[DougK11982]

hi, my name is doug and i have been trying to get into traditional archery. The problem is that all the places to get archery tackle in my area only carry stuff for compounds and crossbows. I have been hunting with a compound for years but i can't shoot it instinctivly, like i can borrowed traditional i shot recently. So i turned to the internet only to find so much to choose from but not a lot of info. So if anyone could tell me what draw weight is needed to harvest whitetails. If PSE recurve bows are a good start for traditional hunting. Or if there is any good literature to read to help me on my way. if anyone can help me out i would appreciate it greatly.

 

[lastcaveman]

Doug, when you first log on to AT scroll down to the section titled Traditional an you can get a lot of information. And welcome to archerytalk.com

 

[deertrax61]

Traditional bowhunter magazine is a good source of information, plus the new issue in in the stores now.Most states require 40 or 45 lb minimum in a 28 inch draw to be leal and whitetail can be taken with this weight if you make a good shot with razor sharp broadheads.

 

[mopar23435_2413]

3riversarchery.com is a good place to get trad. gear.

 

[don s]

check what the minimum poundage is in your state.

 

[longbowhunter]

Try and get to some traditional shoots in your area. Since you already shoot a compound, when thinking about a traditional bow. You may want to consider a recurve over a longbow, since the recurve will be very similiar in holding and feel, as a compound. But, if you want a longbow go for it, but shoot a couple first. Either bow, your draw weight starting out should be at least 10# less than what you are pulling with your compound. All good info above too. Traditional Bowhunter Magazine, 3 Rivers, etc. Try to get to some shoots, or look up your nearest Traditional organization, get to some shoots, talk with some trad folks and ask as many questions as you can. Try to shoot as many bows as you can before making a purchase. Also take a look at www.TradGang,com lot's of good folks and resources there.

 

[DougK11982]

thanks

thanks for all the info. If there is anything else please let me know

 

[bhtraditions]

Unless money is no object, I would highly recommend a used bow for your first bow. After shooting it awhile, you may want to go lighter OR heavier OR longer OR shorter OR to longbow from recurve OR recurve from longbow OR different grip shape, etc. This is why the traditional shoots are a good idea--to try various bows. The bow that you can easily draw when it is 45 degrees outside may be too difficult to hit full draw on if it is 10 degrees and you've been sitting for a few hours. Mid to high 40 #'s AT YOUR DRAW is probably the minimum you would want to go for deer. You probably shouldn't start out higher than low 50#'s or risk developing bad habits.

 

[Thumper1]

Welcome to Traditional Bowhunting. I would start with an inexpensive light weight recurve around 25lb-35lb to build a good foundation in traditional shooting form and traditional shooting strength. Even if you are shooting 85lb compounds start with the light weight bow first as it keeps you from developing bad traditional shooting habits. Shoot the light weight bow at close range (5yds-10yds) for a month or two until you are still slapping arrows after shooting 60 arrows a practice session. Then move up to 45lbs still shooting at close range (10yds-15yds) for another month or so until you again are slapping arrows after shooting 60 arrows during a practice session. I'd also keep the 1st light weight bow for shooting on off days after you have shot to much the day before and for periodic form training at 5yds-10yds. The young lady from Korea who won all the gold medals at the Olympics a few years back told me that for the 1st year of her training she never shot at a target. Her coaches had her shooting off a mountain into open space/air with her eyes closed for half her shots, "they were programming the shot".

Now you are ready for your "first" hunting weight bow 50lb-55lb and you should be shooting it out to 20yds-22yds still slapping arrows after a 60 arrow practice session. By shooting only at the close ranges with the lighter bows you have programmed the computer between your ears to the same instinctive sight picture your hunting bow has at 18yds-22yds.

Keep'em Sharp!

 

[DrJAG2]

If you really want to get traditional and learn how a bow is made and what makes a good bow, get "The Traditional Bowyer's Bible" (vols 1-3) and a piece of red oak 1x3 from Home Depot and make your own. You'll never regret it. I don't think I could possibly shoot a store-bought bow after learning how to make my own.

 

[rkowalick]

Unless money is no object, I would highly recommend a used bow for your first bow. After shooting it awhile, you may want to go lighter OR heavier OR longer OR shorter OR to longbow from recurve OR recurve from longbow OR different grip shape, etc. This is why the traditional shoots are a good idea--to try various bows. The bow that you can easily draw when it is 45 degrees outside may be too difficult to hit full draw on if it is 10 degrees and you've been sitting for a few hours. Mid to high 40 #'s AT YOUR DRAW is probably the minimum you would want to go for deer. You probably shouldn't start out higher than low 50#'s or risk developing bad habits.

I'm afraid I disagree. I think that a 40# bow is much to heavy for most anyone to start with. No one should start off with a hunting weight bow. In the recurve world, it usually takes a few months before an archer can make an ethical hunting shot at normal hunting distances repeatedly. To minimize the time it takes to become proficient, start off with a light bow: high 20#'s to a maximum of 35#. If you draw the bow and it feels like nothing, that should be the poundage to learn on. I recommend getting a cheap used target bow—cough cough EBay— and learning on that. Another option is the Bullseye line of bows by Internature. As you become more experienced in the world of archery, you will begin to discover what kind of characteristics you want in a hunting bow. The reason I recommend a low poundage bow is because you may suffer one or more of the following plights:

1. Inability to achieve proper shooting form
2. Inability to maintain proper shooting form over a series of shots
3. Inability to maintain anchor point for more than a second or two
4. Inability to concentrate just on form while shooting instead of having to worry about the draw weight
5. Inability to shoot enough arrows to properly encourage improvement in shooting

The last one is very important. The more arrows one can shoot, the faster one gets better at shooting. When I first wanted to try recurve, I bought a 41#@28" Checkmate Falcon—LBR may remember this story—to learn on. I was sore after shooting only 6 arrows. Over the course of two days, I had shot 24 arrows and was so sore I couldn't shoot for another five days. I knew I was overbowed, so I returned the bow and purchased a 32# target takedown bow. I have never looked back. I regularly shoot 50-60 good arrows a session and am progressing quickly.

I know this is only my own personal experience, but the concept applies to everyone: The more often you can shoot, the quicker you will become a good shooter. A person only shooting 24 arrows twice a week is at a disadvantage because if he had purchased a lighter bow, he would be shooting 50 arrows three times a week.

Another important piece of advice is to find someone in the know who can teach you how to shoot. Someone recommending a 50# bow to learn on would not be that person. Find someone who shoots well and encourages you to buy a light bow to learn on. If you can't find anyone at your local range to help you, try searching for a range that offers lessons. These are usually target archery oriented, but a good shooter is a good shooter, whether he/she is shooting at concentric circles or a prize buck. They do cost money, but the lack of headaches alone make it more than worth the price.

And we now come to the last, and most dangerous, thing that come out of buying a heavy bow to learn on:

6. GIVING UP ON ARCHERY

This does happen, and more often than not, it will be someone who purchased too heavy a bow to learn on. People get frustrated with being unable to get any better on their 50# Dreamcatcher and give up on archery, or even worse—GASP—swtich to compound!

If you follow this logic and want to progress as quickly and painlessly as possible, start off with a light poundage bow—again, one in the 25#-35# range—and find a good teacher. If you want to maximize your headaches and minimize your ability to get better at archery, then by all means purchase a 40#+ bow to learn on.

Many people on here support this logic, while others flat-out deny many of the benefits listed above. The choice is yours and yours alone.

 

[bhtraditions]

Ryan, it sounds like we do agree on priniciple of not being over-bowed and the risk of developing bad habits. I totally agree with your points regarding becoming discouraged. Doug's original question was related to hunting weight. I suggested a maximum weight for a beginner to start hunting with not a minimum weight to start practicing with. I did not say a person should never start light for practice, but I was assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that Doug was going to purchase just one bow.

Can a person start with a hunting weight bow? Often times not, but it depends on the individual. This is the time to set macho aside. You list some great guidelines. Different people will have different draw weights that they can pull comfortably. I let a friend borrow a bow of mine to shoot. He was new to archery. I started him out with a 46#@28 since that was the lightest bow I had with me at the time (he has a pretty short draw but we did not measure it--he may have been pulling 40). He wanted to try a different bow--53#@27"--I thought he would be WAY over-bowed but thought I would let him shoot a couple of arrows just to try the different style of bow (longbow vs recurve). He is a strapping 20 year old army recruit. He could come to full draw, hold anchor and release smoothly without strain. He shot that bow all weekend and hit what he was aiming at. I was shocked. This it NOT typical for a beginner. I would not normally recommend starting that heavy for anybody, I am only pointing out that there are individual differences that dictate just how low a draw weight a person needs to start.

 

[DougK11982]

Thank you to everyone. Now about arrows/ rest

So i went and bought a bow. Thanks to everyone for there input. It made my decision making process a lot easier. (45 lb impala recurve from pse if you must know.) Now i need to know what type of arrows to try? I have new carbon arrows for my compuond that havn't been cut down, or had an insert put in yet. Are they worth a try? Also i had a friend tell me that the plastic fletching will not fly properly off the bow without a rest. Is this true. I don't know what to look for in a rest for a recurve? I looked them up on three rivers but only got grainy little pictures. any more help for the newbee will be much appreciated. Thanks