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Plain-English guides for your first season: draw weight, setup, safety and technique.

Setup video guide: First Draw recurve bow strung and ready to shoot in ten minutes

How to set up your first recurve bow

Strung and shooting in 10 minutes: how to attach the limbs, string your recurve safely with a stringer, check brace height and take your first shots.

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Safe archery range in an English back garden: foam target in front of a backstop net, with a black First Draw recurve bow on a bench

Can you do archery in your garden in the UK? How to set up a safe range

Yes, you can shoot in your own garden in the UK, as long as no arrow can ever leave it. Here's how to choose the right spot, set up a backstop and agree the house rules.

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Black First Draw recurve bow next to a compound bow with cams, laid side by side on a wooden table

Recurve or compound bow: which should you start with?

Recurve or compound for your first bow? A clear comparison of how they work, what they cost and which one teaches you to shoot, plus our honest recommendation.

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Close-up of a black First Draw recurve bow at full draw, showing the bent limb and a three-finger grip on the string

What draw weight should a beginner use?

20 lbs, 30 lbs or 15 lbs for a child? A simple guide to choosing your first bow's draw weight, plus a 10-second test to check it's not too heavy.

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Woman doing the dominant eye test, framing a distant point through a triangle made with her hands, to choose a left- or right-handed bow

Left- or right-handed archer? The 5-second eye test

Which hand should hold the bow? It depends on your eyes, not your writing hand. Here's a 5-second test to find out.

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