I've been poking around and looking at the Bear Fred Eichler Signature Series Takedown Bow. I've only ever shot compound bows. I am my own shop for compounds. . . I've got / do everything there. This would be a new world for me and steep learning curve. What's a good bow to start with and accessories needed?
usmc2220
2220 -
It's not about the bow.
It's about the weight, length, purpose and most importantly, technique.
Sorry to have to say this, but your compound history may work for you or against you. Just can't tell from here.
There are three stickies here and in the sub forum that will give you the basics. Start there and holler back with specific questions.
While the bow you mentioned is certainly OK, you can easily get a bow for 1/4 of the price that will shoot as well or better.
Viper1 out.
It's not about the bow.
It's about the weight, length, purpose and most importantly, technique.
Sorry to have to say this, but your compound history may work for you or against you. Just can't tell from here.
There are three stickies here and in the sub forum that will give you the basics. Start there and holler back with specific questions.
While the bow you mentioned is certainly OK, you can easily get a bow for 1/4 of the price that will shoot as well or better.
Viper1 out.
You mention you are left handed but it is eye dominance that should determine the handiness of the bow not hand dominance. Since compounds have sights you can overcome eye dominance easier than you can with a stick bow and why fight your brain?? If you are left eye dominant you need a leftie if right eye then you should go for a right hand bow. And as Viper said start with low poundage to develop shot consistency and form which is even more imporant in stick bow than compound.
I understand wanting to get a nice recurve, but to start out I would get a takedown recurve with lighter weight limbs and learn to shoot. The best thing you can do is find a local shop that sells traditional gear and shoot a few entry level takedown recurves. If that is not possible go to a local trad shoot and get your hands on few left handed bows. With winter setting in this may not be possible either. At the very least call Lancaster Archery or 3 Rivers Archery and talk to somebody who knows about traditional bows. Think longer and lighter, you will need to be shooting lots of arrows and getting too heavy of a draw weight will hinder proper learning. You can work you way into hunting weight limbs. Lots of good starter take down recurves out there. If purchasing off the internet I would go with US based vendor for customer service support, should you need it.
Another lefty and Jarhead here. I would either order a 35-40# black hunter recurve or an EXE Scream (F261) riser and a 35-40# set of ILF limbs.
What Viper said. Plus since you're obviously one who gets fully in involved you definately need to get the book "Shooting the Stickbow".
It will become your archery Bible.
It will become your archery Bible.
You will run into a number of 'my way or the highway' comments. Do you have an image or example of how you want to use a recurve or longbow? Do you imagine yourself shooting like Fred Bear or some guy shooting a recurve like it was a compound, neither are wrong, but they are very different.
Oh,and I'm a lefty as well and if you ever need a testor for your future creations give a holler.
45lbs and lower that is for this aging archer.
45lbs and lower that is for this aging archer.
Recurve archery is about form. While I am sure you can pull a heavy bow, it is more about fine motor control which a heavy bow will hinder. A recurve has not let off, so you are holding the full draw weight at full draw. I would recommend a 25# bow to start with to develop form. A 45# recurve is brutal to learn with.
A take-down or ILF bow will let you increase draw weight as you progress by changing limbs.
A take-down or ILF bow will let you increase draw weight as you progress by changing limbs.
Cheap but decent bow, 30lbs, even less. 30lb is a lot more holding weight than you'll be used to with wheel bows, so there'll be body work there.
At a club in Paris, very reputable Oly coaches start grown men on 26lb. They are shooting much heavier, very well, within a year.
You should be able to draw and hold with ease, for over a few dozen arrows at least, long and rewarding practice sessions.
It has to be easy while you are learning, or you'll never likely attain good and repeatable form. Thousands of mediocre (at best) archers out there that started shooting heavy. Snap shooting, little to no shot control, within a year. Just so common it's almost banal mentioning it.
Then once you are grouping well, walk up 5lb to 35lb. For this an inexpensive takedown or ILF makes a lot of sense. You just buy new limbs for it as you go.
A long and very rewarding journey. Short of getting a coach, it cannot be rushed
At a club in Paris, very reputable Oly coaches start grown men on 26lb. They are shooting much heavier, very well, within a year.
You should be able to draw and hold with ease, for over a few dozen arrows at least, long and rewarding practice sessions.
It has to be easy while you are learning, or you'll never likely attain good and repeatable form. Thousands of mediocre (at best) archers out there that started shooting heavy. Snap shooting, little to no shot control, within a year. Just so common it's almost banal mentioning it.
Then once you are grouping well, walk up 5lb to 35lb. For this an inexpensive takedown or ILF makes a lot of sense. You just buy new limbs for it as you go.
A long and very rewarding journey. Short of getting a coach, it cannot be rushed
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