| Many people still loves hunting by Bow and Arrow | | | | one notch, and bend the bow to get the correct |
| instead of using Guns. If you are arrow loving | | | | distance between the bow and bowstring. Then |
| person, this article is to guide you how to make | | | | measure off on the other end of the cord where |
| your own bow and arrow and how to use it | | | | you have to make the spanning loop. When the |
| perfectly. | | | | loop is finished, you can hook up the bowstring. |
| Archery, a popular sport today, has been | | | | To complete the bow, wind the handgrip and the |
| practiced by man for thousands of years. First | | | | ends with cord. |
| used in the deadly pursuit of animals for food, the | | | | The Bowstring |
| bow and arrow now provides fun and recreation. | | | | For your bowstring, use unbleached linen thread. |
| The Indians used yew wood for their bows. | | | | Get three pieces of No. 12 Irish linen thread, wax |
| Hickory, lemon-wood or ash will serve equally well | | | | each piece with beeswax, and braid the three |
| for making a bow. | | | | together. Then twist the braided string and wax it |
| The Bow Get a staff that is as tough and as | | | | again. The Arrows the length of your arrows can |
| evenly grown as possible. Its dimensions should be | | | | vary from 22 to 30 inches. The longer your bow, |
| about 5 to 6 feet long, depending on the length of | | | | the longer your arrows should be. They should |
| your arm span, fingertip to fingertip, and about 1 - | | | | not be thicker than -5/16 of an inch. Hardwood is |
| to 11/2 inches thick. The side opposite the | | | | preferred, but you can use very tough softwood |
| bowstring should be sanded smooth, and the | | | | if necessary. To be sure that they will fly well, |
| thickness should taper off toward both ends. | | | | stabilize your arrows with feathers. Aiming an |
| However, the thickest point should not be in the | | | | arrow does not travel in a straight line for more |
| middle (M in illustration), but about half the width | | | | than a very short distance. As it loses speed, it |
| of your hand below it. Although you will set the | | | | starts to fall in a slow curve. You must aim so |
| arrow at the exact center of the bow, you hold | | | | that the arrow's path of flight, or trajectory, |
| the bow at the thickest spot. When you are | | | | brings it to the target. You can make a target |
| shooting, the lower limb of the bow will be longer | | | | from moist earth or weave one with braided |
| than the upper limb. | | | | straw. Whenever you are shooting, be sure no |
| At the ends of both upper and lower limbs are | | | | one is standing between you and the target, or |
| the nocks notches in the wood that hold the | | | | even in the area in which the arrow can go |
| bowstring. Make the nocks on the side opposite | | | | astray. |
| the bowstring and plane them slightly flat. (See | | | | If you take care of your bow and arrows, |
| the center cross section.) Now take a cord that is | | | | protecting them from moisture, they will last a |
| solid but not too thick, fasten it with a slipknot in | | | | long time. |