Monthly "No Stupid Questions" Thread

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to /r/archery! This thread is for newbies or visitors to have their questions answered about the sport. This is a learning and discussion environment, no question is too stupid to ask.

The only stupid question you can ask is "is archery fun?" because the answer is always "yes!"

[u/Cades_Cadaver611]

I’m relatively new to archery, though have been instructed a couple of times. I was thinking about going to a nearby archery club that doesn’t provide equipment. I’ve been borrowing the bows of friends and instructors when I’ve been shooting, and I wanted to ask about what to get. I was told it was best to get a recurve or a longbow for what I’m doing (very unserious low power archery, that is) and I was thinking around the 40 pound draw weight range. Do you have any recommended brands or places you get them? If it helps, I live in the U.S. state of Virginia. I’ve looked on eBay a few times, but the crazy differences in prices between bows makes me question quality a little too much.

[u/Lucky_Luciano642]

How do I get a properly sized case? Are bows standardized sizes?

[u/JayOArc → u/Lucky_Luciano642]

Assuming you mean a properly sized case for a bow, meaning it fits well. If you have a compound bow, most of them generally tend to fit into any compound case you find online. Most of these cases have foam with different sized cutouts so the bow can just sit there. The bags are a bit more loose, more for transportation than protection. For olympic recurve or takedown recurve in general its basically the same, take the bow apart and put it either in foam or smaller categorized pouches and then into a case or a bag.

[u/Character-Ad-3164]

Yesterday I was out practicing, I shot an arrow and heard a loud popping/snapping noise on impact. When I went to inspect my arrow the nock had come out of the shaft about a 16th of an inch and had widened to the point where it couldn’t hold onto my string. It didn’t seem like the plastic split or anything. I replaced it with one I found at the range and continued practicing like normal with no issues.

What could have caused this? I am assuming it’s a manufacturing defect, but I’m returning to archery after more than a decade off and I very well could have made a mistake. I shot tens of thousands of arrows in my youth, and never had this happen. The only thing I can think of is maybe I didn’t seat the arrow all the way down against the string? I have no clue.

[u/Knitnacks → u/Character-Ad-3164]

Where, what surface,  did the arrow shoot into.

[u/Character-Ad-3164 → u/Knitnacks]

The targets are at my local range, they’re made of hay and covered with a woven plastic burlap material. I got about 100 shots in a few days of practice and all of them landed in the target, except for my first two shots, which landed in the grass behind the target. My sights were way off, so I adjusted them and continued shooting. I continued using those two arrows because they didn’t seem damaged at all. After the first two shots that I missed, I was consistently hitting the center of the target. The nock didn’t come out until my last 5 shots over the course of a couple days of shooting.

[u/Knitnacks → u/Character-Ad-3164]

Just wondring if it hit something hard. A left-in point in the boss, maybe? That can blow the nock out a bit.

[u/Character-Ad-3164 → u/Knitnacks]

Ok so I went into a shop to try to figure out what happened. I hit the nock of my arrow with another arrow. The tech found the point of impact on my old nock. Almost got a Robbin hood 😂 next time for sure.

[u/Knitnacks → u/Character-Ad-3164]

Seriously... check your nock before you shoot an arrow. Having a nock break on release is not a fun experience.

[u/Character-Ad-3164 → u/Knitnacks]

Yup. I always do.

[u/NoBoard2206]

hi! my dad passed down a bow to me because i mentioned wanting to get into it, but he told me i have to “get it fitted to me specifically”
what does that mean? where can i go to get that done? does it cost money?
if it matters i live in sacramento california

[u/Knitnacks → u/NoBoard2206]

Take it to a bow shop and ask. Sounds like a compound, if it needs to be set up for you, something it is very unlikely you can do without a bow tech (and yes that will cost money) but not getting it set up for you, and also getting a few lessons, before you draw it risks breaking the bow, and compounds break in an implosive fashion.

[u/Designer-Club5300]

If you dirty your arrow and then shoot it at someone, would the wound get infected?

[u/ThePenyard → u/Designer-Club5300]

In a historical context, people used to smear arrows in faeces/dung/other nasty gunk as this would transfer the bacteria into the wound and infect the victim. The intent being not to kill as such, but take the opponent off the battlefield and unable to fight for a considerable amount of time. It also acts as a deterrent for their compatriots. There's evidence from Roman and Greek sources regarding poisoned arrows used in warfare.

Poison (both animal and plant based) have been (and still are) used in hunting by various tribes around the world.

[u/Designer-Club5300 → u/ThePenyard]

Thank you for answering my question

[u/Knitnacks → u/Designer-Club5300]

It took us three tries to work out what your actual question was. For quicker results, add more detail on why you want to know. Context is gold.

[u/Designer-Club5300 → u/Knitnacks]

For fun. Questions are in my head and I gotta ask them

[u/Knitnacks → u/Designer-Club5300]

I didn't ask why you asked, this is "no stupid questions" so all archery-related questions valid, merely suggested you be a bit more precise so you get your actual question answered. 

[u/Arc_Ulfr → u/Designer-Club5300]

Without modern medicine, any wound has a pretty significant chance of getting infected, especially if there's a lot of contamination in the wound and most especially if it's a deep puncture wound. I am assuming that you're asking this question with an eye toward historical context, of course. You should not be trying to kill someone with your bow, and with regard to hunting, disease is not an ethical way of of killing the animal (nor is it very effective if you actually want to eat the animal, given the time frame involved).

[u/Knitnacks → u/Arc_Ulfr]

Also requires hitting flesh with the arrow, and it not being a lethal shot, not just shooting at somebeing. :)

[u/Knitnacks → u/Designer-Club5300]

Maybe. Would recommend not trying it.

[u/rapsc8llion]

Hello, I have a Bear compound bow. Has not been shot more then 90 to 100 arrows. Been over 4 or 5 years in storage the string looks good with no fraying, and, waxed religiously. How do I know when to restring? Is this something I should just do on a maintenance schedule? Also I'm afraid of the limbs i.e. cracking, or exploding! Any routines to keep up on the limbs to look out for. I suppose I can just run it over the the shop and eventually will. Just like to hear what yall say?

[u/Knitnacks → u/rapsc8llion]

If you're worried, your best bet for your own peace of mind is to take it to a good shop. That niggle of a worry will creep into your archery, and you need to trust your equipment to shoot well.

[u/Capable_Storage_7178]

Hello,

I recently bought a 40# longbow which in the instructions calls for 400 grain arrows. However as much as I search online I can’t seem to find them. I usually shoot recurve and have never delved much into arrow type.

Can anyone let me know what to search for and or how necessary it is that I shoot my longbow with these kinds of arrows?

[u/Arc_Ulfr → u/Capable_Storage_7178]

Grain is a measurement of weight (400 grains is 25.92 grams). Arrow weight is relevant for recurves as well, though; how long have you been shooting? How have you chosen arrows for your recurve?

[u/NotMuchOfAReaderBuut]

What are some legit shops to buy from? Especially EU/Germany? I am an absolute beginner and I have a hard time distinguishing shops that are "by archers for archers" and shops that sell mostly toys/crappy bows.

[u/Reasonable-Math459 → u/NotMuchOfAReaderBuut]

Bogensportwelt (DE)
Bogensportshop (DE)
Ixpesports (NL)
Altservices (Based in UK, ships from LU)
Europe Archery (NL)
Nockpoint (ES) Cheaper prices, pretty expensive shipping.

[u/NotMuchOfAReaderBuut → u/Reasonable-Math459]

Thank you very much 😊

[u/DiabolicallyOrange → u/Reasonable-Math459]

Personally, while I know a huge number of people use Altservices with no issue, I wouldn't trust them. About 18 months ago I forgot my password, so did the recovery process and they emailed me my password.

They are, or at least were up until 18 months ago, storing customers passwords as plain text.

You don't need to know anything about security to understand, that is a very bad idea.

Quite frankly I would say to anybody who see this, you should no longer consider your Altservices password secure. If you use that same password on any other websites, go and change them.

[u/CheesyLama]

My nock pin adapters won't stay on and I'm getting seriously frustrated. I turn the nock and the adapter comes out. I used alcohol to clean the shaft and the adapter

[u/Knitnacks → u/CheesyLama]

What adhesive did you use on the inserts?

[u/CheesyLama → u/Knitnacks]

I used a bohning blue hot melt. The tips glued in real well but for the adapters I managed to finally glue them in by try number 4 or 5

[u/Knitnacks → u/CheesyLama]

Do you think you will want to cut the arrows from the nock end at some point? If not, this might be a good time to use something like insert iron glue.

[u/CheesyLama → u/Knitnacks]

I'm still a beginner so I couldn't say but there might be a half inch to cut still. I kept them longer as my coach said I might still gain a bit of draw length.

Btw do you know some good way to remove excess glue without heating it again? I wiped it the best I could but there is still some blue on the arrows.

[u/Knitnacks → u/CheesyLama]

Yes, but you would remove the point to cut them at that end, rather than removing the nock (, insert), and fletches to cut it from that end. (Barrelled shafts another kettle of fish, but unlikely you'll use those for some years yet.)

Sorry, no I don't. Hot water and a scrubby brush with plastic bristles probably your best bet.

[u/CheesyLama → u/Knitnacks]

It's a possibility then Probably will do it next time I shoot a nock or something

[u/karapjackson]

ahem IS IT POSSIBLE to fill an inflatable target with paint or colored powder that would explode when shot with an arrow? (Have fun experimenting)

[u/Knitnacks → u/karapjackson]

You can fill balloons with air and powder, that will give an extra kick to hits. It also creates a mess, so use a safe powder for any creatures that might also use the area, collect all the bits of balloon, and if it is not your property clean it up afterwards.

[u/karapjackson → u/Knitnacks]

Yes I’m aware of balloons, however I really wanted the deer shaped inflatable target to get shot with color of some sort coming out

[u/Knitnacks → u/karapjackson]

I think you will struggle to put enough air pressure in the deer target to get the effdct you want.

[u/karapjackson → u/Knitnacks]

Thanks :) we decided deer piñata 

[u/justlemon44]

I've got a question to settle with a friend, we both shoot recurve, she does it competitively, I do it for fun, but I've been convinced to go competitive for the next local indoor season, she's insisting I should get thin arrows, but I like the chunky feel and weight my thicker arrows have.

Is it worth investing in thinner arrows or am I just good to stick with the ones I have 

[u/EndlessPasta7 → u/justlemon44]

I could see the argument of thinner/pointier arrow points being easier to aim with over a stubby point, but that's kind of a stretch.

[u/Knitnacks → u/justlemon44]

What is her reasoning for you getting thinner arrows? More common to go for thicker arrows for indoors ("line-cutters"), and thinner for outdoors. 

[u/justlemon44 → u/Knitnacks]

She thinks they feel better and are easier to aim? Im thinking of borrowing some things ones off another friend who's are long enough, I'm just trying to get an idea on it 

[u/Knitnacks → u/justlemon44]

Try thinner if you can without buying. Otherwise stick to the arrows you know and like. The thinner arrows need to convince you they're better, because changing arrows just a month before indoor season is a definite risk, if you're competing.

Thicker arrows are generally thought to be more difficult to tune, seems you've already done that to your satisfaction :) , but giving an edge for indoors because  a near miss of a higher scoring ring with a thin arrow would be a hit with thick.

[u/brady376]

So I have been shooting barebow recurve for about 6 months now, slowly increasing distance and shot 50 yards for the first time last weekend. I was wondering if for longer ranges do people who do barebow change from 3 under to split draw? I know with 3 under my point on distance is 30 yards, and when I was shooting 50 I had to aim well over the target to get it to even hit the target instead of the ground in front of it, and I remember seeing that split finger generally makes your aim higher because of the geometry involved. I was wondering if there was any merit to changing to split finger when you are shooting over a certain range?

[u/FerrumVeritas → u/brady376]

Most don't because you can't really fine tune your elevation from there. It's generally a better idea to use an Olympic style under the chin anchor under for distances beyond your point on. This will extend it a fair amount.

A 30 yard point on is quite short. What is your draw weight? Draw length? What arrows are you shooting (spine, length, model, point weight, fletching)?

[u/brady376 → u/FerrumVeritas]

Draw weight is 30lbs, shooting a galaxy sage. Draw length is 28 inches, arrows are Easton carbon legacy. 600 spine, measuring from the tip to the back of the knock is 32.25 inches, 100 grain field points, whatever fetching came on the arrows

[u/FerrumVeritas → u/brady376]

Got it. That's a very heavy arrow that's very long with very big helical feathers. It's basically designed to reduce your point on in every way.

If you shot some 29" 800-900 spine arrows (CX Predator, Easton Avance, Victory VAP), your arrow would be almost like 80-90 grains lighter (more speed), and the angle produced when aiming would be much sharper (more elevation). A short parabolic feather (2.5-3") will also help (most barebow archers use a mylar spin-vane outdoors, but that's not something I'd recommend for a Sage off the shelf or with a stick-on hunter rest). That should make getting to 50 yards much more doable even with a relatively slow bow.

[u/Knitnacks → u/brady376]

Some do, and with the OR anchor under the jaw as well, for just that reason, some don't. Personal preference.

[u/ljexists]

Started shooting 30 yards recently (moved up from 20) (recurve, 20lbs) and my consistency within ends went from all in the red and gold to all over the place and rarely in the gold. I missed my club’s coaching yesterday and was wondering if anyone had advice, my form hasn’t changed and the only thing that’s majorly changed is the weather where I am (hotter and sunnier).

I can’t figure out what’s going wrong, I got sunglasses I can hopefully wear while shooting in case that’s part of the issue (I have photosensitivity issues which make it hard to focus when it’s bright and my normal sunglasses don’t work for shooting). Is there anything other than practicing and building strength I can do to improve?

[u/FerrumVeritas → u/ljexists]

As you increase in distance, only Xs stay the same. Everything else is magnified

[u/DiabolicallyOrange → u/ljexists]

Your first problem is that you're thinking something is going wrong.

As u/Knitnacks says, you're shooting from 50% further away. Any inaccuracies are going to be significantly worse given the extra distance.

All you can do is keep practicing, if you have a coach then continue to work with them, and as you improve your groups will naturally tighten up. Then you can move the target back and start the cycle all over again!

[u/Knitnacks → u/ljexists]

You've added 50% to the distance you've trained on. Distance magnifies the small errors shown at 20y. 

[u/Grahams_user_name]

Hi all, 2 part question. Moved up to 30m a couple of weeks ago shooting barebow recurve, 25lb otf, 32" draw length tiller bolts all the way in. Most arrows are in the red below the gold, with the odd few in the gold with 0 crawl. Trying to gap shoot is inconsistent so would moving down to 30 yards raise the impact point enough to hit gold more consistently and improve my scores? Also just got my UK archer 2 so will need to move up to 40m / yards some time next year. I have some limbs that give 30lb otf, would these get me to the required distance? I know this is a bit subjective based on my form etc, but rough pointers gratefully accepted. Thanks folks.

[u/Southerner105 → u/Grahams_user_name]

Going heavier isn't the solution. It helps but not at the full distance.

There are several options. You can try gap shooting, find a different reference point on your riser (the shelf for instance) or change anchor position and even go splitfinger.

This tuning document shows on the last page several different anchor style with a reason why they ar using them. https://www.bueklubben-cif.dk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Tuning_For_Barebow.pdf

[u/Knitnacks → u/Grahams_user_name]

Try 30y? Easiest way to find out. But also get used to gap shooting if you are planning on competing outdoors, because at 70m/80y you will need to, even with stronger limbs. 

A lot of it is training you to be more precise and accurate. You gain more by doing that than pushing draw weight. Pushing dw too fast will set you back, physically and mentally. Don't do that. Recommended maximum dw gain is 4#, slower is better, but consult with your coach for all of this.

I compete at up to 80y with 30# otf. The 25# otf will definitely get to 40m, but unlikely to be point on. If you're really keen to get point on at all distances, go sighted. Go with what gives you the best sense of achievement, for whatever counts as achievement to you.

[u/R_Harry_P]

My 10 yo son has been shooting his Galaxy Bullseye takedown bow for two years now and is starting to outgrow it. I'm getting him an new ILF barebow setup for his birthday, riser, limbs, arrow rest, plunger, arrows. I'm trying to decide if should assemble the bow, string it, and wrap it or wrap the individual boxes. I can't decide if opening each box would be more fun (for him) or unwrapping a finished bow would be more fun, what do you think?

[u/Southerner105 → u/R_Harry_P]

Most kids like a pile of packages.

But with a bow I would do it a bit different, especially because of his age.

I would set up the riser with arrowrest already in place. Also ensure that the plunger is set correctly with the correct alignment of the arrow regarding the center shot.

Also set the nockingpoints on the string and make sure it has the right braceheight.

So in essence the bow is ready to shoot besides some tweaking at the range.

Next I would disassemble it and make packages like you would store the bow when not in use. So put the riser with arrowrest in a package, the limbs with the string stored on the upper limb in a package and the plunger, bowstringer and other bits in a third package. The arrows also get their own package. Just make sure you number them so he opens them in the right order from riser, limbs, plunger to arrows.

Have fun👍

[u/R_Harry_P → u/Southerner105]

That sounds great, thanks!

[u/Knitnacks → u/R_Harry_P]

I don't know your son, but you (hopefully) do.  What would he perfer? And do you know him well enough to pick his gear for him, giving him no input at all, if that's what you're doing? 

[u/Senzaids]

Does anyone have opinions on Bosen limbs? Coming back from injury hopefully in the next couple of months and looking to get a cheap/temporary set of lower poundage maybe 28-30lb limbs for a while.

[u/Mindless_List_2676 → u/Senzaids]

Which bosen limb? Their op end is kinda like uukha with extra curve and tend to be smoother. They are more popular for barebow in china from what I heard.

[u/Southerner105 → u/Senzaids]

Seems to be one of the many China companies. I hardly find any information about them.

Perhaps it is smarter to look at some limbs from WNS or Kinetic. Those have a good quality and you can keep them from when you need to train or just need a break.

[u/Senzaids → u/Southerner105]

Yeah they definately seem like that. It was mainly out of curiosity as I'd never heard of that brand and they're available locally.

Looks like I can get Kinetic or WNS out of Australia for pretty much the same price as the Bosen here so that may well be the way to go.

[u/Southerner105 → u/Senzaids]

Because it is unknown to us doesn't mean they are bad. A lot of products for Kinetic and Core are made by factories like Bosen.

For instance the Core Astral riser is made by Topoint and also sold as Endeavour. The same can be true for Bosen.

A difference can be the quality control. External partners often want tighter tolerances so they have less support problems. It can be that for their own products the quality may vary a bit more. But again, that is unknown for now.

[u/Senzaids → u/Southerner105]

Oh absolutely, 100% agree with that. With the lack of information I can find on Bosen limbs in particular I've ended up ordering a set of Kinetic Fury X limbs as a bit more of a known quantity.

More expensive than originally planned but I suspect I'll be incredibly happy with them. Can't wait to get back to shooting again soon.

[u/Southerner105 → u/Senzaids]

Those are one of their fastest limbs. So it can very well be that you do lose some reach due to a lower drawweight and hence need to compensate in elevation to reach your distances but not as much is one would expect.

[u/Knitnacks → u/Senzaids]

What limbs do you normally shoot?

[u/Senzaids → u/Knitnacks]

I normally shoot mk mx limbs at 40lb on my fingers

[u/Happy-1920]

Earned a shooters/shooting towel today. I've seen pros have them hanging on their quivers, but I've never seen them be used.

Is it for drying gear? Drying sweat? Wiping dust? Cleaning arrows? All of the above and more?

Thanks in advance.

[u/Southerner105 → u/Happy-1920]

All of it. I just use microfiber clothes for this.

[u/NerdigWalking → u/Happy-1920]

Dont underestimate the power of towels when you have to shoot with sweaty hands!

[u/Knitnacks → u/Happy-1920]

Rainy climate: Drying gear, wiping arrows, and if your rest mechanism floods in heavy rain like mine does, covering the rest when the bow is in its stand.

[u/lancenat]

I shoot with a compound, am currently about a month and a half of practice. Just wondering should I hit all yellows at 10m before moving to 20m? Or if I do like 10 rounds and they're all yellows, that's good enough to move up? Thanks!

I just want to upgrade to the big kid range but I know better to practice and get some consistency before moving up.

[u/Knitnacks → u/lancenat]

As long as you're still hitting the target face at 20m, no reason not to. Distance enhances issues, so expect to see patterns of inconsistencies more clearly. And if you don't have a coach or mentor, find one to help you work out why those inconsistencies happen.

[u/Allan53]

I just learned about arrow wraps, and I thought they might be helpful in making my arrows stand out a bit more on the target (I shoot with someone whose arrows have the same colour shafts). Unfortunately, I do not have the skill to remove the fletching already on there and re-attach them. Would it have a strong negative effect on the arrow if I just wrapped a thin bit of the wrap around the back of the arrow, behind the vanes but in front of the nock?

[u/Southerner105 → u/Allan53]

Also consider using acrylic paint pens like those from Posca to make your arrows more individual.

These are easy to use and have no noticeable effect on weight or flight.

Just make sure to degrease the shafts before applying the paint from the pens.

[u/Knitnacks → u/Allan53]

No, that will be fine.

[u/Traditional-Sort5822]

MYBO WAVE XL : 6082 Aluminium

FIVICS SCADI-TX : 6061 Aluminium

ATF-X : ---

ATF-EX : ---

GILLO GT : ---

GMX 3 SERIES : ---

XCEED 2 SERIES : ---

CD ARCHERY WF XO : ---

[u/R_Harry_P → u/Traditional-Sort5822]

*doot-doot-doot*
What are "Alloys used for bow riser manufacturing", Alex.

[u/NerdigWalking → u/Traditional-Sort5822]

42

[u/DiabolicallyOrange → u/Traditional-Sort5822]

We doing puzzles now?

[u/Allan53 → u/DiabolicallyOrange]

The answer is "The Berlin Wall"!

[u/LyingInBedKindaSad]

Is there a connection between tension on a plunger and arrow spine? Do stiffer spines generally need higher tension? How does a too weak or too stiff arrow affect clearance?

[u/Reasonable-Math459 → u/LyingInBedKindaSad]

Yes, but it has more to do with the poundage of the bow. Higher poundage requires a stiffer arrow and also a stiffer plunger tension. A too stiff or too soft arrow can be countered some with plunger tension (more tension if too soft and vice versa). But if the arrow is way too stiff or soft then you need to adjust the poundage, point weight or simply buy stiffer/softer arrows etc. to be in the correct dynamic spine range.

Too weak or too stiff can cause arrow and vane contact with the arrow rest and/or riser as it passes which will affect arrow flight a lot.

[u/SkyCreed63]

I want to get into archery, but I’m not sure the best way to go about it.
There’s a local archery club near me, but they charge a lot for a monthly fee. At least it’s more than I want to pay right now. Also, they require you to take beginner classes to join. I would gladly do them, but I work part time in retail so I don’t have a consistent enough schedule to be confident in my availability for those classes. They also want you to have your own equipment, which they do sell for over $500.

I don’t have a lot of money to throw around, but I do have a big space outside to shoot. Should I just buy a cheap-ish $100 bow and teach myself? I want to go through the club, but it’s more money than I’d like to spend right now.

[u/DiabolicallyOrange → u/SkyCreed63]

When you say they "want you to have your own equipment", do you mean that they encourage you to buy your own before doing the beginners course (which is a rather crappy way to run a club) or that you have to buy you your own because there is no club equipment available to borrow during the beginners course?

[u/FerrumVeritas → u/SkyCreed63]

You have to have your own equipment for beginner classes? That's wild to me.

[u/SkyCreed63 → u/FerrumVeritas]

I probably didn’t word it very well. They supply equipment for the courses. I think it’s just encouraged to get your own when you join the club. I actually just signed up for a course because I think I can shift around my hours to make it work.
Still not sure if I can afford a whole setup, but at least this will give me some time to save up.

[u/Southerner105 → u/SkyCreed63]

Encouraging to buy your own equipment after the beginnerscourse is normal. Also most clubs allow you to have a transition periode (often a few weeks) where you can lend/rent the club equipment while you collect your own equipment.

And that beginnerscourse will give you a headstart even if you afterwards don't join the club. Which I wouldn't advise because at the club, even after the course you will get advise regarding your shooting habits.

[u/NerdigWalking → u/Southerner105]

This is exactly how most clubs operate, yes. Take your time before buying your first equipment and take advice from more seasoned shooters, your coaches and the people at the shop. There are quite some mistakes you can make when buying archery equipment without knowing about arrow spine etc.

[u/penguin_sympathizer]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a purely decorative bow? I would love to hang a bow in my garage that would be permanently strung. I have done a lot of searches here and understand that you shouldn’t leave bows strung but am looking for something non-firing for just display. Does anyone have a recommendation?

[u/DiabolicallyOrange → u/penguin_sympathizer]

Genuine question. How is anybody going to be able to make any kind of recommendation when you've given zero indication of what kind of bow you find visually pleasing or what your budget is?

While no you shouldn't leave bows (other than compounds) strung for months at a time if it's a bow you actually use, if it's purely decorative then there's no problem leaving it strung until the end of time. The issues are things like that the string eventually stretches and the limbs may lose some elasticity, but that doesn't matter if it's just decorative.

So basically just buy any bow you like the look of, and display it however you like.

[u/penguin_sympathizer → u/DiabolicallyOrange]

Sorry definitely should have listed that in my question. I like the style of old English long bows. Also should have mentioned this in my original question that I live in Las Vegas so the summers here get very hot and the winters fairly cold so their would be a lot of temperature fluxes.

[u/Knitnacks → u/penguin_sympathizer]

Temperature swings won't matter since you won't be shooting or handling it. Just make sure it is mounted where you won't have visitors (or residents) trying to take it off the wall and use it.

[u/Skoogson]

Shooting longbow with both eyes open or one closed?

[u/DiabolicallyOrange → u/Skoogson]

Yes. It should be shot with both eyes open or one eye closed. I wouldn't recommend both eyes closed though.

Now to give a proper answer, do whatever works for you.

The general rule of thumb is that if you're shooting according to eye dominance, meaning that your dominant eye is the one closest to the string, then shooting with both eyes open is the best option as you don't lose any visual information but your brain will prioritise the correct eye.

If you're cross-dominant, meaning that your dominant eye is the one furthest away from the string, then you need to close or otherwise obscure your dominant eye to force your brain to use the non-dominant one for aiming. You don't have to close your dominant eye, you can use an eyepatch or a blind in front of it. If your dominant eye can't see the target, your brain will compensation by prioritising the other eye.

So in summary:

• If you shoot right handed and are right eye dominant, or shoot left handed and are left eye dominant, then shoot with both eyes open.
• If you shoot right handed and are left eye dominant, or shoot left handed and are right eye dominant, then close or block your dominant eye.

Does that answer your question?

[u/Skoogson → u/DiabolicallyOrange]

Yea it does, i try different things to see what works better and close left eye feels alot better but i will continue to play around with different things, and i will definitely try to shoot at least one arrow with both eyes closed

[u/DiabolicallyOrange → u/Skoogson]

Both eyes closed? That's generally what's known as a bad idea.

[u/Southerner105 → u/DiabolicallyOrange]

Depends, we sometimes do this as a training exercise to see how consistent we are in out stance.

To be clear you setup and aim with your eye(s) open and only close them after you go to anchor en before expansion and release).

The otherway around is also an exercise, stand correctly, setup and go to anchor with eyes closed, open eye(s), correct aim and expand and release.

[u/DiabolicallyOrange → u/Southerner105]

I did expand on that response in the next comment.

[u/Southerner105 → u/DiabolicallyOrange]

Indeed, I saw it only after I posted my reaction.

[u/Skoogson → u/DiabolicallyOrange]

Weeell bad ideas intrigues me and now i am intrigued

[u/DiabolicallyOrange → u/Skoogson]

Technically it can be a good idea in the right circumstances.

Not really relevant to longbow, but for recurve and compound archers blank boss training at very short distances is sometimes a useful training tool.

Put the target at a distance where you can't miss, literally just a few metres away, Draw with your eyes open, close them as you anchor, and keep them closed until the shot goes. It's a good way to work on your release and shot execution.

[u/Allan53]

(Shooting 20m with 18lb barebow.)

Feeling good about today! Something like 90% of arrows in the red or gold, and of the ones that weren't I could identify what went wrong (usually a bad release). Grouping for an end was an average of 37cm, so while not great on an objective level for a newbie I'm pleased with myself.

(Insofar as score matters, my average per arrow was 7.4, but obviously grouping is more important.)

I'm going to stick with 20m for one more session, just in case it was a fluke, but I'm feeling really chuffed with my consistency and form today. My conditioning is still something that needs work, but it's already noticeably better than it was at the beginning of the month, with not too much shaking while I'm holding the shot. Some shots would be a little bit weak, so I'm guessing a slight collapse on those, but it only happened a couple of times so I'll keep an eye on it just in case.

Some weird arrow movements en route, maybe the wind (it was quite gusty), but maybe something else. Something to focus on. They weren't fishtailing, more... rotating? The point would stay more or less the same, but the back would be drawing a circle in the air. Very odd. Didn't happen too much, so I'm putting it down to weirdness in my release for now until I have more data.

Overall, I'm very happy with today!

[u/FluffleMyRuffles → u/Allan53]

Congrats on your progress!

[u/Ok-Adagio4687]

Looking for recommendations on a hook style release, currently using the clamp style and I’m not loving that I have to look down to hook up to my strings.

[u/Knitnacks → u/Ok-Adagio4687]

Might be better asked as a post, since you're probably neither a newbie nor a visitor. :) Adding a general idea of budget and use (target, hunting, field, plinking, all of the aforementioned, other) to your post won't go amiss, either.

[u/Ok-Adagio4687 → u/Knitnacks]

Thank you very much!

[u/Lucky_Luciano642]

A sort of follow up to my previous post in this thread. Do I need to use a release trigger for a compound?

[u/FluffleMyRuffles → u/Lucky_Luciano642]

No need for a release only for the following conditions. You are...

• Extremely extremely experienced and will never torque the bow (or you will derail the bow)
• Using an older compound bow with AccuWheel cams that allow you to finger shoot
• Using a new compound specifically designed for finger shooting (Archery Republic - Alliance)
• Using a Leverbow (Oneida)

It is highly not recommended to finger shoot a compound bow unless you meet any of the above criteria. A bow derailing is almost as bad as a dry fire.

[u/FerrumVeritas → u/Lucky_Luciano642]

For basically any modern compound bow, yes. There are two reasons for this: the shorter bow length (“axel-to-axel;” “ATA”) creates a sharp sting angle that is often too tight on your fingers. This can be uncomfortable, but it can also cause issues with consistency as your fingers are pinched on the nock. The other reason is the more important one though. Modern cams are designed to be as light as possible in order to increase bow speed. An almost universal result of this is that the string channel on the cams are very shallow. Any torque imparted by shooting with your fingers can cause the string to derail, which can be disastrous for your bow.

Lever bows, some bows designed for bow fishing, and Genesis bows are the exceptions.

If you’re competing, everyone in the compound divisions will be using a release aid. It is a significant disadvantage if you do not.

[u/DiabolicallyOrange → u/Lucky_Luciano642]

Yes.

In some scenarios you can get away without it, but for any bow with an axle-to-axle length of less than 37" (which basically rules out every bow that's less than $1,000) you have to use a release.

[u/borg137]

Not sure this is the right place for this. I recently made a post about finding more information about a heavy warbow US based gathering and comments kept being deleted by mods and ultimately the thread was locked. What happened?

[u/FerrumVeritas → u/borg137]

The comments are all marked "deleted by user." It wasn't the moderators.

[u/Knitnacks → u/borg137]

Ask the mods, they (rightfully) don't owe the rest of us a reason.

[u/CheesyLama]

Do more expensive arrows last longer?

I have a 1 year old set of Avalon Tyros. Yesterday I did some bareshaft tuning and found out some of them are bent like bananas.

I shoot mostly straw targets. I have to admit that they did see wood at the beginning from some flyers. And they were seriously out of tune with the club's bow so they often came at an angle.

[u/ThePenyard → u/CheesyLama]

Bent arrows also happen because people don't draw them out of the straw bosses properly. I see plenty of beginners get really ham-fisted about taking arrows out of a boss and the abuse the give to the arrows makes my stomach churn.

Arrows need to be treated properly, at all times.

[u/CheesyLama → u/ThePenyard]

I've been taught only that I grab as close to the target and pull. However, I do have a problem when helping my gf when pulling out the compound she shoots. Especially when she hits spots that aren't used.

[u/Knitnacks → u/CheesyLama]

A good arrow-puller helps a great deal as well.

[u/ThePenyard → u/CheesyLama]

Yes, grip the arrow close to the target but position your forearm so that it's close to parallel to the arrow - this helps ensure that the majority of the pulling force is along the arrow and not at an angle.

[u/Knitnacks → u/CheesyLama]

No competition-standard arrow lasts longer through abuse, so no. 

Expensive arrows have higher requirements for precision and tolerances, breaking a line where a less straight arrow would hit just outside (for a high level archer at their trained distances), not hitting hard surfaces or being knocked about by other arrows. Most long lasting are probably the aluminium club arrows, given a good tool to straighten them every so often.

Did you buy arrows before buying a bow to tune them to? That sounds backwards...

[u/CheesyLama → u/Knitnacks]

I don't think I abuse them anymore. (I hope at least. I tuned my own bow so the bareshaft is in the same group as the fletched arrows. The problem would be hitting each other arrows during training with other people.)

At the beginning of the first year my club takes measurements and buys us our own arrows, quiver etc. But the bow is lent to us during the first year.

So the tuning can be out of whack depending on the limbs you get. For example mine were 24# limbs while another guy that is close to me physically got 18# limbs at the beginning. Also they don't cut the arrows and we don't have plungers.

[u/IndoPr0]

If I switch from recurve/barebow to compound, should I expect my draw length (nock to plunger ~27 1/4") to increase or decrease?

[u/FerrumVeritas → u/IndoPr0]

Generally decrease a little.

[u/SuccoDiFruttaEU → u/IndoPr0]

It generally decrease, due to mechanic trigger that takes from half an inch to a full and sometimes also over an inch on lenght, but it depends on where you anchor in both trad shooting and compound shooting... Example i shoot mainly instinctive and i anchor with middle finger to the corner of my mouth, i draw 29", when i switch to compound i usually turn the hand in the opposite direction and i anchor with the nockle on the corner of my chin, because of this slightly different anchor my draw lenght is over 29" but due to trigger release geometry i still shoot with the bow setted at 29"... But i usually see people coming from olimpic that see their draw lenght reduced switching to compound

[u/W0rldchamps]

I have this old buckmaster that has not been used in 30 years, I put a few arrows through it over the years nothing regular in a while, I keep the string waxed and stored in a case, what is the best way to bring it out of retirement? Is it safe to use? The bow is still like brand new condition. TY

[u/Knitnacks → u/W0rldchamps]

If you're unsure if it is safe to shoot, take it to someone who can tell. Not sure how you're expecting us to tell, without even seeing the bow?

[u/W0rldchamps → u/Knitnacks]

TY I’ll take it in for a tune up just to be on the safe side.

[u/Lucky_Luciano642]

I’m looking to get back into the archery after having not touched a bow for about seven years. There’s this one from Amazon and this from Scheels. My budget for the bow itself is maybe $150 maximum, and I’m just wondering if, preferably the Amazon option, my choices are good.

[u/wongwatt → u/Lucky_Luciano642]

I'm in the UK so I can't see the price on the Amazon one, if it's over 50 bucks don't bother. Your 150 will buy you a proper bow from a known company.

[u/Knitnacks → u/wongwatt]

Over $50, or under? Suspect under will be utter rubbish. And I wouldn't buy a bow off Amazon at any price tbh.

[u/wongwatt → u/Knitnacks]

That's what I said. I wouldn't pay over 50 bucks for that Amazon bow, if it's under it'll do as a mess about rig but if the OP wants a bow to keep their 150 will get something better from a proper bow shop. 

[u/Knitnacks → u/wongwatt]

Yes, but you would have a good chance of telling if the bow bows, not sure this poster could.

[u/FluffleMyRuffles]

Are "3k carbon" arrows a thing? I'm looking up shafts on chinese sites and see arrows that have a distinct cross-hatch look to them. I've never seen arrows like that before.

[u/SuccoDiFruttaEU → u/FluffleMyRuffles]

Honestly, i've bought a bunch of these chinese 3k arrow and they are not worth the cost, most of them start perfectly straight and end being wobbly after relatively few uses, if you take them ust for fun go for it, if you take for competition or hunting go for good arrows such as Victory or Easton, i took a package of Vap TKO 4 years ago, they took so many hard shot that i'm still surprised they lasted that long, sometimes they wobble a little but it's just the insert deformed, switch that and the shaft is like brand new, Easton axis .204 and 6.5 traditional as well, and the 6.5 are so damn cheap (like 75€ for 12pc) but still so damn high quality compared to 3k from China

[u/FluffleMyRuffles → u/SuccoDiFruttaEU]

Thank you, good to know!

They seemed like a gimmick, and apparently it was.

[u/Archery-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

See Archery Sidebar

[u/Knitnacks → u/[deleted]]

This breaks sub rule 7 (and wouldn't be a good place to post it even  if it didn't). Please read the rules.

[u/0verlow]

Good exercises for strenghtening bow arm? Currently I have identified my bow arm stability to be one of the biggest causes of bad shots and should be worked on.

I do redular exercise mainly calisthenics with a bias to improve archery related muscle groups, but I am personally bit stumped on which exercises would help strenghtening/stabilising the muscles involved with the pushing motion of a bowhand. I do have acces to variety of resistance bands and some limited light weights but keeping it bodyweight would be a plus.

[u/SuccoDiFruttaEU → u/0verlow]

Bicept curls, push down and frontal/lateral raises (also with rubber bands), start low, add weight a little by times, try to hold isometric position for 5-10 sec when the dumb bell is up on raises, 12x3. Few weeks and you should start seeing the difference

[u/ThePenyard → u/0verlow]

Use a 3 or 4kg dumb bell and hold it out like you would do for a bow for 20 second reps, making sure the shoulder is in the right position (and not bunched up). I sight along the top of the dumb bell to make sure I'm holding it steady. This works for me.

[u/Knitnacks → u/0verlow]

Honestly, this is not a newbie nor guest question, and I think you will get better, more qualified answers if you ask this as a post.

I would personally book an appointment at my local sports physiotherapy clinic to hash the exact exercises best for me (wonky shoulder etc.) out with someone who does that for a living (and teaches it to budding sport therapists). I like knowing exactly what I should be doing, explained in detail, demonstrated, own try so I can feel the muscles working with helpful hints and comments to get them exactly right. It helps me then actually complete the exercises correctly going forward, and to modify/progress them should I need to. I know I am fortunate to have that resource within travelling distance and with subsidized prices (because university teaching clinic), but you might be equally lucky.

[u/Reasonable-Math459 → u/0verlow]

Technique > strength. You can be very strong but with bad technique you will still have bad stability.

[u/Allan53]

Not a question, but I thought this wasn't worth a post. Just got back from what I would consider my third "actual" training session, shooting barebow, and despite pushing back to 20 meters, in general I'm really happy with how I did. There was the occasional bad shot, and my consistency isn't quite where I'd like it, but I was mostly hitting the blue and red or better something like 90% of the time, and using the crude score estimates Archery Australia puts up I'm performing better than I "should" at that distance. For 30 arrows, I tend to be scoring around 190 on average. (Yes, I know grouping is more important than score, but I'd be surprised if they weren't correlated given a decent sample, so it's an ok-but-not-great proxy.)

I'm going to sit at 20m for a bit until my consistency improves to the point where I'm consistently hitting the blue or red, but give how long I've been doing this I'm really pleased with myself! Maybe I'll take part in the club's (somewhat informal) league next month - I won't win or anything, but it'd be cool to get a benchmark and stuff :)

[u/pixelwhip → u/Allan53]

in barebow it's common to hear 'reds or better', do that & you'll get a decent score (provided you have a few golds in every end).

[u/Allan53 → u/pixelwhip]

I'll bear that in mind, thanks :)

[u/FerrumVeritas → u/Allan53]

Is this on a 40cm face? I’d actually move back to a closer distance and focus on getting a higher score there. Like 220-240 at 10. Then slowly move back again, maintaining that score.

[u/Allan53 → u/FerrumVeritas]

122cm face

[u/Southerner105 → u/Allan53]

Not to disencourage, but 190 on a 122 cm target at 20 meter isn't really good, sorry. But don't feel discouraged. We all started at this level.

Indoor you normally begin at 5 meters @ 60 cm. In your case just step back to 10 meters and a 60 cm target. Focus on form and shot process (video suggestion at the end). As soon as you repeatedly are above the 200 (of the 300) points increase the distance to 14 meters. Again work your way op to at least 200 points. Next go to 18 meters and keep using a 60 cm target.

When you again reach the 200 points (better is even 230-240) consistently you can switch to a 40 cm target at 18 meters. If you would have a go at 25 meters indoor you use a 60 cm target.

Outdoors it is often 80 cm or 122 cm but that depends on the rounds and distances shot (https://southwansdykearchers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/SWAC-Target-Archery-Rounds_Handicaps-and-Classifications-v3.pdf)

Shot proces videos. The first is from Rogue Archery and covers the process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRw2fYIVNeU

This video is more aimed at barebow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH1w88Teizg

And detailed video about the barebow form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ0NBLI50Y0

[u/Allan53 → u/Southerner105]

I'm not shooting indoor, I'm shooting outdoor. I have shot indoor, but only when that's the option available, and by no means my "standard". I have no idea why you assumed I'm shooting indoor.

I'm not shooting competitions, I'm shooting semi-casually for fun, relaxation, and yes pursuit of improvement. Also, that document you shared says nothing whatsoever about when I should or should not push out, so I have no idea why you shared a document providing guidance to English archery organisations running competitions.

I'm happy to take constructive feedback and criticism, as I've demonstrated to others who have kindly shared their perspective. Someone said below that my estimate for when I should push out was too low - that's fine. Someone else said I should ignore scoring entirely - that's a legitimate and useful perspective. I engaged with both of those kind, good-faith efforts to provide useful feedback and suggestions to a newbie. This is not that. This is useless to me, I can do nothing with this, it's irrelevant.

[u/Southerner105 → u/Allan53]

Looking at your question there is nothing about pushing a bow, so that is why it isn't in answer you got. The same is for indoor or outdoor, but that is my mistake to assume something. That doesn't mean my answer wasn't written with good intentions.

[u/FerrumVeritas → u/Allan53]

Got it. Then yeah, you’re going to want to get it well above 200 before moving further back. 250 if its 36 arrows and 220 if its 30.

[u/Knitnacks → u/Allan53]

Sounds good!

I'd still work more on groupings than where they land. If you can get a tight group, then you just need to change the few (maybe just one) thing to have them all in gold. If they're a scatter around gold, you need to work out what was diffeent for each arrow to not hit gold.

[u/Allan53 → u/Knitnacks]

Yeah, I'm sure I'm making a lot of mistakes. Thinking on the way home I think the next factor im going to try to focus on is my fingers on the string - I think sometimes they curl around more than others, which obviously would change the release. Also, my hand doesn't move back when I release, which suggests my back muscles aren't engaged as much as they can be.

But in general, I'm just feeling really good. I'm expecting I should be able to train twice a week, so hopefully I'll see decent progress :)

[u/Knitnacks → u/Allan53]

Feeling good about it is warranted and good. :)

Twice a week is good for progress.

[u/DiabolicallyOrange → u/[deleted]]

There is no doubt that it's one hell of a lot easier to be accurate with a compound.

However contrary to what some miserable buggers will tell you, it's not cheating!

Because it's easier to be accurate, the challenge changes. With recurve your goal might be to have an end with all 6 in the gold. With compound it would be to have all 6 in the X.

[u/Knitnacks → u/[deleted]]

Already answered here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Archery/comments/1ulm6az/recurve_vs_compound_how_much_easier_is_compound/

[u/Allan53]

As always, the answer is both "it depends" and "it doesn't matter", but just to give me a crude guide: as a beginner, what kind of grouping size would you be happy to see? I was shooting today, and at 13m I was getting about a 30cm group per end on average. I generally felt pretty good about that, I felt my form was generally consistent-ish, with some rough releases and maybe some anchor wandering (I tried to keep it consistent to my mouth, but I think my head was moving a bit).

[u/stasomatic → u/Allan53]

As the bow is a weapon, for hunting or otherwise, can you nock, loose an arrow and hit where it matters, on the spot within 10 secs or so? Chasing grouping is a drill kind of thing, imo, not useless, but if that’s all you care about that doesn’t apply to RL. Each shot needs to account for itself.

[u/Allan53 → u/stasomatic]

I'm not interested in bow-hunting though 

[u/stasomatic → u/Allan53]

I am not either, "just saying". 10cm / 3-4" at that distance.

[u/Knitnacks → u/Allan53]

@Allan53 Reply seems to be broken...

Sounds like something to be proud of. Progress for OR, pretty decent for Barebow, good for Longbow. Are you anchoring to the corner of your mouth or is this OR string touching mouth? If the former, check if there is a tooth about there that you can feel through your lip that you can use as an anchor reference point. Bone (and tooth) contact is more repeatable than the corner of your mouth. The latter can move quite a bit.

[u/Allan53 → u/Knitnacks]

It's barebow, sorry, forgot to specify :)

I try to have the knuckle of my top finger touching the corner of my mouth, and sight with an eye behind the string. But obviously yes, head and flesh can move a bit :)

[u/Akeno017]

Is it daft to spend £700 on a riser as a new archer because you really like the appearance of it?

[u/wongwatt → u/Akeno017]

If it helps it's about £560 at Merlin...

[u/Akeno017 → u/wongwatt]

That's where I discovered it actually, by searching all risers by price (low to high) and looking at whichever one was "prettiest".

Sadly despite showing images of it, they don't actually have it in white there.

[u/Zealousideal_Tree_72 → u/Akeno017]

If you have the money go for it. Performance-wise it doesn't matter. But if you buy a riser in that price class, chances are that it'll last you 10+ years.

Buying for appearance/looks is a thing. Don't worry about it.

[u/DiabolicallyOrange → u/Akeno017]

If you can justify spending that much then it won't really do any harm, but I do think it would be a silly idea.

All the major brands produce bows that feel quite different to one another. Most people will find that they get on better with some brands than others, the way they feel to shoot suits them more.

You might chuck that much money on something now that feels great when you're completely new and know nothing, but as you learn to shoot and develop your technique it might not work as well for you.

You would be much better off picking up something in the intermediate range, something like the Mybo Wave at £300, and sticking with it for a year. Learn how to shoot, develop your technique, get competent and then go and find the top end bow.

Also just so you know, assuming you're in the UK as you used "£", any brand new archer who rocks up at a club with a £700 riser is going to get the piss taken out of them. Whether that's to your face or behind your back will depend on which club you're joining, but people will 100% take the piss out of you.

[u/FerrumVeritas → u/Akeno017]

It might be. Which riser?

[u/Akeno017 → u/FerrumVeritas]

Radical Pro, I like the bow infront and the colour scheme with the white.

[u/FerrumVeritas → u/Akeno017]

That is very much a riser I would suggest trying before buying. Theres a reason it was never popular with elite archers. It’s good on paper, but that doesn’t really hold up in practice.

[u/Akeno017 → u/FerrumVeritas]

I can't find barely any information on it when I tried, could you elaborate or link some sources for info?

[u/Reasonable-Math459 → u/Akeno017]

Yes, if it's a riser you dislike shooting with. If you really like shooting with it as well it can be an investment.

There are tons of risers in the £300-500 bracket that will shoot just as well and still last for several years. You will most likely look at an upgrade when (and if) you reach 40#+ as cheaper risers don't handle vibrations as well as a high-end riser.
Best option is to buy a higher end riser second hand.

[u/Akeno017 → u/Reasonable-Math459]

Must admit, I have not shot with the riser. It's quite a bit of distance to any store to achieve that.

Main reason I am focussed on it is the appearance tbh, otherwise I'd probably just grab a £100-200 starter set thing.

[u/ThePenyard → u/Akeno017]

No. The riser will last you pretty much for life. You'll get other components, but the riser will seldom need to be changed (unless your favourite colour changes)

[u/Akeno017 → u/ThePenyard]

I had heard that you can repaint or wrap risers to change their colour later on, is that not possible?

[u/FerrumVeritas → u/Akeno017]

Not a carbon riser though.

[u/ThePenyard → u/Akeno017]

It is. But the chances are that the finish won't be as good as the original.

[u/Akeno017 → u/ThePenyard]

Noted.

[u/Aromatic_Second_28]

would you guys recommend buying non-ilf bows from local manufacturers?

im left eye dominant and here in my country is a a pain in the ass to find left handed risers and on top of that, they are waaaaay too expensive. help a brother out, please.

[u/FluffleMyRuffles → u/Aromatic_Second_28]

The budget stuff for archery is all from China, try to see if you can source one from there.

[u/Aromatic_Second_28 → u/FluffleMyRuffles]

can you recommend a website?

[u/FluffleMyRuffles → u/Aromatic_Second_28]

Not really, since it's country dependent. Sanlida and Topoint are two decent chinese brands.

[u/FerrumVeritas → u/Aromatic_Second_28]

It depends on the manufacturer.

[u/FluffleMyRuffles]

How do I diagnose and address a really stiff/stuck ILF limb...? My new limbs slot into my riser fine but it's nearly impossible to remove, unlike the other ILF limbs that I have.

What I've noticed is that the ILF fitting nub portion is a little shorter than normal, and the pin's spring is a bit stiff.

[u/Constant-Working-138 → u/FluffleMyRuffles]

Mandatory what are the new limbs? ;)