I never disagreed that compounds werent made for superior accuracy, I know that. Thats why you see seperate classes for longbow/recurve/compounds in tourneys, because9 times out of 10 the compound is more accurate.

With that said, there are people like Howard Hill, Byron Ferguson, Paul Schafer, etc. who were/are amazing with a stickbow. I know ofno archer with a compound that has ever hit an baby asprin in the air, and of very few when the asprinwas still.Ishould probably retract my earlier statement and say"...can strip vanes..."because "will" should be reserved for the guys who do it every time. Sorry about that (A side note- Its easier for me to shoot at arrows, because it offers a small point to focus on, very important for insinctive shooting, thats why I strip vanes and feathers, "Aim Small, Miss Small"...)

We are going to have to agree to disagree on the "afternoon of practice idea".

Again, Im not trying to be a pain, everything above is my opinion, which we all know opinions are like...

It's really pretty simple. If youallyouwant isto camo up and play urban ninja, and make meat or hang horns on your wall with as little effort as possible, get the compound. If you want to experience what bowhunting was really meant to be, and actually feel like you accomplished something when you make meat or hang horns on the wall, get the recurve.

Whitehair - why do most bowhunters use a compound ?

Arthur P - I wasn't going to go THAT far but you are correct in your post

Great point of view Art!!!

I don't have a lot to add but this.

If you want slightly more of a challenge from a:

-gun, go to a crossbow
-crossbow, go to a compound rigged out
-rigged out compound, to shooting fingers and go with no sights
-compound shooting fingers and no sights, go to traditional archery
-traditional archery, maybe spears or something, I don't know

I would also add that my plan with my son was to persuade him to shoot traditional until the summer before he is able to big game hunt (another 3 years. I figured that if his accuracy was not good enough then, we would switch him to compound and I'm sure he would have more then enough time to become accurate. However, his progress has been very good and he is now shooting (age 11) a 40 pound Howard Hill longbow, which is legal poundage for deer in my state. Last night he shot a three inch group at ten yards (we took a picture, but I forgot to bring the camera with me). FWIW, we also switched him to lefty only three months ago. His 40 pound bow is only a month old and is twice as heavy as his self bow. So, I'm really scratching my head and saying why bother with the compound.

BTW, it's kind of nice to hear from some trad guys on this thread!

-gun, go to a crossbow
-crossbow, go to a compound rigged out
-rigged out compound, to shooting fingers and go with no sights
-compound shooting fingers and no sights, go to traditional archery
-SELF traditional archery, maybe spears or something, I don't know

Exacltly. Rifle hunters think the hunting is hard - until they go to a decked out compound. THey think that is hard, until they go to a stripped compound. Thats hard until they take up trad archery. They think thats hard until they get into self bows, arrows and knapped heads.

-spears to lassos
-lassos to wrestling
-wrestling to diplomacy

But seriously, I have taken upto traditional after only one kill with the compound, as have my sons. They are gearheads, so I would have thought they would love the highest tech of bow equipment - but they are fascinated with what a stick and string will do. We are not very good with them, but that is the addicting part. Hope I don't have to start making arrow shafts from twigs and carve flint arrowheads!

ok since you are new to archery i would go compund for about 5 years and then by a trad and work it in till yu get good enough to go hunting with it

Thanks fer the advice. We are actually into both high tech and traditional now. We will be elk hunting with our compounds this fall. I have yetto shoot a bulland there is no way I will waste an opportunity (if I get one) with a traditional bow until I after have bagged that first bull.

The only reason I took up archery was to hunt early during the elk rut. After that I got interested in the archery itself. Then I met a traditional hunter who scoffs at our compounds and got us started in traditional shooting.

In my best Tarzan voice while pounding my chest Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh eeeeeeeeee ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh eeeeeeeeeeeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Some would have you believe the compound is sinful and somehow illegal and makes you less a man if you use it. Well, having started with recurves and having killed a bunch of deer with a recurve and then switching to a compound, I assure you it's not so. It's simply another tool to use to enjoy the hunt. The compound does make for a lot more dead animals that's for sure. But, it's not because it's a slam dunk. You still have to scout, practice and hunt. One thing it does do is probably make for a lot more humane kills and gets a lot more people in the woods than would otherwise be there. It allows kids, women all sorts of people the opportunity to enjoy the hunt with the expectations they truly can kill something. That's why we hunt. Yes the recurve/long bow is more of a challenge. It also gives you lots more room to fail and tire of a sport if you don't have the guts or time to practice and drive on. I started with recurves when there wasn't anyone else in the woods. I suspect if there weren't compounds there wouldn't be many in the woodstoday, well I guarantee there wouldn't be as many as there are. I will also guarantee without the compound bowhunters and companies that make them, the anti's would probably have done away with bowhunting all together. We'd also be overrun with deer in the burbs more than we are. So yes one is more of a challenge. People shouldn't make it as a challenge to have you "CHOOSE SIDES", but they continue to do so. Well, I have a recurve too.I had the urge to go back to it againafter a couple decades of compounds, not as a replacement but another toy to play with. I can shoot it, but not nearly as well as my compound. I really haven't practiced enough since buying it to become that skilled, at least not to the standards I've set for myself as far s accuracy. If they took away my compound tomorrow I'd have no problem with it, other than I'd see it as the beginning of the end for bowhunting. It's not about choosing sides, it's about enjoy the sport as best you can with the limited time and other responsibilities you may have. If you have the time and are not in a hurry to become the great white hunter, I think the recurve or long bow is the best way to get the FEEL of archery. There is nothing much more pure than wrapping a tab with 3 fingers around a string and pulling it back. You have to learn the very basics to be even half good, like follow through, anchor etc. With a compound a lot of That FEEL is lost, but you can still have a heck of a lot of fun. Once you have that FEEL from a recurve you can shoot any bow the same way in a hurry if need be. So the decision is yours. Either will do the trick. You should have fun with either. It's suppose to be fun. If you choose the recurve just put some realistic limitations on yourself. When I started with a recurve I shot every day. I started in Feb and shot a deer in Nov with my self imposed limitations. Mine was 15 yards. The next year it was 20 and so on. Never did I get passed 30 yards with a recurve. Oh I could have probably killed something out there, but not with any degree of certaintee. It would have been luck

P.S. The early years of Davidmil[8D][8D][8D]

Exactly. A compound is mechanical and high tech and very accurate. Its a machine - draw it with a mechanical release, feel the 80% letoff, put the pins where you want the arrow to go, hold as long as you'd like and squeeze the trigger.

And thats fine, its not easy getting within 20-30 yard or more from a deer and have good shot opportunities.

Trad hunting is way, way different. Its not only getting within distance of a deer, much closer distance BTW, its also waiting for the shot, no holding back here, concentrating, no pins here, having the full weight of the draw, no mechanical devices at all ......... and that is the beauty of it.

davidmil is correct on many of his points. Compounds are easy to use, easy to attain accuracy with, and therefore they are the bowhunters choice. nothing wrong with that, but different.

Quote:

One thing it does do is probably make for a lot more humane kills and gets a lot more people in the woods than would otherwise be there. It allows kids, women all sorts of people the opportunity to enjoy the hunt with the expectations they truly can kill something

You know, that is the EXACT argument for crossbows, don't you ?