Need Help Getting Started..?

[Crashman]

Hey guys, I am a compound shooter wanting to try traditional. I don' t know what to start with...recurve or long bow. Any help on manufacturers and models would be a great help. Thanks!!

[IrishLad32]

A recurve would probably be better ' cause the grips are similar to a compound. Not that they' re better than a longbow, but the transtion might be easier. If you know someone local you could get a used one from to try out that' d be a good idea. If not there try to find a cheap one on ebay or www.women-outdoors.com/traditional Just make sure it' s a low weight, no cracks, twisted limbs, delaminations, no chunks off the tips, no cracks in the finish, etc.. You shouldn' t really start with anything more than 45lbs; 50lbs would be max if you' re a burly fellow. Get as much info as you can on shooting, tuning, arrows and all that stuff. Ask a bunch of questions too; there are some pretty smart folk around here. A lot of those old Bears are pretty good. I had a Kodiak Hunter from like ' 79 that was pretty good. The thing about traditional archery is that you have to try it to really find out. You may hate my longbow so much you' d throw it in a fire, but I think it' s alright. So I can' t really say what' s going to work well for you. But try to find something used and on the cheaper side; that way if you find out you don' t like it you won' t be out so much money. Then after you' ve been at it for a bit you may drop some more dollars on something nicer or better suited to your shootin. See if there are some traditional archery shops in your area and try them out. Also, this is the season for traditional archery shoots. So if you find one in your area go and check it out. Talk with folk, shoot different bows and see what you like, and you may even get a good deal on the spot. Maybe some folk around here could get you some more info on the matter, but above all have fun with it.

Brandan

[Arthur P]

Strongly agree with the advice on draw weight. The worst thing a new trad shooter can do is to shoot more weight than they can handle. Too many compound shooters that try traditional gear think that since they can shoot a 70 pound compound that they can jump right into a 70 pound recurve. It simply doesn' t work that way. The peak draw weight on a compound comes midway through the draw where your muscles have a good bit of leverage. Peak weight on a stickbow comes at the end of the draw where you don' t have much leverage. Some people can make the switch from compound to traditional and shoot the exact same draw weight, but they are few and far between.

There has never been a deer made that a well aimed arrow out of a 45 pound bow won' t kill, and 45 pounds is perfect for small game. More is better, of course, but only to a certain extent. After about 65 pounds, there is a point of diminishing returns and isn' t much benefit to going heavier than that. I think the majority of bows being shot these days average between 50-55 pounds.

Now, about what kind of bow. I absolutely LOVE to shoot longbows. Just something about them that I can' t resist. But I have to admit that I shoot recurves a heckuva lot better than I do longbows. It' s also pretty easy to find an old recurve in very good condition at a very reasonable price. That' s where I' d recommend you start.

Old Pearson, Wing and Shakespeare recurves can usually be had for well under $100 and are decent shooters. Collectors like Bear bows, and some of the old 60' s vintage Bear Kodiaks sell for more than you can buy a new one for. But, like IrishLad says, watch out for twisted, cracked and delaminated limbs on the oldies.

If you want to buy new, I' d start out looking at Checkmate bows. Excellent bows at reasonable prices. Next would be Martin' s Damon Howatt recurves. Bear isn' t up to the standards they were made to while Fred Bear was living. They' re still serviceable bows but the price tag is higher than they' re worth, IMO. There are so many custom bowyers out there making great bows that it' s darn difficult to really recommend one of them over another, and you don' t want to get a custom bow made before you figure out what you like in a bow anyway.

All of us are looking for ' The One' bow. Every time we think we' ve found it, we mess around and shoot another bow that is suddenly ' The One.' That' s why there are so many custom bows on the used market. But it' s part of the fun.

[BobCo19-65]

That' s some great advice from some very knowledgable people. Back in the late 70' s when I was a kid, I shot traditional exclusively. Compounds were just starting to get popular. My Dad always insisted on learning to shoot traditional before moving to compound, which was great advice. But I moved into compounds after a few years of shooting traditional. During the past few years, however, I have made the journy back to traditional and forgot how much fun it actually is. Be careful cause the traditional bug bites hard.

Only other advice that I' m going to add is to get yourself a good book. I have read Byron Fergusins " Become the Arrow" many times and it has helped me a lot. P.S. it is not only for longbows.

http://www.byronferguson.com/gear_book.htm

Wow, did anyone see his new broadheads? $10 a piece is a little pricey for me.

Also, one tip, do not practice everyday. I would suggest shooting until you can see your form starting to break down, I practice about 30-50 arrows every other day. Your muscles need time to heel inbetween practice sessions. It' s hard to do sometimes, but......

[Brian_L]

Yep, some good advice listed above. Granted, the recurve might be a little easier when making the transition from compound to traditional but I' ll go out on a limb and say go with the design you' re most drawn to. One thing to consider with a lot of the modern reflex/deflex longbows is that they' re very competitive with recurves in ease of shooting and performance. You also have numerous choices in grip design, some which are very similar to a recurve grip. Here' s the 2 biggest tips I can lend to you: 1) Find some traditional archers in your area, either through a local shoot, club, range, etc., and shoot as many different bow designs as possible. You' ll find most archers are more then willing to let you try their bows and also point a beginner in the right direction. 2) Don' t go higher then 50# in weight, 45# is probably better. When I switched over to traditional, I went with 55# (and the bowyer had to talk me into that weight) and in hindsight, wished I would have gone with 50#. I' ve been a weight lifter for over 10 years so trust me when I say going with a lighter weight bow does not mean you' re not strong. You' re trying to train your muscles to adapt to a new motion. And as already mentioned, 45# is plenty for the majority of North American game. One last thing; once you get your bow, try to find someone to assist you with basic form. Your goal should be to establish a solid foundation; drawing with the back muscles, solid anchor, follow through, and a steady bow arm. Once you' ve got a foundation, you can generate your particular style of shooting. Good luck and have fun!!!

[Floxter]

While at one time I might have agreed with earlier advice that a recurve grip might feel more similar to a compound grip, I think with the current crop of compounds their grip is much more similar to many longbows with a broomstick or semi-pistol grip. Most of the compound shooters today are using an extremely low grip, unlike the medium to high grip that many recurves come with. As a result, I now think that if you' re looking for a similar grip to that on your compound, you' ll find a greater variety in longbows than recurves. But I do agree that you should shoot what appeals to you aesthetically and which feels best in your hand. JMHO