Have you been racking your brain trying to come up with some archery gift ideas and you can think of anything? If you’re looking for the perfect gift for the archer in your life then read on, you’ll get the scoop first hand from an archer who wishes people knew the things that we all love to get as gifts.
Like it or not, buying presents for people can sometimes be a pain, but at least you know that you’re buying for someone who’s into archery – so you’ve just made your life easier by zoning in on archery products only. Even if you don’t know much (or anything) about archery, you can still get them a killer gift. Why? Because there are certain things that pretty much all archers want and need, and I’ll show you what they are.
So whether it’s a birthday presents for your kids, a Christmas gift for your main squeeze or just a surprise gift for no reason at all – these archery gift ideas will see to it that your special someone gets just the right gift.
Arrows
Maybe it comes as no surprise but, we archers always need arrows! Even if we have enough of them right now, we can always use more. After all arrows break, get lost, get caught up in trees and all other manner of environmental arrow sabotaging.
Even if I’ve got a good amount of arrows now, if more can fit in my quiver that’s more shots I can take at a target before I have to go retrieve them all. That means more fun time for me!
If you don’t know what kind of arrows to buy, just get a hold of one of their current arrows and jot down anything printed on the arrow. Most companies put their name (and sometimes even the model) right on the arrow. You can look them up online and order a dozen or so of them easily.
If you’re archer fletches their own arrows – that means they buy the arrow, but put the feathers on themselves, you can still buy the arrows uncut or fletched. That way, they can set them up how they like later on.
Quivers
Whether your favorite archer already has a quiver or not, another one is always a good idea. Quivers to archers are like handbags to women, there’s always room for one more.
Simply having quivers in different colors and styles is fun, and sometimes even practical. An archer may want a quiver with a certain kind of arrows for 3D archery shoots, while having another quiver with different arrows for hunting trips.
Different quivers are great for reflecting different moods, or even just changing up your style. If your archer has the modern type of quiver, consider getting them a traditional handmade leather style quiver for a change.
Customized Quiver Belt
While we’re on the subject of quivers, a customized quiver belt with your favorite archer’s name proudly engraved or embroidered is something that should be appreciated by any archer. This is especially great if your archer goes to tournaments or competitions – it’s a little extra bling that’ll show people that they’re the real deal.
Professional Bow Cases
These days, bow cases have been taken to the next level. Bow cases used to just be simple, no frills hard shell carrying cases – no more, no less. Now bow cases come in all varieties and all shapes and sizes.
Cases now also carry arrows, quivers, tools and more – even mobile phones. Some have locks built in or are lockable, making them much more safe for keeping bows out of the hands of kids.
If they don’t already have one, or if they have one of those cheap, flimsy bow carrying bags – getting them a new, professional case could be just the thing.
This case is perfect for take-down recurve bows (recurve bows that come apart for easy storage), while this is an awesome case for compound bows. And while we’re at it, this is my number 1 choice for best recurve bow case, not only will it store your bow, arrows and accessories – it’s airline travel approved and features a durable hard shell case.
Optics
Whether they shoot a recurve bow, compound bow or even a traditional longbow, all archers can use good quality optics – that is binoculars and rangefinders.
While binoculars allow archers to see where their arrows are hitting the target, rangefinders help an archer find out what the distance to the target is.
If your archer is into 3D archery or bow hunting, optics are an especially good gift idea. For binoculars these are great for those on a budget, while these are some of my personal favorites.
Rangefinders are normally quite expensive, as they use complex lasers to figure the distance to the target, however these are some affordable binoculars with some basic range-finding ability – just be aware that they don’t use lasers. For the real deal laser rangefinders: this is the way to go – but they’re not cheap.
Targets
Other than a bow and arrows, the other thing an archer always needs is targets. More targets are always welcome, especially if they’re different types or styles of target then someone already has.
First, you need to find out what type of archer that you’re buying for. Do they shoot recurve, compound, longbow or crossbow? If you’re not sure, a recurve bow is a bow where the limbs curve away from the archer when the bow is unstrung.
A compound bow is the type that has cables and pulleys and lots of bow string going up and down from the pulleys.
While a longbow is a (usually) wooden bow that can be five to six feet long. If you’re still unsure what type of bow they shoot, you can always look up the different types of bows online, then compare them to the person’s bow that you’re buying for.
The reason you need to know what type of bow you’re buying a target for is because some types of bows (crossbows for example) are too powerful for targets that weren’t built to handle that type of bows shots. There are targets built for stronger bows, but they usually cost more – so you don’t want to buy an expensive crossbow target for someone who shoots a recurve bow.
Generally, there are targets that are good for recurve bows and longbows, and targets that are good for compound bows and crossbows. This target is a great, multi-sided target for recurve and longbow archers. While this is a cool target specifically designed for compound bows and crossbows.
If the person you’re buying for frequently shoots at an indoor target range, then cheap paper archery targets will be something that they go through a lot – and could probably use more of.
Register Them in Tournaments and 3D Shoots
If you know that the archer you’re buying for likes to compete in tournaments or take part in 3D archery shoots, why not register them for any upcoming events that they’ll most likely be planning to attend.
You can check online to see what tournaments and shoots are coming up in the year and pay for they’re entry fee online. A word of caution though, only do this is you’re already sure that they like to compete and / or attend these types of events. You don’t want someone who never shoots in tournaments to feel pressured to compete if that’s not their thing.
Bow Stand
Sometimes when you’re trying to think of a gift to get someone, the most frustrating people to buy for are the ones that already seem to have everything. This can also be true of people who have a certain hobby, like archery, but seem to already have everything that they’ll ever need for the sport.
The one thing a person like this may not yet have is a bow stand. And it’s not because they’re not worth having. Bow stands are convenient, great for keeping things neat and easy to move to clean around. They keep a bow safe from falling over and getting damaged or scratched, and they’re even useful when they’re shooting.
Bow stands can go outdoors and hold an archers bow while they go to retrieve their arrows after each bit of shooting. For some reason though, a lot of archers never think to get one.
This is my personal choice as the best affordable bow stand out there.
Camel Pack
Whether you’re buying for an archer who bow hunts, or someone who loves 3D archery – there’s one thing they’ll have in common – you get thirsty after a while. Both bow hunters and 3d archers alike are constantly on the move and out in the wilderness at the same time. Not only that, but it’s awkward and cumbersome to carry around a bottle of water or a canteen.
Camel packs are an awesome, modern little invention that solves that problem brilliantly. They store tons of water, and even keep it cooled when your archer is out in the wild for hours at a time. Currently, this one is a top seller on Amazon and it offers great quality at a really great price.
Arrow Removal Tools
Another cool gadget that not a lot of archers have are arrow removal tools. These are great for when an arrows flys off and gets jammed in a tree. Not only can that be a real pain to get out, but it can risk breaking the arrows – which aren’t cheap.
Arrow removal tools are also perfect for 3D archery shooters, as some targets can make it a bit difficult to retrieve your arrows. They’re small, easy to keep with you and could prevent broken arrows – not bad for a really low cost item. Check out this little arrow remover on Amazon.
Lighted Nocks
Nocks are the tip on the end of the arrow where the arrow clicks onto the bow string. A really cool invention in recent years are lighted nocks, arrow nocks that (you guessed it) light up for night shooting and easier arrow retrieval.
How they work is simple: They have a little trigger that causes them to automatically light up one the arrow is put onto the bow string. They come with a little tool that fits in a little hole on the nock, which shuts them off when you’re done using them.
These are super fun to shoot at night or with friends at a bonfire. They’re also a fun and interesting way to get kids into archery. Not only that, they’re also quite practical. When shooting in low light or harder to see conditions, lighted arrow nocks help an archer to quickly and easily find arrows that they might have otherwise lost. Check out these awesome lighted nocks on Amazon.
Bow Wrench
A bow wrench is a cool little tool that can adjust all different points on all different types of bows. These are especially useful for archers that shoot recurve bows and compound bows. These are available with both metric and imperial measurements, which is helpful because archery uses both of those systems.
This great little tool could be your archer’s go to tool in their archery case.
Multi-tool
There are lots of situations that come about out in the wild in which people wish they had a knife, a wrench, screwdriver or some other type of tool. For archers who are out in the field either bow hunting or in 3D archery tournaments, a multi-tool is a must that many archers overlook.
Most people don’t carry a multi-tool with them – until the first time they one! Every archer who goes out into the wilderness should have one with them, and many people carry a multi-tool no matter where they are. This one’s the king of all of them.
Lessons and Range Time
Especially for the more new and inexperienced archers, archery lessons are a great gift. Even at intermediate levels, any archer could always learn more and get better. Plus archery lessons are a great way to not only get kids interested in archery, but keep them interested, especially during the winter months when they wouldn’t normally be able to shoot.
And while we’re at it, prepaying for some time on the archery range for your favorite archer will give them a place to shoot indoors during the cold winter season outdoors.
I hope this list has helped you to find some ideas for the perfect gift for your favorite archer. Archers may seem a bit hard or intimidating to buy for, especially if you’re not all that familiar with sport yourself. Hopefully I’ve taught you a couple of things about archery, and maybe even given you some of your own awesome gift ideas for your special archer.