by Rob | August 3rd, 2010
It struck me the other day how defensive lopngbow archers can get about their choice of bow. There are many great reasons to shoot longbow; whether you shoot longbow exclusively or along with another bow style. I think the reasons people are so passionate about it are:
- It’s a historical institution, especially if you’re British. Many battles in the past have been won with the help of the longbow.
- It has a very different feel to more common recurves. It’s also far more intuitive – you can’t hold at full draw like you can with recurve, so you have to get a feel for what you are doing, quickly.
- It’s bloody hard (or challenging, depending on your perspective). By shooting longbow you introduce a wide range of variations in your shot that you cannot control. While I have had the pleasure of shooting with highly skilled longbow archers, I am yet to meet any archer who has truly mastered longbow.
- It’s cheaper, and you don’t need to spend a fortune on accessories. While this appeals, it isn’t a real argument to base your long term bow specialisation on.
- It allows you to make your own wooden arrows, which can be very satisfying.
I guess my point is that there are well grounded reasons why people are so defensive about the stick, and if you have never shot one before then perhaps it’s time to give it a try.
