traditional archery
Equipment
Contributors to this thread:
I want to start getting into traditional archery. I have zero experience with it. I am looking for any suggestions or tips, along with gear selection for me as an experienced archer but a less than novice trad. archer. Looking for bow selection and prices along with arrows and anything else I will need. thanks in advance.
Put your post on the leatherwall too. Should get great info there as well.
Check to see if your state doesn't have a traditional archery club. I think most states have one or more which can often be found through a google search. There is a wealth of information available by attending one of these monthly shoots from a great group of individuals.
I'd go over to the Leatherwall and just start reading, start a few threads asking questions , and then go from there.
Bowsite has some of the better trad hunters though, no doubt.
Follow
tradgang.com and leatherwall.com (I think that’s what it is, it’s part of bowsite
Those site will hook you up!
Leatherwall no doubt
A great starter bow is the Black Hunter (a lot of bow for under $200). Start close to the target with aluminum arrows and start flinging
Go to Trad Gang.com. They have a permanent post " How to get started in traditional archery for bowhunting", a lot of good reading and tips there.
Look up “The Push - A Traditional Archery Film” online. Watching that will answer a lot of your questions.
Join the Wisconsin Traditional Archers.
Comptons Archery is a great national organization with an excellent gathering in southern Michigan, generally in June. They have a website and Facebook presence.
Leatherwall for sure. You should also contact Compton Bowhunters (all trad guys) and PBS, Professional Bowhunters Society. PBS has a strong base of trad guys along with compound guys too. Lots of folks in both that will be glad to give advise. Good hunting info too. Great clubs that fight for bowhunting future and teaching our youth.
I might also add there is a recent great book authored by Bill McCrary called " The History of Wisconsin Bowhunting, 1930-2016 ". This is a good read no matter which state you may live and hunt in. Lots of traditional archery history, as well as the more recent evolution away from traditional archery.
Thanks all, so general consensus is to check out leather wall and trad gang. I will check into all those. Thanks again, Will
I second the advice of watching “The Push-a traditional archery film” and then I would seriously consider getting really good coaching on form. Tom Clum Sr has an online Solid Archery Mechanics Course which is absolutely phenomenal. You can find it through The Push website and RMSGear I belueve. It will save you a lot of time and energy in the long run.
There's nothing magical or mystical about traditional archery. It's archery. Like any new undertaking, there's a learning period...I'm 66, and was an archer when "traditional" was the only form there was...lol.
When compounds came in, most guys made the switch...as did I for a few years. I had a lot of fun, but I loved sticks and switched back in the early 80's. I'm still shooting them. Make no mistake, there's nothing wrong with compounds!
Anyhoo...LW is a good reference point, I'm over there as well, but I'd strongly suggest what others referenced...find a couple trad clubs (rare!) Or trad shoots (becoming more common). Walk up to some guys and start chatting them up. Ask questions, look at their gear, watch them shoot. You'll find most are happy to render help, and let you shoot their bows.
If you go for it, start light, at LEAST 10 pounds under your compound weight. DO NOT overbow...that'll turn you off quick, fast, and in a hurry! Lol. I've only got two bows...customs from a great bowyer who, unfortunately, got out of the biz. They were expensive, but not overly so...look at something like a Sammick Sage to start. Decent shooters that won't break the bank. Then, if you discover you enjoy it, the sky's the limit.
Fire away with any questions. My son followed me a few years ago, and will never switch back. He worked HARD, became a great shot, is a fine young hunter to begin with, and after shooting my old Black Widow MAII a couple years he ordered up a takedown longbow from "my" bowyer...he got the last one built...lucky young man! He's taken 4 deer with it to date.
Good luck...lol. I thought I was going back to "simpler"....boy was I wrong. It`s far more complicated than compound shooting.
Look at ads for decent 45 lb bows in good shape....most can be had for $100. You can even pick up a few bows with different riser styles...high wrist...low wrist etc. Start with this to see if it`s your cup of tea before diving in. The 45 lb bow will help nail down your shooting form and consistency....it will also kill every horned animal in N. America.
Don`t buy into the macho man heavy poundage deal until you have consistent form. Form and equipment set up is the key to everything trad.
Your best advice is to talk to someone from 3Rivers or Lancaster Archery. They'd be able yo give you better suggestions and advice then most people on here. And you'll get all kinds of advice from the guys on the Leatherwall, but I'd personally listen to George Stout before listening to a few others. Instead of watching the Push, do yourself a favor and watch Master's of The Barebow. You'll get more out of it.
“The 45 lb bow will help nail down your shooting form and consistency....it will also kill every horned animal in N. America.”
Yeah I don’t know if I’d want to use a 45lb bow for horned game like bison or musk ox but it would certainly work for horned game like Pronghorn or sheep, wouldn’t be ideal for horned game like Mtn Goat either but I’d guess that it would get the job done.
And guess what. These Bowsite forums have plenty of guys who shoot recurves and longbows. If you are a bowhunter above anything else, you need not limit yourself to 'trad only' forums. Certainly they are a good place to find plenty of information, but not necessarily the best or only place(s). I happen to hunt with a longbow (or recurve) but I don't limit myself to the conventional 'traditional archery' thinking. I'm a bowhunter and I tend to hang where bowhunting is spoken...regardless of the bow used.
Most people in traditional archery can't shoot well and the entire field is a mess, IMHO. When the advise is to (just) go the the Leatherwall or join a club, etc. the real world result is pretty happenstance as to who may influence you and the direction given.
Overall, the Push Archery film available for free on YouTube and the related knowledge center (https://thepusharchery.teachable.com) is currently the best resources out there, IMO.
If you don't want to "complicate" things the best advice I can give you is read up on it, maybe watch some videos, and let your body develop it's own natural ability and style. Internet forums generally are full of competing ideas and varying abilities, so to think any one guy here can train you to shoot is a crap-shoot. It ain't rocket science...the first step is find a reputable shop, have them set you up properly, and start flinging some arrows. Just like a lot of things in life, you can also teach yourself to shoot a stickbow. DON'T THINK IT'S HARD OR SOMETHING ONLY OLD "LEATHERWALLERS" CAN DO!!! Not true at all..
Trad Gang is great. Leather wall is good too. Also check out pirates of archery for some great advice.
Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear is a fun web site to shop for hundreds of used and new bows. Ran by quality guys that won't steer you wrong.
Best advice I could give is to hook up with an experienced local traditional bowhunter, and learn first-hand.
After making the jump myself recently, my biggest piece of advice would be to not overbow yourself. Seriously, start with something about 45#s. I started heavier than I should have and had a lot of trouble being consistent. I went to a lighter bow and instantly noticed my form getting better. This makes you enjoy it, and want to keep shooting to get better and better. You can always bump up in weight once you get your form down and confidence built up. There are a lot of great guys here and on the leatherwall who are more than willing to help. Second best piece of advice is to just jump in and do it. It's a fun and rewarding journey.
Pick up a nice used 58-62" recurve that is between 42-46#s at 28"s and that way of you draw a tad more or less the poundage will still be good to hunt with. Go to the leatherwall on arrow advise or PM me on what bow you have and the weight at your draw and I can get ya pretty much right on for arrow spine. The important thing is watch some videos and work on form and a clean release. A competent coach can work wonder but you can do well on your own . Remember do not over bow yourself and for mist that is 47to 50 pounds and you are over bowed. Once you shoot a while and get good you can go up in weight if you want. I started back 42 years ago shooting 40-45#s than worked up to 85-90 pounds for about 10 years and have slowly gone down in the last 20 years. I now shoot between 42-46#s and have no problem getting pass throughs on all the game I hunt. Remember have fun no matter what!! Shawn
I second the advice of finding a trad archery group nearby and just start to attend their shoots. I am almost sure there are several in WI. IF you PM me, I can get you several emails of WI buddies that would know for sure. Get a copy of TBM (Traditional Bowhunter Magazine) and I think there is a listing near the back of all the state trad archery clubs. For example, My state trad archery club (CTA) has monthly shoots and a handful of "loaner" bows to try out when you visit, plus just about any shooter there will let you shoot his or her bow to try it out.
I second a call to Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear. They have lots of used bows and will not steer you wrong and neither will Three Rivers Archery. My Samick bow shoots as well as any of my customs too.
I would find a coach before you go buying a Blacktail Presentation grade bow.
They will have bows you can try out...and they will get you started right.
I have always shot a longbow. Never even shot a compound because I just like my longbow. My best advice, as others have stated, is go low on the poundage. One nice thing about trad bows is that they don’t change every year. I have shot my Meigs #46 exclusively since 1985. Pretty cheap hunting when you divide the cost of the bow over 34 years. My previous longbow, a lemonwood, went from 1958 to 1985 before it broke.
grindersonly, where are you at in Wisconsin? I'm in Manitowoc/Valders area. I have a bunch of different traditional bows you are welcome to come and try out. Longbows, recurves, one piece, take downs, different poundages. I am more than happy to help you get your feet wet in traditional archery. There are a bunch of traditional shooters on the Wisconsin board and I bet you would get some more offers to help you out.
Get your hands on some bows. Choose one. Then begin to watch Tom Clum from RMS gear as much as possible.
This is reality and not a brag. I shoot a trad bow far better then most. Its just something that clicked for me. I have done it off and on for a long time. To the point I became bored. I picked it back up and was like always, pretty much dead on a coule months ago. I thought I couldn't get better. Until I watched Aron Snider shoot a month ago. I realized I wasn't as elite as I thought. And, I listened to why he was so dang good EVERY shot. Enter Tom Clum. I begin to watch videos with Tom's teachings. I have improved to the point it amazes me. I'm being serious too. Get a bow and follow his advice! And, don't rush it or shoot to much!
Grinders only I picked up a used Martin X-200 45# recurve for my grandson and really in joy shooting it myself . The bows I hunt with are around 50 # (longbows) and will send arrows through deer with no problems . You need a good arrow but my not want to start out with really expensive ones . There's a guy over on the leather wall (bowmania ) that likes to help with the fundamental s of shooting a bow. Like above , you will save lite years getting some coaching to begin with. You don't have any bad habits to break.lol there's also a really good book and I think it's called how to shoot the stick bow that is worth having , Kinda like having instructions to fall back on. Hope this helps some and good luck
Mr. Thomas, My suggestion earlier to checkout leatherwall and the PBS and Compton was not suggesting you can learn trad archery from the internet. It was giving you some avenues to make contact with other trad archers that put you in contact with trad people in your area that would be more than happy to help you out. The traditional guys love sharing archery. PBS and Compton strive to promote archery and bowhunting, especially with kids. Trad archery, bowhunting is a close range sport. I personally try to keep shots inside 15 yards but did shoot a 150” 8 pt at 23 yards a couple of years ago. It will force you to be a different kinda hunter as you strive for the close shots. But best of all it is just plain fun. Enjoy the journey.
The Footed Shaft in Rochester Mn. is another great place to get set-up with a new "used" bow! Check 'em out.