School me on bowhunting

[Bullspit]

Dense foam works as a backstop.

If you have plastic shopping bags there you can get a lot of those, twist them together and stuff them tight into a burlap bag.

Old school would be to get grass and twist it into a circular mat.

I haven't tried it, but I suspect you could pack carpet scraps tightly together and stop an arrow.

Start with field points for practice. The are easier on the target.

[Precision]

I have used bags of peat moss.

Take two and stack them back to back. Double the height too if you want.

Would it be out of sight to mail you a bow from the US? We certainly have a greater selection and a $50 bow plus $50 shipping...

[PawPaw]

Consistency is the key to successful archery. I used two aids, a simple pin sight located on the upper limb of the bow and a kiss-point on the bowstring, a simple piece of tape wrapped around the bowstring that I could purse my lips and kiss at full draw. That kiss-point told me two things. 1) I was at a consistent, full draw, and 2) my rear sight (eyeball) was aligned properly with the pin sight. When those were right, all I had to do was consistently release so the arrow would fly properly.

[Aglifter]

They key is range estimation. Its fairly easy to be accurate w. a bow - especially a compound w. a mechanical release - but the drop changes rapidly.

(Most bowhunters I know hunt from known points, w. various indicators that they have measured the distances of - eg, that bush is 12M, the rock is 15M, the tree is 18M, etc.)

[McClarkus]

Backstop = cardboard. Stacked flat and bound. Shoot into it on edge. Repeat until your arm get tired.

[Yogimus]

Perhaps a more specific question would be in order.

Yeah, you are right.

I need the least expensive hunting bow that will kill a european boar - when I develop the skill to use it properly. I don't know about draw weights or anything like that.

The fieldcraft aspect I'm OK with.

... have you MET a european boar? (Big)

I had a recurve back in the day with a 40lb draw. Hitting things came naturally to me. I had no idea what I was doing or how, but I could make the arrows go where I wanted them to without any science.

[Netpackrat]

If you can get a bunch of (used) shrink wrap like they use to wrap pallets, and stuff it into a big box, that is supposed to make a pretty good backstop.

[Yogimus]

You know what does NOT make a good backstop? A couch. A couch and sheet-rock.

[PawPaw]

You know what does NOT make a good backstop? A couch. A couch and sheet-rock.

Sounds like another of those hard-learned lessons.

Another thing that doesn't make a good backstop?: The roof panel of a Lincoln Town Car... (you don't want to know.)

[Termite]

... have you MET a european boar? (Big)

Something to keep in mind: the vitals on swine are not in exactly the same spot as on an ungulate.

Also, the gristle shield on a really big mature boar's shoulder can literally stop an arrow from getting thru to the vitals. It IS NOT bulletproof, however, contrary to myth. Just real tough.