Archery is a thrilling sport that has been practiced for thousands of years. While it is incredibly rewarding, it is crucial to understand and follow safety guidelines to ensure everyone’s well-being. For those new to the world of archery, here are 10 safety rules that are essential for every beginner:
1. Always Check Equipment Before Use: Before drawing your bow, inspect it for any signs of wear, damage, or malfunction. A damaged string, for instance, can snap and cause injury. Arrows should be straight, with no splinters, and the fletchings securely attached.
2. Always Point in a Safe Direction: Just as with firearms, you should always point the bow and arrow in a safe direction. When not actively shooting, make sure your arrow’s point is directed towards the ground.
3. Only Nock an Arrow When You’re Ready to Shoot: Never walk around with a nocked arrow. Only nock your arrow when you’re on the shooting line, facing the target, and are prepared to shoot.
4. Always Wear Arm and Finger Protection: Archery gloves and arm guards protect you from string slap and other potential injuries. Especially for beginners, these pieces of equipment are crucial to ensure safety and comfort.
5. Clear the Range Before Shooting: Before releasing your arrow, always ensure that the range is clear. No one should be downrange or in a position where they could inadvertently walk into the line of fire.
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6. Follow Range Commands: Most archery ranges have specific commands (like “clear,” “fire,” etc.) that are shouted out loud to ensure everyone’s safety. Always pay attention and adhere to these commands.
7. Shoot Only at Designated Targets: Shooting at random objects can be dangerous as arrows can deflect unpredictably. Always aim and shoot only at approved targets that are set up for archery use.
8. Never Dry Fire a Bow: Dry firing refers to drawing and releasing the bowstring without an arrow nocked. This can cause serious damage to the bow and may result in injury to the archer.
9. Retrieve Arrows Safely: Once everyone has finished shooting, approach the targets together to retrieve arrows. When pulling out arrows, ensure no one is directly behind you, as arrows can suddenly come free and cause injury.
10. Store Equipment Safely: When not in use, always store your bow and arrows in a safe location, away from children and pets. This prevents unauthorized or unsupervised use and ensures the longevity of your equipment.
In conclusion, while archery is a sport of skill, precision, and concentration, safety should always be the primary focus. Adhering to these ten fundamental rules will not only ensure your safety but will also contribute to a more enjoyable and successful archery experience. Happy shooting!
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Here are 3 more rules from my own experience:
Contrary to popular belief, archery is a very safe sport, much safer than, let’s say, cycling, which according to accident statistics, ranks as one of the world’s most accident-prone sports. Actually, most of the injuries in archery are self-inflicted and they can be avoided if archers, especially beginners, follow these three very important safety rules.
1) Never shoot or even draw a bow that has not been fitted for you. On many occasions, I’ve seen people interested in archery just popping up at the archery field and asking archers if they can try shooting with their bow. Of course, no archers in their right mind would let a total beginner (not to forget stranger) even lift their personal bows.
And here are the reasons why: professional and semi-professional archers have a recorded drawing power on their bows between 42 and 48 lbs, which not only requires a special drawing technique, but also back and shoulder muscle strength. In just one attempt, a total beginner could easily pull a muscle or a ligament, an injury that would require months of physical therapy and medication to cure.
Also, the limbs of bows and the arrows used by archers match their draw length. If beginner archers draw bows with a shorter length than that of their own draw length, there is a high probability that the arrow will fall off its rest and the archer could release it in his/her own hand. Such an injury could cripple you for life!
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2) Always keep your arrows in a quiver. The one piece of equipment that would most likely cause harm if you were not careful is the arrow. No matter what kind of material they are made of, the arrows can be very dangerous. And this is not the case of being shot by an arrow but rather of not keeping the arrows in your quiver at all times. Basically, your arrow should follow the following path: quiver, arrow rest, flight in the air, target. At any other time, arrows should be safely placed in your quiver, with the arrowheads down and nocks up.
I have seen so many beginner and amateur archers not using a quiver at all, but rather putting the arrows in the side of their shoe, in the pocket of their trousers and even under the belt behind their back. Not only can this lead to an injury but you could also hurt other archers.
Not having a quiver also poses another problem when archers walk with the arrows in their hand after they had retrieved them from the target. Just imagine tripping and falling on one of the arrows. Just imagine the hurt you can incur to other archers while walking back from the target as you swing the arrows in your hand. You become a walking menace to yourself and everyone else in your vicinity!
3) Wear sport shoes at the archery field. In most (if not) all outdoor sports, the shoes an athlete wears are of utmost importance. There are so many different kinds of sport shoes (from running shoes, climbing shoes, and basketball shoes, just to name a few) that have been designed with a specific safety purpose in mind. In archery, any kind of closed sports shoes are acceptable, as long as they are not flat. When shooting, the body of the archer is slightly bent forward; therefore shoes with raised heels are more appropriate.
However, you should not wear sandals, flips-flops, slippers or high-heel shoes while standing on the shooting line with a bow in your hand. As arrowheads are heavier than the nocks, in case you drop them on the floor, the chances of accidently stabbing yourself are quite high.
In case of rain, rubber boots or workbooks keep the mud and water at bay. These are also made of tough materials and have rough soles that would protect you from any unwanted accidents (like slipping in the mud).
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So, remember, don’t shoot someone else’s bow, keep your arrows in your quiver and wear proper footwear. By strictly following these three simple safety rules of archery, I can assure you that your initial experience with archery will be not only a satisfactory one but also free of injury.
