June 14, 1913 
FOREST AND STREAM 
753 
How to Learn Archery 
By W. H. WILLS 
A rchery is beyond question the most fas¬ 
cinating of sport in the world to its devo¬ 
tees. No other compares with jt. At the 
same time it is a difficult “game,” and this is 
one reason why many beginners are discouraged 
at the outset and fail to persevere until they 
attain the degree of skill requisite for the full 
enjoyment of this “sport of kings.” To attain 
this skill, intelligent and persistent practice with 
correct methods is necessary. Slipshod work 
will never get one anywhere. 
If personal instruction is not available, the 
beginner can accomplish much by following care¬ 
fully the elementary rules of archery, and it is 
for the benefit of such that the following is 
written. 
The first requisite is an outfit adapted to 
your strength. If a man of moderate muscular 
development, a bow pulling 43 pounds is about 
right. If fairly strong, a 45-pound bow should 
be used. A woman needs a 22- to 28-pound bow.^ 
A dozen good arrows, a target, fingertips 
or gloves, and an arm guard are essential, and 
these make a complete equipment, except for a 
woman, who needs a quiver, in the absence of 
a hip pocket, which serves as a man’s “quiver.” 
This entire outfit will cost about $15. Targets 
cost $6 to $10 each, and the cost is shared by 
the persons using them. Three or even four 
persons may shoot on a target even at unequal 
distances. The rule is for each in turn to shoot 
three arrows, then another three. These six 
constitute an “end,” at the finish of which all 
go to the target and mark the scores. 
Now as to the technique of bow handling: 
First, string the bow. Place the end of the 
lower limb (the one on which the string is 
tied) against the hollow of your right foot, on 
which your weight rests as you stand. Grasp 
the handle of the bow with your right (or left) 
hand, its back toward you; place the ball of the 
other hand on the back of the upper limb near 
the horn, and press, holding the handle rigid. 
As the bow bends, push the loop of the string 
up with the fingers until the loop is in the nock 
of the horn. A little practice will accomplish 
this feat. To unstring, reverse the process. 
Now stand forty or fifty yards in front of 
the target, which is hung on its tripod, the lower 
edge four feet from the ground. Stand with 
the left side (unless you are left-handed, in 
which case all processes are reversed), square 
to the target so that both shoulders are in exact 
line with the bullseye, or gold. Heels should be 
about six inches apart, toes turned out. Grasp 
the bow lightly in the left hand, upper limb to 
the right, so that the thumb and forefinger en¬ 
circle the handle at its top. Keep the closed 
hand straight with the wrist all through; in this 
way the string will have a clean sweep when 
the arrow is discharged. 
Take an arrow by the shaft in your right 
hand and place it on top of the horizontal bow, 
and while you hold it there with the thumb or 
forefinger of the left hand, adjust the nock on 
the string with the right fingers, keeping the 
odd feather up. When nocked, arrow is held in 
place on the string between the first and second 
fingers, which should not pinch. With the three 
fingers hooked on to the string, half way up 
to the first joint, the draw is made. 
The shaft of the arrow lies in the groove 
made by the bow hand against the bow immedi¬ 
ately above the handle. Tilt the bow to the 
right about 15 degrees, to prevent the arrow 
from falling away. The best finger protector 
for a beginner is an old kid glove. Cut away 
the thumb and little finger and reinforce the 
last joints of the remaining fingers with a smooth 
pliable piece of pigskin, cut to fit, and sewed on. 
This isn’t as hard on the fingers as regulation 
tips, is more easily managed, and will enable 
one to harden the fingers without discomfort. 
Now you are ready for the draw. A beau¬ 
tiful style of drawing, much in favor in this 
country, is to extend the bow arm, arrow un¬ 
drawn, get a point of aim (to be described 
later), draw fully, steady on aim, and loose. It 
is a more difficult style of learning than the 
orthodox English method, and had better be 
deferred till the rudiments have been mastered. 
Then the archer can adopt that style if it pleases. 
The usual way is to straighten the left arm 
downward, and with arrow in place and drawn 
about six inches to start with, elevate the left 
arm straight up, gradually and steadily, at the 
same time pulling the arrow. When the arrow 
is fully drawn to the pile or steel point, the 
endeavor should be to have the point of the 
arrow on the point of aim. Then steady on 
the point of aim for a second and loose. The 
entire operation of drawing and loosing should 
be accomplished in a very few seconds. Avoid 
haste and all jerking, but don’t make the other 
mistake of sluggish work, and especially of hold¬ 
ing too long on the draw. 
Many old pictures show the arrow drawn 
opposite the right eye. It is doubtful if any 
real archer ever shot that way. To do so would 
necessitate an allowance in the aiming, as will 
be seen later. North American Indians seem to 
have drawn in a helter-skelter way, generally 
as low as the waist, and caught an instinctive 
aim, as in revolver shooting. Their style of 
shooting, as well as their crude implements, made 
it necessary for them to steal up very close to 
their game, all marvelous tales of their marks¬ 
manship to the contrary notwithstanding. 
Ancient archers apparently drew to the chest, 
and it was for this reason that the Amazons, 
according to legend, found their left breasts in 
the way and had them cut off; whence the origin 
of their name. Horace A. Ford, the great Eng¬ 
lish archer of sixty years ago, who made in¬ 
comparable scores, started the practice of draw¬ 
ing to the chin, immediately under the right eye, 
and that method is now universally followed 
here and in England, except in a very few cases 
where archers choose to draw lower, a very 
difficult style. To shoot true, the arrow must 
be wholly within the plane of a straight line 
running from the eye focus, across the knuckle 
where the arrow touches the bow, to the object 
shot at.' It is easiest to keep within that plane 
by drawing to the chin under the eye, as it gives 
a definite point of contact. When an arrow flies 
to the right or left, it is pretty surely due, pro¬ 
vided the bow arm be held absolutely firm at 
the time of release, to the arrow having been 
drawn a trifle outside the plane spoken of. This 
can be corrected at the next shot. 
Having gone thus far in the process of 
shooting, the loose claims, and always will claim, 
utmost attention. It is accomplished, not by 
opening the three fingers, for that will give a 
sluggish loose and besides will likely jerk the 
arrow out of the eye-plane, but the fingers are 
pulled off the string smoothly, deliberately and 
firmly. On no account, after the draw is com¬ 
pleted and while steadying on the aim, must the 
pull be relaxed. Keep the pull on till the final 
action of release. This pulling off the string is 
not done by the fingers or hand alone, but by 
both, combined with an entire arm movement, 
which, however, should be very slight. It is the 
most difficult feature of shooting, and only by 
unremitting attention can it be mastered. The 
shooting will steadily improve as the loose is 
perfected. 
[concluded next week.] 
Wayne Archery Prizes. 
Wayne, Pa., June 2. —Editor Forest and 
Stream: At a meeting of the committee in 
charge of the Fourth of July festivities in Wayne 
it was announced that the prizes offered to the 
archers will not be cups. The majority thought 
that articles which would be quite as ornamental 
and far more useful would be more acceptable 
to most of the contestants, and so the final choice 
fell on two large, engraved, silver salvers or 
meat platters. From the descriptions given, 
these will be very handsome pieces of plate cal¬ 
culated to stimulate the zeal of every shooter. 
Let us hope that each one who has entered 
the Eastern Association’s tournament will prac¬ 
tice his hardest during the month of June, for 
the honor and the prize are both well worth 
winning. Robert P. Elmer. 
Forest and Stream is Supreme. 
Forest Grove, Ohio, June 2 .—Editor Forest 
and Stream: I have not your name at hand 
to address you, and as I am very weak from 
long illness, I am “letting that go,” as the say¬ 
ing is. I wish to apologize for the long delay 
in sending my “pew rent,” but long sickness 
has kept me totally in the dark as to the wants 
or even sights of the good minister. Good 
minister, did I say? Yes, Forest and Stream 
is supreme in all its qualities and what you are 
doing for archery, and I can only believe in 
other lines, is what has long been needed. 
Inclosed please find $3. Thank you for your 
patience. F. S. Barnes.. 
Tournament Notice. 
Boston, Mass., May 31 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: The national tournament will be held 
at Boston on Aug. 19, 20, 21 and 22, 1913. Notice 
of the events, program, etc., will be published 
and mailed within a few days. Members of the 
association are requested to send in their annual 
dues of $2 as soon as possible if not already sent. 
George Phillips Bryant, 
N. A. A., Sec’y-Treas. 
750 Tremont Building, Boston, Mass. 
