I love everything about archery. Right now I shoot a Mathews S2. I have 6 other compounds. I've always wanted to try shooting traditional archery. But if I bought a recurve would it hurt my shooting with my compound. Or would it help me since its a more instint style shooting. Do any of you shoot both and what are the pros and cons if any at all.

There both 2 totally different ways of shooting for the most part unless obviously your shooting without sights on your compound but even so there way different from the other. Nothing really can be hurt by It much by shooting both but I think If you really want to get good with your recurve, you better stick to It and not jump back and forth all the time. You'll find out that getting good and staying good with a recurve takes much, much more practice and time then It does with a compound. You'll find that one out quickly.

I can tell ya one thing. When you start trad shooting, espeically heavy bow, it feels very uncomfortable for a while. But after a few years of doing it, going back to compounds hurts.

See with a longbow or recurve, your force goes steadily up. By the time you get to full draw, all the wieght should be on your back. But with a compound, (especailly new ones), you could be pulling 70lbs at middraw. Even though there is letoff, it could feel strange.

I shoot my trad bows about 2 times a week. I may shoot my compounds once every 2-3 months.

I haven't had one affect the other really.

I wish I could help ya, once I started shooting my Longbow I never shot my Bowtech again.....

Shoot your recurve from now until Sept 28th (assuming Oct 1st opening deer season) and then shoot 2 days with your compound and you'll (A) be ready for opening day and (B) realize how much easier it is


and yes, I'm very serious with the above comments

This topic is interesting to me. When I was shopping for my first trad bow last year, the owner of my local shop told me that trying to shoot both trad and compound would keep me from ever being really good with either of them. I honestly can't remember his exact reasons, but it had something to do with the total difference in shooting styles. I do remember him saying that if I shot both, I'd feel the need to snap shoot my compound and I'd also feel the need to hold the trad bow at full draw longer than I should.

Now, almost a year later, I can honestly say that is a load of crap. Well, at least for me it is. While I haven't gotten to the point where I'd say that I'm "good" with the longbow yet, it's done nothing to hurt my compound shooting. In fact, shooting the longbow has helped my compound shooting in one obvious area. While I've seen some trad shooters release almost as soon as they get to full draw, I don't. Holding the 55# longbow at full draw for a second or two on each shot has increased my strength and made it much easier to hold the compound steady at full draw for longer periods of time.

Bigcountry is right when he says that they feel very different, though. When I've been shooting my 55# longbow for a while and then grab the compound, that 70# hump almost feels like a brick wall.If I've been shooting the compound for a while and then grab the longbow, my muscles don't want to even reach full draw, let alone hold 55# at full draw. It didn't take me long to figure out that for me, the best option was to practice with one or the other on any given day and not both on the same day.

My personal opinion is that if you want to do both, make sure you keep doing both, and practice with both on a regular basis.

I have only been shooting trad bows for a little while but I havent seen anything bad come from it as far as shooting my compound. In fact it makes me be more conceinsous about my form w/ my compound thus I honestly have been shooting better here lately even though I havent shot my compound quite as much as I used to.

I shoot my LB about 4X week. I haven't shot a compound since 12/15.....and I've never shot the one I'll be using more than 10X. I'll sight it in on Thurs. or Fri. and will walk into the turkey woods Sat. with complete confidence.

If you don't shoot both, you can't comprehend. No cut on compound shooters......just a fact.

Will shooting a trad bow hurt your compound shooting? I don't see how. Set it at a DW you can handle and go hunt. Will shooting a compound hurt your trad. shooting? Again, I don't see how. I dont see how it helps, either.

I could use that same bow and in just a few shots be ready too - my point is compounds are setup to be ridicuoulsy easy to shoot. Using a mechanical release draw, hold until you're ready to shoot, use a pin/peep system, squeeze the trigger ..... there ya go.

Its a whole different ballgame

I Agree with everything you say Steve! Expecially if you shoot Trad you need to shoot a lot to stay effecient.

I started out with Trad gear 40 plus years ago. It was Fun and I had success with Trad gear, but I'm strictly a compound shooter now.

If I had not already used Trad gear I would probably want to, but I am very content with modern Archery tackle. I've always liked to tinker with gear, setups, etc., etc.

Modern gear allows me more things to tinker with

If you try it enjoy it! It is Fun in it's own way.

Dan