Well I' ll be dipped. I can' t thank you guys enough for all the information. LIL...Your post was terrific. I am truly inspired. I guess I have my reason everyone. The answer to my question came in the form of asking the question in the first place. Isn' t it funny how sometimes we have the answer inside of us but refuse to acknowledge it? In retrospect, it' s obvious to me that my desire to return (again) to the recurve has has always been there. I walk into the room, the bow is sitting there and I always wonder, what if? In reality, I was probably looking for a little push from you guys, and push you did. More of a nudge actually. You have all been very gracious and I appreciate that.

It' s hard to relate these feelings about stick and string to my buddies. They don' t seem or want to understand. The typical " Oh what do you want to go and do that for" response is about what I usually get. Then I explain myself and they get that glazed over look on their faces that tells me they think I' m a couple bricks short of full load.

I recently met a guy who makes custom bow strings. He told me to give him the AMO length and he would put a couple together for me. I think I' ll give him a call...........Jim

Don' t even try. I' ve tried explaining those feelings hundreds of times and very seldom do I get more than the glazed over eyes and the thousand yard stare. Throw a plastic bottle on the ground a few yards away, hand them a few arrows and let them shoot the bow. Don' t let them shoot at a target butt. Most people will never get it, but the ones that CAN understand WILL understand after a few arrows. It has to be experienced before it can be understood.

JM I understand completely.I' ve have this old Kodiak in my closest for 5 years.One day I walk by and I swear I hear something like" string it and they will come" Felt like the guy in the movie field of dreams.I think that old bow(60' s model) just wants to be back out chasing deer.I just find myself drawn to it.Just don' t do like me and shoot so much you almost ruin your shoulder and elbow for the season.I just could' nt quit shooting that thing.Went out yesterday.I haven' t shot in several weeks due to the shoulder.I have never shot better.I was relaxed and focused.Like someone said above don' t compare your results to compound shooting.Hitting the kill zone every time from 15-20 yds and in is not bad shooting for a newbie.Good luck.


CB

I think that word " instinctive" has been responsible for more people leaving the traditional ranks than it has brought in.

Every shooting sport uses point of references.....we ain' t throwing baseballs at our prey. Think about shooting a centerfire rifle or pistol without sights or a shotgun without a front bead.....no one would be 100% accurate that way. Accuracy comes with consistancy and yes reference points. Archery is no different whether it is gun sighting down the shaft, using the point of the shaft, visual sighting pictures in the riser opening, string walking, multiple anchors, etc...... Some reference points have to be made to be consistantly accurate at various distances.

Yeah I have heard those say " I am a totally instinctive shooter and I don' t see anything but the " spot" ...." To that I just listen and walk away thinking they are just not aware of those things they do subconsciencely that are automatic points of reference......or that they couldn' t hit the broadside of a barn if it was 40yards away

My advice especially for a compound shooter coming to the traditional ranks is don' t get wrapped up in that word instinctive and shoot a stick bow with the multiple reference point shooting methods that made them successful with their compound shooting. Use the arrow shaft instead of sights and learn the trajectory of your shot arrows. Look at the arrow point as a single sight pin compound hunting sight and the hold under or over you would have to use to hit your mark that way. Once you start thinking this way the transition is much easier to swallow.

Those of us that were shooting bows in the sixties know that there were far more good recurve shooters shooting with sights on their bows than without. If you shoot better and are more confident with sights but like the simplicity of a recurve ...use sights on your stickbow. It isn' t like you are breaking one of the 10 commandments. Traditional archery is a relevant term....what decade do you prefer to go back to is a personal decision. I don' t see alot of us shooting flint napped stone broadheads and greenheart longbows running through the woods in loin cloths

" "

Hmmmmm, it appears that you werent in Ontario last fall with us when Chad was hunting moose. He preferred thongs over loin cloths though.

Jim I think you hit it on the head.The first time I gave it a go several years ago I tried the " pure instinctive" route.Could' nt hit a thing.This time with 3 under and using the point for refference It' s much better.I still focus on the spot after lining up and " setting the gap" .If I don' t look at a spot I don' t shoot as good.The only problem is it makes me hold for a few seconds and at times my form will collapse.If I pull thru good and focus it usually happens.One thing I would suggest is practicing from a stand if that' s how you are going to hunt.

CB

Jimimac - its not easy and those who say it is are either Fred Bear talented shotoers/hunters or they' re pulling your leg. Its not easy to kill a whitetail with a compound ... but its much harder with a trad bow.

If your shooting is the problem, fix it. Sounds simple but truly, you' re doing something wrong. Your anchor isn' t consistant, your release isn' t, your arrows aren' t tuned to your bow ... something is missing there and you gotta find it and fix it. This is my 3rd year and I am shooting better than I ever have - I think a person continually increases their ability with a trad bow, unlike a compound.

Back to the shooting. Are you cross-dominant in your shooting ? I am, and people who say it makes a difference is pulling your leg. Its different, but in no way less accurate (ask Howard Hill or Larry Yien). If you peel the feathers off your shafts and shoot will they fly straight anyway ? Do you anchor in the same place every time ?

Can you shoot a basketball, throw a football or baseball ? If you can, you can shoot a recurve/longbow. You might never reach compound accuracy (most trad shooters can' t) but you can become proficient enough to kill deer. I am in my 2nd year of trad hunting and am 0-2 myself, still looking to shake the monkey off my back.

Zelazny, that cross dominance is a point that came home to me about 20 years ago when I finally broke down and got contacts. My eyes are BAD, like 20/600. I have to have glasses on just to shave.

On my old glasses, the lenses were so thick that I wound up looking through the edge of the lense and was actually seeing the target with my left eye instead of the dominant right eye. So, the left eye became the dominant eye when I was at full draw. But, since I got glasses when I was 12, I grew up shooting that way and never actually knew I was doing that. I was pretty darn good too!

When I got contacts, it took me a solid month of hard shooting before I got used to the new sight picture and learned how to put my arrows on center instead of nearly a foot right at 20 yards. I almost always wear contacts to shoot now, but sometimes I still have to wear my specs. But even these newfangled slimline lenses are still thick and distort my vision at the edge of the lense, so I have to make a conscious effort to turn my face square to the target so I can see thru the right lense.