Great Safety 1st Guide for Home Archery
Experienced archery shooters and new archers alike can’t get enough of the sport once they’ve started. Unlike tossing a ball or running drills in the yard, archery requires a bit more prep when it comes to practicing at home. Learn all the key tips to a safe and fun archery range right at your fingertips.
Putting Safety First
Safety is obviously pretty crucial to consider when you’re shooting sharp objects around. However, archery is statistically one of the safest sports out there when practiced under proper guidelines. That said, careless bow and arrow shooting can still cause some injuries and property damage.
Whether you’re looking to set up an outdoor range or turn your basement into an archery shop, understanding safety measures is the top priority. Begin your at home archery journey with some research on regulations and restrictions in the practice area. Be mindful of people, animals, and property within a large radius to avoid any mishaps.
Before assembling your own archery range, learn proper shooting and safety techniques from a professional. Archery classes or searching for “archery lessons near me” will give you hands-on opportunity to get a feel for the sport and ask questions. Even at home, make sure any young archers are being properly supervised.
Those practicing at home must be mindful of where they aim. We’re all guilty of a “sky draw” here and there but avoiding them is important to prevent accidents. After some thorough research, expert lessons, and aiming practice, you’re ready to set up an at home range.
Indoor Archery Range at Home
Creating an indoor archery range at home requires plenty of space and safety precautions. The process can be tricky, but the result provides archers with even more opportunity to develop their performance. Practicing indoors takes away the factors of outdoor elements, making the process much more comfortable and efficient.
A homemade indoor range also provides a sense of privacy that can’t be achieved outdoors or when practicing publicly. Plus, why pack up all your gear and lug it across town when a search for “archery near me” takes you miles away? A spacious basement would be most ideal for a homemade archery range.
Shooting arrows in the kitchen or from your bed might seem fun until you’ve got a broken TV or injured family member. It’s best to clear out a space that can be specifically designated to archery and is set apart from the rest of the household. Put a lock on that basement door or be sure to notify every family member of your practice times.
Even if the basement has become your own personal shooting range, you probably don’t want to start putting holes in the walls. Luckily, adding a proper backstop is simple and can also help lower the volume of your shots. One of the easiest ways to build a basement range with a backstop is by using standard foam and bag targets.
Start by binding your bags together to form a backwall. Then, you’ll need two to four foam targets to shoot at, depending on your preferences. Be sure not to skimp on target quality; you don’t want them breaking after a couple of shots!
With two foam targets placed side by side, two stacked on top, and targets behind, you’ll have a truly high-quality range. To give your archery target some more longevity, try not to shoot groups or aim at a single spot. Continuously shoot different spots and targets, avoiding wear spots with ease during indoor archery practice at home.
Outdoor Archery at Home
Though it’s typically easier than setting up indoors, an outdoor archery range can have its struggles. While folks with wide open land can set up simply, those in urban and suburban areas might have some issues. That’s why building an outdoor range must be a carefully considered decision for your home and family.
Since archers are personally responsible for the safety of others in their practice area, here are some guidelines to consider. As previously mentioned, be sure to research and comply with local restrictions, including consulting with law enforcement. Be mindful of all safety measures and regulations when you practice archery at home.
Before you can build a range on your land, it’s important to assess the space. It would be ideal to have a fenced-in yard for both privacy and the safety of neighbors. Additionally, all target and archery equipment will need to fit comfortably within the area.
Even with a fenced-in yard and approval from law enforcement, it’s polite to make neighbors aware of your range and practice with courtesy. Informing close neighbors of your at home archery range is crucial so they can proceed with caution. In addition, it could even be helpful to designate specific practice times, and periods to avoid shooting.
There’s nothing worse than missing your target and damaging some archery equipment. Consider creating a backstop with padding to limit the noise and mitigate any damage when arrows miss their target. They can be created out of wood or bales of hay and straw.
Creating padding for your backstop is equally as important. Arrows can be extremely loud upon impact, especially with wooden targets, disturbing family and neighbors alike. Padding will help reduce those noise disturbances while learning archery at home.
At Home Practice Without the Range
Setting up an at home archery range sounds amazing, but may not be in the cards for everyone. Let’s go over some other exercises you can do to keep your skills sharpened in between lessons and range sessions. Exercising with resistance bands or dumbbells will help strengthen those arms for a solid aim.
Aside from working those arm muscles, you can make a string bow to practice aiming safely. Simply fold a long sting and pull back as if you were drawing a bow. After your draw hand is anchored, tie the string’s loose end and voila!
A string bow, or even just elastic bands, are great substitutes for your bow when practicing at home. They’ll keep enhancing that muscle memory of your draw while working on stance, as well. Don’t underestimate the potential to improve even when your bow and arrow are put away.
Does all this archery talk have you feeling eager to practice at home? Whether you’re clearing out the basement or setting up targets in the yard, enhancing your skills has never been easier. Before shooting your next arrow, check out more Crow Survival content for all things archery, sporting, and more.
