Any Traditional Archers out there?

[Dark Cloud]

Well, Santa came early to our house. I got my new bow and she got her engagement ring! She had no clue, it was perfect!

I have gotten in two half hour shooting sessions with it. First dozen arrows were in a group the size of a garbage can lid, lol. Now im down to a pie plate at 10 yards with the occasional "flyer".

Im happy with my shooting but I have alot to work on. My bow arm mechanics feel fine but I have not settled on a anchor point or aiming system. Need to tinker a bunch with arrows also.

[Powerstroke]

A very beautiful bow DC!!

I've got a nice recurve that I traded for. The guy also made me a dozen cedar arrows as part of the trade. I've robin-hooded one of them already and I'm "pie-plate" accurate at 15 yds. I wish I was better at 20yds, but I don't practice that much. I'm hoping to try and do some hunting with it next year. I need to get some hunting arrows though. Mine have glued on field tips.

[DonBo]

Beautiful bow indeed. Congrats on that, AND the engagement!

[Bear55]

Nice bow and congrats on the engagement!

Just looking at the pics makes me want to pick up a traditional bow to shoot for fun, then down the road maybe do some hunting.

[gr82fish]

Ditto to that! Nurture it, fine-tune it and you'll have a companion for life...and that's just the bow! Congrats on the engagement too!

[Dark Cloud]

Thanks all!

I have been shooting 30-50 arrows about every other day. Im getting less and less "flyers" but still have alot of work to do. Been playing around with diff arrows also, good old 2117's seem to fly the best. Carbon expresses with weight tubes are noticibly faster but eratic, I think they are cut too short. But I still have to play around with diff weight tips.

Heres a cel pict of a decent group from the other day. Getting better but im a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to shooting the compound - I need to be hitting or touching a half dollar with every arrow. I know that will never happen with traditional gear but im striving for hitting a baseball consistantly or I wont hunt with it...

[Scoot]

... but im striving for hitting a baseball consistantly or I wont hunt with it...

You can definitely achieve that goal, but the question is from how far can you achieve it? I'm a stickler on knowing ones effective range and not going beyond it. Determine at what distance you can put 4/5 in the zone and be diciplined enough to not get tempted into a shot beyond that. For me, the distance I can get 4/5 inside of a volleyball is what I consider a go. I think a lot of guys use a standard like this, but they "cheat" by only considering their best groupings or they fudge a little when in the field: "it's only ten yards past my range".

Looks like you're on the right track. Good luck and have fun with that new toy!

[Dark Cloud]

Yep Scoot, archery to me is a close range experience. I have been fortunate to take about 40 deer with archery gear. One was 21 yards, another 18, and the rest were 8-12.

I'll be happy with a solid group out to 15...

[Bear55]

Dark Cloud you are kind of planting a bug in me to go out and get a traditional bow, I have always planned on doing it someday but maybe it's time. I don't think I will hunt with it any time soon but they just look fun to shoot.

[Dark Cloud]

Bear55 - I have really enjoyed it so far! Guess I have shot a compound so much that shooting not hunting "almost" became boring. Bust it out and fling some arrows...

[Bear55]

Bear55 - I have really enjoyed it so far! Guess I have shot a compound so much that shooting not hunting "almost" became boring. Bust it out and fling some arrows...

I hear you, shooting a compound isn't much of challenge unless I backed up to 50-60 yards. I was just practicing for the hunt and like you said, kind of boring. Not that I don't enjoy shooting my compound because I do but I think I want to play with something new for a change.

Any advice on a longbow vs a recurve from any of your traditional hunters?

[R. Miller]

Bear,

Check out Don Dows stikbows out of Indiana. I purchased a longbow from him this Fall and it's a true joy to shoot. I had heard nothing but good things from people before I purchased, and for the price I honestly think you wont find anything better! Good luck!

Ryan

[R. Miller]

Ok just realized you're asking "longbow VS recurve"...sorry! Well, I'd still check out Don's bows if you're in the market. Very knowledgeable guy to talk with over the phone as well.

[Bear55]

Thanks for the tip, I will have to do some more research but for some reason I am more drawn to a longbow.

[DooWap]

My grandpa just gave me his old recurve this weekend. Beautiful bow and I'm super excited to practice with it. I've shot compound for awhile now and it will be cool to try out something a little more challenging.

What do you traditional archers you usually shoot for arrows out of your bow, aluminum or wood? I've even seen some carbon arrows from Beman that had a wood like laminate on the outside that were for traditional bows.

[Dark Cloud]

What do you traditional archers you usually shoot for arrows out of your bow, aluminum or wood? I've even seen some carbon arrows from Beman that had a wood like laminate on the outside that were for traditional bows.

Im new to this but am reading alot and playing around with alot of diff arrows. Lucky for me I have quite a few diff arrows as my dads bowhunted for 45 years and im at 20...

So far the best flying arrow out of my bow is an aluminum 2117 almost full length with a 125grn head. I have carbon expresses that are fast but dont fly as true. I believe they are cut too short.

From what im reading - length and weight of tips effect "spine" and thats the biggest factor of how arrows fly. Spine is a measurment of how stiff an arrow is. They need to have the right amount of flex and stiffness to fly right...

Aot of guys do shoot carbons from "stick bows". Seems most shoot heavier carbons though, and longer ones...

The more I read and "learn" the more confusing it can be. Im messing with arrows but the thing im working on the most is form.

[Neighbor_guy]

A good place to start is 2016 or 2018. Draw your bow and have someone measure the distance from your sting to the Back of the bow. (farthest away from you, the front is actualy the Back) Then add 2".

Shooting 125gr tips with your choice of 3-5" or 4-4" fletchings and you should be able to tune from there.

FWIW I shoot carbons from my 55lb Gamemaster, and 2016 aluminum out of the other 45 and 50lb recurves I have. It's not that the 55lb bow wont shot the 2016's, it will, but the carbons were tuned to it specificly they are spined to heavy for the lighter bows.

Good luck and have fun. Once you find a good arrow you like, and your bow likes, then you get to start playing with the way they look. Just be carefull the voices dont start stearing you to wood.... Port Oxford Cedar...... Birch..... Footed Shafts...... Custom Staining..... Cap dip.... Custom Creasted...............

[DonBo]

Just be carefull the voices dont start stearing you to wood.... Port Oxford Cedar...... Birch..... Footed Shafts...... Custom Staining..... Cap dip.... Custom Creasted...............

Not that there's anything wrong with that.