bigbulls

Some of you guys might remember me asking about a 1964 Bear kodiak I wanted to buy. Well I bought it and now i am ready to start learning this traditional archery "thing".

As I am talking to folks locally and going to the range to get proficient at shooting and learning all I can about traditional archery I don't want to sound too much like a newbe. If you guys could be so kind and let me in on some of the traditional terminology.

One I keep hearing a lot is stacking. I am assuming that is when the limbs reach their maximum ammount of flex and as you keep pulling you actually start pulling against the riser instead letting the limbs do the work????? Also how do I know if Ithe bow is stacking?


Also could you guys recomend some of the basic equipment to get me started. The bow is 60", 55# draw and my draw length is 30". I am assuming that I would be drawing around 60# at 30"

Which arrows are easiest to get flying good (alluminum, carbon, wood)? I assume alluminum would offer the most options with out getting too fancy. What would be a good all around total arrow weight to aim for?

Some quiver reccomendations would be nice too. There will be no drilling holes in the bow to attach anything.[X(]


Basically give me the low down an traditional archery.[:-]


Thanks guys, I appreciate it.

Arthur P

Stack is the point where a bow suddenly jumps to drawing condiderably more per inch than it does before that point. Say your bow draws 2 pounds per inch out to 28", then suddenly starts drawing 3 pound per inch at 29". That is where it's stack point is.

Unless you draw over 30", you won't get any stack from a '64 Kodiak. You simply won't. Period.

You may or may not need an armguard. Whether you use a tab, glove or barefingered is personal preference. You do need a bow stringer and a bow square. And you definitely need a checked flannel shirt, wool pants and a Fedora hat.

I would not shoot carbon arrows from a vintage bow unless they were weighted to a minimum of 8-9 grains per pound of draw weight. Wood is classic, lovely and probably exactly what that bow was shooting in '64. (Not too many were on the aluminum bandwagon back then.) I love wood arrows for the nostalgia and, naturally, they're entirely functional. But aluminum will certainly give you the most options with the least amount of hassle.

Selway, Great Northern, Thunderhorn - all make quivers that either slip over the limbs or strap on. No need for mounting holes.

The lowdown on traditional? Relax and have fun.

PineLander

Yeah, what he said. (Arthur P)

Some other things...

Aluminums - yes many options, but be patient in your selection. Making a decision based only on a modern compound arrow selection chart is sometimes rather confusing, as most of the chart recommendations are way over-spined. I have found that selecting the Legacy shaft on the Easton chart is pretty darn close. With aluminums, you have more options in the weight category by selecting the right combination of wall thickness and diameter.

Woods - depends on what you want out of an arrow. Cedar and Spruce are at the lighter end and less durable. Ramin, Firs, Birch, Maple are at the heavier end and very rugged. Wood shafting weight is dependent upon the spine rating and type of wood. From experience, I know Cedar is ~14 grains per inch at 60-64# spine. I would suspect the heavys are at least 16 and up. The higher the spine rating, the heavier the shaft. Generally, recurves tend to shoot a good arrow when it is at least 5# more spine than the poundage you are shooting. You can go more over-spine compared to under-spine. Things start happening when you get to the "equal to/less than" spine area, but it takes an extremely over-spined arrow before flight characteristics are affected. I'm not talking about trajectory here, more like flying left/right at under-spine and in my experience, a wobbling affect when extremely over-spined.

Terminology -

Brace Heigth - sometimes referred to as Fistmele
Stacking - sometimes erroneously equated to "getting older, can't pull it" hehe
Gapping/Point of Aim - using the point of arrow in relation to the target to "aim"
Instinctive - using hand/eye coordination, pointing bow hand at target, with both eyes open and focusing on spot to hit. Kind of like throwing a baseball... maybe not the best analogy and a rather vague description, I know.
The 'Squat' - in reference to a shooting position used by some 'traditionalists' where knees/waist are bent to a rather extreme position. Careful, some take this terminology quite personally, especially when you ask them if they need a roll of toilet paper. []
Stump Shooting or Roving - a method of practicing the memorization of distances by shooting at random inanimate objects afield... preferrable NOT stumps, the non-decaying ones at least.
FPS - Fickle People Shooting... errr, I mean those that are so focused on speed, they tend to lose sight of the most important thing which is good, consistent arrow flight.
Traditional - whether it is in regard to the mind-set or the equipment and related accessories... for me, it's a more intimate feeling because the results that my recurve give me are in direct relation to MY input of the principles of making a bow shoot well and not that of some new-fangled gadget, widget, or whatever that is purported to "fix" or "increase" my bow's performance. Oops, sorry... that's for the other thread... ('traditional attitude/elitist/compound vs traditional') [>:]

There are many good reading sources out there that can have you up and running on 'traditional' terminology rather quickly. Have fun!

Arthur P

HEY!! I resemble that remark!

bigbulls

Thanks guys.

I'll try to remember not to make fun of the old stacking fickly people shooting while squating. I just hope I don't heve to help any that busts a blood vessel in their neck while doing all of this.LMAO

Wahya

You sure you want to start with a 60+# bow? The reason I ask is, you will be wanting to work on form, not accuracy. Mainly because your ability to do everything during the shot the same way, each time you draw the string, is what creates your accuracy. The heavier the bow, the more you'll be struggling with getting it to full draw instead of concentrating on your form while you draw and anchor. If you are even the slightest bit overbowed, you can start developing some real bad habits including collapsing bow arm, short drawing, not reaching anchor and even target panic, which is hellish to get rid of. My advice is to put that beautiful old bear aside and get yourself a 64" target bow that's around 45# at your draw length. Once you have your form down so that it comes second nature to you and your accuracy is getting the same way, then move up in weight.