It’s always difficult to find a good gift. But if you want to be creative and find a gift related to archery it can be even more difficult, especially if you are not into archery yourself.
With this article, I will help you by providing 16 creative gift ideas for someone who practices archery. Since I have been into archery for more than 10 years, I will tell you what we archers like to get as a gift. I have bought many of these items for myself, or they are on my own wish list.
I have excluded a lot of specialized gear from this list. That will require a lot of technical knowledge which is not ideal if you are not into archery yourself.
Don’t like reading, I have also created a video with 10 gift ideas from this list:
1. Arrow counter
Archers often count the number of arrows they shoot. They either do this on a piece of paper or on their phone. But that is rather inconvenient because you must pull out your blocnote or phone after your shots.
Counting your arrows is very helpful because archers often try to increase their arrow count. The more arrows you shoot, the better you get!
That’s why a clicker counter is an amazing gift for an archer. You can hang the clicker on your quiver which means that it’s always in reach. It makes for a small and clever gift!
2. Hex wrench set
Every time you buy a new sight, plunger, or other accessories you get some hex wrenches to adjust them. Although it is nice that you get a hex wrench it is quite inconvenient to carry them all separately.
Therefore, a hex wrench set is an amazing gift for archers. This hex wrench from Pine Ridge has a holster which makes it easy to add it to your quiver.
Make sure to buy an archery hex wrench set and not a normal hex wrench set! Otherwise, there will be many wrench sizes that you don’t use and some sizes missing.
3. Bow scale
Most archers don’t have a bow scale because they go to an archery shop to let a specialist work on their bow. But when archers get more invested in their hobby, they will start to do more themselves.
A bow scale allows you to measure the draw weight of your bow, which is important when you must select arrows, or when you are changing your draw weight. I bought this device a while ago and I am using it much more than I was expecting.
Another useful feature of the device is that you can also use it as a luggage scale, to make sure that your bags are not too heavy while flying. So, this is a very useful and affordable device!
4. Resistance bands set
Archers often train their muscles outside of the archery range to improve their archery performance. This allows you to have more control during your shots and in the long run you might be able to increase your draw weight.
You can use your bow to do this, but that is rather inconvenient indoors. Also, you generally want to train with a higher draw weight than you shoot right now. A set of resistance bands can be extremely helpful!
Especially while traveling or going on long vacations a lot of archers pack some resistance bands. If you don’t shoot for a few weeks, you will start to lose muscle mass which makes it more difficult when you get started again.
In this article, I have listed some great exercises you can do with these resistance bands to train your muscles for archery.
5. Arrow puller
A lot of archers don’t buy an arrow puller because they think that it’s not necessary. But once you have used one, you will never go without one. Also, when you have a misfire in a tree, this is often your only hope to get it out.
An arrow puller makes pulling the arrow out of the target a lot easier. Pulling on the thin arrow can get rather painful on your fingers, especially on hard targets and when the arrow is shot fast.
Even if you already have an arrow puller, it’s never a bad idea to have a spare. Arrow pullers don’t last forever as the rubber will wear out after continuous use.
In this article, I have compared 5 different arrow pullers. But I have to say, the Eason wedge is my absolute favorite. It’s easy to use, durable, and provides a lot of grip while retrieving the arrow.
6. Rangefinder
For archers that shoot outdoors a range finder is an extremely cool gift. Since we must set our sight at a set distance, we need to estimate the distance. A rangefinder takes all the guesswork out and tells you the exact distance.
I have been using this device in a lot of situations. For example, when setting up an archery range in my backyard or while shooting on the field. I also used them as binoculars in a pinch.
I guarantee you that your outdoor archer will enjoy this gift!
7. Bow press
Just like the bow scale a lot of archers don’t buy a bow press for themselves, because they think that they can always get their bow fixed in an archery store. That is true, but what will you do when you have an issue on the field?
I bought a cheap Chinese bow press a while ago and I have already used it for a lot of things, like:
- Replacing the peep sight
- Replacing a cable
- Adding additional twists to the string
There are simply a lot of reasons why a bow press can be rather handy in a pinch, I explain that in more detail in this article. Please note that this device is only useful for compound archers. So don’t buy it if your archer shoots with a recurve bow!
I have linked the bow press I have in the article. If you want a detailed review, I recommend reading this article.
8. Serving jig set
A serving jig allows you to add or replace the serving on your string. The serving protects the bowstring from the arrows and other contact points. But since the serving will rub along other bow parts it will deteriorate over time.
Therefore, I always recommend archers buy a spool of serving wire. You can also change the serving without a jig, but that is very difficult.
Serving wire is also useful for other applications. I use it to clean my string for example, and I have tied some things down with it. Due to its strength, the rope is very useful in a lot of applications.
Even if your archer already has serving wire and a jig, it’s never bad to have a spare one. The serving wire will be used over time. And you can keep one jig in your bow bag and one at home, so you always have some with you when you need to make some last-minute repairs.
9. Online Archery Academy course
Another great gift idea is to buy an Online Course. Although the archer that receives the gift might have done a course already, this can still be very helpful. For example, the course of Online Archery Academy includes a ton of videos that explain everything about archery.
I recently got access to both the beginners and the advanced course by Ashe Morgan. Both courses are well worth your money, as they contain a lot of in-depth tips. Even though I have been practicing archery for a long time, I still found it very useful to improve my own technique.
If the receiver practices archery for less than one year, I recommend the beginner’s course. If the receiver is more experienced, I recommend the advanced course. But there is a lot of great content in both courses.
10. Arrow tube
When you buy a bag for your bow, you often get an arrow tube with it. But I found that it is very useful to have another arrow tube. For example, where do you keep arrows that need to be repaired? I use a secondary arrow tube for it.
Also, you might buy arrows in bulk but don’t want to carry them all to the range. I have 3 arrow tubes in total, I am using them as follows:
- Used in the bow bag to carry the arrows I am using
- Arrows that need to be repaired, for example when the fletching or the nock is damaged
- Good arrows that I no longer use (from old bows). I keep these because I might use them for another bow or project.
So, another arrow tube is always welcome. The longer you practice archery, the more arrows you will collect!
11. Binoculars
Archers that shoot outdoors often have a pair of binoculars. Once you start shooting at 50 meters (55 yards), it’s nearly impossible to see where your arrows land without them. Therefore, a pair of binoculars is very useful.
I even carry multiple in my bow bag because I sometimes have spectators who also like to see where my arrows land.
Since it’s not a specialty item, it will be used one way or another. If it’s not used for archery, it will be used for spotting birds or animals on vacation. It’s overall a great gift!
12. Hoyt clothes
Hoyt is one of the biggest archery brands, it’s like the Nike of archery. When you go to an archery club you will often see a lot of people wearing Hoyt hats, hoodies, and shirts. A lot of archers really like this brand, so it makes for a great gift.
Especially if your archer is already sporting clothing from Hoyt, you know that he/she is a fan. So, any Hoyt merchandise you buy will be greatly appreciated.
Even though I am not the biggest Hoyt fan, I would sincerely appreciate it if someone took the time to buy something that is related to my hobby.
13. Survival knife
Once I started to shoot in the woods with my bow, I purchased a survival knife. It’s a very useful tool, but the major reason I needed it is to get my arrows out of the trees.
With 3D archery, the archers need to shoot on foam animals that are sometimes hidden behind trees. When you miss the target there is a high probability that the arrow imbeds itself in the tree. To retrieve it, a strong survival knife will allow you to carve little pieces out of the tree to make room for the arrow.
I have this generic brand knife, it works great for this application, but there are more amazing knives available!
14. A micro bow
If your archer has been into archery for a long time, there is a big chance that he/she already got a lot from this list. In that case, we must be a bit more creative.
This micro bow will be appreciated by the receiver. Not only is it a great display piece, but it also shoots! So, it’s a great toy for indoors! It resembles a mini compound bow, so if he or she shoots with a compound bow, this is a great choice
It’s not an item that a lot of archers will buy themselves, but I can tell you that any archer would be intrigued by it.
15. Camping chair
Archers that shoot on the field often spend hours on end standing. I can tell you from experience, that the soles of my foot are often burning after a long day at the range. In most cases, it is not practical to sit on the ground, because the grass can be dirty or wet.
So, the last few years I brought my camping chair, which allowed me to sit down between shots.
Just like some other items on the list, since this is such a practical item it can be used outside of archery for many uses. So, I can guarantee that it will be used!
16. Storage boxes
Archers gather a lot of stuff that needs to be stored, think for example of specialty tools and replacement parts. It’s quite a technical hobby that requires a lot of gear and we need to store it and keep it organized.
Although it doesn’t seem like a very fancy gift, it’s very practical. Many archers put all their gear in one big box, but if you buy them a nice storage solution, they will appreciate it!
Some tips to find the perfect gift
Finding a good gift is always difficult. You want to give something that the receiver appreciates but also uses. That can be quite challenging, especially, because people often buy the things they need and want themselves.
To make this process a bit easier, I will give a few tips that will help you select the perfect gift!
Show interest in archery
It can be extremely difficult to buy a gift related to archery if you know nothing about it. Luckily, you can ask the receiver some questions. Don’t make it too obvious though, but some simple questions can go a long way.
For example, you can ask:
- Is archery an outdoor sport, or do you shoot indoors sometimes?
- I guess you must be strong for archery, right? Do you train to build muscle?
- Do you shoot with one of those historic bows or a modern bow?
Not only will this help you to select a gift. It will also show the receiver that you are interested in their hobbies.
Don’t buy these things!
Archery equipment can be highly specialized. The gift ideas I provided in this article were not. Buying highly specialized gear is extremely difficult if you are not into the hobby. So, if you are not experienced with archery, you shouldn’t buy any of the following gear:
- Arrows: although a few extra arrows will never hurt. Finding the right one is very complicated. I have written a full guide on selecting arrows, but you will need a lot of specific information about the bow and archer to follow the guide.
- An attachment for the bow: although a nice sight, stabilizer or grip would be very welcome. These attachments rely heavily on the archer. Some archers prefer a simple sight, while others want a more advanced sight. Unless you know exactly what they want, you might want to stay clear of these gifts.
- Protection and cases/bags: archery luggage and protection are also very difficult for the same reason. The problem is that preferences differ a lot between archers.
So, in general, you should stay clear of all things that are attached to the bow or necessary to shoot. That gear is highly specialized and very personal.
Be creative
Although you might want to give something that is directly related to archery. There are a lot of great gift ideas if you are willing to be creative.
For example, if your archer shoots outdoors in cold weather a lot, some hand-warmers, or a beanie can be a great gift. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an archery product, there are a lot of products that archers use to enjoy the hobby.
A funny and educational story about archery gifts
I have a funny story to share about an archery gift that I got when I turned 15 years old. Since I was just into archery, my sister went to an archery store to get a gift for me. But since she didn’t know much about the sport, she didn’t really know what to buy.
In the end, she decided to buy arrows, because she knew that I would lose one occasionally. The sales clerk in the store asked her a lot of questions like: ‘’what should be the length of the arrows’’, ‘’what should be the spine weight’’, etc.
Since she didn’t know that information, she asked the sales clerk if he could provide an assortment of arrows all with different specifications. She thought that it would be interesting for me to experiment with the different arrows.
But this is like giving someone who plays tennis 5 different tennis balls. Because each arrow is different you cannot really tune or get used to the arrows. Although I appreciated the effort, she took to buy the gift, I haven’t used those arrows much. Instead, I used the cheap arrows I got from a sports discounter because those were all the same.
Final words
I hope this article was helpful in selecting an archery gift for your lucky archer. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them down below. I would love to help you with your gift ideas. If you are an archer yourself and you have some great ideas, make sure to leave them as well, so that the readers have even more inspiration!
