Do you really need another full set-up for outdoor vs. indoor archery?
Indoor season is right around the corner, and 18m shooting is about to become the norm. However, the question remains: do I need a whole different set-up when I change to shooting indoors? The short answer: no (you’re welcome, parents). Many of the top-level pro-shooters will show up to indoor and outdoor shoots with different bows, but you must remember that they get their equipment for free, or at a severely discounted price.
It is entirely possible to shoot the same bow for long-range outdoor shooting and short-range indoor shooting. Some archers don’t even change their outdoor arrows to the thicker line-catching indoor aluminum arrows and keep shooting their skinny aerodynamic long-range arrows. If you do decide to change your arrows and/or equipment accessories, however, there are certain things you should consider when making the switch.
Changing arrow sizes to a bigger diameter shaft for indoor shooting is the most common equipment change that most archers make. An entire bow change is not necessary, but modifications to your arrow rest and plunger (for recurve archers) must be made to ensure ultimate accuracy. Compound archers will need to change their arrow rest to accommodate the bigger diameter, which is done by changing the arrow rest blade to a wider one, as well as lowering the entire arrow rest using the vertical adjustment knobs. Recurve archers will need to adjust the “sweep angle” of their wire arrow rest, lower the wire of the arrow rest (so that the contact on the plunger is close to the center of the plunger tip), and adjust the center shot with their plunger. Most archery shops – or YouTube videos – can help you with this. Slight adjustments may have to be made to the nocking point height, but this depends on the archer and their shooting style.
Since the target for indoor shooting will look slightly different because of its dimensions and proximity to the archer, some people change their sight pin size or scope magnification. This can be as simple as purchasing another sight pin or lens that can be installed when indoor season starts. Of course, when a new sight pin or scope lens has been installed, some slight modifications to the windage will have to be made to accommodate the different sight.
Indoor season is also a good time for archers to work on improving their form. Plenty of archers take advantage of the close distance and not needing high poundage; they lower their poundage to work on form issues, which typically requires retuning their bow. This can be a great exercise because it keeps the archer “fluent” in knowing their equipment and how to adjust their bow without assistance.
Switching seasons doesn’t have to be an expensive task. Although some people can afford to purchase both an indoor and outdoor bow, knowing the small modifications you can make to just one set-up can save you lots of money that can be put toward more tournaments and competition experience. Building a good competition experience is much more useful than another new bow.
