Switching to the Compound
Equipment
I shoot both compound and recurves. I don't care what others think. Next time one of them looks down on you for shooting a compound, remind them Fred Bear also shot one. Then tell them you are going for a crossbow disability permit and really watch them melt down.
How does the compound help with shoulder issues?
Razor, I wouldn't worry about the nay Sayers and just shoot with your buddies. Secondly, why not shoot your compound like your recurves, instinctively? Either way enjoy your new way and I would switch out of my trad bows to a compound if it keeps me out there hunting.
A 60# compound with 80% let off means you are holding 12# at full draw. Some compounds also have draw cycles that are actually pretty smooth. I have no problems shooting a 70# compound, but pretty much honestly max out at 50# with a recurve.
I've shot recurves and longbows for most of my life except for a few years in the 70s. About 10 years ago I had an impingement in my shoulder that left me unable to shoot my recurves without pain. I dropped down in weight and used a compound until I got my shoulder corrected. Nobody should look down or chastise you for your choice.
Don't give a second thought to what anyone else thinks. That's their problem. Shoot what makes you happy and allows you to do what you love to do without pain.
I made the switch a few years ago just to see what the whole compound thing was about. Some trad friends were genuinely upset, a couple actually angry. I took a lot of grief but discovered I enjoyed the process. I was getting bored after a lifetime of shooting trad - nearly 50 years. I still get a lot of crap, mostly from guys who are bona fide trad snobs who NEVER kill anything, but feel great about themselves.
Then I switched back for a few years, killed more big animals, got bored with trad again and went back to the compound. I'm having fun again.
The biggest adjustment has been trying to overcome the mental issues. For 50 years I shot with a draw-settle-release rhythm. My brain wants me to release the compound arrow before I'm settled, so I fight the urge to rush the shot, which would be a normal relaxed rhythm for a longbow or recurve. Its a discipline I'm enjoying trying to master.
I ashamedly confess that I was a trad elitist for most of the 30+ years I shot and hunted with recurves. Although I had owned and shot early compounds (with fingers), my trad experience and association lead me to "drink the Koolaid" about how easy it was to pick up a "wheelie" bow and shot quarters at 60 yards with 15 minutes of sighting in. Then.....in late summer of 2010 my draw shoulder suddenly went "Pop" while drawing my bow and a lance of pain radiated down my arm as well as upper back. After taking a couple days off, I tried to shoot and it was rough so I consulted my Dr. who sent me to an orthropaedic specialist. An MRI/arthrogram (which is a REALLY long needle injecting dye into the joint.....fun) revealed two partial tears of the rotator cuff and fraying of the biceps muscle. Thankfully I avoided the knife and was instead sent to PT, but the specialist told me that I would need to make changes if I didn't want that scenario as my future.
A buddy recommended a single cam bow in the 50# range as a way to ease back into shooting and that proved to be good advice. Along with the PT, I was able to hunt later that fall and killed my first compound deer. I shot that bow a couple seasons and eventually rehabed my shoulder to the point of drawing a dual cam bow with more zip and draw weight.....which I continue to do today. Quite frankly, the perception that shooting a high letoff bow with a mechanical release was a piece of cake did not bear out for me. Since I had never released an arrow with anything but fingers, the entire process felt odd and disconnected for many months. Also like Jaquomo, I was a more of a "target" shooter with my recurve with a deliberate hold at anchor, but that shot sequence was too rapid for shooting a compound well. It has taken me several years to slow down, float and execute a good release. Changing to a hand held release made the draw and hold much more "natural" for me and I have made significant improvement in the past two years.
All that to say.......I am enjoying this form of archery and also learning about the mechanics of tuning my own bows. For a while I had someone else do the work, but eventually bought a bow press and am doing more and more on my own. It is different for sure.....but it is not like having a pre-drawn Xbow lying on a bench rest as some trad guys seem to think. Crow does not taste very good, but I readily admit that some of the things I posted on this site a decade ago was clearly biased without experience to back it up. If someone would not share a hunt or camp with me now because I shoot a compound, I see that as THEIR issue and not mine. Go for it OP and listen to your inner voice, not the contrary ones from outside that are likely laced with bias that is worthless.
I've encountered some issues like Lou expressed- the snap and shoot with a recurve has me in fits holding my pin on my compound. My Compound is all zeroed in and spot on, but actually holding it on the target is a pain.
My Compound is 72# and recurves are 50# and 53# and I don't know that I could handle much more than 55# traditional.
I shoot both and have for quite a few years. I have dropped down to 43-47#s for my recurves and this year put a set of 60# limbs on my compound. For me it is becasue I need a full shoulder replacement and I am putting it off as long as possible. The issue is for me to be good with my recurves I have too shoot quite a bit, maybe 40-50 arrows a week. I can do that with little pain shooting 46# recurve but I only have to shoot a couple arrows a week with the compound to be accurate out to 40 yards and can do that with my 60# compound without hurting too bad. Shoot what ya want and take care of your body. Have fun as I do and I will kill deer with both bows this year. Shawn
Shoot the bow you want to shoot but be ethical and do not put pins on your bow that are 60,70,80,90 or a hundred yards to hunt with !
who cares what people think? I am still trying to hunt with a custom Rampart 48# recurve, so I am going the opposite way. My instinctive shooting is getting better and better, and perhaps I am expecting too much perfection with my groups, but I don't want to wound a deer. Maybe this will be the year, after getting it 3 years ago. I will enjoy hunting with both that and with my old reliable Matthews with training wheels. I suspect if I can pull it off - taking a deer with the recurve will be a special kind of thrill and accomplishment for me.
This is my opinion. I get five deer tags on my Texas license, although these days I only use three at most. If I kill them with a bow, a rifle, a handgun, or hit them over the head with a sledgehammer, whose business is it besides mine ? Well, the warden might not like the hammer part, but any legal means of hunting shouldn't be frowned upon.
I shot compounds for ten years, then trad only for 14 and a couple of years ago, with now 3 kids, a wife who wanted to go back to work and a damaged elbow, I went back to a compound, thinking that it would be an easy switch. That one was on me! Target shooting went ok, then I get out in the woods, the first deer that came a long, I missed it and you'd be better off measuring the distance of that miss in feet than inches! I was so use to picking a spot, anchoring and following through, that's what I'd do with my compound, without settling into my peep and centering pins! The second year offered a glimmer of hope and now three years later, I'm really ready to hunt with wheels again. Those that think it's so easy should try it sometime maybe!
I like them both,but I won't hunt with a bow I'm not proficient with.I've tried,I'm just better with my compound.I owe the game I'm hunting that.never tried the newer compounds,still like old school ones.
I truly believe it's much easier for someone to be quickly proficient with a compound if they've never been a trad shooter. I don't mean dabbling with a recurve at scout camp or in the backyard, but shooting a longbow or recurve for decades at animals, targets and foam every day.
Muscle memory and brain conditioning are wonderful things until you try to reverse a deeply grained process.
We hold our bows out in front of us with one hand and draw the string with the other = we're all bowhunters.
And changes add a little spice to life.
I'm switching over this year as well, unfortunately. I've enjoyed shooting my recurves and longbows but I've battled some shoulder issues the last few years and when I was shooting everyday, my left shoulder would be on fire for the majority of the day so I figured it was time to change over. I bought an old Mathews for $100 on Craigslist and set it at 60 lbs and so far have been having fun with it.
Getting used to the compound took some time But just like with traditional, it's all in your head. I found a shot process and sequence that works for me and I'm really excited to get out and shoot a few deer.
Good luck with your transition and don't take any crap from anyone, hunt whatever way makes you happy!
Everytime I go to the archery range there will be some guy splattering arrows all over the 3'x4' target at 20-30 yards with his traditional bow. Never fails. Most of those guys should be shooting elk at 20 yards.
new compounds are something else
I have an Xpedition Xplorer ... incredible bow, set at 63# and I was shooting a 50# recurve/longbow
I'm left eye dominant, shoot right handed
I shoot both again & it's all archery.
Love my compounds, owned a few longbows and recurves, not a huge fan of them
carcus what's not to love?
They're beautiful, gorgeous woods and sleek lines ...they're difficult to use, they give you a great sense of touch with archery that has been around 1000 years. Purity of focus, draw, release and your arrow hitting something at whatever distance right where you wanted it to go ! and killing an animal is icing
Its like fly fishing, or shooting a flintlock ....
Shoot whatever you want and why care about what others think? I hate how traditional guys think shooting a compound is so easy. The way some talk, you'd think you were talking to the next IBO world champion!! I Shoot both compound and stick bows, love hunting with my longbow, but this year will be carrying a Prime Centergy. Had too many good animals walk away last year that I just couldn't close to within 35 yards of. It's time to once again put some good horn on the ground...
I used to make recurves and longbows and shot them for many years however now I'm forced to shoot a compound. I'm not even comfortable shooting a 2 cam bow, I'm using round wheels instead. I love to shoot too much to quit.
I make and shoot stickbows of various types. I used to shoot and hunt with compounds and quit because it got too easy, for me.
After doing the stickbow thing for several years and following another conversation similar to this one, I dug out my old compound, a mid 90's High Country max force(what 60% letoff?) and put 9 out of 9 in the vitals of my 3d target at 40 yards. Pulled them, stepped back to 50, and 9 of 9 again in the vitals. Like a rifle. Hold. And squeeeze. It's in there. Just like I remembered. Too easy.... for ME. I sold it and haven't touched one since.
I make my weapon critiques and choices for me and me alone and don't profess to know what's easy or difficult for others to use or denounce their gear choices. I'm just saying... when some folks say compounds are too easy for them, they're just being honest, and why must that opinion be demonized if it wasn't meant to be demeaning? Cuz someone doesn't like to hear it? or transposes another's experience or opinions onto themselves? Ease of use is all relative anyway. We should try to remain objective about it.
I can't answer for carcus but I don't have enough time to become proficient with trad bows and I like to kill stuff to much to limit myself even more. My personality doesn't allow me to accept a significant decrease in accuracy plus there is just way too much stuff to screw with on compounds and I love to tinker.
Bowfreak that's me too. However I DO love shooting recurves/longbow and the way they look etc. Love them - I've never seen an ugly recurve !
shot compounds for years and then switched to trad for years even had a business building recurve and longbows. hunted with compound last couple years. this year my life has really slowed down and I'm shooting primitive. hickory selfbow rawhide string and flint arrowheads. I love shooting all bows period. I've killed with crossbow, compounds (including 70s era bear whitetail shooting fingers) but haven't shot anything with the selfbow so that's on the list. we all set personal goals and they shouldn't be set on what other people will think. shoot what will make you happy. I do have to say that I do not understand the mindset of some traditional shooters.
Well, It seems to me the longer you shoot bows the type of bow becomes less important, I started with recurves in the early 60s and shot compounds for a few years when they first came out mainly Jennings. I decided they were not dependable enough and went back to shooting recurves. I shot traditional for the next 25 years and enjoyed it a lot and had my fair share of success doing it, I reached a time when I couldn't hunt certain species I wanted to because I no longer could handle 70-80 lb recurves. I went to compounds and enjoyed that experience and still do. As far as shooting, I am surprised to find they share the same requirements for accuracy. I shot my recurves with pure instinct I would pick my spot and burn a hole through that spot with concentration. I was depending on muscle memory to take care of every thing else.Today I shoot my compounds by picking my spot and burning a hole through that spot with concentration. I depend on muscle memory to take of every thing else. My pin is there floating around my spot. But I dont use it for anything I let my Sub conscience take care of that. The way I shoot both recurves and compounds are quite similar. If you need to go to a compound for any reason,do it, Theres just not that much difference no matter what some folks are going to say. Thats just my observation after shooting bow for 59 yrs and I still shoot just about every day.
