Traditional Archery

KnifeKnut66

KnifeKnut66

Joined
Apr 30, 2010
Messages
491
Howdy ya'll. I'm pretty new to this sub-forum, have not posted much just lurking and picking up lots of useful info. I got to thinking today that archery is something that I should become proficient in. I'd sure appreciate any tips on a good starter bow, preferably a takedown recurve. Even better some one in the central Massachusetts area that is knowledgeable in this area please pm or email me. I really feel that this skill would be an indespensible survival skill. Thanks.....
 
There are many threads out there on bows. Search them down. Beyond that many people go on bow specific forums. But lets be realistic you need to make your own bow anyway or else how will you appreciate the craft. I have made 2 both were horrible. HA I'm sure a few of the wiser folk will have some info for you. I will look foreword to their insights.
 
I'm thinking more about a takedown bow that could be packed fairly easily. Got to thinking today that it might be a better option than a rifle....just a thought though.
 
check out the Fred Bear and Martin range of bows.

they both offer nice beginner recurves at pretty competative price points.

i have a Bear Showdown compound i bought last year. for a beginner bow (i'm new to teh sport too) it's awesome and i fully expect to get another three to five years of happy use out of it before i contemplate an upgrade.

buying a bow is like buying a rifle. what fits my hand perfectly, may not fit yours. i'd suggest heading into an archery store and at least picking up and holding a bunch of different models. for example, i found the Fred Bear bows fit my hand perfectly but a Martin Sabre didn't feel as comfortable for me.

i rekon a bow is a MUCH better bet than a rifle. there's nothing you can hunt with a rifle that you can't hunt with a bow.

it just requires a lot more skill and cojones to get in close enough to take a shot with a bow. pig hunting with a bow gives me a hell of a lot more of an adrenaline rush than hunting with a rifle (and i havn't even bagged a piggy with a bow yet). creeping to within 20m of a 100+ kg angry north Queensland boar is guaranteed to get your heart rate pumping.
 
Well to be honest I'm not much of a hunter. I've been whitetail hunting with a rifle and bagged my share but I'm thinking more of learning a skill that will stay with me if god forbid the SHTF and rifle ammo ain't gonna last forever. It's a skill that will be a major bonus and one that I can pass down to my son as well...
 
A decent takedown recurve can be had for $120. Sage no tools takedown It comes in wieghts from 35# to 60#. A friend has one, and it shoots pretty well.

Arrow maintainance is something to consider, as well. If you are going to shoot, you'll probably want to know how to replace the fletchings(everyone buries one in the weeds once or twice :o), and wood arrows need to be straightened occasionally. If it's a kit that's gonna be there "just in case", carbon or aluminum arrows might be a better choice.

I've made a few bows and it's a lot of work, but like most things, once you have the knowledge, it becomes less intimidating. I haven't made any arrows yet. The experts say it's like making a bow -- times 12. :)
 
here's some info. for you..:) i have been a trad. archer for many years.. i don't get out and hunt all that often these days, but we all shoot regularly..

recurves and longbows are both pretty diferent from one another... recurves tend to shoot fast and have a really flat trajectory.. longbows tend to be a little more forgiving and i think they're a little easier to shoot.. IMHO.. longbows usually have a small handle/riser and a small shelf right above your hand..they say the closer your arrow is to your hand, the more accurate your shooting will be...

primitive bows(bows with no fiberglass) are usually made out of one chunk of wood and sometimes have some sort of backing, to brace the wood, that is sometimes a thin strip of wood, rawide, silk, sinew and even snakeskin... primitive bows also feel a little more stout when drawing the bow....

as for certain woods... i think that is a personal preference... you can do an image search for longbows or primtive bows and see if theres any woods that catch your eye... there is a lot of the same woods used in knife handles.. osage, yew, cocobollo etc..

when selecting a bow, which ever it might be, recurve or longbow.. make sure when starting out that you don't over-bow yourself.. usually you don't want a bow more than 40-45#'s... it is very important in the early/begining stages or shooting trad. bows, that you allow your body to get to used to shooting and build muscle memory... devoloping a solid anchor point is key.. the anchor point is where u bring the arrow/string back to your face, it should be the same spot every time... most folks tend to over-bow themselves right away... and in turn their form is shit..

www.tradgang.com is another cyber-campfire.. an all traditional/primtive archery forum...lts of cool folks on there.. great place to ask questions too... check out their clasified section.. there is a lot of nice bows in there right now.... i go by "mountaindog" on that forum...

there is some really good books out there.. my favorite so far is, "the traditional bowhunters handbook", by t.j. conrads... t.j. is the founder/editior of traditional bowhunter magazine.. www.tradbow.com check
this book out.. it'll answer a lot of questions you might have... also check out g.fred asbell's instinctive shooting books... they're just great.. you'll love g.fred asbells writing for sure... both books and a lot of other shit can be had at 3 rivers.. they are the cabelas of traditional and primitive archery stuff..
www.3riversarchery.com

hope this helps..:D
 
I shoot a Bear Grizzly traditional recurve at 45#. There's no "good bow" - there's only the bows that are good for you. I agree with everything Sambo and mtn mike says. The only advise I can give you is: once you pick your bow, get the proper arrows (which is very important), tune the hell out of it and PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. In my experience, a good bow and a bad archer equals bad archery. A bad bow and a good archer equals good archery.

FYI - never been hunting with it, I'm a target shooter only. I usually shoot every weekend for fun. If needed, I'm pretty sure that I could catch some small game with my setup (as long as they don't move and have brightly colored concentric circles taped to them ;) )
 
mtnfolk mike said:
here's some info. for you..:) i have been a trad. archer for many years.. i don't get out and hunt all that often these days, but we all shoot regularly..
Click to expand...

thanks for all the info :thumbup:

i've got a question - what's your opinion on all-fiberglass bows? good as wood (or glass-backed wood), better, worse? i'm going to be getting back into archery and i've got a few fiberglass bows that i picked up for cheap on e bay but i'm debating whether to invest in an all wood or, more likely, fiberglass-backed wood bow. when i was a kid i only shot fiberglass recurves - so i guess i'm used to them and i'm just wondering what, if any, advantage wood has over fiberglass
 
akennedy73 said:
thanks for all the info :thumbup:

i've got a question - what's your opinion on all-fiberglass bows? good as wood (or glass-backed wood), better, worse? i'm going to be getting back into archery and i've got a few fiberglass bows that i picked up for cheap on e bay but i'm debating whether to invest in an all wood or, more likely, fiberglass-backed wood bow. when i was a kid i only shot fiberglass recurves - so i guess i'm used to them and i'm just wondering what, if any, advantage wood has over fiberglass
Click to expand...

i would go with an all wood primitive style bow, or a glass-backed wood bow.. that is what we primarily shoot... you can find some decent all fiberglass bows out there, but most folks that are serious about getting into archery tend to go for a more conventional bow.. however i did score a nice 45# all fiberglass Bear bow at the flea market some years back.. i use it as a loaner or a foul weather bow..:)
 
I have a 55# Martin Stick Bow. Hardly used it. But fun when I do
 
KnifeKnut66 said:
Howdy ya'll. I'm pretty new to this sub-forum, have not posted much just lurking and picking up lots of useful info. I got to thinking today that archery is something that I should become proficient in. I'd sure appreciate any tips on a good starter bow, preferably a takedown recurve. Even better some one in the central Massachusetts area that is knowledgeable in this area please pm or email me. I really feel that this skill would be an indespensible survival skill. Thanks.....
Click to expand...

Bear makes a couple of nice takedown recurves. Of course, you could get the same performance for a lot less money with a one piece - like a Bear Grizzly for instance.

Anyway - number one piece of advice - don't get too heavy a bow. Start with something like 45# (legal and effective for hunting in most or all states). You should have an easier time learning proper habits than if you start with something that's much harder to draw. Have a look at tradgang.com for TONS of info. It's the BF of traditional archery.
 
DPKnives said:
Roger you beat me to it Yup that Sage bow from Samik for the price is one sweet shooting bow. I would recommend it highly. Mine is the left handed 50#. Doug
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Thanks for all the great info ya'll it's truly awsome. Now when you say left handed bow what do you mean? Do you draw with your left hand or right hand? I'm a lefty and I draw with my left hand.
 
Usually that's how it works out. But you also need to find out which is your dominant eye, left or right. Some right handers who are left eye dominant shoot a left handed bow, and vice versa.
 
You really should have a go at building your own sometime. I've made three so far. The first failed...
The second, a "board" bow, is still shooting fine, and the third, from a nice osage stave, turned out very nice indeed.
The excellent Traditional Bowyer's Bible series will give you tons of information on traditional archer, likely more than you want. The first book will tell you how to make a bow from a yew or osage stave, or a hardware-store board. Arrows too.
 
Last weekend I purchased a recurve (Bear Grizzly) and accessories to eventually go hunting with. Dad, brothers, and BIL all shoot compound or crossbow and thought I'd be a bit different. I have spent some time with it this past week as it has been about 25 years since I last shot a bow (youth compound). I just purchased Byron Ferguson's "Become the Arrow" on a recommendation--shoudl be some interesting reading. Interested in seeing what you come up with and what others have to say for advice.
 
mwerner said:
You really should have a go at building your own sometime. I've made three so far. The first failed...
The second, a "board" bow, is still shooting fine, and the third, from a nice osage stave, turned out very nice indeed.
The excellent Traditional Bowyer's Bible series will give you tons of information on traditional archer, likely more than you want. The first book will tell you how to make a bow from a yew or osage stave, or a hardware-store board. Arrows too.
Click to expand...

If I end up getting into archery that would be something I'd definately try my hand at but right now I'm primarily interested in an inexpensive quality takedown bow that is packable and learning to be capable with it. Learning to make my own arrows would be a major plus though, thanks for the tip.
 
KnifeKnut66 said:
Thanks for all the great info ya'll it's truly awsome. Now when you say left handed bow what do you mean? Do you draw with your left hand or right hand? I'm a lefty and I draw with my left hand.
Click to expand...

That is a lefty, I actually am right handed but have to shoot bows, rifles and shotguns left handed due to a bad right eye. A right handed bow has the arrow rest(shelf on the left side of the bow and a left hand bow has the arrow rest (shelf) on the right side. Doug
 
DPKnives said:
That is a lefty, I actually am right handed but have to shoot bows, rifles and shotguns left handed due to a bad right eye. A right handed bow has the arrow rest(shelf on the left side of the bow and a left hand bow has the arrow rest (shelf) on the right side. Doug
Click to expand...

Thanks bro, now off to find the right (left?) one.
 
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