I've been hunting with compound bows for over 3decades and lost the romance in it. I bought a blacktail recurve and been practicing with it religiously and have regained the passion for archery again. I'm quite confident in my skills with this recurve its like an extension of my arm. I'm ready to book a elk hunt with my wood bow and arrows... ye ha
Congratulations on finding something to motivate you. I've never cared for the compound bows either, but it has been a few years since I strung my longbow.
"The number one problem with America is, a whole lot of people need shot, and nobody is shooting them." -Master Chief Hershel Davis
Yes sir, I kept my hoyt magnatec that I've bought new 11 or 12 yrs ago just too many fond memories to let it go. Can't count how many Tx whitetails I've taken with it along with quail, rabbit, squirrels, carp
I've owned 3 compoud bows in 30yrs I'm 48 now. First was the hoyt prohunter with laminated wood and fiberglass limbs, the hoyt grandslam and the hoyt magnatec you could say i have a thing for hoyts
I still shoot the compounds some, but most of my time is spent shooting recurves and longbows. Very challenging - especially indoor target shooting. The consistency found shooting indoors really shows outdoors. Great fun.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
Good luck with your "non wheel" bow. I tried to go back to a recurve a number of years ago, but could not make the transition. I have n shooting compounds since 1977 and have no plans t stop.
I think most Trad failures have a few things in common. To begin with most guys start out over bowed. Even a 35# recurve has nearly twice the holding weight of a modern 70# compound bow. Second, many toss form to the wind and think that a hunched over, snap shooting style while 'burning a hole' will somehow miraculously make them a great shooter. I have found guys that will swallow their pride a bit and shoot a 30-35# bow until they get things figured out tend to shoot better, quicker and stick with it. It takes some work, and even the best trad shooter will never be able to shoot at the same level as with a decked out compound. But - the satisfaction that comes along with shooting an accurate, well executed shot from a simple stick and string can not be equaled with wheels.
FWIW: I still shoot a compound regularly and enjoy it, but the satisfaction I get from shooting the recurve is well worth the extra effort. I do believe it is a maturity thing, 25 years ago I doubt I would have the patients for it that I now have.
One more note - there has never been a compound made that can compare to the beauty of a Blacktail bow. Take a look at these- beautiful. The Legacy Series bows are works of art. http://www.blacktailbows.com/bows.html
Last edited by centershot; 03/03/15.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
Compounds became too easy, which was the reason I went to a Brackenbury.
Unfortunately I don't bowhunt much anymroe, but the Brack brought back the fun.
Almost anything gets boring if you know you'll have no problems when the moment comes. Its not interesting as much if there is no chance of failure.
That being said due to injuries to my neck/shoulder I generally hunt with rifles now. Plus it takes a lot less time to rifle hunt and a lot less work and prep work and I have less time than I used to. Maybe in 10 years I'll retire and figure a way to get back to the bow regularly.
FWIW my Brack was 56 pounds at my draw... plenty enough, but not nearly too much.... Having killed more than a few things with a kind of homemade recurve that was 45 pounds, the weight is not that big of a deal with deer size animals.. COC head and life stays good.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
I believe all weapons have an effective range, within that range the weapon is lethal given the operator is competent. (the Super Slam has been accomplished by compounds and recurves) Many times for a traditional shooter that means keeping shots at 20 to 30 yards. For a compound shooter with sights and laser range finder maybe out to 40 or 50 yards. High powered rifles 2-300 yards. Sure there are all to many that like to stretch the limits but in the end it is up to the individual to make an ethical shot (or live with themselves when making a poor decision). I'm all for long range shooting, just not at live targets - they deserve more respect.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
If you didn't get what I meant, I can't explain it then.
A rifle has a much less chance of failure than a bow ever will.
Some folk just want to kill by the most effective means possible. Others like to add to the challenge. I have been on both sides, as I get older the challenge part holds my interest much more than the killing part.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
Some folks might want to take up a gun then. Anything shot at with a bow can jump the string.
FWIW, though some will probably doubt me, I'm 100% on pigs and deer with my recurve. Mostly because I was much pickier by then with distances and shot placement and attitude of the animal and was good with passing up shots.
Not so with the early years of the compound. I thought that since I could hit X target every last time at X distance, I could shoot at anything at that distance... I was sorely wrong. Luckily since I rarely go off left or right much, I had a few high and a few low flesh wounds...no biggy. But a few jumped the string. Even at amazingly close distances... and ended up gut shot....We did perfect finding gut shot deer though.. it was very simple once we figured it out.
I won't lie and say we found em all though in the early years. It did not happen.
I have been fortunate to be 100% with recurve and with crossbow now.
I doubt there is a traditionalist alive that doesn't desire a clean kill each time. And that will never be had by any weapon period. Much less differing bows.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
Been practicing whenever possible. Here in N.Dakota It's still to cold to do anything outside with a bow, I'm having to wear too many clothes to stay warm, besides the arrows get lost in the snow pretty easy. I did see a snowshoe hare the other day that I thought would make a good meal but just couldn't close the distance,I did send one hail marry and lost my arrow, wish I had my crossbow.
I think I"ll eventually make some bows when I retire, just to do it.
I took a Bingham blank many years ago for a high school ag class project, along with making a knife from a blank of steel.. the bow blank was just needing all the wood removed/shaped etc... but I did read up and just didn't have the time to figure out how to laminate and such at that point.
Funny its boisdarc press... I just noticed my neighbor cut down a bunch of ones on our fence that I had lined out for future use... though they were his trees barely.. I do have a rifle stock from boisdarc too...
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
