Preparing Your Competition Archery Bow

Whether it’s your first competition or you’ve shot competitively a hundred times, prepping your competition archery bow is a ritual that ensures your bow is in peak condition and that you have everything you need for the big day. Take a moment to browse the 60X Custom Strings blog to learn more about preparing your archery competition bows and starting your day with your best arrow forward.

1. Getting Your Sight Marks

Depending on the competition you enter, your sight marks should be available a few weeks before the shoot. You need to check the distances as you practice to experience how your competition archery bow feels and performs. Because every day is different, you should also be taking notes about how changes in weather, clothing, and temperament affect your shooting.

Keep in mind that the sight marks on competition day may be slightly different than what you’re used to. Unfamiliar tree lines and pitch markings could be distracting, so practice your distances at a variety of archery ranges to minimize the effect of these differences.

2. Spares and Repairs

You want all of your competition archery bow equipment in peak condition. Ordering spares and making repairs is crucial to your preparation for competition day. Make sure you have extra arrows to account for damaged or lost arrows. Mark your shafts with your initials, as many shoots require an identifier for your arrows.

You should also have extra bow strings for your compound or recurve bow — just in case the worst happens. From string silencers to extra fletchings, have a kit of spare equipment in case something gets lost or damaged.

3. Know Your Bow

You may practice with your competition archery bow every day, so you know exactly how it feels, but you also need a record of all your bow’s measurements. Include numbers for the tiller, draw weight, and bracing height. You can check these on competition day to guarantee that nothing has come loose or been damaged during your practice sessions. You may want to break down and rebuild your bow a few times if something doesn’t match your measurements.

4. Prep for Weather & Location

Watching the forecasts and exploring the location of the shoot allows you to better prepare your bow and yourself for the day. You want to check if you need to take your waterproofs, sunglasses, hat, or sunscreen, and that you can easily shoot in all of these. Knowing your location also gives you extra time to arrive early and set up your archery competition bow and equipment, so you can do a last minute check of everything.

Final Prep

The day before your shoot, make a list of everything you need. Pack up your equipment and double check your list. We know archers who have forgotten everything from risers and limbs to bow strings and even bows!

If you find that you need to replace or repair any element of your kit, 60X Custom Strings is here to help. Browse our site to find extra strings, tools, points, and so much more.