A Couple Of Facts About Archery
Dec 1, 2010 Uncategorized
People have been practicing archery for a minimum of four thousand years, but almost certainly for a lot longer than that. Parts of composite recurve bows have been found dating back to the second millennium BC, but the parts that were found were the non-wooden, composite parts, typically of horn.
The wooden sections usually rotted away thousands of years previously, but a wooden longbow from the same era was found in Somerset. Most probably, people had been using all wooden, single section bows long before they started making complex composite recurve bows.
The skill of archery has always enthralled mankind and, in spite of the fact that guns have made archery obsolete, it still fascinates people today, although nowadays archery is practically exclusively used for sporting purposes. It is a thriving sport and hobby and is the national sport of the Kingdom of Bhutan.
If you are interested in practising archery, you will first have to make your mind up which kind of bow you would rather. Among other varieties, there are the longbow, recurve bow, reflex and decurve bows, deflex bow, pyramid bow and crossbow.
To a certain extent, the arrows are not interchangeable either. For instance, a longbow can cast a three foot, heavy-gauge arrow, whereas a crossbow shoots a six inch bolt. The bows also had distinctive uses although there was a certain degree of overlap.
For example, longbows were the heavy, rapid-firing armaments of their day, being able to fling a heavy, armour-piercing arrow hundreds of yards; whereas a short recurve bow was ideal for assault from horseback. Crossbows took less ability to use but were slower than a bow.
There are different types of arrow as well. Historically, arrows were made of wood with a sharp metal tip, but these days arrows can be made of aluminium or carbon fibre. The arrowheads are distinctive for different applications as well. A simple brass tip is adequate for everyday shooting whereas a vicious, slashing broadhead is used for killing.
The majority of people who take archery seriously use carbon fibre arrows these days which is the typical arrow shaft in use at the Olympic games. The flights are usually of bird feathers and are used to stabilize the arrow in flight to minimize wobble. Plastic flights are also to be had as they are less prone to damage.
The Welsh (and English) longbow was perhaps the most powerful hand bow widely used. These longbows were typically six feet or more in length and made of one section of seasoned yew (or other woods). The draw weight of a Welsh longbow at the time of Henry VIII was between 160 -180 lbf and that would shoot a heavy three ounce arrow up to about 280 yards.
An account of the damage that one of these arrows could inflict was given by Gerald of Wales in the 12th century:
“… in the war against the Welsh, one of the men of arms was struck by an arrow shot at him by a Welshman. It went right through his thigh, high up, where it was protected inside and outside the leg by his iron cuirasses, and then through the skirt of his leather tunic; next it penetrated that part of the saddle which is called the alva or seat; and finally it lodged in his horse, driving so deep that it killed the animal”.
It took years of practice to draw and shoot one of these longbows bows accurately.
Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several topics, but is presently concerned with archery recurve bows. If you would like to know more or for special deals, please go to our website at Kids Archery Set.
Tags: Archery, buddhism, Education, Government, History, Hobbies, Hunting, martial arts, other, outdoors, Politics, recreation, Sports, Uncategorized, war
Coastal Cottages
Nov 12, 2010 Uncategorized
Coastal holidays are tremendously popular which is why every year, millions of tourists head for seaside beaches. Perhaps you like seaside holidays too. coastal vacations are fantastic, but that can be the problem too, because it usually means congestion, queuing, rubbish and noise. Have you ever thought about renting your own private coastal cottage? Many only dream about it, but it is not that complicated or expensive to organize actually.
One point to bear in mind is that, public beaches are well-known and that is why they get too busy. However, private coastal cottages are often secluded or on private beaches, which makes for a much quieter holiday. Often, local people living only miles from the cottage do not know that they are there. In spite of this, most coastal cottages do not cost a fortune to rent.
These coastal cottages are to be had in many countries around the world. They are certainly very popular in Britain, Europe and the United States. The level of privacy and the amenities available will depend on where you go. A coastal cottage in Wales will give you a very different holiday than a coastal cottage in southern France or Coney Island.
Many coastal cottages are located near a popular vacation destination. Not right in the middle of the venue, but generally a few miles or less outside, so that you can easily drive in or even walk in, if you want some livelier entertainment. Typical coastal cottage leisure activities include swimming, sailing, fishing and walking.
Of course, one of the chief considerations when renting a cottage is the rent itself. Now the funny thing is that is not nearly such a big concern as you might think it would be. The macro location is more important than the micro location. So, Wales might be cheaper than the south of France, but within Wales itself, there is not a huge variation in price, when you equate like with like. Obviously, a five-bedroomed coastal cottage will be more expensive than a three-bedroomed one.
Another situation worth looking into is the ownership of the coastal cottage. Is it owned by a private individual who lives near-by or is it owned by a large business. Is the cottage a real, original cottage or is it a new, mock cottage building? If it is old, is it connected with anyone famous or a famous event? Knowing these facts can all heighten your enjoyment.
Make sure that you are given some maps or drawings so that you can find the spot easily. Especially if you are travelling to the cottage in the evening or in the dark. Things often look far different at night than in the daylight, and if your chosen cottage is in a secluded spot, there may not be any street lighting
Finally, get hold of some pictures of inside and outside the coastal cottage you ultimately decide on and then book it early, because the best coastal cottages go earlier and earlier every year as this form of vacationing becomes ever more popular.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with the rental of Welsh coastal cottages. If you are interested in a cottage or Wales in general, please go to our website at Welsh Products Online
Tags: celtic, Coastal, cottages, Education, Government, History, Hobbies, other, Politics, religion, social issues, travel, Uncategorized, Wales, Writing
Archery Dealers On And Off Line
Nov 2, 2010 Uncategorized
Do you have a leisure pursuit that you like to carry out out of doors or are you permanently stuck to the chair in front of your PC? If you never get out, then that is a shame and you ought to take that common piece of guidance and get out more often .
And do what? – you may inquire. Yes, well that is your concern, is it not? But there are hundreds if not thousands of things that you can do in the open air and they are all healthier than sitting down in front of your computer no matter what you are doing with your PC.
I will confess that I spend too much time at my desk, although, in my defense, I will say that that is how I make my living. However, I do like to get outdoors sometimes as well. I live in a country where foreigners, such as myself, are not permitted to own or carry anything that might be thought of as a weapon. This includes penknives as well.
When I go out into the glorious countryside it is only to stroll with my wife and look for animals – mostly snakes and birds.. However, I have had a lifelong fascination for archery.
Something inside me desires to be able to hit a target from a long distance. I do not want to kill anything, but I am OK with people who do so long as it is for a good reason.
It would be fantastic to manufacture a bow and the arrows to go with it. I am Welsh and have always wanted a Welsh longbow, although it takes a lot of strength to draw a longbow. The minimum draw weight in medieval times used to be 160 lbs for a war bow, for hunting it was 100 lbs, but these days it is more like 60 lbs.
However, this is still pretty heavy for contemporary man, who does not often pick up anything weightier than a pint of beer.
There are some great archery dealers, but if you do not live near one, you ought to go on line and either place an order from there or have a catalogue sent to you. Two good places to begin are ‘Footed Shaft’ and ‘Three Rivers’ archery suppliers.
Both of these companies will send you your chosen items through the post and they have any type of archery equipment that you could require. For instance, they have finished goods such as bows and arrows, but they also sell nocks, feathers, arrow shafts and points so that you can make your own arrows.
Do you want to make your own bow too? No problem. You can either purchase a kit with all the parts and directions or you can buy a book or DVD and buy the parts yourself.
These and other on line archery supplies dealers provide good value for money and have very comprehensive stocks of archery products. Their catalogues and web sites are easy to navigate and use as well.
Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on various topics, but is presently concerned with archery recurve bows. If you would like to know more or for special deals, please go to our website at Kids Archery Set.
Tags: Archery, buddhism, Education, Government, History, Hobbies, Hunting, martial arts, other, outdoors, Politics, recreation, Sports, Uncategorized, war
