wow that is some awesome equipment and a great story with a great deer...
I always appreciate the traditionalist...
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wow that is some awesome equipment and a great story with a great deer...
I always appreciate the traditionalist...
Well since there is so many members that share different past times, I got to thinking, How many Archers/Bow Hunters do we have Here.
Since 2006 I have been Hunting with Traditional Bows only. I have a Jerry Hill Stalker deluxe, Bear Alaskan, Self made Red Oak long Bow ( I made it Myself) and a PSE Kingfisher recurve. I use mainly ash Shaft arrows with 160grn 3-Blade Snuffers, I also have some CX alumnimun 2117 w/Snuffers. So do You Bow Hunt or just like to Shoot Bows Post them Here... Tomorrow I'll take pix of My Bows and the arrows I have..
I don't shoot so much any more.
I used to be really into archery, and had several company sponsorships and used to build arrows for a couple of top-tier pros.
I got bored with it. I still like bowhunting, mostly just for the time in the woods observing.
I did as a teen living in the NWT. Back then I used my dad's compound bow, wouldn't be able to tell you what brand 25 years later. For a few years I had some junker fiberglass bows that a high school was tossing because they were considered dangerous. Toronto has an outdoor bow range right in the middle of the city, I used to go down there with them. Nothing to hunt but straw targets. I left the bows behind when I moved back to Newfoundland a few years ago unfortunately. Keep threatening to buy one.
Lately I've been into slinging, as in David and Goliath style, not a slingshot. Newfoundland has trillions of perfectly round stones for slinging. Haven't tried to hunt with one though, I doubt it would be legal due to the odds you'd only injure an animal rather then kill it. It's VERY hard to be consistently accurate with a sling.
It's been quite a while since i got my old PSE compound up in a tree.
I was really into it in the early to mid 90's but my job now keeps me outa the tree :(
I hope to one day get back into it because the adrenaline rush when you place that arrow through just the right spot is addictive.
The peace and quiet of the woods, the sights, the feeling of being in touch with nature and the primitive nature of what you are doing apeals to me.
Thanks for posting.
It brings back some great memories for me.
Mike
Has always interested me but never got into it,did learn some great stuff the other night tho.
Took the wife over to her Ikebana guru friends house the other night,in the corner of her living room was a Bow,had to be at least 10 ft tall and a quvir (SP) of arrows at least 4 ft long.
I said Hiro,what is that,Turns out when she was a young girl in Japan (shes 87) she trained under a master in archery,explained that it is a grueling mental artform where one sort of meditates before a shot and uses mind power to guide the arrow to the target,sorry to go O.T but was very interesting.
HNSB - I wish that I would have known this last weekend! I have a bag of fletching from a turkey I got last spring.
I like but don\t shoot traditional very much. I have a bow I made in junior high, about '75. I dont shoot it often because i am afraid of breaking it.
I like shooting spots for some reason. I have around 20 Rhinharts in my shed. make me an offer and my wife would be happy.
i have read about and am trying to incorperate a form of te japanese style. I have a hard time of learning just the form and not caring where the arrow strikes.
Target Panic is a bitch!
Tim
I read Core Archery several years ago. I got so worked up about my form that I could barely touch paper at five yards. At that time, I think a score on a 5 spot round would have been about 10. :D
A friend and archery coach had me shoot nothing but stumps with a longbow for a month to recover (forget about form and find the fun in it again).
I never looked at that book again.
I always find fun in shoot any of My bows.. It what I enjoy the most, Next to My Wife and Puppy.
I love to bowhunt. I'm no archery pro, but spending time at the range is one of the better ways to pass an afternoon I know of.
I think there are a lot of parallels between the reasons a guy uses a bow and the reasons he uses a straight razor.
Traditional archery is one of my favorite pasttimes - my backyard is a safe range, w. a few 3D targets set up. Unfortunately, I tend to drift in and out of practice a bit. I currently own a simple PSE recurve and a Howard Hill longbow, the bamboo variation. I shoot the recurve better, and actually like it more although it's a cheaper bow. At my 31.5 draw, they're both right around 50 lbs. After having tried out and destroyed lots of different arrows, the aluminium Easton Legacy @ 2117 w. 125 gr. tip works best so far. I fletch them myself, left helical, using Gateway shield cut barred feathers. Very pretty... :)
Eventually I want to hunt with the bow, and am about ready to upgrade to a heavier takedown. The Black Widow and Tomahawk bows have been warmly recommended, but I have my eye on a carbon model that's been getting rave reviews - The "Grizzly-Stik":
Archers Review: Qarbon Nano Grizzly Stik 51#@28" Review
The same company, Alaska Bowhunting, also makes excellent arrows, I would get a set of those as well.
I have lots of friends with high-end compound bows, but for me, shooting (and shaving!) traditionally is the way to go. I already use so many high-tech optics on my handguns and rifles, and I like the bare bones nature of this type of archery - even though I am inclined to do it with modern materials and design ;-) The thing I've realized is that no matter how cool your bow is, in order to hunt w. a traditional, one must practice way more than with a sighted compound to consistently shoot at the level of accuracy warranted by the hunt. Not quite there yet, but working on it!
I used to target shoot and hunt with my compound every week many years ago. I never used sights, as I really wanted to, but got talked out of, buying a longbow rather than a compound. I did try other archers longbows at the club range I used to shoot at and I really felt wrongly done by the salesman who sold me that damn compound.
Mick
Spent many years at an outdoor archery 3D range. My family still calls it our second home and the perfume of choice - "OFF" mosquito spray. I still have my compound bow which I bought myself as a teenager (working at the archery range) a Browning Ballistic Mirage. I don't get out too much since having the family. But the range had many interesting shots including a running animal.
I've been thinking about a compound bow. I took archery in college. I still have my Shakespeare recurve.
I look at the racks of compound bows at Cabelas and the range of choices is bewildering.
Here is a good guide to choosing a compound: Compound Bow Selection Guide - HuntersFriend.COM
If you know what you want, Cabela's is great, but if you don't, I would first read up, and then seek out and spend some time at a local archery/hunting supply store.
My brother is big into traditional archery. He recently purchased a new 68" takedown longbow from White Wolf Bows. It seems to be working out pretty well for him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grhN3...ure=plpp_video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOVy6nhhDwY&list=PLE4C980AE9DC02A94&index= 3&feature=plpp_video
He posts archery videos on his youtube channel often, so check it out if you're interested. Here is a link to his archery playlist: Archery - YouTube
I prefer a recurve over a compound; w/o sights. I've used the Bear Super Grizzly and the Bear Takedown, both the originals and the "new" models.
Longbows for me !! Been shooting since 1999. I saved up the money and treated myself with a Gerald Welsh English Longbow made from Yew wood,57 lb@ 29 in. And also have a reflex/deflex laminated longbow from Blue Ridge Archery 47lb @ 29, shoot nothing but Port Orford cedar arrows. We have some 3d critters in the woods behind the house to shoot at. Even got the wife shooting,she has an Aspen Tulip wood longbow built by Bryon. We love going to the 3d shoots around the state,what a blast.With a longbow ,you put the arch back in archery. Great Thread !!!!
Stay away from Cabelas especially if you don't know what you want. If you don't know they surely won't be able to tell you.
I haven't bought from ebay either. I support my local pro shop. It is like here at SRP when they recommend having a pro hone your blade. They know what they are doing and can lead you in the right direction.
I have spent $100 more on a bow at my local pro shop than I could have got it on sale at Cabelas or on line but they will set it up for me and I can ask them to make an adjustment a month later and they will help me free of charge. I easily save more than the $100 in added costs. Better yet I am supporting 3 generations of a local family and not some impersonal corporate interest.
Yesterday I shot leagues with new arrows that I fletched with the feathers from a turkey i shot last spring. A lot of work but a good learning experience.
Tim
Local is definitely the best place to start, and can be great, especially if you have old-school guys running them. Unfortunately, we have one around here where the owner is quite opinionated, and unreliable to boot. But I must say I learned a lot just hanging out there and talking to other customers...
I'm extremely impressed that you cut your own feathers. I cut my shafts, glue the inserts, nock them, and fletch them, but I can't even imagine getting the feathers right from scratch. Care to share some pointers :D?
Don't do it to save money!;) I got around 40 feathers from the left wing and still have the right one to do. With mistakes etc. I should get about enough to do 18 arrows. Like a lot of my projects I will start to have it figured out about the time I am done. Many of them are from secondary feathers and they are not as strong/heavy as the primary feathers. It will be interesting to see how long they last. There is a lot more twist to mine than the ones I have bought in the past.
The hardest part for me was sanding the bases. I used a fletching clamp to hold the feather and sanded it on a belt sander. By hand sanding I could have been more precise but lots more time. I then used Goat tuff one of the super glue type glues. That was a mistake. With my imperfect bases that style of glue didn't work. I already had an open container in the refrigerator so thats what I tried. Next time I will try Fletchtite or that style that should be much better on a porous material and fill in little gaps better.
Tim
P.S. I shot over my average last Thursday and because of that my team took 3 of 4 possible points for the night. So my new fletching didn't hurt my score. With my target panic problems I am not going to tell you my average though!:rofl2:
Been bowhunting in Australia for a couple years after always being interested. The bows I have are a Bear Charge compound set at 50lb and a 55lb Bear Montana Longbow which I have only used for targets but can't wait to take it hunting. Mainly hunt rabbits and foxes, still trying for my first deer.
My son had his first bow class today. He had never picked one up before. It was a 1 hour class given at the Bass Pro Shops here in Ft. Lauderdale. He liked it very much. I have my first bow class Tuesday night at the same location, for adults. I don't see myself ever hunting with one, but would like to learn how to shoot one. I used to shoot arrows at the refrigerator door when I was a child; the ones that had little rubber suction cups on the tips.
I promised my son a bow today, but I will have to rely on the store staff for suggestions on what to get him. If you guys would give a few suggestions, that would help greatly.
Thanks,
John
Here are a couple of pictures of my fletching. Included is the right wing of the Turkey that I have left and the hood ornament of my truck.
Tim
Attachment 91282Attachment 91283
First of all how much money do you have? :rofl2:
Seriously, How old is he and what style of bow is he interested in? If a compound bow one such as a Genisis would be a good starter. For a growing boy get one that is easily adjustable for draw length so he can use it for a longer period of time. Don't let him do the macho thing and get one that has to high of draw weight. He should be able to draw the bow with his bow arm straight out and not point it towards the ceiling. At first it should be comfortable to be set at its lightest/lighter draw weight and then be able to turn it up as he gets stronger. There are lots of good used kids bows out there because they grow out of them.
Tim
My twin brother has been into archery most of his life.
He used to do a lot of field archery & also made his own arrows & bowstrings.
But we both used to do a lot of air rifle shooting & rabbit shooting on our friends farm that we have had the good fortune to be given shooting permission.
But we have now both got into slingshots in a big way.
They are similar to using a bow & the plus in the UK is they can be used for pest control.
Cheers Paul
I have been a traditional bow hunter for the past several years. I quit rifle hunting after another hunter was killed by his hunting partner who shot at a sound in the brush. Not only that, but bow hunting allows me to get much closer to my prey and it takes considerable skill to either stalk successfully or shoot a traditional bow accurately.
Thanks, I use the bump on the side of the knock to position my arrow if I am not looking at it, although for target shooting usually I look. Using all feathers/vanes of the same color allows you to pick which one you want for the cock feather. That can help you in tuning your arrows. With the drop away rests I have been using I shoot the cock feather up. I still have some clearance issues with my hunting bow. It is faster and only has a 6 inch brace height. The vanes rub the rest. At hunting distances and the accuracy needed it isn't an issue so I have ignored it.
Another thing that I do that can be argued as being extreme is to only use single colored strings and cables. Using different colors from different batches even if they are "the same material" introduces the possibility of different stretch and wear coming into play.
Now if I could only shoot as good as my equipment!
Tim
When my sons were young ( 10 ) I started them with a longbow and a recurve, to teach them how to shoot by the seat of their pants.Just kept it simple,no sights no triggers no kisser buttons. It teaches them how to judge distance and keeps it fun. Compounds just have way too much going on and they are like shooting a gun. ( no offence to the compound boys ) . Speaking of shooting guns, you want to learn how to shoot with iron sights first before shooting a scope!! JMHO
I am mostly a compound shooter. I have at least 6 recurves in the basement though. Instinctive shooting is like throwing a ball. You don't really aim but it gets to where you want it to. There are a lot more variables. A lot more commitment and practice and limited to that bow. With our younger generation and more instant gratification needed a compound is more in tune.
That is one of the things that appeals to me about archery. You can make it what you want with the equipment/style you want.
Tim
I started with a compound as I said, and I would rather have bought a LB, but I chose and still choose to shoot it as a 'bare bow', i.e sans any sighting aids etc, I don't use release aids and all my shooting has been done 'instinctively'. Price wise I think if you want to keep costs down, perhaps starting off with a youths longbow or recurve might be what you want, just until you know whether or not the lad will take a more active interest in archery.
Mick
Update:
Just finished my bow class an hour ago. We used the same bows, Genesis. I really liked the class. I went and sprung for a Genesis bow, camo. Both my son & I can use it. Tomorrow I will get some extra arrows and a case.
Something else I can enjoy with my son.
Excellent. I shot leagues with my son from 13 - 17 yrs of age. He is now 18 and has more important things to do than spend Friday nights with his dad! Maybe in the future we can pick it back up again. I shoot with some father/son teams in which the sons are 40 -50 yrs old. I hope archery can bring as much enjoyment to you and your son as it has to us.
Tim
Way to go.... Archery isn't for everyone, but everyone can find fun it Archery... I love shooting My Long Bow and recurve bows, I have found more respect for hunting when using trad bows more so then wheelie (Compound) bows... All Bows are fun to shoot for Me, But Trad more so. It is Great to see a Father bonding with their Kids in Archery or anything to do with the Outdoors.. My Hats off To You Sir... Shoot Straight...
Im a big fan of archery myself.
I dont currently have a bow but i used to have a Howard Hill longbow was an awesome shooter.
I have been being a "little" Frustrated with mine. Although it is about the same with my bare bow recurve.
Longbow enthusiasts?
i shoot a long bow! its a wild horse creek bow, made in perry, ks about 15 min from my town. it is 54" long reflex-deflex design, 49# and 28" draw, made of bubinga, cocobola, black locust and beaver tail grip. shoots like a dream too. the guy builds excelent bows. at the customer appritiation day in april he told us that he has made just over 300 bows and has only built bows for 117 different people. if you do the math thats alot of repeat customers huh. i would like to purchase another from him but little broke right now. but i love shooting my bow. so quite and fast. wish i had more friends that shot traditional as well but i dont.