I can't add a whole lot to what has already been posted but I've got a couple things...

1. Byron Ferguson's book "Become the Arrow" is excellent on *how* to shoot. Sam Fadala has a good book named "Traditional Archery" that goes through a lot of basics and is really well written.

3. Compound shooters are really into the latest-greatest-fastest gear that companies bring out every year. Trad shooters seem to pretty much stick to the basics and just keep having fun. The gear works, why mess with it?

4. I'm poor and shoot garage sale and flea market found bows. I like 'em and they shoot good for me. I've got a 70's era Pearson recurve that shoots so good for me I have to keep building arrows for it since I'm splitting arrows already on the target. I hope to get a custome bow someday. But it'll be because the bowyer I like doesn't make enough to stock stores, not because it's "custom."

5. On arrows, I've seen good wood arrows start at about $45-50 the dozen and go up from there. While the really fancy ones are nice to look at and everyone will drool on them at a shoot I don't think they shoot any better than a well made set of plain Janes. Besides, break one of those $150dz arrows on a rock behind the target and you'll be crying too hard to see the next shot <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>

Guy