I shot old Martin & Pearson recurves as a kid and started shooting compounds more seriously in my teens. I pretty much quit archery through my college years and now(a decade later) occasionally shoot and bow hunt, with compounds.
I'd like to get back into traditional archery and my first thought is to buy two bows. One a cheap 35# bow for practice and one better 45-50# recurve to hunt with. I'm pretty well decided on the knock-around/practice bow(Samick) and will snag one soon.
What should I be looking at for a non-custom recurve to hunt with? Bear, Martin, etc.? Any recommendations are appreciated. My only recent experience is my father's 55# Montana long bow, which I didn't like.
Not sure how significant it is but I draw 26.5-27.0" with a compound and like a draw weight between 55-60# depending on the size of the valley.
Get the Samick in both sets of limbs. It will be fine for both hunting and practice,though I personally might go 40-45 lb limbs and just shoot the one set.
When you shoot the Samick enough to get good with it, you will have a much better idea of what you want in a bow. You can kill with any bent stick and string if you can shoot. All the fundamentals are the same. A more expensive bow is for later when you know the exact reasons you want a particular bow.
Lancaster's will be able to help you get the correctly spined arrows. Do some reading on bareshafting arrows and ask specifics when you have them.
Just like guns,I have different bows that I shoot at different times all the way from ILF Olympic to BBO selfbow. I shoot all of them but some might be just for targets,some might be because I wanted a specific wood combo.
When I started I thought I wanted to shoot Howard Hill longbows,but I soon learned that wasn't for me. Find a trad club close to where you live and go to some shoots and try a lot of bows before you put down real serious money.
Get the Samick in both sets of limbs. It will be fine for both hunting and practice,though I personally might go 40-45 lb limbs and just shoot the one set.
When you shoot the Samick enough to get good with it, you will have a much better idea of what you want in a bow. You can kill with any bent stick and string if you can shoot. All the fundamentals are the same. A more expensive bow is for later when you know the exact reasons you want a particular bow.
Consider Southwestarchery.com and a more refined version of the Samick. They have the Spyder (62" amo) and the Spyder XL (amo 64"). I you draw 29"+ , get the Spyder XL. VERY smooth to my 30" draw. You can spend a lot more on a bow, but the Spyder XL can meet your needs for both practice (35# limbs) and hunting. It is easy enough to get heavier draw weight limbs for about $76. southwest archery recurves
Vintage bows? Wing Archery Red Wing Hunter (amo 58"), or Gull ( 64" amo). Damon-Howatt ( ie 62" Hunter), Shakespeare, Pearson, Bear, MANY other lesser known good bows, but from the 1960's they can show age.
ILF option with 17", 19", or 21" riser option.
Ask your question on stickbow leatherwall II ( traditional archery website), or tradgang.com and read what they think.
Honestly, the Southwest Archery Spyder XL is a tremendous shooter. High value item.
You might try Ebay for bows. When I started traditional I bought a light pearson bow cheap to build muscle and form to work up to the Martin hunter I wanted to use. I think I paid 60 for the pearson bow.
You might try Ebay for bows. When I started traditional I bought a light pearson bow cheap to build muscle and form to work up to the Martin hunter I wanted to use. I think I paid 60 for the pearson bow.
My first laminated traditional when I gave up compounds was a Pearson Cougar 62" and 40 lbs. I never killed a deer with it but I did whack a couple squirrels and put an arrow in a coyote once. I paid $35 for that one at an indoor fleamarket. I could still kill something with it if I could get a decent shot.
FWIW I draw 28",......and like 58" bows. If the OP's draw is 28" or less..............why mess with a bow 62" or longer? In a stand, 58" aint exactly too short LOL
There could be a couple of really good reasons. Longer bow less stack. Longer bow less finger pinch. 4 inches more in length isn't much but the benefits can be very good.
I shoot a Hoyt Satori Large Riser and Long Limbs. Very minimal stack at all. My release is very smooth with not much finger pinch. The bow is very smooth and forgiving. I have always said that a few inches isn't going to make that big a deal in the woods, but in the shooting it will make a good difference.
I don't get stack, but then I only draw 28". Finger pinch............don't have sausage fingers. Can shoot 3 under without fingerpinch on 58" rigs.
Have had 56-62" recurves. One bow to do it all.........hunting and 3D...............I like 58".
I like shorter risers so have enough working limb. The Hoyt Dorado is a neat bow, but damn if they didn't do it in 19" and not 17". Just don't need that big a sight window going barebow. Carryover from the low anchor and sights days I guess.
Think they did the Satori in 17". Bout friggin' time.
Had my first Blackwidow 62". Hated it. Tolerated my 60". Have had five of them at 58" and that's what I like. Had Tradtech and Samick, and Hoyt and DH......plus Groves and Warfs and Bears.
I'm not doing Field Archery, or indoors. For me, even when shooting compounds, I always ran hunting gear in 3D. 58" recurve did fine for me there.
Buddies shoot state, indoor and field and have the long Hoyts. They win some too.
Every bow has stack. So lets be realistic! Without stack you have no energy, energy drives the arrow. Stack is relative to what you are willing to tolerate. As for fingers and pinch there is always some form of pinch, again the string can not be pulled back without creating some degree of angle. The less that angle the smoother your release can be.
That is great you like 58" and it works for you and what you are willing to tolerate.
Yes the Satori comes in 17" 19" and 21" riser and short, Medium, and long limbs. So you can tailor it to your liking.
I had a Hoyt Huntmaster that was 58" and it hit the friggin wall at 29". That's what I call stack, when the force becomes disproportionate. BTW, PSE/Samick changed that bow to 60" limbs
