Nicer weather means it’s time to get outdoors and what better way to keep the kids outside than an outdoor game. This backyard slingshot can be used for a variety of things. From water balloon fights to balls knocking over Homer bucket pyramids, this slingshot will be a hit kids of any age. This project was done in collaboration with Ryobi Nation so head on over there to find the full project plans and details along with tons of other projects, how-tos, and so much more. > Full Plans on Ryobi Nation < Disclosure: This project was sponsored by Ryobi,
We've custom designed these dart board shooting targets for your enjoyment. Compete with your friends, or simply hone your precision shooting skills!
Did you know that Ben was once certified by the California Archery Association as a Yeoman and he was also an ACA archery instructor? Totally awesome, I know!!! For Ben's 30th birthday he received a bow and set of arrows. We first went to the roving archery range at the Pasadena Rose Bowl and on Ben's very first shot he hit a bull's-eye! We had a great afternoon shooting with his dad, but alas Pasadena is a bit too far to go shoot arrows on a daily basis. Ben remedied this by purchasing some hay bales and setting them up on the side yard, now he enjoys shooting every morning before work. And now I will pass the blog entry off to Ben to teach you all some of his techniques: I like to prepare my paper targets to last as long as possible on the hay bales. My trick is to put a square of duct tape on the backside of each corner, then use an office hole puncher to put a neat round hole in each square. From the front it still looks clean, but it has reinforcements. The extra strength is not so much for being shot, but for arrow removal, when it is more likely to get caught and tear at your nice target face. The target is held to the bales by means of dollar store wire barbecue skewers (the ones with the ring on one end). These hold the face to the hay nicely, and are easily removable for when you need to change targets, or when you pack up and head out to the public range. My archery butt is made of a stack of hay bales I procured from a local dairy farm. Having had some bad experiences with exposed hay targets, I decided to innovate and prevent some of the common problems I've seen at nearly every summer camp range. Most importantyl, I got the hay off the ground. I used a pallet and a pair of bricks. This both elevates and levels the stack. Elevating the hay is important, since a lot of the deterioration you see on archery targets comes from below. This keeps weeds from growing up into it, and allows for drainage out of and under the target. I cover the range with a tarp when not in use to keep out as much moisture as possible. Once it gets wet, it starts to rot pretty quickly in my experience. Elevating and covering my hay has kept my target bales in good condition for almost 6 months. Laminated wood bows need to be strung via a stringer. While with many of the synthetic fibre bows you can simply use the step-through metod of bow stringing, this can permanently damage a wooden limb. Stringers are actually a lot easier to use than the step in method, in my opinion. You start with the bowstring on the unbent bow. The larger loop goes loosely around the upper limb, and rests about halfway down, while the lower, smaller loop goes onto the lower nock. The stringer has two small caps. Put the larger one over the bottom nock with string on it. This will hold it in place while your bend thebow. The small cap goes on the top nock, allowing that string to slide into place. Once the stringer is in place on both nocks, step on the stringer, and hold the bow with one hand. Lift up on the bow, bending it on the stringer until the bowstring has enough slack to slide into place on the upper nock. Carefully check to make sure it is seated properly in its groove, then let the pressure off the stringer, and remove it. The bow is now ready to shoot! Here's how I get my stance: To get my stance correct, I like to stand with my bow hand outstretched and aim down it toward the target, and align my body. With fingers on the string, I start to draw, still pointing at the target, until my string hand is all the way back to my chin. You can also see the extent of my safety gear in this picture. I like to use an arm guard and three-fingered shooting glove. Though proper rotation of the bow arm prevents most string strikes, I still like to use the guard in case something goes wrong. IT is also quite nice on a cold day, since it keeps your sleeve out of the way. With anything heavier than a kiddie bow, I strongly prefer to use a shooting glove or finger tab. Otherwise your hand gets worn out really fast and you can't shoot for very long. My favorite is the glove. It covers the tips of 3 fingers, and stays on the hand easily. A note on target positioning. Depending on what is behind your archery butt, you want to carefully consider where you place your target on the bales. If the center of your target goes over a gap where two bales meet, it is quite likely that arrows will go clean through your target and into the wall/ car/ cat/ something else you don't want to hit behind it. Even with good placement, it still happens. When an arrow goes in too deep, it is best to pull it all the way through, I find. This pulls out less hay from your target, minimizes ripping on the face, and, most importantly, is kinder to the fletching (feathers) on your arrows. You can see the difference between hitting the hay and going between bales here... All in all, archery is quite fun, and I'm lucky to have such a fun wife who lets me practice in the back yard. ...and here's my bow. It's a recurve bow with removable limbs meant for target shooting.The arrows are aluminum shaft with feather fletching. Aren't they beautiful? Cheers, Benjamin
Archery can be a great pastime. It’s relaxing to spend time shooting,and it’s a great way to spend time outside. It can be a highly social orsolitary pursuit. There are ...
Even if you never plan on shooting at a deer from farther than 30 yards away, follow these tips to practice at long range and tighten your groups at every range.
71" Traditional Hickory You-Finish Recurve! Specs: Length: 71" Width: 1.5" Draw Weight: YOU CHOOSE! Maximum Draw: 32" Handle: Your Choice! (Right, Left, Uni-Grip or Uncut Handle) This listing is for a fully functional bow. If you would like a bow string included with your order, please purchase one using the following listing: http://etsy.me/18vUyFE This is a fully functional, ready-to-shoot bow. All of our bows are handcrafted, tillered, then safety & quality checked in-house by seasoned professionals before being shipped out, so bid with confidence knowing that you will receive a high quality bow! This bow is a perfect base for both hunting and target shooting. You can shoot right out of the package, or you can choose to finish the bow and turn it into your own personalized masterpiece! Please note that the draw length for this bow is 28", but all of our bows are safe to a 32" draw, so do not hesitate if you have a longer draw! Please be sure to mention which handle you would like cut into the bow in the comment section after your purchase. If no cut is specified, the handle will remain uncut in case you would like add a handle riser. These are cut at no additional cost to you! We also offer additional features listed below: Pistol Grip Tip Overlays Fine Sanding Bow Staining Polyurethane Sealing Please use the following link if you would like to add any of these features: https://www.etsy.com/listing/129642666/bow-upgrades? Please note that a right-handed shooter draws the string with his/her right hand, a left-handed shooter draws the string with his/her left hand and a universal grip is shoot off-the-hand. If you would like a customized draw weight, please let us know and we will be more than happy to accommodate you!
Thumb ring, banded agate, Mughal, c. 1650
64" Traditional Hickory Longbow! Length: 64" Width: 1.5" Draw Length: 28" Handle: Your Choice! (Right, Left, Uni-Grip or Uncut Handle) 3 x Traditional Poplar Arrows! Thickness: 11/32" Length: 33" This listing is for a fully functional bow and arrows. If you would like a bow string included with your order, please purchase one using the following listing: http://etsy.me/18vUyFE All of our bows are handcrafted, tillered, then safety & quality checked in-house by seasoned professionals before being shipped out, so buy with confidence knowing that you will receive a high quality bow! This set of bow and arrows is a perfect base for both hunting and target shooting. You can shoot right out of the package, or you can choose to finish the bow and arrows and turn it into your own personalized masterpiece! If you would like a specific feather color for your arrows (black, white, red, yellow or brown), please include the request in the comment section during the checkout process. Please note that the draw length for this bow is 28", but all of our 64" bows are safe to a 30" draw, so do not hesitate if you have a longer draw! We also offer additional features listed below: Pistol Grip Tip Overlays Bow Staining Please use the following link if you would like to add any of these features: https://www.etsy.com/listing/129642666/bow-upgrades?
