PETE WARD

"WELCOME TO MY OUTDOOR WORLD"

SPECIAL GEAR REVIEW

"OLEQUA KIDS BOWS"

1350 Ferrier rd 
  Winlock WA. 98596

mandsgibson@netzero.net 

MIKE GIBSON BOWYER

SPEC'S 

 36" RED OAK  KIDS  SELF BOW.

5#@15"

 

This is a very special review to introduce the tiny tots to archery and all the fun things we take for granted. As spring nears I will be updating this review and showing Emily's progress as she learns to shoot her new bow. Emily is my assistant for this review and she is also my 3 year old grand daughter. This is her first bow ,and it was built just for her by Mike Gibson  at Olequa Bows .

It is dificult to find a bow that fits the kids sizes.Most kids bows are 48" long and for the real little ones it is just to much. This leaves the kids out and archery is just not fun to watch when you are only 3.

Mike has a passion for introducing kids to archery. He will build a bow for the kids that is custom to their strength and size. If the kids are 3 or 6 feet tall he will make a bow that fits them at the draw weight they need.

If they can handle it they will enjoy it . A bow that is to large, even if the draw weight is good is just to dificult to shoot. At three feet tall Emilys bow is a perfect size for her. We would not want a 10 foot bow, so why do we get kids a bow that is to big? Usualy because that is all their is available unless we get a plastic toy . Mike will build a special bow to fit your kids size.

Emilys bow is a minature real bow. It has antler nocks, strike plate and arrow rest that is attached under the leather grip.The string is even equiped with rabbit fur silencers and a wind detector. It is very well finished and looks just like the big peoples bows in every aspect. This is important if we want to have the kids respect their bows and not treat them like toys. This bow is not a toy!!I drew it to 12 inches and shot an arrow 60 yards down the range. It sticks arrows into frozen 3D targets. Without supervision the cat could be in jeopardy. For the safety of everyone involved Emily's bow is kept at Grampy's house,unstrung on my bow racks out of harms way.

Every review I do starts with the excitement of opening the box ,and as you can see this was no diferent for Emily.She had no Idea that Mike was building her a bow.The expression says it all.

 

As an added surprise to both of us Mike included a fully adjustable back quiver , that is also sized for her and the arows I made for her. Emily was wanting to try out everything immediately and she could not be happier to show off the bow and quiver for a quick picture with her favorite toy in the background. The Bambi is part of a decoy set I have that is her favorite toy at my house.

Her bow arrived in the dead of Alberta winter so we did not have a lot of shooting oportunities untill yesterday when spring started to show. Emily called me and asked if we could make some arrows and go shoot the "Bear" at Mr. Bobs Range. How can I say no?We started some new arows and while they were drying we went shooting.

Bundled in heavy clothes she was "READY FOR BEAR"   and any other target that was in range. Much to our delight we were able to shoot and hit the targets and even have the arrows stick in. Note how the grip fits the tiny hand in the picture .This is what the kids need if thy are going to learn to shoot and have fun.

Like every bowhunter even the kids like a "Trophy Photo".

 

Her bow is tillered well and it shoots surprisingly well for such a tiny bow. It is very quiet, so mice will not jump the string. The antler reinforced tips are fast flight compatable also.{LOL} The fur silencers and wind detector  certailly add to the apeal. Getting a full draw photo evaded us as Emily had no time for posing when an arrow was on the string. {I need more practice with the camera.}

It did not take long to figure out the Quiver,and I am sure that by summer she will have it mastered.

Shortly after this picture it was time to go home. Sessions need to be short.Let the kids decide when it it time to stop and they will want to do it again. Before long you will be fighting to get them to stop. There is lots of time to learn form and all that stuff. For the beginning concentrate on fun. That should be the measure of success. Determined looks like we see in the picture below when Emily was drawing on the "Big Bad Bear" tell it all. 

 

I am a strong advocate of starting kids off young with good equipment.

Good does not mean expensive!!

If we give them a bow they can handle and shoot the success will follow. To often we see a young one with dad's old bent and warped arows and a bow they are trying to muscle. This is a recepie for failure.Many kids will soon want to give up. They need success.At first success is often just getting an arrow to shoot far. Make it fun and they will enjoy the time with you.

For Emilys arrows I ordered Ramin 1/4" x 24" shafts from Three Rivers  {$3.50/dozen} and matching 60gr points {$2.95/dozen} and 1/4"nocks {$1.35} . I cut fletches with the Vario feather clipper to suit the size of her arrows 2 1/2" long, by adjusting the base and using the ends left over from my own fletches. We cut her arrows to 17" so they match the bow's draw. At a total cost of $7.80 for a dozen good arrows there is no reason to not make up proper arrows that will shoot well from a kids bow.

We spent a great day building arrows and shooting. She helped sand the shafts, stain and seal them , then we went shooting and came home to finish her first arrows she made. We used crest wraps I had to make them easy to find in the grass and she helped put the glue and fletches on. This was a great day both of us will remember.

The first arrows I made were 3 fletch, they fly good but are confusing for Emily to nock right. The ones we made together have 4 fletches and that eleminates the confusion of which way the cock fletch goes.

If you shoot the Dart system the, carbon arrows we use are the perfect size to slip over these arrows, and we can use the cut ends, 2" long with an insert to allow the kids to shoot with us. These home made adapters will take the screw in "Dart Blunts" we must use and often can be obtained from the broken arrows that are at the ranges.

Pete Ward & Emily Power

"Welcome to our Outdoor World"

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