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Alan strikes a classic pose.
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Longbow shooting has flourished in England lately. It offers a more
relaxed approach to the sport in comparison to using hyper accurate
modern bows.
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Terry bends his bow "round compas".
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On occasion we find more "Friar Tuck" than "Robin Hood" in our
longbow shooting.
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DIY bowyers and fletchers feel at home with the longbow. All the
required components can be bought (relatively cheaply) from your
archery store. A traditional longbow is made from a single section of
yew. This bow is laminated with different woods but has the correct D
shape across the limbs.
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There is no arrow rest on the longbow. The archer rests the arrow
on his hand. And no sight! Use the point of the arrow and aim at a
reference point in the scenery around the target.
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A 'proper' longbow arrow is made of wood, has a brass pile and feather
fletchings. Cedar is the best wood commonly available today though
Roger Ascham (King Henry VIII's coach) might have preferred ash.
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With such a simple tool it is very tempting to shoot in a haphazard,
"it doesn't matter if I miss", manner. However; by applying a simple
but disciplined technique some excellent scores can be achieved.
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