About Us
With archery season looming, both in leagues and hunting, arrows are finding their mark on various deer, turkey, and other creatures of the wild. Not live ones, of course, but lifelike ones that dot the landscape of Terry and Pam Latsha's farm, the home of TP Arrowsmith Archery and 3-D Course.
Since 1985, Terry Latsha, owner and operator of TP Arrowsmith Archery, has been working with and learning about archery hunting and equipment. He has also been a gunsmith since 1980 which gives him an edge in repairing and setting up bows. TP Arrowsmith's motto is "Experience builds accuracy in archery."
Terry and Pam bought the farm in 2002 where TP Arrowsmith Archery and 3-D Course is located. The course was started with a few 3-D targets, but decided to set-up a 30 target competitive course in 2003. Along with selling archery equipment, tuning and maintaining bows, and making arrows, things are bustling at the farm. Shooting the 3-D course is a great way to hone your skills for league and the upcoming archery hunting season. Even for a non-hunting archery enthusiast, it is a challenge to shoot at various targets at different angles and distances.
Ken Maurer, reporter from the Daily Item Newspaper in Sunbury, PA, said "It does not take long when talking to Terry to feel his devotion to the sport of archery." Terry was drawn to archery hunting because of the challenge and difficulty of taking a deer with a bow versus taking one with a gun.
One of the most important assets in the archery business is our young people. Getting and keeping young people involved in archery and archery hunting is very important to TP Arrowsmith. We have a youth league to teach young people the basics which will help them to develop solid mechanics in archery. For the youth already involved in the sport, it provides friendly competition and camaraderie.
TP Arrowsmith has also developed a scoring system for a 4-person team league and an annual shoot. League runs during May, June, & July and the team shoot is scheduled for August 30th & 31st. Both events are open the public.
There are many good brands of bows on the market today. TP Arrowsmith has chosen Martin as the major brand to carry in its inventory. Martin is the oldest bow manufacturer in the country, established in 1951. Martin is faster and more accurate than the bows that carry a higher price tag. Martin has quickly built its technology to a point, where for the money, it is the best bow on the market. Martin had the first cam bow and started their business making strings and recurve bows. There is a little Martin in every bow on the market today. Martin recurves are hand made and are some of the best on the market today.
On the arrow front, carbon shafts have become very popular. They have become more efficient, transferring more of the bow's energy to the target. Carbon shafts are stiffer than aluminum shafts, which makes carbon shafts faster. Many archery enthusiasts still use aluminum arrows today with much success. Wooden arrows have been lost in the mix, but still have their place in the market. If a customer has a question about wooden arrows or traditional archery, meaning long bows and recurves, we can answer it. TP Arrowsmith continues to learn more about traditional archery through Martin Archery and good friends Jim & Marcia Rebuck of J&M Traditions near Sunbury, PA.
The 3-D course is fun and good exercise, but one of the main benefits is tuning oneshunting skills for a lethal humane shot in hunting situations. Targets are marked with anatomically correct kill zones, which carry a higher score value in competition.
Safety is a primary concern both on the practice course and in the field. TP Arrowsmith offers these safety tips:
- Never walk with an arrow nocked. Arrows should be kept in the quiver until it is time to shoot.
- Be patient. Wait for a clear shot at a range you are confident in. On a deer, a broadside, double lung shot is the preferred shot. An exception would be a slight quartering away angle. If the deer is quartering away, aim as if shooting at the opposite shoulder.
TP Arrowsmith has been steadily growing and plans to move to a larger building on the property and add an indoor range.
TP Arrowsmith Archery is committed to servicing the products we sell with service to the customer being number "1". TP Arrowsmith can provide service on the bows it sells because of our 23 years of experience and great product lines such as Martin bows. They offer a "bumper to bumper" Lifetime Warranty on its bows. At TP Arrowsmith, we offer free set-up and a free bow case with the purchase of a new Martin bow. Offering a "Shoot before you buy policy" and our complete commitment to archery hunting, youth programs, and 4-person team league gives TP Arrowsmith an edge over our competition.