Getting back into archery after a 5 year layoff now that my two boys are wanting to get into the sport. After getting both boys Bear compounds for Christmas, they are hooked. Made me realize how much I missed shooting. My interest is mostly traditional having shot long bows, flat bows, recurves as well as made several self bows. My favorite weapon is a 55# recurve at 27"s made by Robertson Skybow. Guess the peak of my traditional experience was taking a turkey with this bow 5 years ago. Not even sure why I stopped shooting and hunting other than with with kids and their activities, it is easy to get pulled in other directions.

We are hoping to travel down to south Texas this February for a pig hunt. I have always shot cedar arrows in my traditional setups. Curious to know if you guys are using aluminum or carbon for your traditional hunting arrows. Totally new to carbon so I have no clue. If either is better suited for hunting, which would you use? If so, what spine or size would be a good starting point for a 55# recurve? Thanks for any help.

I shoot alums, carbon and cedar. Depends what I can get to work. For my selfbows, I prefer cedar. Seems more forgiving and easy to get lower spined arrows. Hard to find anything below 45# spine with carbons or alum. For my high performance recurves and longbows, I have played with carbons with gold tip wieghts. Hard to get a carbon heavy enough without wieght tubes or brass wieghts.

You can't beat aluminums. I seem always to gravitate back to them.

As far as carbon's, I don't like them and also don't know nothing about them so I can't help you there. As far as Aluminum's I've shot them all my life. Being your pulling 55lbs I would possibly give 2117's a try and see how they fly. I like heavier set ups though. You could also go lighter If you wanted- 1916's, 2016's.

Like Big, I have a bunch of all types. Right now I seem to gravitate to woods, just bought a dozen laminated birch which are very heavy and fly very nice. I have used carbons and they do work well, but they are a little finicky. For me anyways, they demand a perfect release and tune.

where did you get the birch? How heavy do you say they are?

Alleghany Mountain Arrow Woods.

Turn around time is about a week. The arrows I recently purchased are 60-65#'s and with a 160 grain point, they weigh in between 745 and 750 grains. I got a 9" dip, custom crested, 3-5" RW parabolic feathers, cut BOP 29.5" and the field tips installed for I believe $100 shipped.

If you go that route though, call, e-mails are not usually checked.

carbons

Is this the way archery is supposed to be?[:-] Real true archery[:-]

bigcountrycarbon is a natural element but the guys who make their own cedars and even primitive bamboo shafting are doing it a harder (and sometimes MUCH harder) way than I am, no doubt.

See there is the difference, knowing what is easier, what isn't, what is more challenging, what is more traditional, what is hunting and what isn't .... recognition and acknowledgement is something most hunters, especially compound hunters, lack

just giving you a hard time brad. Wish I had access to a mess of river cane. If you get it spined right, and you can foot shaft, river cane can be more forgiving than carbon. You ought be in river cane country where you live.