I think you can be chasing elk by 2017 although it may not be with your grandads bow. Plenty of time to learn traditional but it requires a ton of practice. I'm sure leatherwall will be a great place to answer traditional questions but if I can help in any way on this side just ask.
Consistency is the key. Find your anchor under your eye, do it the same every time, and you'll be shooting lights out very quickly. It's the same premise as using any weapon. Consistency is the key. And anchoring under the eye so the arrow goes where the eye is looking windage wise. Give it a try. You'll see for yourself it isn't magical. It's a tool that does what you direct it to do.
That bow would do it. More sure wouldn't hurt though. Get tuned, get accurate, then go kill something. Good luck and God Bless
FWIW, almost 5 years cancer free. It's great. I will pray for the same concerning your wife. God Bless
I'm mainly on LW but enjoy the hunting aspect "over here". Feel free to post on LW but be sure to sift through the advice.
I read how "we" are trad snobs, and for a few that's true...but for the most part there's a lot of good, helpful guys there. Ive become friends with some through the cyber world, and have met and shot with a couple.
Bottom line, we're all bowhunters...sticks or wheels. Matters not in the least what you shoot.
'Cept cross bows, of course :^)
Glad to hear about your wife's remission! I remember when this came up before and was wondering how it was going. :)
If so, you will be limited to not much more than 20 yards shots. Cut on impact BH and at least 500 gr arrows.
If the goal is to just go elk hunting, then go for it regardless of the bow.
A cancer survivor of 6 years.
My best, to you both, as I know the pain and the challenges. Paul
Hmmmm...pot...meet kettle...
I guess I'm one of those "tradholes". Reread or just read my post jaq.
What's the old saying about glass houses and stone throwing?
While we both shoot different styles...and he, tongue in cheek, doesn't agree with my chosen style, he's a good guy and I'd recommend anyone considering trad to heed his words. He knows of which he speaks and he'll tell it straight up.
He, along with many other of "us", are more than willing to help, when approached, anyone interested in trad.
Funny word, trad. Unlike many of the young ones carrying on the hunting tradition today, us old relics come from a bygone era when "trad" was the only method. I guess "trad" is as new of an invention as the compound bow, eh?
And yes I do :^)
I have your same Colt target recurve hanging above my desk. Smooth draw and stable, not as fast as a shorter "modern" recurve with improved limb design and lams, but it will certainly do the job for you, especially since it carries your grandpa's mojo.
Also, are you a righty or lefty?
I am getting some lessons.
Repeatable anchor point and correctly spined arrows are being developed for me. My groups are coming together well.
Do it and enjoy it. If I had a weapon from my grandfather, I'd sure as heck try to make it work too.
Best of luck man
With yours being in the 46# range I would go with that one as it will be an easier break in for you plus it's one dear to your heart for all the right reasons.
I picked up mine mid July & by Sept. 1st I was ready & confident to 35 yards. To that point I'd never shot a longbow so it was all new to me but had hunted with compounds for several decades. A week into the Sept season I took a 5-point bull at 28 yards, one shot one bull down. -- Yes you can do this as long as your commitment to want to succeed is strong & not just practice when it's convenient.
I found if I missed one or two days after practicing for a couple weeks that I got rusty real fast, I quit missing days to shoot even if it was 1 dozen arrows then call it quits for the day. Daily practice is important, stick with it & you'll get good & enjoy the heck out of it, keep things simple!
For your setup I'd consider a finished arrow weight of 450 grains to 480 grains with a larger cutting 2 bladed broadhead. Lots of quality 2-bladed heads to choose from these days!
Arrows like a Beman MFX in the 500 spine with a 75 grain brass insert & a 100 grain or 125 grain broadhead to get the needed overall arrow weight is one to look at. This will give your 46# bow some needed punch with the 175 - 200 grains up front. It would be a very deadly setup!
ElkNut1
Get a good instructor to watch you shoot and work on your form and you will be good to at least 25 yards.
Before you work on hitting things you might want to shoot at 5 yards into a bigger target with your eyes closed until you have the release, etc. down pat.
The idea that it will take a year is rediculous.
fubar', to answer your question directly, yes, it is possible. Now, whether or not it will actually happen, that is you becoming proficient, is entirely up to you and your willingness to put the effort forth. No way for any of us to know for certain if it's going to happen.
If your draw length is correct for the compound then that's what it's going to be with the recurve, give or take a 1/4", but that's it. I can tell you that learning archery for the average male person, by starting with a bow that is going to likely be a tad over 50#(at your draw length)generally creates a number of bad habits. Most every qualified coach I can think of recommends like 30#'ish to learn and solidify form. You will certainly get another story from the Neotrads, however. :)
If you can't find a coach nearby to get proper instruction then I highly recommend getting a book like "Shooting The Stickbow", by Anthony Camera for instance. Now, this part will ruffle feathers among some. By "coach", I'm not talking about some traddy daddy dingle-bobble you notice at the local 3D course that recommends you hunch, lean, short-draw and snap shoot because "that's the trad' way!", type coach. Just look for those wearing new fedoras, expensive wool plaid button downs and very ornate custom back quivers......then run like hell. I promise you those guys will lead you down the wrong path like 99% of the time.
Be open to experimenting with at least several time tested methods of shooting the conventional bow. You might prefer shooting split-finger instinctive, 3 under gapping, fixed crawl, or even a sighted recurve. Yes, sights are "traditional"(hate that word) as evidenced by half of target and hunting archers using them back in the Golden Age of Archery(1950's,60's&70's). Point being, you won't know really what suits you best until you've experimented.
Most of all keep a positive attitude and don't be afraid to ask for help. Best of luck
I've been a recurve guy for many years, but shot a couple heavy Hill style longbows in my younger days...76 and 83lb...I can't even string them today :^). However, I just never liked them...too much stack and hand shock. Yeah, the heavy weight had something to do with that.
As of late, I've had a real itch to check out RD longbows. I'm a big fan of Ken's artistry in his Whippenstick bows and have been seriously considering giving him a call.
So today I made a HUGE mistake...I went to a trad shoot to meet a gent who's a 3 time IBO modern longbow world champ. He brought a couple of his Whippenstick RD's for me to try out...after 100 or so arrows I'm hooked...dammit!!! At 20 yards, indoors, we were shooting ornaments off a christmas tree in addition to 3-D targets. Now THAT was fun.
Soooooo...now I'm gonna have to give Ken a call.
Give it an honest try...it really is rewarding...and fun. Oh yeah, they're also damn lethal, smooth, light, and whisper quiet.
I met a woman years ago that used a primitive bow that she killed dozens of whitetail with (a lot were very nice bucks). Her average shot distance was 7 yds.
The trad game is measured in feet, not yards.
ElkNut1
Well, Misalots.... Consistency in correct form is a non-negotiable, but the part about "no sighting reference" is a CHOICE. One heavily popularized among the Neotards, unfortunately....
If you find a repeatable anchor point on your face and it doesn't put the nock plumb below your eyeball, just cant your head (and bow) a little. When you get it right, you'll know - because the entire length of your arrow will be pointed directly at the target. THAT is your sighting reference, and with a radius in the 28" range, it's actually pretty dang precise. Or can be, if you'll let it.
Personally... At this point I recommend hanging a few feet of heavy, black yarn down the center of your otherwise featureless target. If your target is too shot up, split open a grocery bag and use a marker down the middle. Just keep the line straight! ;)
Line up the entire length of the arrow on the yarn/stripe. If your release is good, you'll hit very close to it. Don't worry about high or low - just center the yarn over the shaft. If you shoot shiny aluminums, you can probably even see the black line reflected off the top of the shaft all the way down to make sure you're centered...
And if you do it this way Every Single Time, you will find that the adjustments that you need to make to your anchor and your bow-arm hold will get smaller and less frequent as you build the consistency that Misalots mentioned.
Or, to speed things up a bit, you can shoot target-style and serve in a peep. Add a front sight if you want. Works just as well as on a compound, so long as you have mastered the weight. Only drawback is that sometimes when you're hunting it's awfully helpful to be able to cant your bow a bit more or less than usual, and you can't do with with a peep and a pin.
JMO, IGNORE the elevation until you get the windage down unless you're using a front sight. As you go along, the elevation will start to sort itself out anyway. If you can group just a couple inches right to left at 5 yards, back off to 10. Or 7.5. Whatever you're comfortable with.
Then, once your right-left accuracy is pretty well dialed, go shoot some targets at random, unknown distances as often as you can swing it. You can consciously estimate and correct for the range, or you can float your bow hand up and down 'til it looks about right. The former is more precise, if you can hold all of the gaps and yardages in your conscious mind, but it's overload for me. I'm a floater.
If there are any talented "trad" shooters in your area, hit them up for some feedback on your form. Or better yet, find a coach. Viper has a Real Live Book on the subject as well....
BTW - you don't need a new registration to post on the wall - just start a new thread.
Shooting a recurve well can be a whole lot more straightforward than a lot of people will tell you that it is. There's nothing magical or mystical about it - you aim your bow and you hit your target. And you don't have to be Born With It. Nobody ever has been yet, so why would The Universe start making it a requirement with you???
BTW - so simple a 5-year-old can do it...
Lou can you draw me a picture or something? I'm trying to envision what a tradhole looks like.......
I'm still saving for a bow that nice!
"Neotards" inadvertently do everything possible to ruin the sport of conventional(recurve/longbow) archery for folks before the ever get started really. That you can't, or shouldn't, or "it's not trad' to use a sight", or you can't/shouldn't use your arrow as a sight is complete bs and historically inaccurate.
There is no one reading this post who ever shot arrows in any decade where sights on recurves didn't exist. There's a picture floating around here somewhere of Fred Bear using a sight on his longbow in 1927. He didn't go sightless until target panic set in. Howard Hill advocated hunters using sights on their bows. Jack Howard was a tremendous and innovative bowyer in the 50's and 60's and always had a Merril bow sight screwed in the riser of his hunting bows. There are literally thousands of other examples. You will have a tough time finding vintage wood bows on ebay that DON'T have sight holes drilled in them.
Then there are several methods to use your arrow as a sight that are deadly effective. I've killed deer, turkey and small game by using a high anchor(3 under) and a full length arrow to "gap" shoot. String walking and the fixed crawl are equally effective if not better than my adopted method. You will not find an IBO 3D "Traditional" champion anywhere shooting recurves that isn't utilizing his/her arrow to aim.
There are folks that shoot "instinctively" and do well with it, so don't get me wrong, but in my experiences they are few and far between......just the way it is. I can't tell you how many people I know that quit in frustration because someone(neotrads) convinced them that there is no real way to aim, and if there is, then you shouldn't do it anyway. It's archery's biggest and lamest myth.
If I were you, I would put a simple one pin sight on your bow and get good with it. If you ever want to take it off, your brain will have already learned the gaps.
Enjoy the journey.
I shoot some cedar arrows with Zwickys and also shoot some GoldTip traditionals with Magnus. Find what you shoot best and shoot it. To each his own.
--Mitch
With a release and sights it won't really be much different than shooting your compound, so you should become proficient pretty quickly.
