Archery Equipment Guides

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A ruffed grouse standing on bare sandy ground scattered with twigs

Flu-Flu Arrows for Bird Hunting: How They Work

Arrows for grouse and other birds: how flu-flu fletching slows an arrow, spiral vs multi-feather builds, points for birds, and the legal checks to make first.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read

A wooden arrow shaft with a tapered end beside a metal glue-on arrow point

Gear

Wood Arrows: Pros, Cons and Who Shoots Them

Carbon arrows vs wood arrows: what cedar and other wooden arrows do well, where spine and weight vary, how to inspect them, and who should shoot them.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read

Simplified two-panel diagram: in first-target mode a rangefinder shows the distance to a deer standing in front of trees; in last-target mode it ignores branches in front and shows the deer behind them

Gear

Can You Use a Golf Rangefinder for Bowhunting?

Can you use a golf range finder for bow hunting? Yes on level ground. How golf and hunting modes differ: target priority, slope vs true horizontal distance.

Updated October 7, 2026 · 5 min read

Top-down diagram of a deer blood trail with the hit site, flagged blood spots, last-blood marker, helpers and a grid search area, beside a checklist of tracking steps

Gear

Tracking Blood at Night: Lights, Tips and Mistakes

How to follow a blood trail for deer after dark: wait times, marking the trail, headlamp vs handheld, and what claims about green and blue lights rest on.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 4 min read

A boy crouches beside a well-used round foam target, holding it with one hand while pulling out an arrow during a youth archery class

Gear

Safe Archery Targets for Kids

Choosing an archery target for kids: toy suction targets vs real foam or straw, backstops and netting, safe spacing and distances, and supervision.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read

Simplified diagram of two bow stringer types on a recurve held horizontally: a double-pocket stringer with a large pocket on the lower limb tip and a small pocket on the upper tip, and a pocket-and-saddle stringer whose saddle grips the upper limb just behind the string loop, with a checklist to inspect the cord, stitching, saddle and fit before each use

Gear

Bow Stringers: Types and Why You Need One

What a recurve bow stringer does, double-pocket vs pocket-and-saddle types, longbow fit, why makers warn against step-through stringing, and what to inspect.

July 19, 2025 · 4 min read

Bowfisher in waders drawing a compound bow with a blue reel mounted on the riser, aiming down into shallow water

Gear

Bowfishing Reels: Spincast vs Bottle vs Drum

Bowfishing reel vs bottle vs drum: how each reel type stores and releases line, line strength, retrieval, and the safety slide rule every reel needs.

June 5, 2025 · 5 min read

Front view of a camouflage compound crossbow on a shop counter, with the draw weight printed on its limbs

Gear

Can You Adjust a Crossbow's Draw Weight?

Can you adjust draw weight on a crossbow? Usually not: most are set at the factory. Why, what makers warn against, and how cocking aids make it easier.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 4 min read

Diagram of the three bow sight axes: the first axis keeps the sight bar plumb, the second axis levels the bubble, and the third axis swings the housing for uphill and downhill shots

Gear

Bow Sight Levels and 2nd and 3rd Axis Explained

What a bow sight level does, how the 1st, 2nd and 3rd axis adjustments differ, a simple 2nd-axis check and who really needs a 3rd axis.

Updated October 7, 2026 · 5 min read

Diagram of a compound bow grip showing throat and heel pressure points, a stock grip, a bare riser with side plates removed and a wrapped grip, with what a wrap can and cannot do

Gear

Bow Grip Wraps and Tape: Do They Help?

Does compound bow grip tape or a grip wrap help? What a wrap changes for comfort, wet hands and cold risers, and why it can't fix torque.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 4 min read

Simplified diagram comparing a folding ground stand holding a recurve by its riser, a compound bow standing on kickstand legs, and recurves resting across wooden posts at a range

Gear

Bow Stands and Kickstands: Keeping a Bow Off the Ground

Compound bow kickstand or recurve bow stand? What each type does, how they attach, why fit and weight matter, and the range etiquette for resting a bow.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read

Two round straw target bosses and a layered foam target on wooden stands at an outdoor range

Gear

Archery Target Repair: Bags, Blocks and Foam

Archery target repair for bag, block and layered-foam targets: rotation, compacting, replacement covers and when a worn target should be retired.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read

Diagram showing how to size an arrow wrap to the shaft diameter, roll it on, and fletch vanes on top of it

Gear

Arrow Wraps: What They Do and How to Apply Them

Arrow wraps explained: what they add to arrow fletching, how to size wraps to your shaft, the weight they add in grains, and how to apply them step by step.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read

A heavily shot foam 3D big-cat target lying in grass, with chewed-up foam across its body

Gear

How to Repair a 3D Archery Target

How to repair 3D archery targets: when a replacement core does the job, how pour-in repair foam works, and when it is time to buy a new target.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read

Side-by-side diagram of the same ILF riser fitted with straight longbow limbs and with recurve limbs at brace, with notes that bow length equals riser plus limbs and that one maker rates limb weight on a different riser length

Gear

ILF Longbows: Takedown Longbows Explained

What an ILF longbow is, how longbow ILF limbs pair with risers, why riser length changes bow length and draw weight, and how competition rules treat them.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read

Diagram of a recurve clicker at anchor with the arrow point about a quarter inch short of passing under the clicker blade, plus the three mount types (riser, sight and limb) and a note that World Archery barebow does not allow a draw check

Gear

What Is a Clicker in Archery?

What a recurve bow clicker does, the three ways to mount one, how to set its position, how it relates to target panic, and why barebow archers can't use one.

Updated October 8, 2026 · 5 min read

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Group of young students at the shooting line practising with colourful beginner bows

Guides

Step-by-step archery guides for beginners: choosing a first bow, understanding draw weight and draw length, safety basics, and what gear you actually need.

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Close-up of an archer's drawing hand with a leather finger tab on the string at anchor

Training

Archery technique and training articles covering stance, anchor point, release, aiming methods, practice routines, and fixing common form problems.

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Olympic recurve archer at full draw with a red competition riser and sight at London 2012

Reviews

Research-based archery product reviews and buying guides that explain specifications, intended use, and trade-offs, clearly separating facts from opinion.

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Two modern compound bows with cams, cables, stabilisers and sights standing on grass

Comparisons

Side-by-side archery comparisons: compound vs recurve, carbon vs aluminum arrows, and other decisions explained with the key differences that actually matter.

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Crowd-filled stands at the Olympic archery venue at Lord's Cricket Ground, London 2012

News

Archery news and updates: competitions, rule changes, notable equipment releases, and developments in the sport.

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