[rsw]

Archery certainly has evolved a great deal over the years. I was fortunate to have grown with it for some 55 years now. In the 50s, field archery was a relatively new recreation, largely shot for the fun of it rather than the competition. Shortly it transformed into a competitive event as well, but most still shot for fun and scores were unimportant. I met and competed against most of the great shooters from those early years up until today. I rank David Hughes as the greatest all around competitive archer of all time and Terry, Dean, and Mike in no real order as the best freestyle pro shooters thus far, based on my personal involvement in this game.

It is interesting to have watched the evolution of the personalities, equipment, organizations, technology, rounds, and the industry as well. These are memories of significance to me and I appreciate that I still have the ability to participate in archery today.

 

[lordzed]

I too have been shooting since the 80's, I shoot barebow with no sights or release aids because I want too. I used to watch the target archers with their recurves with kissers, stabilizers ect.. looking like they could pick up satellite TV on them. They would shoot 380 from 400 with one arm behind their back and then moan about such a low score. I vowed I would never become like that, If I wanted to shoot perfect scores with sights and such I would have stayed with rifles. Sure I understand that some enjoy this style of archery and thats cool, it's just not for me. Me, I enjoy the skill involved in instinct shooting, my personal best is 372/400 with a Martin Lynx Magnum and I had a grin from ear to ear for months.
As for the technology of archery gear these days, I am impressed. I have not shot in a few years and now comming back it is a whole new world, I feel like a novice again. Makes me wonder what the bows will be like in 20 years from now, 500+ fps maybe :jaw: :jeez: I can't wait.

lordZed

 

[jerrytee]

I stopped shooting in the 70's when the take down was the latest thing in UK archery. I shot target archery and the bow were fitted with stabs but they were polished alloy and the risers were rose wood and beautyfully finnished. I was younger and fitter and more active sports were calling.I started shooting again a couple of years ago and was surprised how things had moved on. At first I shoot recurve but I could no longer pull the draw weight that I needed to get I good 100yd sight mark without spending a lot of money on limbs arrows and riser. I looked at compounds and for the most part I saw release aids and short bows with high letoffs, not what I wanted, for me using a release aid seemed to take a lot of the contact out of the equation I wanted to shoot as I used to with a tab off fingers. I tried a current conventional compound a PSE and did not like it at all. I gave it back to the owner and I knew that it was not for me.Looking through Ebay I saw an old an Oneida H250, recurve tips, long tip to tip lenght good bracing height and no D loop on the string. (At that time I thought all compounds used release aids.) so I realised that here was a bow that you could shoot off fingers. I bought an old Oneida off ebay. it was not fast by todays standards its a late 80's bow but it is faster than any recurve and I had my 100yd sight mark no problem. I have a more modern oneida now but when the indoor season comes around out come the old Oneidas they are still my prefered weapon indoors and for fun outdoors.

 

[r302]

1st Archery Memories

In 1970 I went to my first indoor club shoot and was amazed at how well one of the archers was shooting.
He was shooting a Groves 300 target recurve which was all white.
His choice of arrows were silver X7s. His arrows had clear green Bjorn nocks and the serving on his string was bright orange monofilament.
He was using a 6 Gold positive ledge release.
His sighting device was a single pin painted black for better definition.
I watched this archer put arrow after arrow into the three inch bull without a X-ring.
During this period of archery the Freeman round was the most popular because the archer shot at 10 yards, 15 yards, and 20 yards with a total of 60 arrows.
This image has always stuck in my mind when I think of the first target archer I ever saw.
We all talked about a perfect 300 round, but I didn't see my first 300 round until I witnessed the talented Dick Groves from Albuqerque New Mexico shoot a 300 during a State Indoor Tournament in 1973.

 

[myrmidon]

Yeah it's changed a bit , but what hasn't ?


You know I think I took up archery seriously in the 70's . I rememeber my first bow was a 35# Ben Pearson recurve ( I bought in a close out shop for $10.00 Brand New ! ) wish I had it now ! I continued target shooting and small game hunting into the mid to late 70's and then , I found my first compound , it was a jenningg , you know , the ones with the steel hangers bolted onto the limbs. It was about 65 lbs . I hunted with it and practiced with it for oh I say about 10 yrs or so . Life got in the way for awhile so I put down my bow and moved to Florida for about 8 1/2 years , didn't even think about hunting
( Too Damn Hot ! ) . Lately I moved back north to the "Finger Lakes" of New York , and when I did I they were talking about the upcoming hunting season . That was it I was a goner! I bought my self a brand new ( old used ) Oneida screamin' Eagle and felt like iI had found Flash gordon's Ray Gun ! It's quite an advance from my old jennings . It's all relative . But it's great that once you've got this archery bug , it never really leaves ya , I'm starting to get my nine yr old boy interested and will get him going as soon as I get some of my own bugs out . It's really a great thing " this thing of ours":thumbs_up

 

[fredbear90]

yeah I have even noticed a really big change in archery in the past 8 or 9 years

 

[WR]

Great thread Skydog, deserve's a bump:thumbs_up
Some of our real oldtimers are probably sleeping in

 

[MOBOW#1]

still hunting

Great thread Skydog, deserve's a bump:thumbs_up
Some of our real oldtimers are probably sleeping in

WR I am not ing, I am still hunting:tongue:

 

[AT_X_HUNTER]

My friend and I were talking about this a week or so ago. The game has really evolved. Technology has improved the equipment and our knowledge of the mechanics of shooting. I haven't been around as long as some of you guys but I do recall when the best target bows had to be 48 in. ATA with wood limbs and cast risers. Round wheels and steel cables with tear drops as far as the eye could see.

Leagues were always full and there were always more people wanting to get on a team. When we went to a tournament the lines were full and everyone was having a blast shooting.

But that was when a good target bow cost about $400 to $450 and a dozen arrows were about $45. You could set up a bow for less than $600, and that would have been the top of the line equipment. Traveling to a shoot was also more afforadable with gas being around 75 cents a gallon. It seemed eaiser for a family to go shooting then. Now a decent bow costs between $700-$800, not to mention everything need to equip it.

AHHHH, the good ol' days of affordable hobbies. Heck I bought new golf clubs this year and . That was crazy.