salukipv1

1 above, 2 below to pull back........1 above, 1 below to hold.....heard chuck adams says thats how he does it....course that was a compound I believe......ie with left off....less fingers on the string the better.

Muscles can hold more statically and dynamically though, so....you need more muscle to move something, pull/push, but to simply hold it in place you need less.....or you can hold more weight in place than you can move....

Scoobiedoo

I shoot split fingers myself - 2 under, 1 above. That is how I learned back in the 70's and thats what I unconsciously revert back to when I'm not even thinking about it - so I always stuck with that. Seems to work well for me.

I am 49 yrs old, weight 167# and am 5'8" tall. I shoot a 45# recurve now because I can shoot is ACCURATELY. As the others have said "Accuracy IS everything." It IS. When I was 20 yrs old I shot 50 and 55# recurves. No more. Like they said - if you can't HOLD the bow back for 5 secs when drawing you're over-bowed. IMO over-bowing is THE biggest factor for those who can't shoot well. If you are shaking within 5 secs you're over-bowed. If you can't shoot 20 arrows during a practice session - you're over-bowed. Same for 30 shots. You can't shoot well IF you can't hold the bow steady. Trust me - a 45# bow kills as effectively as a 55# bow on a whitetail IF the arrow hits something vital - and thats ALWAYS the case with the bow. It doesn't take a missile to kill a deer at 15 yards, believe me!

KEEP SHOOTING! Learn to pick a spot on THE target and FOCUS! Don't just 'LOOK' at the big dot or 'X' - look for a fly or a tiny strand of hay, etc.
In time you WILL get better - trust me!

I once took a squirrel while out small game hunting / stump shooting with my cousin in the Fall. It was a brand new recurve and the squirrel was about 35 yards off in a tree! I simply pulled back, focused and shot! I got that squirrel! Could I do that again today? maybe - maybe not. But the FACT IS - shooting instinctively WORKS and WORKS WELL - when practiced. And thats ANOTHER THING. Shooting the recurve or longbow is just MORE FUN than compound shooting EVER WAS/IS (and I know I've owned 37 compounds in my collection at one time!).

You are gonna fall hard for shooting traditional once you've tried it. I know I DID - and thats was 35 yrs ago.

mobow

Ummmmm.....I'm not sure, but I think it's a 60#'er.....I would never buy one for myself that stiff, but like I said, it's not mine......I would suspect I would do much better w/ a 45 or 50....

Scoobiedoo

Yeah thats WAY too heavy especially for a your first bow!

Arthur P

Just keep in mind that if you buy a recurve, it's just your FIRST recurve. They're like peanuts. Once you start on 'em, you can't stop.[8D] So, get one you can handle now for learning the ropes. You can step up the horsepower on the next one, if you feel the need.

IMO, whether to shoot split finger or 3-under boils down to which way is more comfortable for you. Both ways have advantages and disadvantages, but the biggest disadvantage to 3-under is that it's against the rules in many tournaments.

I highly recommend getting the book "Become the Arrow" by Byron Ferguson. It's packed with stuff that'll help make you a good shot. He teaches a bona fide aiming system instead of the instinctive method. Once you master his aiming style and get past having to about it on every shot, you eventually become an instinctive shot. I've found it makes learning to shoot barebow a lot easier for guys who are used to peeps-n-pins.

BobCo19-65

There is no real right/wrong way. Some people really like 3 under because it brings the arrow closer to the eye. You have to be a little careful though with anchoring though mainly because the eye is easy to move by anchoring too close.

I prefer a split finger I think because it was how I was taught at an early age.

rybohunter

I can't really add anymore than what's been said.
Personally I was a split finger guy when I first learned. Then when I came back, I tried 3 under and try as I might just never could get it to feel good to me. So I went back to split and have no problems.

Scoobiedoo

I tried 3 fingers under as well and didn't care for it so I stuck with split fingers and shoot quite well that way.

mobow

And that's one reason I do like it. The other is it's just more comfortable, and feels.......I dunno, more natural I think. I like the arrow up close to my eye.....Where would a guy get a consistent anchor using that method?

Alpha Capo

ive been heavy into Traditional for a few years now and

I shoot 3 under...mainly because it was more comfortable for me when starting out.
also i have problems with my hand, 3 under is more comfortable for me

i have problems shooting split with a glove ...for some reason...it feels aukward....split is much easier with a tab for me...every once in a while i'll get out a tab and shoot split to mix things up(i have a extra string that has a lower nockpoint that i use for it). i should make a 3 under tab and seehow i like it.

my current bow is marked 48# @27
heres a riser shot



i have one ordered thats a "Chek-mate atilla" i think its gonna be around 43# @27 if i remember right.
its gonna be mygo slo "sports" bow

at some point id likea longbow around 60#'s pull..


right now i can draw a 70# compound from any position and shoot easilly...

but i cant shoot a trad bow at 70#...never tried...

i did shoot a 65# longbow for about7 or 8 shotsshots last fall and i was done after that....it took alot of concentration to anchor and settle in...it just felt like too much work(and it was hard on my hand)
but i like the way it shot......right now i think i would be better at it...because ive been shooting a few 3-4 times a week for the past couple months.

I can spend2-4 hours with a 45-50# bow comfortable and thats the way i like it...if i had a 65-70 pound bow it wouldnt be worth getting out becuase id probably only beable to spend30 min tops with it.

as far as holding anchor i can very comfortable with 48# for around 30 secondsand shakey for probably 15 more.

not sure about a 65#er but i could probablyhold 10 secondsok and not much longer after that.

im not a large man... 5-9 or so... i definately dont think its worth it to be Macho with your Draw weights on Trad bows.

get yourself a 45#er and enjoy the practice.

sorry for the long post....