Modern archers don't have helmets, hats and hoods that will get in the way.
Most modern archery is reliant of the point of aim being above the hand.
Modern archery does not have to contend with low poundage bows shooting heavy arrows.
Unless hunting, the target is static and a period of rest & aim is employed.
I'd suggest that you practice in your kit. See what gets in the way! What can catch the string? I'm trying to give you a range of tools that will allow you to find what works for you. It's fun trying. The dog or pillow-strapped young child you use as a target might find it less so. Character building, carry on.
This should be my second article. The first being how to set up a new bow. But at time of writing both the weather and virus restrictions are conspiring against me by making my coffee disappear.
When I were young I shot at about master bowman standard using a technique where the bow hand was used to aim. Your other hand locked by the nocking point. Great at distances where the aiming point was above the bow hand. When I learned about reenactment I joined The Norse Film & Pageant Society (later renamed the Vikings) I had to be able to shoot a frisbee (free range, at a range of about 10 yards) out of the air 2 out of 3 attempts. No limit on poundage, no checking of arrows. You were expected to hit your target (a person or held shield) and not allow your arrow to go into the crowd. In many ways this was a lot more like larp archery than the tamer reenactment archery of today. Larpers could practice by shooting a swinging cushion suspended from a tree branch.
I am indebted to this channel - Gary Chynne is a far better teacher than I could ever be. Please watch and absorb.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXPhjzpb15k
First steps. These are the same whatever method you use. There's lots of tutorials online but the basic is relax your shoulder blades while taking a breath. Helps if you have someone check your posture. Choose an object then move around it and point at it. You (hopefully) have binocular vision and an in-built sense of distance. If you get double vision, you need to tilt your head slightly, and the bow a bit more. Or you can use it. I always found it distracting as it differed if wearing glasses or not. I could not wear them on battlefield and the idea of contact lenses- no. If you find a technique where the arrow goes consistently to the left – allowing you better sight of your target, use it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-RnSsP3ix8
I have long been in the habit of “assuming the position” at groups of people and the odd pedestrian. Skateboarders are irresistible as a thrown ball to a dog. Practice with an arrow but no bow. There, that bunch of youths. That one first, cause damage. They will cluster. Which one is the leader? That one next. That one is reacting. Now-. A bow is a killing weapon. It isn't “self defence”. It's projecting your will against others. With a larp bow a child could kill.
Finally you get your bow in hand and something to shoot at. It helps if there's someone else there.
Arrows – if you're in a group that includes archers, ask any if they have any near the end of their life that they'll sell you as this process can be hard on them.
Your target. Take the stance. Put the head on the target. There, that spot. Smaller the spot the closer you will hit.* Pull the arrow back until the head is engaged. That is to say until it reaches the arrow rest or your hand. Normal archery relies on three points of stability being:
length of arrow drawn
nocking point on the string
anchor point on face, either the chin, a bead to the lips or finger to the corner of mouth.
The latter is the one we must dismiss.
Back to your target. Put the head on your target. Your method of doing this is up to you-. You can have your bow low and come to full draw with one breath. (learning to breathe is the key) Or you can place the head then draw back (breathe!) as Mr Chynne champions. My preferred method is to raise the head up, draw back and down onto the target. In my day the given wisdom was that the up method made you shoot low and the down method high. Treat it like putting on a jacket. Once you get your method, you stick to it.
Angling the bow at 45* does help, particularly with self bows (where the arrow rest is not cut into the bow) as it transfers a “kick out” into a “kick up”. But- as mentioned, that kick out may be the very thing that allows you to be accurate. Your hat, hood or helmet, just move your hand out. This was called “leaning into the shot” and was part of what was called “power archery” back in the day. You see illustrations of archers with one leg forward and a bent waist “hunched” over the arrow. As long as you clear the obstruction and point the arrow straight at the target. With your arm level let your arrow go. Don't attempt to aim. First you need to practice getting your arrow to go in the direction of the target. Not the left. Not the right. Ending up pointing at it. This can alter with the bow and arrow combination, so persevere. Get a line in your head like those red dots used in gunsights. A line through your wrists and arrow and onto the target.
Aiming. You sneaked ahead to this bit, didn't you? Recap. Head on the target and keep it there. Draw the arrow back, see your line. You know its going to go straight. Straight is good, now you want to get it up or down so you hit things. But if it ain't straight you're gonna miss.
Your drawing arm is nice and level. Shoot. If it fell short, bring your arm down about a hands width. Not you shoulder. Not your bow hand. Be a “T”. Look, you arm bends in the middle! Shoot again. Now try and get the arrow on target.
By now you've got the problem. Larp arrows have a defined stall point. Their shape and weight causes them to drop at a specific distance. Move your aim up and down, get a friend to mark the distance. Preferably by standing to one side & observing the drop. Get a second horizontal line in your head. Once past that distance you're not going to hit the proverbial.
There is another distance, the sweet point. This is at which your combination is best, where you can hit a small spot repeatedly. Another line. If you look back at Mr Chynne's videos, he always shoots at the same distance per bow.
The third is the shortest distance at which you'd consider it safe to shoot. This is the distance you either put your bow down, skip back or die. A lot say underdraw. This is a dangerous undershot and I never feel its safe enough to do. Never, ever, underbow a selfwood bow, you will shorten its life and may damage it because of the vibration.
This is no more complicated than the mental tricks required to drive a car. And like driving, it's different for each combination.
Now, your targets – a bunch of them. Make your choice, see your range lines, put you target line on your selected. Shield's good, make 'em pause. They're too far, wait, wait, there- just into the longest range- shoot. Second, approaching the sweet second line- there- shoot. Now, move back, again, there, just in the safe zone – shoot! But they will move, it's a slow arrow. Here lies the skill--.
Being The Target. That is to say the person, not persons, you are shooting at. If at all possible, larpers should get used to being shot at by archers.
ALL archers should be shot at as part of their training.
You have to shoot with your target, not against.
At one (well established) event I spotted a small group of elf archers whose equipment may have been low poundage, but high performance target recurves. They were shooting at very close range deliberately to cause pain or discomfort. The organisers and their victims let them get away with it. WTF-.
Choose your point of aim with care. Always aim at the bottom half of a shield as the arrow can bounce or be deflected. Worst it can tumble, being hit in the face (usually flat on) by the wrong end is not nice.
Get your targets attention. Why? OK, they will defend themselves, move, hunker down – whatever. But they will be aware of incoming and not cop one in a painful place. If they don't move that place, it's not your fault. You can make eye contact, say “Hah! I have you know!” Call “Fast” (still legally binding, hence saying fast and loose)
Have I been hit in painful places? Oh yes. An arrow coming straight at your eye is the weirdest experience--. IF you're going to be shot at – wear old glasses. I could fill a page of stories. Don't shoot ankles. **
The Crossbow. Same problem, but the draw length is consistent. Smaller crossbows can be used like flintlocks. Aim down your arm. Point it at the target. Shoot until you get it going straight. You'll notice that the practice was to bring the pistol down in a smooth ark until you reach the elevation that will cause a hit. Standing there pointing and aiming is for duels – not combat. So, load, straight up, down, shoot.
STRING. As my advice on bows, have 3. One on the bow, spare in the pouch, third at home. I have a lose string with a poundage of about 15Lb for close in work. It shoots about 5 yards with the wind behind it. So IF you're in close- you're safe. Your target can effectively phys rep shitting themselves.
Longer crossbows are often shot like guns. Bad practice, they are a different animal. The recoil of the gun is affecting the bullet as it leaves the weapon. A crossbow has a “forward recoil” that hits when the string is straight and excess energy gives the weapon but not the projectile a forward momentum.
My suggestion. Find the balance point of the weapon (with bolt in) Find in relation to this point where your preferred grip. Marking this point, a piece of leather, a rough patch where your thumb sits so you can grab without looking. How can you tell a thinking crossbowman? Look at the finger tips, if they are all there they are thoughtful. Two methods. As above, put bolt head on the target and raise or lower the butt. Without a recoil, you don't need it seated. The opposite is the reverse, if you're used to shooting a gun you'll find this more acceptable
My sister was 10 years younger than me, so at age 8 was shooting as a juvenile. I was helping her set up at the 20 yard line at a club shoot. This 17 year old lad starting taking the piss out of me using a longbow & no sight. I looked at him and took 1 rather offhand shot. I walked away (my sister was 1st up, him 3rd) My arrow hit the + in the centre of the bull.
** My mate and I used to sneak up to local woods very early on a Sunday. He brought a soldier from the local spearhead regiment along one day. My composite bow (pre longbow) was a bit powerful (about 55Lb I think) so I shot to the side & not onto a person. I knew I could have hit, I hit where I aimed. I'd taken our young Labrador with us. The woods were alive with adders so I had to hold onto her. Once e left, I let her off the lead. She then kept about 25 yards in front & refused to return. That was fine, but we had a stretch of winding road and I could see her meeting an oncoming car in the middle of the road. I was getting angry, yelling and desperate. So- I shot her with the reenactment style fru's we were using. Snap shot at about 25yards at a moving target. I hit her ass. She went straight up, came down sitting with a WTF expression. An inspection of the bruise- I'd hit um, the centre spot.
Being in charge of a group of mediaevals. Now faced with a large group of archers. Every Other Bastard goes back without (my) orders leaving me as the main target. That was not a nice experience.
When young, aiming at a shield and another steps past, so my arrow hits him on the point of the hip. All I could do was apologise.
Not mine, but one chap used a shield and held it an an acute angle. A reenactment arrow hits, bounces up and under his sallet and hits (well, touches but that's bad enough) his eye.
No comments:
Post a Comment