Toying with a Barebow

On Tuesday night, I was over at Stowe Archers Club to run the 450 League Finals. My Team was knocked out early so I had a lot of time to kill as the other teams shot head to head. As I was standing off to the side, watching the shooting, one of the long time members asked me if I wanted to give their Barebow a try.

I had been toying with the idea of getting into Barebow Archery and was curious. There has been a lot of buzz in the Barebow division as of late and a number of Club Members have made the switch. I was happy to take him up on the offer and stepped up to the line with his Hoyt in my hand.

The first shot was kind of rough and for a split second I thought that my nipple may have gone down range with the arrow. I took about a dozen shots and just wasn’t feeling it. The bow felt too long and the string angle wasn’t comfortable.

I handed him the Hoyt, thanked him for letting me shoot it, and thought that I was done for the night. To my surprise, he handed me another bow – this time a Gillo. I wasn’t expecting this bow to be much different but, to my surpise, it felt far more comfortable.

The Gillo also felt a bit long and the string angle took some getting used to, but I was having fun. Before the night was over, I put a few dozen arrows down range. I didn’t feel like I was shooting particularly well but a few of the members were complimenting me on my form.

With the outdoor season fast approaching, I really think I might want to give Barebow a try. The last thing I need right now is another bow or an added expense but it is very tempting. I may need to keep an eye out on the used market. If I can get myself a similar setup to what I shot on Tuesday Night, without breaking the bank, I may just have to take the plunge.