The Archery Sarasota Blog
Tuning walkthroughs, custom build breakdowns, tournament prep, Florida bowhunting readiness, and the questions we hear most at the bench.
Your First ASA 3D Shoot in Florida. What to Expect
Class breakdown, gear list, scoring rules, and what to do at your first stake. Hunter, Known 40, Unknown 40. Pick the right class for your first shoot.
Field Notes Archive
Best Broadheads for Florida: Fixed vs Mechanical
Why hogs and deer demand different heads, and how to match a broadhead to your draw weight, arrow weight, and tune.
Florida Hog Hunting With a Bow: A Year-Round Guide
Where to hunt, how to read a hog's shoulder shield, and the setup that gets a clean pass-through on Florida's toughest small game.
How Florida Heat and Humidity Throw Off Your Tune
Temperature changes your arrow speed and humidity moves your strings. Why Florida shooters re-check tune every season.
Bow Draw Weight and Arrow Setup for Florida Game
Effective poundage and arrow weight for hogs, deer, and turkey. Why momentum beats raw speed for penetration.
Florida Bowhunting Opening-Day Checklist
The 8-week pre-season ramp. Bow physical check, broadhead verification, sight tape rework, gear shakedown. From a USA Archery Level 3 coach, in time for July 26.
Pre-Hunt Bow Sight-In Routine
Verify your hunting setup in 30 minutes. Draw weight, Labradar speed, sight tape, broadhead grouping, fatigue test, shot routine drill.
Private Archery Lessons vs. Group Classes
What's actually different. Supervision ratio, pace, cost per coaching minute, and when each format is the right call.
Compound vs. Recurve for a First Lesson
The honest comparison, which bow type a beginner should start with, what each one actually is, and a side-by-side factor table.
Adult Beginner Archery: How to Start at Any Age
Never shot a bow? You're not too old, not too out of shape, and not going to embarrass yourself. The honest guide for adults considering a first lesson.
What to Expect in Your First Archery Lesson
Minute-by-minute walkthrough of a first lesson. What to wear, what happens in each segment, and what surprises new archers most.
Is Archery Safe for Kids? What Parents Should Actually Look For
Injury data, supervision ratios, the equipment that matters, and the red flags that should make you walk away from a program. A working coach's checklist.
At What Age Can Kids Start Archery?
Most kids are ready at 6. Some at 5, some at 7 or 8. A USA Archery Level 3 coach's three-test framework for deciding if your kid is ready for a first lesson.
How to Tune a Compound Bow at Home
The 5 tuning steps you can do yourself, and the 3 you can't. Cam timing, paper tuning, walk-back, broadhead verification, and where the wall is for a home shooter.
Why Broadheads & Field Points Don't Hit Together
The single most common reason hunters miss in October. The fix isn't a new sight. It's broadhead spin tuning, paper tuning, and Labradar-verified flight at distance.
Florida Bowhunting Readiness Check, The 7 Things We Test
The pre-season audit we run for hunters before opening weekend. Quiver fit, broadhead flight, sight tape verification, anchor consistency, and 4 more.
Your First Compound Bow in Florida. What Matters Most
Draw length, draw weight, brand differences that matter and which don't, sub-$500 vs. $1000+ bows, and where to actually buy without getting upsold into the wrong rig.
BCY 452 Extra vs. 452X. Why We Won't Use the Old Material
Two materials look almost identical. One is the current standard, the other is what every shop used a decade ago. We unpack the difference and why it matters for your peep rotation.
Indoor → Outdoor Archery Transition (Florida Edition)
Coming off a winter of indoor 18-meter, the outdoor 70-meter line feels different. Wind reading, sight setup, anchor changes, and the mental shift to make.
Got a Question We Haven't Answered?
If you're working on a Florida bow setup or tournament prep question that isn't here, ask. We'll write it up.
Send a QuestionCommon Questions
About Archery Sarasota.
Is Archery Sarasota the same as Sarasota Archery Academy?
No — they are two related but distinct organizations sharing a coach and a physical address. Archery Sarasota is the for-profit Archery Development Center at 7524 Castle Dr, Sarasota, FL offering custom bow builds, bow tuning, custom bowstrings, custom arrows, and private archery lessons by appointment. Sarasota Archery Academy is a separate 501(c)(3) non-profit competitive youth travel team that practices on the same range Monday and Thursday evenings. The same USA Archery certified coaches volunteer their time at the academy. The academy does not offer commercial coaching, custom bow services, or other Archery Development Center services. For bow service, string replacement, custom arrows, custom builds, or private lessons, the business is Archery Sarasota.
Who runs Archery Sarasota?
Archery Sarasota is owned and operated by Robert Gilbert (USA Archery Level 3 Coach, NTS certified) and co-owner Scott Reed (USA Archery Level 2 Instructor). Rob handles all custom bow builds, tuning, advanced coaching, Western hunt prep, bowhunting coaching, and TAC setup. Scott leads beginner and youth introductory lessons.