FAQ

The best beginner set is a light takedown recurve with matched arrows, a proper target and the protective gear you need from the first shot. Buying the pieces separately often leads to arrows that don't suit the bow or a draw weight that is too heavy. Our First Draw Starter Kit puts everything in one box: a 20 or 30 lbs bow that fits both hands, 12 arrows, a foam target, an arm guard, a finger tab set and a step by step setup video. It was chosen for adults who have never held a bow, so every choice has already been made for you.

Most adult beginners should start at 20 lbs. The draw weight is the force needed to pull the string back to full draw, and starting too heavy is the most common mistake new archers make. A bow you can hold steady lets you learn a consistent stance, anchor and release, and lets you shoot 30 or 40 arrows in an evening without tiring. Choose 30 lbs if you have already tried archery at a club taster or on holiday. Children aged 6 to 12 are best on 15 lbs. When in doubt, pick the lighter option.

A recurve bow is the right place to start for almost every beginner, especially in a back garden. Its limbs curve away from you at the tips, which gives a light bow real power while keeping it simple to string and set up at home. A compound bow uses cams and cables, must be fitted to your exact draw length and usually needs a specialist for adjustments. The recurve is also the bow used at the Olympics and on beginners' courses at UK clubs, so everything you learn on it transfers to any bow you choose later.

Your dominant eye decides it, not the hand you write with. Make a small triangle with your thumbs and index fingers, frame a distant object with both eyes open, then close your left eye. If the object stays in the triangle, you are right eye dominant and shoot a right handed bow. If it jumps out, you need a left handed bow. The First Draw bow removes the question entirely: it has an arrow rest on both sides, so the same bow works for left and right handed archers. The Next Step bow comes in separate left and right handed versions.

Children aged 6 to 12 need a bow sized for smaller arms and a draw weight they can pull without straining. The First Draw Junior Kit is a real recurve at a light 15 lbs, with 12 suction cup arrows and a matching target, so a first season can start safely in the garden or even the living room. It fits left and right handed children and comes in five colours: green, blue, red, orange and black. Children should always shoot with an adult beside them, and the kit makes that time together the best part of it.

The First Draw kit is for your first season. Its 20 or 30 lbs bow is built for learning form, and it fits either hand. The Next Step kit is for archers who already shoot regularly and want more distance: it comes in 30 or 35 lbs, in right and left handed versions, with the same arrows, target and protective gear. Coming from a 20 lbs bow, choose the Next Step kit at 30 lbs. If you are comfortable at 30 lbs and can hold full draw steadily at the end of a session, 35 lbs is your next step.

A takedown bow comes apart into three pieces: the handle, called the riser, and two limbs. The limbs slot into the riser and are tightened with the hex key supplied with the bow. This design makes the bow easy to store in a cupboard and to carry in a car boot, and it means you can fit stronger limbs later instead of buying a whole new bow. The First Draw bow measures 135 cm when strung and weighs around 900 g, which keeps it comfortable to hold through a full evening of practice.

The kit contains a takedown recurve bow in 20 or 30 lbs, 12 matched arrows, a foam target, an arm guard, a finger tab set and a step by step setup video. The bow has an arrow rest on both sides, so it works for left and right handed archers with nothing to choose at checkout. The arrows are matched to the bow, the target is designed to stop them safely, and the arm guard and finger tab protect your forearm and drawing fingers from the string. Everything you need for your first session is in the box.

Arrows need to match the length you draw and the stiffness your bow needs. That stiffness is called spine, and an arrow with the wrong spine flies erratically even with good form. Our 12 replacement arrows are 28 to 30 inches long with a spine of 700 to 1000, made for bows between 20 and 30 lbs, which makes them a direct match for the First Draw bows. Coloured vanes make them easy to spot on the lawn. Most beginners lose or break a few in the first months, so a spare set keeps you shooting for longer.

The Junior Kit uses suction cup arrows instead of pointed tips, which is why it is suitable for a child's first season indoors or in a small garden. The suction cups stick to the matching target and land softly if they miss. The bow itself is a real recurve with a light 15 lbs draw, so children learn proper technique while the arrows stay gentle. As with any bow, an adult should always supervise, nobody should stand in front of the archer, and the bow should only be drawn when pointing at the target.

Eventually you may, and that is a good sign. Many garden archers shoot happily at 20 to 30 lbs for years, because the distances in a back garden rarely need more power. A reliable rule is to move up only when you can hold your current bow at full draw for 30 seconds, comfortably, at the end of a session. When that day comes, the Next Step range offers 30 and 35 lbs bows built for your second season, and everything you have learnt on the First Draw bow carries straight over.

Most orders arrive within 12 to 25 working days. Your order is prepared and dispatched within 2 to 5 working days, excluding weekends and bank holidays, and transit then takes 10 to 20 working days. Each kit is packed to order rather than sitting in a warehouse, which is how we keep a complete beginner archery set at £99. If you are buying for a birthday or Christmas, order with that timing in mind so the parcel arrives before the big day.

Delivery is free on every order, with no minimum spend. The price you see on the product page is the price you pay for the kit or the bow, delivered to your door. That applies to the complete kits, the bows on their own and the replacement arrows alike. There are no extra charges for delivery added at checkout, and no separate fee for tracking: every parcel ships with a tracking number included at no cost.

We deliver to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, free of charge. Your parcel goes to the address you enter at checkout, which can be your own or the address of the person receiving a gift. Please check the postcode and house number carefully before confirming, as a wrong address is the most common reason for a delayed parcel. We do not currently ship outside the United Kingdom.

As soon as your order ships, you receive an email with a tracking link. You can follow your parcel from that link at any time, or enter your details on our Track my order page to see where it is. Tracking can take a day or two to show the first movement after dispatch, which is normal. If your tracking has not changed for several days, email contact@anchorarrow.co.uk with your order number and we will look into it with the carrier.

Enter the recipient's name and address as the delivery address at checkout, and the parcel goes straight to them. The tracking email comes to you, so you can follow the delivery without spoiling the surprise. Our bows suit gifting well: the First Draw bows fit left and right handed archers, so there is no need to know which hand they shoot with. For an adult who has never shot, choose 20 lbs. For a child aged 6 to 12, the Junior Kit is the safe choice.

You have 30 days from receiving your parcel to change your mind and return it, without giving a reason. Email contact@anchorarrow.co.uk with your order number and we will send you the return address. The item must come back in its original condition and complete, with its packaging, accessories and instructions, so that it can be resold. Please enclose a copy of your invoice in the parcel. This right of withdrawal applies to every product on the site.

When you return an item because you changed your mind, the return postage is paid by you. When an item is faulty or arrives damaged, we cover the full cost: we send you a prepaid returns label, or in many cases send a replacement part without asking for anything back. We recommend using a tracked service for any return you pay for yourself, so you have proof that the parcel was sent and received.

Send us a photo at contact@anchorarrow.co.uk within 30 days of delivery, along with your order number. We will send a replacement part or product at our cost, usually with no need to return the damaged item. If you prefer a full refund instead, we arrange the return with a prepaid label and refund you once we have received and checked it. Taking the photo before assembling the bow helps us resolve your request faster.

Your refund is issued within 14 days of us receiving your return. Once the item has been received and inspected, the money goes back to your original payment method, whether that was a card, Apple Pay or PayPal. Your bank may then take 7 to 14 days to show it on your statement, depending on its own processing times. You receive an email as soon as we issue the refund.

Every bow comes with a 2 year guarantee against manufacturing defects. If a part fails through normal use, we replace it. Two things are not covered: dry firing, which means releasing the string without an arrow and can damage any bow, and arrows broken on impact, which are a normal part of shooting. To make a claim, email contact@anchorarrow.co.uk with your order number and a photo of the issue, and we will take it from there.

Setting up a takedown recurve takes about 10 minutes and one tool. You attach the two limbs to the riser with the hex key, string the bow, check two measurements and you are ready to shoot. Our step by step setup video walks you through each stage, the way a club coach would on your first evening. The limbs curve away from you when you hold the grip, the labels face you, and the larger loop of the string always goes on the top limb.

A bow stringer is the safest way to string any recurve and is well worth having. It is an inexpensive cord with a pocket at each end that lets you bend the limbs evenly while you slide the string into place. The step through method you may see online works, but it puts uneven pressure on the limbs and can twist them over time. Once the bow is strung, check the brace height, the distance from the grip to the string, which should sit between 7 and 9 inches on most beginner recurves.

Archery is a legal sport across the UK and you don't need a licence to own or shoot a bow. What matters is the outcome: you are responsible for every arrow, so none must ever be able to leave your property. Shoot towards a solid wall or the back of a shed, with netting or a heavy rug hung behind the target as a backstop. Using a bow to kill or take wild birds or animals is a criminal offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Our garden range guide covers the full setup.

Wear an arm guard on the inside forearm of the hand that holds the bow, where the string passes, and a finger tab on the hand that draws, to protect your three drawing fingers. Both come in our kits. Remove anything the string could catch, such as a loose sleeve or a watch on the bow arm. Never dry fire the bow, keep everyone behind the shooting line, and walk to the target together only once everyone has finished shooting.

Unstring your recurve after every session, using the stringer in reverse. A bow left strung for days slowly loses performance as the limbs stay under tension. Store it somewhere dry at room temperature, never in a hot car or a damp shed. You can leave the limbs attached or take them off for storage; if you take them off, put each limb back in the same pocket next time. Check the string and limb tips before each session, and bring the foam target indoors after use so it stays dry.

You can learn the basics on your own. Our setup video and beginner guides cover the essentials: stance, nocking the arrow, drawing with your back muscles, anchoring at the same spot on your face, a relaxed release and holding your follow through. Start at 3 to 5 metres and focus on repeating the same shot, because accuracy comes from consistency. If you catch the bug, a taster session at a local club is a great next step, and your kit gives you a head start.

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All prices on the site are shown and charged in pounds sterling. The price you see on the product page is the amount you pay, with free delivery to anywhere in the UK and no extra delivery charge added at checkout. What you see in your basket is exactly what appears on your bank statement, with no conversion from another currency on our side.