or in general, in my opinion, 3 arrows is a bad move.

If you've a large number of people and limited number of coaches then 1 arrow per person in a rotating queue makes for less waiting. It has done in my experience anyhow.

But if you're gonna have a small number of kids and a few people capabale of showing them/helpnig them then 3 will work grand.

Renegade_Archer

Will these kids be supervised, or are ye handing out archery gear? Cannot stress enough the importance of proper supervision, one good good arrow in the eye will kill you dead.

(You could take a torso shot from a kids bow, even then if youre unlucky you could have something like a sucking chest wound, but youre chances are better.)

Anyway, in conclusion, go for it, I approve, but make sure you have proper supervision going on.


I can PM you my phone number if you want to talk about equipment specifics.




Regards

Ewan

Turin

halenger wrote:

I honestly can't remember what weight bows we had for the kids at the summer camp in DCU. 16 or so might've been the lowest.

Good netting and no obsticles (such as a pillar :rolleyes:) are a good idea.

I think the lightest we had was 14 lbs podge! Ah that camp was fun!! I have fond memories of that pillar!!!! And that arrow bouncing straight back at you!!!!