When it comes to kids and archery, what starts with a few shots at a target can turn into a lifelong passion. What begins as a great way to spend quality time outdoors with a parent often grows into the reason for trekking into the woods each and every fall for decades.
One of the charms of archery lies in its universal appeal and accessibility. Modern bow technology is such that not only can men and women of all ages participate in the sport, but so can boys and girls of all backgrounds. No matter where archery takes you, it all starts by picking up a bow.
What follows is our guide to outfitting a kid with a bow. Thanks in large part to a specially designed, newly offered compound bow, the process of doing so is remarkably straightforward. The Faze Bow from Blackout was conceived to bring accuracy, precision and performance to youth archery. What’s more, the Faze Bow is highly adjustable and designed to grow with young shooters.
Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s have everything you need to get started—in terms of both products and accessories as well as knowledge and expertise.
The Basics: Choosing the Right Bow
When it comes to the right size of equipment, there exist two fundamental rules:
- The bow has to fit the shooter.
- The arrows have to fit the bow.
Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s archery Outfitters are experts in the space. They specialize in helping customers not only get into the right bow, but to make sure it fits properly and is equipped with the right package of options and accessories.
The fit of the bow is among the most important considerations in archery. A good fit not only makes for a bow that is comfortable to shoot but provides the foundation for proper shooting habits and techniques. Proper shooting form is the foundation of success in any archery endeavor— target practice in the backyard, competition or bowhunting.
The fit of a bow is generally defined by two main inputs: draw length and draw weight. Draw weight measures the amount of force required to pull back the bow string. A bow’s draw length measures the distance between the bow’s string at rest and at full draw.
The ideal draw weight is a function of the strength of the shooter. The optimal draw length depends on the shooter’s height (and length of his or her arms). Proper bow fit is important to all archers, but especially for young ones.
Grow With Your Bow
As every parent understands, kids get taller and stronger all the time. The Faze Bow’s draw length and draw weight are adjustable across an incredibly wide range.
Draw Weight range: 5-60 pounds
Draw Length range: 13-28 inches
This adjustability has several important implications. It means that you can outfit your son or daughter with the bow this year, providing them with a comfortable, high performance compound bow that is precisely dialed in to match their current stature.
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| The Faze Bow at full draw. The draw length is the measure between full draw (above) and the bow at rest. |
By the time next deer season rolls around, you will likely be in the market for a new hunting jacket, hiking boots and pants. You will not, however, need to purchase another bow. All you have to do is adjust the Faze Bow to match how much your son or daughter have grown. You can do this at home or you can bring it in for an annual service and adjustment at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s.
The Faze Bow not only saves you money through time (because you don’t have to buy a new bow every other year) but benefits your kid in a number of ways too. In fact, the Faze Bow may well become your young hunter’s favorite hunting buddy (second favorite, that is…).
The confidence and comfort they build by using the bow comes with them as they get bigger. Your young hunter will be shooting the same bow, with the same feel, feeling the same equity of confidence— continually dialed in and adjusted to match them as they grow.
Advantages of the Faze Bow
The Faze Bow from Blackout offers a variety of advantages to those who own it. Here are a few of our favorites:
- The Faze is scaled down to fit small framed archers—male and female, adult and youth. The Faze is not a “big bow made smaller,” it is a specially designed compound bow for small-framed shooters. It features a smaller grip, proportionate riser and limbs and can be used with a smaller release as well. These features make the Faze comfortable for smaller framed shooters.
- A bow specifically designed to fit growing shooters—through time, year in, year out.
- The Faze includes all of the features and components of an adult bow. The Faze bow is not a junior model. It is not a toy. It is a highly adjustable, high performance compound bow that is specifically designed to delivery accuracy and precision across a wide range of draw lengths and draw weights.
- Money savings at time of purchase. The Faze Bow is sold at a tremendous value that is not matched by similarly appointed competitive products.
- Money saving through time. Because it performs well across its wide range of draw lengths and weights, your eight year old’s favorite bow could be her favorite at 16.
- The Faze brings high performance to youth archery. The Faze brings hunting performance to young archers. Let their skill, confidence and comfort dictate when they are ready for deer season—not the performance of their bow. (Note- laws for youth bowhunting vary by state. Be sure to abide by regulations in your area.)
- Performance begets confidence. “Shooting like Dad…” makes kids feel good and confident. The excitement and satisfaction they derive from the Faze Bow may well increase the likelihood they stick with archery through time.
How to Get Started with a Faze Bow
Because your bow must fit the shooter, the first step in getting your kid outfitted with a Faze Bow is to get measured. The archery Outfitters at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s will measure your kid and adjust the draw length on their bow to match.
Your young archer will then draw the Faze to check that it’s right. The Outfitter will adjust as needed.
The Outfitter will also establish your child’s eye dominance. Knowing which eye your child uses for aiming, will dictate some of the bow’s configuration—such as whether he or she needs a right-handed or left-handed bow.
The next step is to adjust the draw weight. You’ll need to find the weight that is comfortable for your young shooter to draw. You can only do this by trying the bow.
The right draw weight will be the point at which they can comfortably draw the bow and hold it back. It should not be a strain, but it should not be too easy either.
Once you have preliminary draw weight, the Outfitter will let the archer shoot the bow a number of times. It’s a good practice to run through a few repetitions and then to take a short break and try again.
You’ll want a draw weight that your kid is comfortable pulling back on his 10th or 15th shot, not just his first three or four.
With eye dominance determined and the draw length and weight set appropriately, the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s archery team will fine tune the bow. They can also size your arrows and recommend the right body of gear and accessories to match your child’s new Faze Bow.
The Benefits of Coming into Bass Pro Shops
You can purchase the Faze Bow online and make adjustments in your home. The bow’s owner’s manual provides thorough instructions on how to change draw length, draw weight and other variables. For experienced archers, this is a great route. In fact, the Faze was designed to make this possible.
For those getting into archery for the first time (and for most anyone who can do so), purchasing the Faze Bow instore offers a variety of benefits. Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s archery outfitters are not only experienced and knowledgeable when it comes to bowhunting and equipment, they also have quite a bit of experience adjusting bows for kids, small framed shooters and people of all sizes.
Our stores have archery ranges on site. Your kid can test the bow and learn the basics of shooting form. Outfitters can make all of the necessary adjustments to draw weight and draw length, while providing insight and instruction tailored to your bow and your child.
The one-to-one guidance of a trusted expert can help you filter your way through the wide world of archery products to get exactly what you need—while avoiding things that you don’t. A trip into Bass Pro Shops archery department could well be the first step in your kid’s lifelong passion for bow hunting.
What’s more, they can also fit your arrows to your bow. This involves picking the right model, cutting them down to size, gluing in the insert and recommending the right type of field point.
Because well sell all of the accessories and products you need, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s archery Outfitters can also help you set up a package of everything you need to start shooting immediately. This includes such products as targets, a bow case, a release, arrows, field tips, string wax, and more.
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