# Childs 7-12 year old Recurve Bow...



## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

casoundinc -

If you actually want her to start shooting correctly, as opposed to just play time (7 is an iffy age with kids as far as what they "want" do), think about a Matthews Genesis. It's basically a recurve with wheels. No let off and no stops. It should easily reach 25 M (depending on her draw length) and when she out grows it, you'll have a beginners bow to get another kid or adult started. 

Viper1 out.


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## casoundinc (Jan 4, 2004)

*Mathews...*

I thought about a genisis but she really wants to shoot recurve and I agree with her on this point... I think some of this comes from her watching me (I shoot recurve these days...) but I think it also comes from watching the other kids.

Coll


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## toxoman (Sep 10, 2004)

Quinn Comet


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## ksarcher (May 22, 2002)

The PSE Bullseye 48" recurve or equivilant is a great starter bow. The Comet is a great bow but I would wait on it for a while. The Rolan Dakota JR from lancaster Archery is also a good starter bow. 

http://www.lancasterarchery.com/shop/default.php?cPath=22_24_128 link for the Rolan.

http://www.quinnsarchery.com/quinn's_archery_007.htm link for the Quinn Comet.

Good luck

Stan


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## Serious Fun (May 12, 2003)

*To add to Ksarcher…*

To add to Ksarcher…
Let’s say there is not JOAD program or other youth archery program in the area where a youth can try some bows to size up.
For a pre teen I would look at the Rolan Dakota or Cartel Avenger or a Bullseye, the idea is to have a light mass weight, the weight it takes to hold up the bow.
The old rule of thumb of the bow length being the same as the height of the archer allows you to buy something with the archer ever having drawn a bow back. 
10 pound draw weight would be perfect but 15# will do since for many manufacturers, 15# is the minimum poundage draw weight they offer.

The mini Genesis is practically the same as a recurve when shot with fingers.
In fact, three fingers below the nock maybe the best way to start for some to reduce arrows swinging off the rest from finger pressure.
The kids love the no glove rubber finger on string protectors

Distance: no distance is too shoot, what ever distance they can shoot at and hit gold.
A 122 cm target face at 5 meters is great.
NASP likes the 80 cm faces.
I have been told that the goal is to provide an opportunity where the youth hits gold often and is accustom to and expects to hit gold each time.

The smallest lightest aluminum arrows are the best since they are much safer than carbons because they don’t splinter.
Not many stores stock the 1214, 1413, 1416 aluminum arrows but they are great for the kiddos if you can get them.
Finally a full length arrow is just fine if the weight is not a hindrance.
Good luck.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Bob -

Ya had me agreeing with ya on all counts until the last part or two. Most kids I've worked with would destroy 1214, 1413, 1416 etc, in no time. There a reason for the Easton Genesis arrows supplied with the Genesis bow kits. The are 1820s (that's not a typo), fly well fron the bow and you really do have to try pretty hard to break them. The Easton "Blues" only come in 16/1000" walls for the same reason. There was also a kiddie 1618, IIRC.

At that age, perfect tuning or even any tuning isn't a factor.

Also, not a fan of the 3 under thing with kids. I understand the reasoning for it, but given the possibility of a nock slipping the string, I'd rather take the time and deal with the arrows falling off the rest.

Just my .02.

Viper1 out.


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## Serious Fun (May 12, 2003)

Viper1 said:


> Bob -
> 
> Ya had me agreeing with ya on all counts until the last part or two. Most kids I've worked with would destroy 1214, 1413, 1416 etc, in no time. There a reason for the Easton Genesis arrows supplied with the Genesis bow kits. The are 1820s (that's not a typo), fly well fron the bow and you really do have to try pretty hard to break them. The Easton "Blues" only come in 16/1000" walls for the same reason. There was also a kiddie 1618, IIRC.
> 
> ...


Agreed.
I was thinking about a smallish 7 year old needing all the advantages they could to get to the target vs arrow durability.
As for three fingers under, there should be a need for three fingers under the nock if the bow is "tall" enough vs a Genesis mini that is really short.
Not intended to confuse, sorry.
I do think we need to make intro to archery easy as can be.
I wonder how many parents buy a fiberglass bow and fiberglass arrows at the discount department store only to have a poor experience and end up playing some other sport.
Sad.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Bob - 

Now wait a doggone minute there pardner, I started with a solid fiberglass bow and three (count 'em three) wooden arrows when I was a kid and my therapist says I tuned out ok, as long as I say on my meds ....

Seriously, sometimes we have to take kids as kids. In my experience, most don't take shooting "seriously" until they are in the 10 -12 year old range. Before that, it's play time, and perhaps it should be. With the younger kids I stress range safey and the very basics. Then, I let the kids tell me if and when they want/need more by the questions they ask and how they approach what they are doing. At that point age becomes less relevant.

That's why I started my first post on this thread by saying _"If you actually want her to start shooting correctly, as opposed to just play time...". _While I think the Genesis or Mini is the best way to go, it might be a bit much for some folks on a budget to "invest", in the absence of a JOAD or NASP program.

Good input!!!

Viper1 out.


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## JimmyME (May 19, 2007)

*PSE Deputy*

I just went through the same process with 2 boys in the past month. I bought one a custom made long bow and the other a fiberglas BEAR Little Indian set.

We went to the local pro shot (150 miles away) this weekend and let the boys shoot in the basement range. They had a variety of youth boys to use. They had one there that the boys loved and I thought was great for children new to the sport.

It's a PSE Deputy and has a "shoot thru" riser. They had a whisker bisket mounted on it and it was a dream for the boys to use. No worries of the arrow falling off the shelf. They are available in 15 and 20 lb. draw weights, I would recommend 15# for a 7 year old and they cost about $80 on the web (without bisket).

That's my recommendation, PSE Deputy.


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## HBrunelle (Mar 1, 2006)

*Maybe a Cartel*

My youngest was 7 when he started shooting and he was tiny... I started him out on the Cartel. It is a light weight plastic composite riser. We started with 15 pound limbs. He is now up to 20 pound limbs and can reach 20 meters easily.

The bow is about $90 give or take. I like this beginner bow enough that I purchased 12 of them for my JOAD club and several of the JOAD kids have purchased them as well.

As Bob well knows, I totally support use of aluminum arrows versus the carbon. We personally use 1516's for my two younger kids. And most of the JOAD arrows are also 1516's (some 1816's since I had left overs from my XX75 days).

Good luck!

Heather
SNAN JOAD


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## casoundinc (Jan 4, 2004)

*Thanks guys...*

The Dakota is really easy to get and comes in colors my girl likes. She pulls 20Lbs easily (this will be her second bow actually...). I have done a lot of no sight shooting with her. We focus mainly on popping balloons or just shooting at a blank target for fun... Her and I get to talk while we are shooting and we try to make some games out of it... Shooting a dartboard target with letters to spell out words and such. She has come with to a few competitons and wants to be able to shoot bowman class while I am shooting. I think the hardest thing is to find a good way to go from the games we play to competative shooting. Right now I am thinking that we will spend a month or two shooting at yellow balloons then move up to a target. We do one finger on top and two below (just like dad...) and it seems to work fine. What she really wants is to have her arrows go 20 - 25 meters and I think 20 pounds will do that just about.

Thanks for the input and the arrow advice. The new blues look good but I think the Jazzes will work as well.

Coll


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## archeryal (Apr 16, 2005)

Our club starts kids at age 8 (as does the camp where I work, but they've been known to sneak in a 6 or 7 year old. A few of them did well, but most aren't ready at that age). We used the old (and discontinued) PSE Cupid with plastic composite riser. I've found the Chiron (I believe it is Samick's Chinese subsidiary) to have a nice handle for a small hand and a bit higher quality than the Bullseyes we've also used. I like the Samick Mind series, but they aren't available any more. 
The limbs that came with the plastic Rolan/Dakota we got a couple years ago seemd to be considerably lighter than marked, but they may not even be from the same manufacturer as the others.
I agree on the arrows - 1214's are closer to the correct spine, but they are very delicate. We use 1516s as a standard - a bit too stiff, but more durable when misused. 
I'm not a fan of the compounds (an old FITA recurve guy, and, until the Genesis, compounds were a poor choice for a rec or camp program). I'd check to see if a 7-year-old will be able to draw far enough to get the cams to come over and/or get enough cast to get the arrow down range. (Her draw length may be about the same as a brace height for a target anchor.)
Just my opinion...


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## Huntmaster (Jan 30, 2003)

Hey guys, Cub1 started at the tender age of 5, and with a 24# recurve

Not really..........that 24# is at 24", and at her draw (8" past bh or so) she was pulling about 10 lb.

The bow is a Browning....don't know the model, but was a step above the Cupid that someone mentioned earlier.........she has it at her mom's house right now for weight training. 9 years for a bow to last, not bad. If it's like mine (30# Wasp) it'll start many more people in the sport as she gets older, so it should last for many many more....... Mine has


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## Brandeis_Archer (Dec 20, 2006)

archeryal said:


> I like the Samick Mind series, but they aren't available any more.


Just bought 5 of them from K-1 though my university. http://k1-archery.com/recurvebows/limbs/sammin.htm
I've discovered the joys of tossing aluminum arrows with a 20# bow at 70M... this could turn out dangerously expensive...

It might be a bit mass-heavy for a young kid though, it only comes in a 25" riser that I've seen. 

Regards, good luck.


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## spangler (Feb 2, 2007)

My 7 year old daughter (who is very petite) shoots a 23" Samick Mizar riser with 38lb short Winstorm limbs. This generates about 18 lb on the fingers at her 15.5" draw length. Yes, the BH takes up more than half her DL .

She competes at 30M regularly and averages about a 220 out of a 36 arrow round. She can get out to 40-45M if she really wanted to. She is shooting 25" ACC 2-00 with 80gr points.

-Andrew


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