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His form isn't terrible, it's different-- it's an old school style developed more for a hunting situation where you likely had to take a shot from uneven ground, or from behind a bush, or from a tree, or prone, or on your back. Longbow hunting forms focus mostly on versatility and being just accurate enough to put an arrow in the kill zone

When it comes to longbow shooting, there are certain things that translate from Target shooting:

1. Solid footwork-- as Byron Fergison says, every good shot is built from the ground up. The longbow stance is a little wider than a target stance but you still need to be in line, at least for standing shots
   
   
2. Consistent draw-- hunting longbow stances have a different full-draw-form, but their draw needs to be consistent every time
   
   
3. The follow through-- hold the bow steady until the arrow hits the target. No flinching, no plucking, hand locked against the face (his anchor might be a little different. I'll get more into that later)
   
   
4. Consistency in grouping/shooting
   
   
5. ENCOURAGEMENT-- a positive attitude is a must for anyone who is learning instinctive shooting
   
   
   These are things that will not translate from target shooting:
   
   
6. The swing draw-- longbow shooters with heavier bows will have a different "closed" form than a target/recurve archer (think: upright olympic rifle stance vs. military combat stances).
   
   
7. You don't need to hold the bow at draw for as long (because the swing draw, done correctly, will put you in the correct form)
   
   
8. bow canting: It's personal preference. More cant = better field of view = more focus on the target. However much he cants the bow, make sure that his eye is in line with the arrow shaft. Each longbow shooter has their own optimal angle for bow canting, he'll discover it on his own after a while
   
   
9. The anchor point: I'm not sure what you use as an anchor point, but most hunting longbow forms anchor above the chin, usually pressed against the face. This gets the arrow closer to the eye and allows the archer to either consciously or subliminally sight down the arrow. The anchor point needs to be fixed for hunting forms-- no string walking or anchor point raising/lowering, just a consistent draw and anchor each time
   
   Archers you'll want to refer him to:
   -Howard Hill
   -Fred Bear
   -Will Young and Saxon Pope
   -Byron Ferguson
   
   Books:
   Hunting the Hard Way (Howard Hill):
   http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Hard-Way-Howard-Hill/dp/1568331460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412751131&sr=8-1&keywords=hunting+the+hard+way+howard+hill
   
   Become the Arrow (Byron Ferguson):
   http://www.amazon.com/Become-Arrow-On-Target-Series/dp/091330509X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412751154&sr=8-1&keywords=Become+the+Arrow
   
   Hunting with the Bow and Arrow (Saxton Pope):
   http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Bow-Arrow-Saxton-Pope/dp/1497520010/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412751194&sr=8-1&keywords=Saxton+Pope
   
   The Witchery of Archery (Maurice Thomspon):
   http://www.amazon.com/The-Witchery-Archery-Maurice-Thompson/dp/1446528197/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412751234&sr=8-1&keywords=witchery+of+archery
   
   There are many videos on Youtube of Howard Hill, like this one:
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo8UZneuggE
   
   and some very good instructional videos:
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98fuYYD5LOM
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJKOZ6KfRRs
   
   and some very bad ones too... Stick with the videos of people who were famous archers. Howard Hill is my favorite for reasons you'll see in the Cavalcade of Archery film, but anyone who's an established trick shooter or a renown hunter can also be trusted sources of knowledge
   
   The key to longbow shooting is that there is no one right way, there's only what works for the archer. It's a lot of experimentation, a lot of failing, but eventually he will learn what will work out best mechanically for him. He will need to take note of the different forms (including target style shooting) and take pieces of what works well for him-- just don't be offended if he doesn't do exactly what you want him to do because the longbow and the recurve are very different beasts.
   
   But above all, encouragement and always having a positive attitude is going to be the best thing. If he's self taught, it's likely he already knows how to take pieces of different forms and adapt it to his own needs (so yes, yo should definitely be teaching him Target shooting form stuff), but having someone to bounce ideas off of or even note when their elbow is low or they're shaking is a huge help, but above all encouragement is going to be the best thing you can do

You have a lot of options to go on the cheap. I mean actually cheap. They won't feel premium or awe inspiring but you can still get quite good (I'm currently retraining myself to use thumb, so I have both those bows below but I have the 18lbs version of the snake)
You can try the famous Snake Bow, or the Youth Titan Bow, Both capable of being drawn to 31" safely, both capable of shooting on the left or right side. Perfect for finding your particular style before choosing better equipment. Both have a reputation of being tanks in terms of durability.

I recommend This armguard

As for arrows, there are a lot of amazon sellers, with 25~30lbs being the kind of weight you want to start with, most of the sellers on amazon give you okay-ish arrows to start, I wouldn't get the cheapest option but if I had to choose, I'd get these. Do not expect to be splitting arrows though.


If you chose those 3 options, that's about 100$ leaving 50$ for a tab, back quiver or target bag. Tab/target bag should be the higher priority, all 3 would be best.


These bows and arrows I linked are for, real budget entry level "I've never shot a bow before" archers. Easy enough to pull, forgiving and more forgiving on the wallet.

​

At least I think so.

For some basic info, check out the getting started guide in the sidebar.

What style of bow you get will be mostly guided by what kind of bow you are drawn to (and also what you plan on doing with it). There are some decent bows in the 100-150 price range (at least in a recurve or longbow). You should probably plan on 6-12 arrows to start off with (along with a few other necessary items). Arrows can be anywhere from $5 US each on up (arrows can be found cheaper, but quality might suffer).

As for learning on your own, /u/nusensei has a good youtube channel, not sure how many videos he has on technique, but good info. Archery Great Britain had some coaching videos online, you could search youtube for those as well, I think they go at least a little into technique but might be more tuned to coaches and not the archer.

KSLInternationals website has some good info on shooting.

You can also find some good books on archery, the only one I have read is Archery Anatomy, maybe other folks here could recommend other useful books.

Bottom line is, as with any other skill, teaching yourself will likely be more difficult than if you have a teacher, but you you don't have access to one than lots of reading and watching.

I think it comes down to what kind of experience you want to have. Pick up an issue of Traditional Bowhunter. Read through it. What do you think? Are you drawn to the old ways or do you want to go high tech? I'm a longbow guy, but I respect both approaches. The compound route gives you access to a LOT of really fun, effective technology. Rangerfinders and all of those things are really fun to use.

I chose longbow because I get a deer (or two) every year with my gun. For archery season I wanted to go to the absolute other end of the spectrum and try to hunt the hard way, as Howard Hill puts it. I might never get a deer with my longbow, but that's ok. Spot and stalk with a bow that weighs 1 pound and a quiver full of cedar arrows is as much fun as I've ever had in the woods.

At first I was thinking a high quality finger tab, but then I remembered that most archers are very particular about their gear. A book is a great idea because just about any archer would find it interesting. My wife got me this book and it was a gift I have really enjoyed. It's called Traditional Archery from Six Continents.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0826217516/ref=mp_s_a_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505877763&sr=8-1-spell&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=traditional+archery+from+six+continenta

As cliche as it is, look at the Samick Sage. Easy to get, cheap, but a great first bow, especially if you wanna try out different limb weights. It isn't fancy but it's solid and a great way to find out what you like.

https://www.amazon.com/Samick-Sage-Takedown-Recurve-35lb/dp/B006R8SWUO/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=recurve+bow&qid=1566348915&s=gateway&sprefix=recu&sr=8-3

Those are really crappy, honestly. I had a friend who bought one of those for her son, and it was so weak the arrows wouldn't even stick in the target. Plastic limbs...pretty much a toy.

We went thru several bows for my son. We started w/ one of the little fiberglass Barnetts...which beats the one you linked to, IMO. My son is 7, and doesn't have any trouble drawing a 15lb bow with enough oomph to stick arrows in the target. He's been shooting an old Ben Pearson Junior Jet fiberglass stick bow for awhile and he's still enthusiastic about the sport. It's got enough power to stick his arrows in the target and is accurate enough for him to hit his target when he focuses and watches his form.

If you're looking for an inexpensive way to get started, this would be a better starter kit than the sentinel:
https://www.amazon.com/Barnett-Crossbows-1071P-Sioux-Recurve/dp/B00OZE2NZM/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=barnett+lil+sioux&qid=1568151412&s=gateway&sr=8-5


Otherwise, if you think it'll be something she is going to stick with, invest in a good youth bow like this:
https://www.amazon.com/SinoArt-Takedown-Recurve-Beginner-Archery/dp/B075ZKKHHL/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=youth%2Brecurve&qid=1568151456&s=gateway&sr=8-11&th=1&psc=1
(16-20lbs, depending on how strong she is) and some inexpensive arrows:
https://www.amazon.com/Huntingdoor-Practice-Fiberglass-Shooting-Beginner/dp/B072N2YV5N/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=fletched+arrows+28%22&qid=1568151566&s=gateway&sr=8-14

https://www.amazon.com/Spyder-XL-Takedown-Recurve-Bow/dp/B01CLXD5HS

That is a great starter kit if you're looking to shoot recurv. I have a Spyder and it's a fantastic bow, one of the few legit ones you can get on Amazon. You can also swap out the limbs for stronger weight if you get really into it and get used to the bow fast. At 5'11" they also offer the XL limbs for a longer bow that would likely fit your draw length. Anywhere in the 20-30 lb range is a good place to start.

That said, I will absolutely second what everyone else was saying about finding a club and starting there. They can get you properly fitted, you can try out some different draw weights to see what feels most comfortable, and show you how to put together and take down a bow.

I would step down to #35 lbs for your first set of limbs and then get some #40s when you feel up for it. 10 pounds doesn't seem like much, but in archery it's massive. Weight increases get exponentially harder as you move up in weight, so increasing from #30-#35 could be just as hard as going from #20-#30.

For the arrows I would look for something with a 600 spine rather than a 500, although those arrows would probably fly fine, although a bit stiff. (if you decide to get the #35's you can go with either a 600 or 700 spine)

As for the sight, I would highly advise against getting a multi-pin, mostly because of this: (from the World Archery Rulebook on sights for recurve bows)

11.1.5.1.

It shall not incorporate a prism, magnifying lens/lenses, or any magnifying device, levelling, electric or electronic devices, nor shall it provide for more than one sighting point.

​

If you use a multi-pin sight, your bow is not legal for competition. I would really just get a single pin sight and just write down or mark your sight settings for your different distances. It only takes 20 seconds to move your sight up or down with cheaper sights.

If the pin also masks the center of the target, you have two options: you can move the sight further away, thus making the pin appear smaller, or spend $10-20 on an aftermarket aperture with a smaller pin. Most sights have longer mounting rods than the sights that a lot of clubs use so you'll be able to move the sight further out than you currently can.

As for the arrow rest, it will work fine, but I honestly prefer either thin, plastic rests, or magnetic flip rests because they allow for better clearance

(sorta like this one)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DGC6RHD/ref=twister_B07DGCHRZH?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

reading? I got you covered. I posted some information a small while back so here is most of the reading recurve stuff.

• Archery Reference 5 pdf, fantastic recurve information if you are just starting out.
  
  
• Fita Intermidate Coach's manuals If you need technical information about archery. (it is a bit outdated on some information do not use it for rules)
  
  
• books I recommend are The Simple Art of Winning: How To Shoot Your Best, Archery USA, and for more intermediate to higher level Total Archery, Inside the archer for KSL style archers.
  
  
• Archery Talk is another community that is worth lurking for information.
  
  If I had to pick one for you the read, it would be The simple art of winning. It does not teach you form it teaches you how to improve.

I read this thru when I started, and then touched on some of it later once I had some ideas about what I was doing, it was really quite helpful. It does a good job of explaining (as best as words can) what your body should feel like during the shot process. The main olympic recurve chapters are written by KSL himself, so its not some random, dude knows his stuff.

https://smile.amazon.com/Archery-USA-ebook/dp/B00AMLD8YW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1495117552&sr=8-4&keywords=Archery

I bought my wife a Diamond infinite edge and she loves it. it's adjustable from a 13 to 30 inch draw length and 5 to 70 lb draw weight, so you can set it to where she is now and adjust it as she progresses.

{edit} Jesus, It's like an infinite edge commercial in here. Seriously though, it's a great bow.

I have the Diamond Infinite Edge. I'm pretty happy with it. It's a bow you and your girlfriend can use, and someday maybe even your kid. IMO the ability to adjust the length from 13 - 30 inches and limbs from 5 - 70 lbs for less than $400 is hard to beat. The package includes the bow, a 3-pin Apex sight, Hostage XL arrow rest, Octane DeadLock Lite quiver, tube peep sight and a BCY string loop.

Books?

• if they're interested in history and historical gear: Traditional Archery from Six Continents http://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Archery-Six-Continents-Collection/dp/0826217516 (ob. discl. I arranged for that to be reprinted and would like to clear out the boxes....)
  
• One coach's perspective: Total Archery: Inside the Archer by KiSik Lee, Tyler Benner, Spencer Adamson http://www.amazon.com/dp/098242650X
  
• Maybe they want to make their own? Archeological European view: The Bow Builder's Book: European Bow Building from the Stone Age to Today http://www.amazon.com/dp/0764341537 or for more detail and performance: The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Volume 1 http://www.amazon.com/dp/1585740853
  
• or accessories: Bow Accessories: Equipment and Trimmings You Can Make http://www.amazon.com/Bow-Accessories-Equipment-Trimmings-Make/dp/0764330357
  
  

I'm sure there are those who will scoff, but I still love my Samick Sage.

Oooh oooh ooh, [Byron Ferguson's Become the Arrow] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Become-Arrow-On-Target-Series/dp/091330509X/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0TCA8CRDMQBYP95760YE) is great!

Aswell as the Beginner's Guide to Traditional Archery :)

Pretty bow. You'll want a shelf rest and plate; I like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Bear-Arrow-Rest-Silent-Plate/dp/B0009TROH4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482865623&sr=8-1&keywords=bear+hair+rest

Unless of course, you're going to do the whole frou-frou target recurve thing; I shoot bare bow in the SCA, so I don't have all the attachments. I used to use a finger tab with my compound, back when, but I wear a glove now. It's easier to do other things and easier to keep track of. I'd probably lose a tab, since my garb doesn't have pockets and I don't wear a belt pouch (though I probably should).

When I was a kid, I used to make bows out of branches and fishing line until my parents bought me a red fiberglass recurve with about a 20 pound pull and some aluminum arrows, and a foam target. It was awesome and cheap. I think something along those lines wouldn't be a bad starting point (even for an adult just looking for some fun) and inexpensive as well. I wouldn't shoot at cans, by the way. Your arrows would probably pass through and it would mess up the fletching/vanes. And you would be spending a lot of time looking for arrows that slid under the turf.

Edit: My old fiberglass bow was similar to the Titan bow on this page:
http://www.kustomkingarchery.com/Youth-Fiberglass-Recurve-Bow/productinfo/9650/2465/

Cheaper on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Archery-AYB6501-Titan-Bow/dp/B002BIPAOK

I recommend this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Arrow-Rest-Silent-Plate/dp/B0009TROH4?ie=UTF8&keywords=bear%20hair%20arrow%20rest&qid=1464275802&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

You can usually find it in archery stores or places like Cabela's as well.

Bowyers bible, https://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Bowyers-Bible-1/dp/1585740853
And there are a ton of youtube videos about this. Read through the general steps in the book and get more insight into what you dont understand by watching videos on you tube. Thats usually my strategy. Good luck

I would love to take a class in this. I developed an interest in bow making at the same time I got interested in archery. I bought The Traditional Bowyer's Bible before I even bought my first bow.

I am in the middle of making a red oak bow but it's too hot now to sit outside getting covered in sweat and sawdust.

What state is this located?

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

https://smile.amazon.com/Block-Youth-Archery-Arrow-Target/dp/B00RH65IMA/ref=sr_1_6.)

---

^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

Kim Hyung-Tak's Archery and Ki-Sik Lee's Total Archery are the go-to textbooks and should be your first stop if you have any questions/problems

USA Archery's book is also supposed to be pretty good but I haven't read it

Also, am I the only person who noticed OP asked for recurve archery? Why are people going on about compounds and zen and trad bows?

To add to that list:

For something philosophical/religious:

• Zen in the Art of Archery
  
  If they're fascinated by the construction of traditional bows and arrows:
  
  
• The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Vol. 1
  
• The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Vol. 2
  
• The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Vol. 3
  
• The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Vol. 4

Just get on there and shoot what you want. Sounds like you're attracted to "traditional" archery now, so go for that. If you want to expand and try new things later (which you probably will) then go for it then.

One thing I have not seen mentioned yet is that you can usually go shooting on National Forest lands. State Forest lands may be an option as well. Check county ordinances too, as you can usually shoot if you're in unincorporated land at least a certain distance from inhabited dwellings. If you're just starting out, you can get a youth Block target for around $40 from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Block-Youth-Archery-Arrow-Target/dp/B00RH65IMA/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1502379284&sr=8-6&keywords=block%2Btarget&th=1&psc=1). Take the target and your bow and just go shoot.

You should stick with NTS (use to be best) , pretty much every competitive archer in the US uses it, but you should buy the book to have a more up to date guide to it: http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Archer-Total-Archery-KiSik/dp/098242650X

Yep, I watched this and decided to mostly mimic his setup

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0FyoD7rqQ4

Bear Arrow Rest/Silent Plate:

http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Arrow-Rest-Silent-Plate/dp/B0009TROH4

1. "Left-Handed" means you hold the bow with your right hand and you pull the arrow and string back with your left hand.
   
   
2. If you want the cheapest of the cheapest, there are some bow packages that start from $100 to $150 and goes up from there like the PSE Pro Max or Samick Polaris but you'll need to get a [Bear Arrow Rest] (https://www.amazon.com/Bear-Arrow-Rest-Silent-Plate/dp/B0009TROH4) to shoot "off the shelf" (without an arrow rest). The packages come with everything you need to start shooting. Without knowing your budget, I'm looking at some of the lowest bundles on sites to recommend you.

Contact them and ask what they supply.

My wife did this for me. The place she picked supplied the equipment and coached us along through the basics. They offered two courses that meet each Saturday for six weeks. At the end of the second course we decided we liked it so much that we went to a 'local' pro-shop and got set up with decent equipment that should last us for quite some time. I put local in quotes because the closest pro-shop to us is a 90 minute drive.

Now we've joined a local club, shoot regularly and are thinking of going to some tournaments.

For books, here's the two I bought:

Archery - Steps to Success

Archery - USA Archery

+1 the NUSensei vids. Total Archery is a good book but hard to find:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/098242650X

I'd suggest looking at r/boywer, The Traditional Bowyer's Bible series, and Poor Folks Bows.

http://www.amazon.com/Samick-Sage-Takedown-Recurve-35lb/dp/B006R8SWUO/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top its a decent beginner recurve bow.

Sage is like $79. According to camelcamelcamel that's the lowest it has been. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006R8SWUO/