Advanced Archery Shop in Hilbert, WI

ADVANCED ARCHERY in Hilbert is where I purchased my Mission CRAZE bow by Matthews. (Yes, I finally have my own bow!) It's also where my friend - Jason works, who started me on archery. Let's make one thing clear - I am not here to be objective nor to make business endorsements. I am here to help you by sharing about my archery beginner experience and make local recommendations, and will only recommend those products, people and places I personally received an outstanding customer service from.

ADVANCED ARCHERY in Hilbert, Wisconsin is a pro shop conveniently located just 10 miles east from Appleton area, north from Oshkosh and south from Green Bay. The store's hours are on Monday - Friday: 10 - 8 and Saturday: 10 - 4. On the top of a broad array of equipment they offer for your use and practice a 20 yards deep shooting range and a Techno Hunt Shooting Range.

The pro shop carries multiple brands, including left-handed equipment. Some of the brands you can find here are: Mission and Genesis by Matthews, PSE and Elite. The pro shop can also order anything for you, what wouldn't be going against their dealer agreements.

ADVANCED ARCHERY also offers any bow adjustments and repair. All associates have years of experience shooting bow and most are also avid hunters, who can advise you on anything from a bow choice to how to shoot better. They offer a professional, educated One on One customer attention keeping your wants needs and mind.

Their website is www.advancedarcheryhilbert.com. and the telephone number is (920) 853-3131.

Enjoy visiting the pro shop and after you do - don't forget to share your experience with us.

Advanced Archery Associates Jason and Jim helping customers

Basic Archery Lingo & Equipment

As promised here is a simple post on basic Archery Lingo I've got familiar within the first month of shooting bow:

3D - 3D are life size hard foam animals used to practice shooting or compete in tournaments

Archery - Sport discipline involving shooting a bow and arrow

Armguard - a leather or plastic accessory used to protect your arm from the string

Arrow - A slender, straight projectile or a stick meant to be shot from a bow
Bino - Binoculars

Bow: Compound - Bow with eccentric wheels or cams

Bow: Cross-bow - "T" shaped bow
Bow: Long-bow - A bow with straight limbs
Bow: Recurve - A bow with curved limbs

Draw weight - The max amount of weight an archer will pull while drawing the bow

Draw length - The distance from the nock point to the throat of the grip plus 1 3/4"

Form - Proper and consistent body posture when shooting

Glove (or Tab) - A protective garment/accessory protecting skin when "shooting fingers"

Hay -  To "shoot hay" is to shoot targets or cardboard animals mounted on a bail of hay

Let-off - "Let off" applies to compound bows and it is the percentage that the draw weight of the bow is reduced by once it is at full draw.
Paper - To "shoot paper" means to shoot mounted to a target stand or bail of hay cardboard animals

Quiver - A container for arrows

Range - Area to practice shooting

Score card - Small sheet with tables to fill in your score results for a league, tourney, etc

Sight(s) - Device with a set of pins to help aiming the targets more accurately
Stabilizer - Rod shaped device attached to front of a bow to reduce vibrations resulting in more accurate shots

Release - Instrument that allows the archer to release the bowstring from the fully drawn position without relaxing the fingers. 

String(s) - "Cord" attached to a bow used to release the arrow

Target - Aim object

My first score card in a non-competition 3D tourney

Before buying your (and MY!) first bow

I am excited to buy my first bow. I can only buy one at the moment so I need to choose wisely. The most frequent question is: What is you're going to use your bow for? And as much it would be great to use same bow for all: learning, target shooting and hunting, it may not be you option. I am not yet sure if I want to hunt. For me to go from an "I hate animal killers" perspective on hunting to "let's shoot me some dinner" I'd say would be mentally confusing, ergo dangerous and ethically shocking to my system. I may need to let this one grow on me, I am however impatient and say I decide to hunt and I have no bow to do the job, I'll kick myself.

A bow meant for learning and target shooting doesn't require certain poundage, which (in Wisconsin) is 30 pounds in draw weight for deer hunting. I've been shooting a compound bow with a draw weight approximately 20 pounds, not more; I realize that I am throwing in a lot of specific lingo here, which to a beginner, even myself still doesn't always make a complete sense. I'll write one of my next posts on some basic terms and slang you'll get familiar with very quick once you start exploring archery.

So, when picking your bow either for learning, target practices or hunting, you need to know how much you can draw. I found it very important and challenging. With that being said it's worth mentioning that besides a certain arm muscle strength, you need to start off with good eye sight (or if necessary - with proper corrective eye glasses or contacts :), balance and I guess self - composure, because YOU WILL MISS the target. A lot. Lol!

How do I know how much I can draw? Unless you end in a reputable archery shop, where they will take your measurements to adjust a right bow to your draw length and then let you shoot it, you may not know until you try shooting whatever bow(s) you have available. Like I posted earlier I was lucky to be able to do everything right from the start thanks to my friend and finding the club, which for the most part is equipped in everything that a beginner needs, including an advice and support from experienced and advanced archers. Some clubs offer free assessments, clinic events, etc. Try Googling them for the area where you live.

My 7yo in "her" full draw, first time shooting. I say: Not bad :)

The draw weight requirement however can be "fooled" by buying a bow with a "let-off". A "let-off" is a standard mechanism in 95% compound bows that I saw that allow you to "freeze" the bow at the full draw, but with a "feeling" of a reduced pull weight. The weight isn't actually reduced, it just "feels" like it, preventing your arm from fatigue. Oh my... I hope it make sense, I do however realize it most likely won't until you get to do it, like I had to.

More about bow types and their features soon and till later for now. Thanks for reading.

P.S. My daughter just saw the post and said: "Remember I was better than you?" Ha, Ha! Yes, she was :)

My First Archery Experience

I was lucky. A good friend of mine is an avid and experienced archer and his enthusiasm is contagious to say at least. I never liked shooting anything or hunting. I am (was?) against guns (weapons) and a right to keep and bear arms. I am (was? lol!) against hunting and killing animals for a purpose other than survival of self. "Unlucky" for me to have ended up in Wisconsin for many other reasons, I had to also embrace its love for outdoors sports. But archery is more than that. It's truly an art and not an average skill or not a skill for an average (engagement).

First bow I ever shot (in my friend's basement) was a cross bow. It wowed me with it's power and precision, but I had not felt any desire to shoot, yet. He as I mentioned is an avid archer an owns multiple bows: from stick bows to cross bows, including those that I've noticed are most common - compound bows. The first time I was intrigued and compelled to at least hold a bow in my hand, was when I accompanied him shooting a league at an archery club (Winnebago Archers; www.winnebagoarchersinc.com or on facebook: Winnebago Archers) he belongs to. I only kept the score, but I already wanted to try myself.

When we were done I said I wanted to try and I liked it. I liked it, didn't love it, yet. I just wanted to shoot, lol! After that first practice my fingers hurt, my eye sight was off (not really) and I got a nasty forearm string bite, but I learned something... It will take some pain first to get some satisfaction and it will take doing things right instead doing them my way. It all just happened about a month ago, so it may be a fascination, not a true love, but if I don't try I won't know. What I do know is that I WANT TO SHOOT BOW and as of now I am shopping for one. I already have gone to Sheels, but I didn't have a good experience. I'll be getting my bow (as well as an arm guard ;) either second hand or a new one through my friend's connection at a Wisconsin's local archery shop - Advanced Archery in Hilbert (www.advancedarcheryhilbert.com).

Last weekend I shot my first non-comp 3D tournament at the archery club, to which I now, too, as of two weeks ago belong. I am still in the very first beginner phases or maybe even "pre-beginner" and shooting a club bow which very light poundage and unmatched set of arrows, but I love it and I dare to hope I have the love coming back to me.

My first "string kiss"