When it comes to children’s archery, make sure “The Size is Right.” Many a well-meaning parent has handed their equipment to their son or daughter not realizing how oversized it is for a 10-year-old. Tiny fingers, inexperience, and nerves already make that first shot very difficult. Added to that, many adults shoot 35-pound bows and higher. Most children should be shooting 25-pound bows and lower.

In the picture at right you can see the difference between a 6-foot longbow and a 3-foot youth bow. Also, you can see the difference in the length of the arrows, I have a slight overdrawn so I used 29-1/2 inch arrow. For a youth, the length can be much shorter.

In addition, youth arrows might have factory tips which don’t always have the appropriate weight, throwing off the balance of the arrow.

Remember archery is for the whole family, but the equipment has to match the size of the shooter.

This month’s safety tip: be sure to go to your local fletcher and he’ll help you make the right decision.

In service,

THLord Deryk Archer