Would you switch to recuve/longbow if...
Equipment
you were deadly accurate up to 30 yds? I know there are many reasons for the popularity of compounds, but I'd like to know how important the accuracy issue is at average bowhunting distances (although 30 yds. might be considered close by some Western bowhunters).
I guess everyone would have their own definition of "deadly accurate", but let's just say if were a superb shot with recurve/longbow out to 30 yds. (to the extent you were truly satisfied with your accuracy), would you switch? Please be honest. Thanks for your opinion!
Yes in a heartbeat !! Make it 45 yards and my $700 compound is for sale !!
Sounds like a good trade to me even if it was 10 yards or less! Heck even I can get under 10 yards a few times a year.
Already did and I love bowhunting again. Bill
It's all about "how close you can get(hunting) not how far you can shoot"....Get a gun..
Let me restate, IF your accuracy was everything you wanted it to be with a recurve/longbow, so you could consistently and confidently put it where you want it to go, would you switch?
The question is not to ask whether it is possible or whether you think YOU could do it, the question is IF accuracy was a given would you switch?
This is not a trick question, nor am I trying to put anyone's bow choice down. Thanks.
Yup,I just switched back to a compound because I can't acheive the accuracy needed to hunt (for me) without practicing ALL the time.....recurves are alot better to hunt with,IMO.....quieter,lighter and less stuff to get out of adjustment.
i shoot both mostly recurve confident out to 20 yds prefer closer could shoot a little farther with compound but like recurve a lot better. if u are satisfied with the range u can shoot with recurve yes u would enjoy it a lot more i think. but be prepared to miss a few cause it will happen. good luck
I started shooting recurves and longbows when I was 9. I tried a compound a few times but the only time I have ever hunted with one was when I was still recovering from a hand injury one fall. I do take that bow out once and a great while as it fits into my blind better than my longbow. To the guy who said that he has never seen anyone be as remotely accurate with a longbow as a compound, well if my video worked, now you have seen two.
yes. the reason i switched BACK to a compound after 4 years with a recurve was that I was only good to 20 and found that to be too limiting for some species and situations that i wanted to experience
Rats!!!.... Could someone please embed this for me??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epw3XmIiZb8
I would for sure, I just can not seem to get the accuracy I want. But I love to shoot a recurve or long bow. I have hunted with them but i limit myself to no more than 15 yards.
GOD BLESS
Yes! Keep in mind that it's not the weapon that kills the game...it's the hunter.
I switched a long, long time ago.
On face value, I would answer the question by putting my beloved wheelie bows on ebay.:)
What about downrange penetration and the relative effects on blood trails? Accuracy being equal, I will grab the bow that will give me the best blood trail.
Yes...beautiful Morrison Kevin...I've dabbled with it for years and just can't ethically make the switch due to accuracy on game.
I switched years ago, much more fun, challenging and rewarding. It is limiting distance wise but that is part of the fun/challenge.
I've hunted strictly with stickbows for 20+ years because of two words: simple and fun. As a bowhunting guide for over 25 years I've yet to see a stickbow malfunction but have seen compounds malfunction many times and screw up opportunities for hunters; accessories coming loose, mechanical releases breaking, string peeps twisting, etc. As for the fun part, I always carry a Judo head and stump shoot constantly, simply enjoy flinging lots of arrows and get a bigger kick out of taking game with an ancient weapon and nothing but hand-eye coordination.In some hunting situations stickbows are more advantageous than compounds, you can shoot quicker and from odd angles. Doesn't bother me not to fill a tag if I can't get within my effective range, how I hunt and enjoy the challenge is more important to me than getting a hero photo. And by the way, I've guided some stickbow shooters that were amazingly accurate out 50 yards, wouldn't want them shooting at me!
I'm in the process of switching now. Hunted a couple times this fall with my Black Widow, but no score yet. If things go well, I'll kill a hog in about 6 weeks with it. 8^)
I can see myself selling the compound in the future, but I'm not ready yet. I still enjoy the compound also, and it holds my true confidence. When/if I get that same confidence with the recurve it will become my primary weapon.
No. I think about doing it, but I don't have time to master a new skill. Just like the muzzleloaders I own, I probably never or very rarely hunt with them.
i hunt with a stickbow because in a slight majority of the hunting situations i encounter on game, i believe it is the better weapon.
i'm not a 'traditionalist', and i too believe that accuracy with a compound is more easily obtained on a target course, or hunting from a stand of some sort. if i hunted whitetails on the back 40 from a tree stand, i'd likely be using wheels. however, the stickbow imo is the better weapon when it comes to the dynamic situations often encountered while calling elk.
i hunted and killed an antelope with my stickbow last fall from a ground blind. there's no question i would have been better off with wheels and sights in that situation.
i suppose the other consideration is if filling the tag is a primary goal of the bowhunter. for me, it is. for others, they're content spending time in the woods, limiting their shot distances, stump shooting throughout the day, etc. to each their own.
Ladderstand,
Agreed with you up to the remark aboout the 3D tournaments. Calling "Bull" on that one.
Watts
I shot traditional equipment back when I was a teenager and shortly thereafter began using wheels. I got caught up in the #'s game and really wanted to put some big critters on the ground. 16 years later I found myself being drawn towards a stickbow again and starting shooting one for fun. (to me they are WAY more fun to shoot) I sold my last compound this past fall and for now am enjoying taking my stickbows for a walk!
In the process of committing to traditional gear I asked myself..." am I ready to not shoot anything" and come home empty handed at the end of a season? Also..."can I stand to pass a shot at 25 yards on a Hawg buck?" When I answered "YES" to both questions I sold the wheel bows.
As far as the 30 yard question....very few guys can shoot accurately with Trad. gear at that distance....Ryan
I switched 5 years ago and I am not a 'crack shot' by any means BUT, I fill all my tags every year with the stick and haven't shot anything past 18 yards YET. come to think of it...the last 40 or 50 bucks I killed with a wheel bow weren't past twenty. guess I like'em close. I have to admit with nearly a hundred compound kills there is nothing better than taking an animal (for me) with the stickbow. now for the 3-D shoots. I'm with Watts there, "BULL". shot this one the week before Christmas while hunting on the ground. I agree with Kevin Dill. "it's not the arrow...it's the Indian"
Was working on switching to Recurve this past summer but my target goal was 20yds. did not get good enough to consider it but maybe this year. A majority of my kills with the compound are within 20 yds so I think if I get good enough the distance limitations will not matter that much.Of course until the mack daddy walks out at 30 yds. But that's bow hunting.If I wanted to shot at anything I can see I would gun hunt.
I don't understand why so many people think it has to be one or the other. I've been told that you can't shoot both accurately because they are two different disiplines. I don't buy it. I shoot decent with a recurve but I don't practice nearly as often as I do with my compounds. It's like selling your rifle becuase you're hunting with a shotgun.
"It's like selling your rifle because you're hunting with a shotgun."
No it is not assuming you are comparing a single projectile of the rifle to the scatter shot of a shotgun.
I've never heard of anyone selling their rifle because they are hunting with a shotgun. Those that hunt with a shotgun and use a single projectile from it do so because it is the law where they hunt (I suppose someone will chime in with the exception).
Hope I did not miss someones post here.
Apparently I shoot my recurve as well as many/most bowhunters do their compounds according to anecdotal evidence posted by some here.
However I DO CHEAT lol Release, WB rest, peep sights ad nauseam. My biggest issue has been building up my holding stamina/accuracy at 65#
The manufacturer of a recurve riser will have something to say about my unusual but not unique approach!
It doesn't have to be "one or the other". It just turns out that a large majority decide to shoot "one or the other". There are not a lot of guys out there actively hunting with sticks and wheels each season. Heck...who cares what YOU shoot? Go to the woods and make it count!
Great pic sswv...!
fen tiger too!
I agree with you KJC! I shoot a traditional bow for my own personal satisfaction. what the fellow over the next ridge is shooting is his business. heck' my son is a compound shooter as is my daughter BUT, they both have stickbows and fling a few with 'ol dad every now and then. hey' I also enjoy killing a buck at 200-250 yards every now and then with a rifle. OH NO...did I say that in public??? LOL
I would have a Black Widow on order tonight!!!
Choose which ever makes your boat float! I switched to recurve because I lost the desire to hunt. I kept passing every small buck for a few years and decided why hunt when the chances of seeing a "good enough" buck in my area is very slim. I regained my hunting urge, knowing if I killed any deer with the recurve it was going to be very rewarding. Well, it is! It's an awesome feeling to drop the string from ones fingers and watch the arrow disappear into the vitals of a whitetail. Knowing it all happened with just a simple stick and string, makes it all feel great. No, I am not the killing machine I was with the wheels, but I really don't want to whack em and stack anymore anyway. It is a mindset and once I made the switch- I regained my love of hunting. Heres a pic of my 20 yard group- yeah I was on that day, but I am very comfortable shooting to 25 yards.
Its definetly not for everyone, but i enjoy it and have become very accurate.
thanks Kevin! nice pic yourself and fin tiger too. are you related to John Dill from NC?
In answer to the original question: Absolutey.
OWL, Never killed a deer in my life with my bow.. bows don't give you bloodtrails.......broadheads do.
Why not both +1
I agree with that statement, I have shot recurves for 40 years on a regular basis, over that time I have owned a few compounds and hunted with them. I now have a Drenalin and love shooting it, as much as any of my recurves.
I usually match my bow of choice to the hunt, it has worked out so far, after all you can't have to many bows right......
Alford is trolling again I see.
He "claims" to have a method that would give pinpoint accuracy to everybody, calls it the STAR method.
He's been spouting this nonsense for over two years on the Leatherwall and has yet to divulge ANY information regarding this miracle of physics and science.
Don't be fooled gents...I'm just sayin'. In my opinion he's full of 'it.
Alford is trolling again I see.
He caught you, or is it suicide by lure?
I agree with bowhunter. I have two Black Widows, and a Mathews SBXT, that I will soon be trading in for a Z7.
Been shooting since 1958 or so. I much prefer my traditional equipment, and I wish that I could shoot it as well as my Mathews, but I just can't, and I know that. If I could make the switch back to trad only, I would in a moment. I really enjoy the Widows, and shooting is a lot more fun with them, but I just can't risk the wounding chances. I don't have the time to practice daily, which would be required for me to get good enough to suit me. I'll stump shoot, hunt small game and hogs with my Widows, but for deer and elk, I had rather have the Mathews.
As far as trad archers being as good as compound archers, I know of ONE man that I would put up against anybody with a compound, and bet big money. Only one, out of hundreds that I have watched shoot. He is up in years now, and probably not as good as he used to be. I watched him nail a 50 cent sized spot at 40 yards. He shot three arrows, all touching. No sights, no string walking, purely instinctive. Funny thing is, that he lived, and worked, in Grayling, Michigan before moving to Oklahoma. He knew Fred Bear too. Saw him at breakfast every morning.
I hear the either/or statement quite often. Seems the trad archers are the most vocal against compounds. There is a vast difference in the two, and I can understand their feelings, but it just doesn't matter that much to me. I'll shoot anything for fun, but I doubt that I would shoot a crossbow, as they have no interest for me.
I guess that if I had to give a solid YES or NO answer to the original question, I would say YES I would switch to trad only if I was good enough.
Ladderstand,
You said, “Scotty, Byron is able to devote his entire life to shooting his bow and I would still put Joe bowhunter with a modern compound against Byron at 30yds and see who groups better, I would take the bowhunter in that bet.”
Do you even see the obvious contradiction in your statement? I’m Not trying to be argumentative here but let me break it down, I would put my money on the guy who has devoted his entire life to mastering something over the average guy who is counting on his fallible devises to make the shot for him.
Of course we are talking about hunting here and not about poking holes in paper at set distances. I’d take a true master bowman like Byron in hunting situations over the average Joe with all the bells and whistles when hunting is concerned.
I would try to make the switch. However, I don't think my shoulders would allow it. I'd actually switch if the distance was 25 yards as most of my kills are w/in that distance.
I do most of my hunting with a compound bow, but I have hunted with and killed game with a recurve. The dilemma for me is this. The penetration potential for recurves and longbows is marginal, or at least less than what is attainable with a compound. While it is plenty to fully penetrate any animal on the most desirable broadside shot, it is not as effective on marginal hits. AND marginal hits are more likely because they are not as inherently accurate, arrow flight is not as "clean", and they are slower, allowing more possible movement of the animal.
I have many friends who shoot recurves and longbows who I have tremendous respect for. However, for me, the increased potential for wounded and lost game is not worth the risk for many types of hunts.
"He caught you, or is it suicide by lure?"
I don't get it.
If you want to believe than by all means, believe. It is my opinion that there is no magic "system" and only hard work and proper form will produce results. In the past decade I've shot roughly 300,000 arrows. THAT'S how you improve.
Here's a link to the original thread.
every year I hunt more with my recurves than I do with my compound. One of these years I'll make the switch for good!
12yards, I find that the recurve is much easier on my old shoulders than my compounds. Building up the stamina to hold for 20 secs was much easier than I thought it would be.
Letting down a compound comfortably/safetly was what limited my compound poundage, not how much I could draw. Have gone from 45# to 65# [10 secs ATM] recurve in 8 months. Now have my sights set on 75-80# in 2011. Will lower 20 sec hold to 5 or sight picture aquired and verified lol Might live long enough to live a dream of a really big critter!
"the penetration potential for recurves and longbows is marginal"
I would just love to hear/see proof of this.
Gundy, I'd like to know if accuracy is the critical factor instead of just guessing. It's hard to research this because respondents keep avoiding the original question, which was not a trick question nor trolling.
Given the jillions of dollars spend on compound bows and accessories you would think there would be some research as to the exact reasons why people shoot them. If anyone knows of such data, please let me know.
You've got speed, distance, accuracy, ease of learning, increased power, etc. etc. But how do they rank up? And from my own perspective, is accuracy at the top? My guess is, it really is. But I'm guessing.
Gundy since you posted yet again, I'll respond. I'm really sorry if you think "I'm full of it". I made the decision recently to give the book away for free (less production costs and shipping). It will be released this year. One of the largest and oldest bow manufacturing companies in the world has the details of the method and their first question was "how did you figure this out?". You will see, partner. It flat out works.
As a lifetime user of recurves and for the last five years a longbow I would like to gently, with respect to all bowhunters everywhere, point out that there is a differnce between shooting fifty arrows into the ragbut in the back yard and making a killing shot the first time, every time. Which is where I put my focus from ranges of 10 to 50 yards. I will most often only shot a dozen or so arrows at a fixed target in a session or maybe 30-40 in an afternoon of stump shooting.
I guarantee that just about every person here on the bowsite could out shot me, but I manage to kill 20-30 rabbits a year and have been 100% on my mule outings in Colorado.
I'm not sure if any of this makes sense or is helpful at all, but please remeber that I am not advocating one over the other, this just works for me.
On a cool side note, I met a father and son in Colorado last year that hunted quite sucsessfully with compounds that they shoot instictively. I'm not sure where they would fit into this conversation, but it was fun to visit with them.
J@ckrabbit
I just got 2 recurves from an old buddy that passed away last year. He did not hunt for years cause of health issues. One is a 45 pound bow and the other is a 50 pound bear super grizzly. finally got a string for the bear and at 10 to 15 yards was hitting a paper plate on a round bale pretty regular. Think a little time practicing and might just take it out on a hunt with me.
In Memory or Norm....
"You will see, partner. It flat out works."
Ok David. If it does what you say than I will write out an apology thread to you.
Good luck with it.
---------------------------
IMO the key to being a successful hunter with trad bows is learning how to get close, 20 yards or less and of course being proficient with the weapon.
To your other points, a compound with 80% letoff, shot with a release and sights will ALWAYS blow away trad bows in terms of energy and accuracy.
I recently helped my brother in law set up a Mathews DXT that he got for Christmas and he was shooting 2" groups at 35 yards in less than an hour. There isn't one trad shooter in the world that could match that accuracy.
To Davids original question, YES. I have total respect for those trad archers and am thinking of trying it this year for myself. If I can get confident to 20 yards then I will be deer hunting with a trad bow this year.
If I could shoot accurately at 30 yd's i would switch in a hart beat.Nothing like being in the wood's with a curve hunted traditional for ten years, from 85 to 95 still hunt small game with them.
I grew up shooting tournament archery with recurves. I shot bare bow and/or heavy tackle back in the day and accuracy was not something I had to worry about. I could hit what I was aiming for most of the time out to 35yds. I guess I jumped on the compound band wagon, right or wrong, for the speed and extended range. I still pick up the stick bows whenever at the pro shop or Cabelas or whatever and can't say for certain that one isn't in my future. MO
I switched to a longbow two years ago after hunting with a compound and killing several hundred deer. What I'm finding is that I kill the same amount of deer each year with trad equipment. Like someone said earlier it is not the weapon but the hunter. I feel in most hunting situations I am more effecient with trad equipment. Quick shots, moving shots, out of position shots are much easier and much less complicated. If you have not tried it you should it puts the fun back in it.LH
My only question is. . . if you were willing to give the method away for free, why haven't you posted it on this website before?
I would love to start shooting traditional. I don't know if I would hunt that way though, just because of accuracy issues. I don't want to make bad shots.
Every year I get closer and closer to buying a recurve. Money is the big limiting factor right now. I'd rather use that money on a DIY elk trip
B
Someone mentioned they would shoot the one or the other that gives them the best Blood trail. I think Shot location and arrow and broadhead have more to do with that then the compound or recurve/longbow. For me I have a lot more fun shooting my recurve and longbow than I ever did with my compound, if youve never done it its really fun. I practise everyday out to 40-50 yards so getting accurate is not impossible. You can miss a 20 yard shot on an animal just as easy with a compound or recurve/longbow. Follow the desert sheep thread hell we all miss. Bob
Choosing trad bows generally means you will have to limit your range and opportunities, but within my effective range, they are as dead as if I was shooting just about anything. It is mostly a matter of what "YOU" want out of your hunting experience, if just killing animals is more important, then shoot the most effective, efficient system you can, if you hunt solely for the experience and the opportunity to kill game, like I do, then that is another matter. Now Treestand, you mentioned 3-d shooting, well to tell ya the truth from watching many "trad" guys attempting to shoot at targets, I would have to say that the majority of them have no business shooting anything at a living animal at any range, but a minority of them can shoot with and outshoot many top compound shooters within reason, many not all! Personally for me I can consistently score in the 165-180 range at most 3-D shoots and even the not so high scoring shots are still kills on real game, I shoot for the kill not the score when I do shoot. I don't shoot as much or as well as I should, but I do shoot with some guys that will can clean most peoples clocks at a 3-D shoot even at ranges up to and beyond 40yds, so it is definitely not an all inclusive thing.
Gundy I agree practice makes perfect etc. Sorry you did not understand my [oops I thought amusing] TIC comment ref "suicide by cop". Will stick to my day job,irritating some bowsiters;-[ sorry again;-]
"the penetration potential for recurves and longbows is marginal"
I would just love to hear/see proof of this.
If you take the energy potential of 70# recurve/longbow versus 70# compound lots of energy difference especially with speed compounds. That said marginal could be considered harsh choice of words.
Does my shooting a recurve now limit my potential yup hippo and elephant definetly off wish list LOL
Again folks stick all the bells and whistles on a recurve and you can be as accurate out to 35yds as you were with your compounds. IT WILL HOWEVER TAKE WORK, and sadly not guaranteed. Without peep, sights, release etc very very doubtful.
Now is when the trad police step in;-]
David Alford,
When will the book be available??? I've been shooting recurve for 30 years and enjoy reading everything I can on the subject of good shooting and accuracy! If indeed there's some good tips in your book I would like to read about them and try em out. PM me with the details if you want, how much, where I can get it, etc...
Thanks!
End of year, free. Thanks.
Bake,
If you want to get into shooting a recurve but are holding off due to economic issues, I'd suggest picking up a used bow off eBay. You should be able to get set up well for under $200.
As far as shooting tutorials go, the Masters of the Barebow DVDs are top notch. They're put together by people who've been there, done that -- folks with proven credentials. If you're waiting for this particular book to come out...well...you'd do better waiting for Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny to win an Olympic gold medal in beach vollyball.
anyway, would any, many, or most compounder hunters switch if they were deadly accurate with trad bows up to 30 yds., but pretty much distance restricted to that?
fen tiger,
"If you take the energy potential of 70# recurve/longbow versus 70# compound lots of energy difference especially with speed compounds. That said marginal could be considered harsh choice of words."
I understand what you're saying, but that's kind of like making a case that a .30-30 is marginal for deer as compared to a 7mm magnum, when the fact is that both are more than up to the task.
I switched to a recurve back in the early '90's and loved it. Got pretty good with it. As much as I enjoyed it, my shoulder and elbow doesn't even let me think about a recurve anymore, so no would have to be my answer. As someone who is not a fan of long range bowshots at game anyway, limiting shots to 30 yds or less would not have a bearing on my decision.
"He caught you, or is it suicide by lure? "
Fen - thats funny!!!!
SteveBNY
JRW, we can agree that is a good DVD series. But I question whether that series has really impacted trad. archery substantially or converted many people from the compound ranks. It would be interesting to know.
JRW
quoting fen earlier "That said marginal could be considered harsh choice of words."
Does my shooting a recurve now limit my potential yup hippo and elephant definetly off wish list LOL"
Was not comparing minimums I thought that I had answered Ziek and ssww well. Obviously very unclearly as always, oops. You related to the boss lady?;-]
Given the right combination trad gear is MORE than enough for any game in NA. Operator issues aside. thanks
"if you were deadly accurate up to 30 yds?"
"IF" my Aunt had the cajones she'd be my Uncle.
Hi David! Book out yet? ;-)
Well it is a whole lot more fun to work that extra little bit and get close enough to use a stickbow. I got this guy at 12 yards after crawling 200 yards thorugh the grass. My guide thought I was nuts when I crawled past 20 yards.
LBB
I'm not deadly accurate all the time at 30 yds. but you just have to become a better/more patient hunter and GET CLOSER. The thrill is worth it. Click on my handle and see what kind of fun you can have.
If you feel the calling, be careful, you may never go back to wheels once you kill that first deer with a stick.
fen tiger,
"You related to the boss lady?;-]"
If you're married to my sister, you have my condolences. :)
Wary Buck, guilty addicted.
JRW, thanks! I think I like the "dowry system" more and more the older I become;-]
Rob mentions seeing lots of compounds with problems, but as a trad shooter for 44 years and compound shooter for 31 years I have never had a compound limb break, and I have shot some up to 100#. I HAVE had 3 recurves give way on me (Browning, Bear and Bighorn) and one of my Brownings folded when a buddy was shooting it. I had one other Bighorn crack a riser and another crack a limb. To me recurves are the more fragile of the two.
It takes a ton of work, but I have got quite good with a recurve to 30 yards. Compound doesn't take as much work with a sight, instinctive with a compound you still have to work at it. I got a friend of mine started on trad gear years ago and he has killed more game than I ever will with trad gear. He rarely misses. He is the exception.
I like both, so I am not switching.
I almost bought a trad bow last year after the season ended...but couldnt quite drop the money for it. This year I'm REALLY thinking about doing it, but I can't find any bows in the 30" draw range for less than $300. Most everyone I talk to says not to get a lighter weight 28" to compensate as the limbs are usually oddly stacked.
Anyone have any advice for me on that? I'm 6' 5", shoot a 30.5" compound. Sorry to hi-jack the thread...just figured a lot of trad shooters would be checking out this thread.
"...but I can't find any bows in the 30" draw range for less than $300. Most everyone I talk to says not to get a lighter weight 28" to compensate as the limbs are usually oddly stacked."
The markings on a bow have NOTHING to do with whether a bow will stack or not. Most bows are marked at 28" but that doesn't mean they can only be drawn 28". Any well built bow will be able to handle a 30" draw length with no issues.
For a long draw like yourself I'd suggest a 62-64" bow because finger pinch caused by the angle of the string will be less of a problem than it would be with a shorter bow.
Also remember that most bows will gain about 3 pounds of draw weight for every inch past 28". Meaning that a bow marked 50#@28" will draw about 56@30". That can vary some but that's a well accepted general rule of thumb.
I have taken one buck with a recurve and it was truly satisfying even though it was not a big one. It was however a "trophy."
However now I moved to Wyoming and ANYTHING with a bow (except elk in timber) is hard to do with a recurve.
Back to the compound.
Ironbow: I haven't seen compound limbs break while guiding someone, it is usually the accessories that fail; rests, sights, peeps, mechanical releases, etc. Overall, I think that stickbows are less likely to malfunction during a hunt than compounds simply due to their simplicity. A few years ago a compound shooting client from MI missed a 170+ whitetail twice within 15 yards when the spring on his mechanical release failed. He got another chance and killed the same buck a year later (but he made sure he was using a brand new release for that hunt). Chances are excellent that a proficient stickbow shooter would have drilled that buck the first time without a mechanical device letting him down. I don't have a "stickbow hunters are better" attitude, merely pointing out that I feel trad bows are more reliable in the long run.
I'll shoot 30-40yds stumping or at the range but I'd never take that long of a shot on an animal...I like 'em close
About 3 or 4 yrs. ago I shot a buddies recurve. Loved it, it put fun back in archery for me. Went home and thought of the animals that I have killed...all were shot within 30 yds. Sold the Matthews and bought a recurve..and another one...and another one....making my own arrows...it's so much fun! If I was just out to kill as many animals as I could I'd hunt with a rifle. I'm good with 20-25 yds.
I love my compound bow, but found it to be really "overkill" for javelina which I can typically get pretty close to before the shot. I tried recurves and long bows and finally killed one with the long bow, but it was not pretty! Just can't get that "instinctive" shooting down anymore.
I had an old yard-sale recurve laying around the house and experimented with it by putting some sights on it. It worked great on targets! I saw that the Martin Jaguar take-down recurve had a riser already drilled and tapped for accessories just like a compound. I ordered one ($139, Sportsmans Guide) and put on fiber optic sights, a zero peep, a whisker biscuit rest, string silencers and a d-ring for my release. Set my pins at 15, 20 and 25 yards and then took it on a javelina hunt in NM a few days ago. Worked great! Took my pig at 20 + yards with it. My son calls this bow a "RINO": Recurve in name only! I had a blast using it and was confident taking the shot out to 25 yards.
Rob,
Agree on the simplicity of the trad bow. I have too many friends that don't pay attention to their compounds have problems with accessories, or they use equipment not really designed for hard core bowhunting IMO. And not to say compound limbs can't break, I have seen it happen, just not to me. I have a real hankering for a Martin Savannah longbow right now. I think that would be real simplicity. Good luck with the bears this spring!
I hunted with a recurve exclusivly during the early bow season and enjoyed great success.I do also have a Mathews Z7.
I started shooting bows before there were compounds available.
It was 1971 when I killed my first of many deer both muleys and whiteys with a bow, that happened to be a recurve.
Went for a few years with a compound, and about a dozen years ago went back to recurves and now shoot pretty much only sticks.
But with David's 30 yard distance, I think for most trad hunters that is too far for them and for me too to expect compound accuracy. Now at twenty yards, that is more realistic.
The two shooting styles between compounds and trad bows regardless of the techniques used by the trad shooter guys is way different. One is using aiming apparatuses to do that, aim. The trad guy shoots like an outfielder throws a baseball. Yes there is hand-to-eye coordination involved, but the setup, the shot and follow through are vastly different.
I can stump shoot and have a lot of fun all day.
Somebody said something about penetration---my longbow shoots a heavy wood arrow clean through, coyotes, marmots, bears, antelope and elk...complete pass throughs. In one side and out the other, seems like plenty of penetration to me.... ;^)
I think it is more of a question of what are you more comfortable with? If it is with wheels, OK. If it is with a stick, OK.
Garo
MJS, I've never hunted Wyoming although I did work up there. I was a so-so shot and so I developed the STAR Method. I also developed techniques to get close to mule deer and am nearly 100% on decent bucks under 30 yds. Elk aren't hard to get close to, just hard to get drawn.
My thinking is: the most fun in hunting is in getting close to game. "David, develop techniques that consistently get you close to game." The worst feeling is to wound and miss game right and left. "David, develop techniques that consistently give you superb accuracy."
Now the third step is arguably to take trophy animals at close range with superb shots. That is a lot harder to do on public land hunts, so the solution is to be an Uber Wizard and/or have sufficient $$$ to hunt the best places.
When you can consistently get close to game and make great shots, you are close to maximizing your bowhunting fun. This is my thinking, your mileage may vary. I'm well aware of the fun in pushing technology to the limit and making say, a 100 yd. perfect shot. But if you had to choose between close range fun and long range fun, personally I think close range fun wins. If you are selfish and in this for the fun, take your pleasure . . .
I guess it shouldn't be necessary to state the obvious, but the getting close is so much fun is because animals, almost any animals are more exciting to hunt or even just to look at when you are close. For starters, their reality is more apparent. For me (and of course many will disagree) a cow elk at 15 yds. is awesome, more so than a small bull at 60 yds. Watching or hunting.
Yes, closeness is the extra dimension in hunting fun. So, when Chuck Adams writes an article on "expanding your range", it gives me pause. What are we really hunting? What give you the most fun?
I will agree, if one never obtains mastery of one's weapon, that is NOT fun. Indeed, it is control that gives pleasure in sports at least. For example control of a golf shot or control over the arrow. In hunting, one can also control the animals to an extent by trickery and like trapping, where one controls the future to a degree, the mind is engaged.
And btw, I'm not sure step 3 is all it's cracked up to be. Some of my friends are pure meat hunters and are truly satisfied.
yes, stopped by the hunt show in charleston wv, looked at the stryker longbows, they are a piece of art and shoot like silk
Ziek< Which will penetrate better. A 450 gr arrow shot from a compound starting at 280 fps on an elk at 45 yards . or a 650 gr arrow starting at 190 fps on an elk at 20 yards? When you check the gear most trad hunters are using and the yardages that they shoot game at compared to what compound shooters use and the yardages they shoot game at your arguement falls completely apart . Oh and I have done many years of both very successfully and have no bias . My elk camp has both types of bowhunters and we all respect and tease the heck out of each other. However they can't leave my bow alone.
Ironbow; Good bow choice, I really like my Savannah, ordered it at 55lbs for cold-weather hunting. It was -30 degrees F and windy when I shot this buck. 2117 aluminum, 125 gr. Montec, passthru at 15 yards, 60 yard recovery. Occasionally I shoot more than stumps on forays afield but always have fun.
sold the wheels many years ago in favour of a recurve. I shoot thre or four times a week and the accuracy is there to around 25 yards and when hunting season is near I shoot more often and I'm good out to 30
Why did I go to the curve? way more fun and my compound weighed as much as my Ruger 270 win. Even with the bow quiver fully load my Chek mate barely weighs 5 pounds. Also very simple to use, no sights, stabilizers,
I don't even use the Ruger or my over/under 12 gauge anymore.
Love the pictures! Nice to see success in all its forms.
Kevin
Yes but only after i have a few more big bucks under my belt and need the additional challenge
Sixby,
The greater penetration potential will be from a compound bow CAPABLE of shooting a 450 gr. arrow at 280 fps but ACTUALLY shooting a 650 gr. arrow. I've never been an advocate of light, fast arrows for any hunting.
Many of you confuse shooting a compound with long range shooting. That's not necessarily the case.
Wary Buck,
No disrespect intended, but your trophy shots are all deer and black bear. Two species that are relatively small and fairly easy to get really close to.
Some recurve and longbow shooters have been honest enough to admit that with this type of equipment you should EXPECT to miss more often. For a reasonably good shot, a miss does not always or often mean a COMPLETE miss. It means a bad hit. Something I am just not comfortable with. The few bad hits I get even with a compound bow are sometimes compensated for by the added terminal performance of my equipment.
Not every one that switches to a long bow or recurve becomes as infatuated with them as is commonly trumpeted by these guys. I switched several years ago and had some success fairly quickly. But my wounding rate also increased to what I considered unacceptable. While I still enjoy shooting my recurve, I do most of my hunting with a compound.
I want to stress that I don't have any problem with the type of equipment bowhunters choose. I DO have a problem with the elitist attitude I see in many "traditional" shooters. Happily that hasn't emerged in this thread. But to answer the direct question initially posed, no I wouldn't switch. There is more to the differences in bow types than just accuracy, even if it were possible to be as accurate, NO shot is guaranteed to hit where you intend, and when that happens I want the best terminal performance obtainable.
It sure seems like most folks expect the trad bow shooters to wound more animals than compound guys. Over 25 years of guiding bowhunters for bears and 15 years for deer (along with a few seasons of moose guiding) it has been my experience that the opposite is true. The percentage of wounded and unrecovered animals has been higher among compound shooters than trad guys I have guided. I think this may be due to the fact that many trad bow shooters are very experienced hunters, having already killed lots of critters and take up shooting trad bows as a way to make their hunts more challenging or fun. Due to this experience they are quite likely to bear down and get the job done when a shot is presented within their effective range. Just a theory...
Man, when some one mentions "bowhunting" images of a gracefull longbow fill my brain...but then I remember that most bows have wheels on them. The best way i can put it is shooting traditional bows is a way of life, not a way of hunting. You need to shoot year round. And there is NO DOUBT traditional shooters have more fun year around than anybody else. I have never seen a bunch of compound shooters out stumping around playing archery golf, never. WHAT A BLAST!
Whatever the effective range is for any specific traditional shooter, I like his/her chances of killing an animal in that range better than wheel shooters. That could 5 yards or 30. I cannot begin to think about roaming the west after elk with a heavy compound bow after toating longbows around for almost 20 years now. I use it as a walking stick, a brace to hold bino's steady and to lean on and rest my upper body when I take a short break.
Ziek I'll call you out on the penetration thing. You claim when a shot is off you want the best of it still and a compound gives you that....how? If you miss the vitals what are you hitting? Stomach? Bone? What? Archery 101 sir, the arrow is more important than the bow and a proper arrow from a traditional bow will pass through stomach, break bones or anything else an arrow from a wheel bow can. If I'm stupid please enlighten me.
Sixby 650 gn @ 190fps, how many pounds draw please?
Compounds are much more efficient and shine for short draw low poundage shooters, especially high IBO speed bows. Heavy arrows at same pedestrian speeds at 10# less draw in many cases.
Ziek said, "Some recurve and longbow shooters have been honest enough to admit that with this type of equipment you should EXPECT to miss more often"
Politely maybe not in SOME cases.
I respectfully submit that it is "the add on aids" and practice that make the difference not wheels v no wheels in many cases when it comes to hunting accuracy. Except for our resident .025MOA 5gpp speed bow shooters of course;-]
I have given up nothing in hunting accuracy with my recurve to 40 yds and nothing in target accuracy to 20yds. Peep and sights rule! Also have possibly gained consistency due to fact of no let off forcing me to have better form or holding strength? I have however given up lots and lots of KE lol
longbowman,
I shoot all year also, and I can assure you that I thoroughly enjoy it. And whether or not bowhunting is a way of life or just a part time endeavor has NOTHING to do with what type of bow you shoot! No, I don't stump shoot. It's too hard on arrows for the same reason I gave for increased terminal performance. I particularly wouldn't stump shoot, as so many "trad" shooters seem to do while hunting, for the same reason I don't shoot at dirt clods while bird hunting with a shotgun - I'm out HUNTING not target shooting!
As for you calling me out - it's pure physics. The same weight arrow shot out of a 70# compound will have much greater penetration, bone breaking performance than that same arrow shot out of a 60# longbow. Who knows what you might hit. If an elk turns away just as you release and you wind up hitting quartering away behind the stomach, or you hit the shoulder for whatever reason, my set-up has a greater chance of getting through than yours.
a lot of it just depends on personal preference u just have to know ur limitations and pick ur shots situations carefully
longboman,
I love going out in the spring with a compound and Judo's and stump shooting. I love shooting arrows, so it doesn't matter to me where I am shooting or what or with what bow. Compound shooters can be just as happy, most just never try it.
Sixby, I used to shoot a Bighorn at 28 1/2" draw with a 29" 2219 (605 grains) at 68#. It chronographed at 189 fps. How are you getting 190 with a 650 grain arrow? What is the draw weight and draw length? In my experience it is the rare stick bow that breaks the 200 mark. You have far more experience than me with stick bows, so I am curious.
The way of life thing is a generalization that traditionals enjoy ARCHERY as a whole more than wheel shooters...their are exceptions like Ironbow. But I'm correct on that.
we will have to agree to disagree on the penetration issue. You are correct ziek on your anaylasis but tell me what percentage of wheel shooters are shooting 550 to 700 grain arrows? Your argument is best case scenarios...not what MOST shooters are doing. Besides if I wound and animal (heavan forbid) I want the broadhead IN the animal...not passed thru it....think about that for a moment. Are you using cut on contact broadheads? Expandables? I'll shoot an elk quarting away from me ANY day with FULL confidence in MY set up.
Ironbow, I too am interested in the bow that Sixby shoots. My 65# Dorado at 28" draw 660 gn arrow = 167 fps, warf at 57#? same arrow no loop = 163 fps. Drop arrow weight to 7gpp and I am well over 200 with both bows. This is getting to be more the norm these days with past centre shot recurves I believe. But I am still looking for all the "free" help I can get.
Wish that ALL recurves were rated somehow. Hooter shooter?
IMWO efficiency with trad bows is really all over the place with little no advertised equivalent to say IBO type 6-7gpp ratings to go on. Just anecdotal evidence in most cases dependant on release syle etc.
Arrow placement, animal demeanor aside, pound for pound of draw pull, advantage goes to compound clearly in efficiency. Translating that into kills is another thread!
Not important for deer maybe but for hunting [on foot] 1500#+ potentially anger management challenged critters? A tad more so I believe;-]
Switched to a recurve and added a challenge that in the extreme is hard to make up, energy in versus energy out. Have given up nothing in "hunting" accuracy, will still have attachment issues but no potential wheel issues;-] Room for everybody.
Well Paul Brunner has taken 2 Cape Buffs and several Aussie Buffs with his longbow and wood arrows, very effectively I've heard. Penetration is simply not an issue even on very big game if you are set up right. I do notice a fair amount of deer shot by compound bowhunters with so-so penetration usually from an expandable bh. Perhaps this is why many of the Indian Reservations with top dollar elk hunts prohibit the use of expandables.
The old timer's, (self included), will tell every-one, "back in the day" most folks could not handle the weight of a hunting bow.
Hunting was not a priority for the archers who shot less than hunting weight bows.
The revolution, or COMPOUND BOWS, was introduced by Allen Bows, you could shoot a 50+ pound bow and hold 8 to 10 pounds less at full draw!........It was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!
The ability to hold 36lbs# or ??? whatever poundage opened up bow hunting to a whole new generation of bow hunters, then and now.
Today we have the best of compounds (so far) allowing for 65 to 80 percent let-off or more.
If each of today's hunter needed/devoted the time required for practice, the ability to draw a hunting weight bow,.......... how many "bowhunters" would there be today??????
buc1313, I disagree. Most bowhunters go after small game and deer. A 40# trad. bow is MORE than adequate. Plus, it seems to me compound shooters practice as much as trad. archers. I believe accuracy is the key issue, although getting people to respond to the original question is like herding cats!
Regarding accuracy or lack of it, it's not trad. bows that are at fault as they are just as accurate if not more accurate than a compound when shot from a shooting machine. And it's not humans that are fault, equipment and techniques should be designed around our human attributes, imperfect though they may be.
The problem is the status quo of traditional archery methods and instruction.
longboman, Like most generalizations, they are, well generalizations. I know just as many compound shooters who are as dedicated to archery and enjoy it as much as I know "trad" guys that are that way. They just don't go around proclaiming such nonsense at every opportunity. As far as the arrow staying in on a poor shot, it depends on whether it is in far enough to begin with. I'll take over-penetration over insufficient penetration any day. As for your observation that most compound shooters use too light an arrow, I would agree. But that's not what I'm talking about. My arrows are actually on the light side at 536 gr. out of a 70# bow, and yes I shoot a 3 blade COC (not a trocar or pyramid type) BH. I wouldn't use mechs. on anything except turkeys.
I don't know what Paul Brunner shoots, but I'll wager he's pulling way more than the vast majority of "trad" shooters could manage.
Actually I am a good shot with a Recurve or Longbow but I hunt with a compound because I like the video setup I have with it. Alot of my friends try to get me to change to traditional. I enjoy the video part as much as anything. I sometimes hunt varmits ect. with Traditional but for me it is not that important as in getting the footage. 30 yards is a bit too far as most of the shots I take are less than 20 even with the compound. Notice the camcorder on the bow.
Silly question why would a video set up not work say on a Dorado recurve riser? Shoot mine with a stabiliser.
I don't know? I have never tried. I thought about a swing arm but I just like the convenience of my setup.
I think Paul shoots a 77# longbow. Most guys don't hunt Cape Buff, with elk probably being the largest game animal the vast majority will hunt. A 50# bow and fairly heavy arrows is more than enough on elk. Paul gets great penetration on Cape Buff by using heavy wood arrows and cut on impact bhs. I'm just surprised compounder shooters think trad. guys don't get penetration on game. News to me. Check the feathers on my arrow. 54# bow/30 yd. shot and I'm shooting relatively light arrows.
David A,
OK, you’re last post really has me intrigued. I am a professor of sorts in the study of body mechanics and gaining more efficiency of movement. (Martial Arts Instructor with Black Belts in 5 different disciplines and 3 of those BB are master rank) I know that a properly triangulated ¾ turn right cross using maximum hip rotation is much more powerful, efficient and accurate than the old barroom haymaker. However, many Martial Arts schools still teach punching methods that aren’t much better than the haymaker punch and then they wonder why my students and I can easily perform one punch knockouts. I also marvel at how some of the old masters can hit so hard by doing nothing more than correct skeletal/muscular alignment.
My question to you; is body mechanics and skeletal/muscular alignment and geometry part of your accuracy method? If it is, I can see where the smooth and steady increase in pull of trad bows can add to better form and accuracy as opposed to the body mechanics and skeletal/muscular alignment and geometry of a hard pull and sudden drastic let-off of a compound.
NO. At least not at this point in my life.
You know what? Mulling this over, I can also see where the MORE poundage that you can comfortably hold at full draw can actually improve your muscular/skeletal alignment and geometry which in turn improves body mechanics which, of course, affects accuracy. Please keep in touch; I think that you are on to something.
I sure wish I had some tudoring durring my switch.It took me 5/7 years of practicing 3+ days a week to become hunting effeicent at 30+ yrds. Maybe the better question should be.IF YOU COULD SHOOT ANY BOW AS ACCURATELY INSTINCTIVE AS USING SIGHTS,WOULD YOU SWITCH? May I add, A well tuned trad bow arro combo of legal and reasonible arro weight will penetrate North American big game fine at reasonable distances.
Scotty,
Once I have my muscles in tune to my 64# longbow, I do think I shoot it more accurately than my lighter bows. I think it makes me concentrate on the "push/pull" technigue that is so important to shooting. That said it takes more work and time to get myself into shape and stay in shape to shoot that bow.
I switched 10 years ago. Never looked back. I don't expect to miss. I have and I am sure I will again, but I missed just as many with a compound, plus some missed opportunities due to what Rob is talking about. If a person is accurate to 30 yards with them, I believe they are a simpler and better hunting weapon.
Nathan
Scotty, the guts of the STAR Method is a new aiming system and a new release system, actually two of the former and two of the latter for 4 new systems. Not saying body alignments aren't important, but I don't devote too much time to that issue. Contrary to my critics beliefs (see the link Gundy provided above), it's not a dream, a lie, a fantasy, or b.s. and I have steadfastly maintained this. Bobby Fisher, the eccentric chess champion, said "there's always a move to win". And within reason, he was right.
This thread has gotten off topic, but anyway I find some of the responses interesting. Jillions of dollars are spent on compound bows and accessories. What if it was possible for everyone to shoot traditional virtually as well as compounds up to 30 yds. and to do so consistently without having to shoot 300,000 arrows? I personally think about half of all compound shooters would switch. But, it's hard to know, so it's still a guess.
David A,
I have re-read my post and I do not understand the confusion. Most compound shooters today do devote time to practice and shoot very proficiently.
What I am saying is, given the weight of a traditional hunting bow 40# pound (most will exceed 45#) There are a lot of folks who cannot draw, or hold anchor long enough to make an effective release to become a good shot......Some/most will not find this to be an enjoyable endeavor.
Example:
If I shoot 70#.....hold 14#....with my SB-XT, you can believe me, it is much easier to do so, than to commence drawing a recurve bow to....70#.... Hold 70# and to make an effective release of 70#.
There is a huge difference in drawing a 70# recurve, holding a 70# recurve to anchor, and how proficient I will be.
The differece between drawing a 70# compound, and holding 14#, prior to release..........is certainly much different/easier than drawing to 70#, holding 70#, and releasing 70# w/recurve
The drawing of a recurve is contineuios to 70# and you will hold 70# until you release it!
It will require more practice time and strength to draw and hold 70 LBs, than it will to draw to 70 lbs. and to hold 14 lbs.
Therefore, the experience of being around "back in the day" and witnessing the amount of recurve archers vs hunting (wt) bow/archers and the general lack of bow hunters until "compound bows" came on the market, allows me to make the comparison.
The compound bow has given the rise to the popularity of todays bow hunting.........and archery in general.
Why?,......... Because it is easier to shoot!!!!! It requires less strength....and practice time to do so........ It is easier to become proficient with a compound.
How do I know this,.... because I have shot both!
To answer the original question, yes, I would definitely make the switch. That said, I am already hunting deer and small game with a recurve. The compound is reserved only for elk hunting.
It makes no difference whatsoever to me which choice of bows a person who shares my hunting camp hunts with, let alone the guy on the other side of the hill.
buc1313, yes for some people injured, elderly, young, etc. may not be able to shoot a 40# trad bow. Most guys can. And most guys probably can shoot 50# which is more than adequate for the largest game in N. America. So, the weight/penetration argument is largely out for most men I believe.
I agree most compounders practice a fair amount. My point was the STAR Method makes extensive practice for trad. bows largely unnecessary. Once you have the system down, very little practice is necessary, no more so than for serious compound shooting, and probably less. But I will agree the compound bow is still easier to learn. So, I'm not in total disagreement. With regard to "regular" trad. shooting, you are even more correct and I agree even more.
I'd switch to a recurve, If I could pull the same weight as I am now with my compound (which is 46#) but do to a shoulder injury, I have to stick with what I have. I guess you could say I'm in the middle ,I shot instinctive. Have been for 20 yrs.
I shoot both, a compound and a recurve. I hunted traditional only between '95 and 2009. I just bought a compound again a year ago. It's alright and I can extend my range out to 40 yards. But to be honest, I'm just as good with my recurve at 15 yards as I am my compound at 30. That's just my shooting form I imagine. And while I'm still giving my compound a chance and I do like the slightly longer shots, right now I enjoy shooting my recurve much more. Gripping my recurve is like an old friend's handshake. I don't get that feeling with my compound.
Besides, I learned a long time ago that it's the person behind the bow that makes the difference. Give me an ethical bowhunter for a hunting partner over a slob bowhunter any day, I don't care what they shoot.
i agree 100% the person makes the hunter not the weapon they shoot.i like recurve much better but still hunt some with compound also.
People talk about yardage limits like arrows explode or fall to the ground if you shoot too far with them or it’s somehow unethical to take a long shot even if you know that you can make it. Howard Hill shot and killed and Elk at 180+ yards and Fred Bear killed a tiger at 200 yards. Many has been the time when I had a clean decent shot at a deer and passed on it because of the resounding voices of the archery yardage police. Every single time I have done this I mentally marked a leaf, shrub, stump or whatever that was near where I saw the deer and then after the deer was long gone I took the shot at the stump etc. and made a decent hit. Shoot what you believe to be a good shot for you and ignore the self imposed limitations of others.
No way Jose. Sometimes things get out of hand and you need to clean up a mess. Its alot easier wiyh pins to, well.. you get the idea...
Scotty, I'll bet you KNEW that stump wasn't gonna move just as you released!
Ziek,
Very true, and that is just the kind of things I said to myself to console myself. My point however, is that our accuracy with our chosen weapon is often farther than we give ourselves credit for and we don’t attempt the shot because of someone else presuppositions and self-imposed limits.
I see more clients using recurves in the past couple years.This guy just started again after twenty years when he talked to one of my clients.He practiced and shot this hog the first morning.
What is it about bowhunters that makes them so concerned about how others choose to hunt?
I switched 10 years ago. My 60" Martin Dream Catcher is 65#@31" and no finger pinch.
Trad gear is not for everyone. Use whatever weapon you desire and have fun with it. The compound was just too easy and I needed to challenge myself. I hunt from the ground and being able to close the deal is so much fun for me now. However, it was fun taking a deer from a treestand with my old compound. I hunt a state that has a lot of deer and I had a crop damage permit for many years. Killing 15-25 deer before the regular season started with my compound was getting to be work and not fun.
I actually practice less with my recurve than I did with my compound. With 3 year old triplet girls there is less time. Stii, I simply can't wipe off 3 years of dust and be able to drill a target past 45 yards like I can with my 20 year old compound. I typically pick the recurve up 3-4 times a week, shoot a dozen arrows if possible and feel very confident that any animal within 25 yards is going down. My gauge and kill range is the distance I can put all my arrows into a palm size target.
David, if you have a method that works, I'm all ears. My method is very simple. I draw to the same spot, aim small and release!
I shoot with only the Compound guys,, big boy stakes big boy results..
38 yard shot, 43 yard recovery..2009 mule deer., I dont need no stinkin sights,,lol
“I shoot with only the Compound guys,, big boy stakes big boy results..”
ROTFLOL!!! My daddy told me that when I got to be a “big boy” I could take the training wheels off!!!
I think around here anyway,, the TRAD guys are not willing to "shoot better". I think the use the "instinctive" as a crutch. I can Only shoot, 17.3 yards and that it.. I like to shoot with the compound guys, as I am in the minority, I had to learn to hit stuff, so they were not helping me "look" for arrows behind the target. lol. I just love to shoot, shoot daily, shoot alot. My deal shoot what ya brought, not excuses then lets have some fun..
Along the lines of BigCnyn's posts, and as a stickbow shooter myself, I shoot with compound guys. Yeah I think a lot of "trad" guys use "instinctive" as a crutch, like they're scared or lazy and don't want to put in the work. Just wear their borsalino hat and talk smack about archers that aren't "trad". Who cares? I haven't killed big game yet, but would love to. I haven't had an ethical shot within my effective range yet, and that's fine. It's my choice to shoot a recurve. I'm not a traditionalist by any means, and fen tiger's set-up looks fun as hell. I love my recurve. I shoot heavy-ass arrows. It's quiet. I've taken quail and squirrels at twenty-plus yards. I also know I won't be drilling a deer or elk at 40-60 yards either, and that's fine with me, but I'll cheer on any of my compound shooting friends that do. I'm happy with my recurve. I didn't grow up as a hunter, so I guess killing something every year just isn't as important to me as it might be to others. But yeah, dead-nuts accuracy at 30 plus yards with a stickbow sounds great. Where's the book?
No.
And I will say that I do enjoy just goofing off with my recurve, but the reality is that my "honest" effective range is well under 15 yards. (Which incidently is the same "effective distance" (on average)that I have witnessed the trad guys shooting at 3D shoots).
I really enjoy the confidence in hitting a very small spot consistantly at a variety of distances with my compound. It's enjoyable, and I'm not one who gets persuaded or caught up in being told it "shouldn't" be.
Stillhunter,
I like the way you said that.
Started hunting with a long bow, switched to a recurve, then to a compound but do take the recurve out now and then. Got one of my five this year with a recurve, I haven't missed a shot with it as I tend to hold my recurve shots to under fifteen yards.
Hunted with recurves/longbows for over 10 years after shooting compounds for about 10. When I first started shooting traditional I shot a lot, and could hit the bullseye at 30 no problem. Four years after my son was born I just didn't get the time to practice that I needed to feel effective outside of 15 yds. I know it's a close up sport, but when time in the stand is limited due to outside constraits, I was getting tired of letting stud bucks walk at 25 and 30 yards because I had no confidence. Switched back 2 years ago and have killed 2 160" ers back to back, directly under my stand!
Basically, it's whatever is fun for you. I switched to trad equipment because I wanted the challenge and killed quite a few deer with that equipment. Switched back and am having fun with modern equipment. I'll probably switch back someday when I have time to practice more. Funny thing is, I shoot my compound a lot.
I guess we all go in stages.
I have been hunting with archery equipment for over 20 years, the last 7 with trad equipment. I believe any of you Idiots that feel like my equipment is inadequate, should give up their bows in respect to the great men who are responsible for us having archery seasons in the first place. An arrow is an arrow, and it matters not the equipment used to loose the arrow, but the quality of the person holding it.
Been bowhunting 20 years first 10 with a compound last 10 have been traditional. I had to work very hard to become accurate,my hand eye has always been a problem,throwing a baseball,playing basketball,the whole focus thing.Now in my situation I was able to take some very nice deer every year shooting traditional equip,but I also lost my share so this past november I purchased A new compound.I STRUGGLE with this beacuse I love my bows,but I owe it too the deer to make A quick humane kill,I had to be honest with myself.
Ordered a recurve two days ago..should be ready end of Feb. Haven't shot recurves in 30yrs or so and am looking forward to getting back into it.
I switched to a recurve and couldn't be happier. Hunting is about just that...hunting. Compounds are great to shoot with i just prefer to hunt with a recurve. It's been a slow transformation, but i love it.
I switched 15 years ago. Hunting has never been the same.
Here's a 5 arrow "walk up" group I shot from 80, 70, 60, 50 & 40 yards two years ago with a Habu longbow and Beman carbon shafts. If I remember correctly the worst shot and the only one out of the kill was from 50 yards and I probably lost concentration on that shot. If I could do this everytime I'd never pick up a compound again. Obviously I can't as all the old holes outside the group demonstrate so I've recently gone back to wheels for hunting. Although a group like this would be nothing special with a compound there's nothing sweeter than watching an arrow fly at 80 yards from a traditional bow and hitting almost exactly where you're looking!
Here's a 3 shot 40 yard group shot last year. Again look at all the old holes around the kill zone and outside the animal and you'll quickly understand why I'm hunting with wheels. If I could only be consistent with trad gear I'd never go back to wheels but I went back big this year.
Ziek,
What you are looking at on this Kudu is the EXIT wound, I was shooting a 50 lb recurve with a 550 gr. arrow with a cut on contact Magnus Buzz Cut on the business end. No problem with penetration here. BTW it was a 15 yard shot.
You just have to hunt harder.
LBB
for most people shooting a recurve requires practice several times a week. I didn't shoot after deer season but the last two weeks we're shooting indorrs 4 days a week, loosing about 100 arrows in an hour and a half.
Last year i was good out to 30 yards but I will be practicing out to 40 yards. I'll likely limit my shots to under 30 yards but I will be acurate out to 40.
after a long layoff we usually start shooting at 8-10 yards until the arrows are consistent with the 9 or 10 ring and then move back. shoot some more and then move back again. when you get this done consitently you start roving at unknown distances.
with pracice and dedication you will surprise yourself at just how quickly you will gain the accuracy and range needed to hunt ethically. (forget those 50-60 yards shots though )Know your limits
shoot what ever brings you the most pleasure BUT don't think Trad gear is not deadly
shoot what ever brings you the most pleasure BUT don't think Trad gear is not deadly
Awesome video Buff. Thanks
