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.

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.

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 tried shooting a long bow for 2 years
I sucked with it
Mathews for me forever...well compound any ways

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

Have at um I'm done with that chapter.If after 2 years of practice and shooting I can't get where I wanna be I punt

Good bless you and all Robin Hood types you have my respect

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.

failure in archery means potentially wounding an animal
I'll stick to what I know and shoot the best

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.

SAME here Dan, I owe it to the animal to KNOW I can kill it, and kill it right.

If you put a compound and a traditional bow in a shooting machine, they will both shoot out the X ring.

The main difference being that the compound has all the mechanical and technological tricks to help compensate for the weak link.

I shoot traditional for the simple fact that when I succeed, it is me. When I fail it is me.

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.

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.

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.

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.

If you really want to get a Charge make your own self bow and Arrows.
This company put out great informative books.

http://boisdarcpress.com/books-2/

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...

Although we have some Bodock around my area I have always like Hickory as i could find straight trees and Hickory is tough as nails. Makes for a HEAVY arrow as well. The Heavier the arrow the more energy it takes from the string Making it Very quit.
A person cant really launch an arrow fast enough to keep a deer from Jumping the string (it would have to be faster than the speed of sound)BUT if he dont hear it He wont Jump it.

I always Liked Making either an Indian Flat bow or a European type of bow .
The books go into great detail(the Bowyers Bibles)String Making ,Quivers,anything you vcan think of . Even Asian composites.
If you have any interest in building bows get all the Bibles.
You will definetly feel like you spent your money well.

Oh I think if I live to retirement and get some years otu of it, it will sure be fun.

What I've been noticing alot here lately in N.Dakota is pheasant. You could really sharpen up your instinctive skills on flushing them up in the air. I think that would be a blast. I'm almost thinking a longbow would be quicker with a snap-shot. But will definitely give it a try with my recurve.

I choose not to take the path of least resistance. I embrace challenges. Being a traditional bow hunter means you have to become a better hunter. Instead of taking 50 yard shots with a compound, you take 15 yard shots or closer.

I wouldn't take anything but a 15 yarder or less with a compound or my crossbow for that matter... all in personal preference.

But then you read of the compound guys that take 50 yard shots but they snub the recurves.... too much infighting.

Good for you. I had the same experience about twenty years ago. I'm almost hanging up the guns entirely and just shooting my recurve. Oddly enough I haven't bought me a long bow yet. Don't think you are limited with trad equipment. Get yourself some good solid FOC arrows with a nice sharp and heavy broad head and it will penetrate any critter on earth. As stated, heavy arrows suck up sound and seem to run better out of trad equipment. I shoot both wood and carbon out of mine. Some will shutter at shooting carbon from a trad bow but let's face it, they just hold up better for the amount of shooting I like to do. You will find out it is more fun to shoot a trad bow as well and I usually shoot mine until my arm is ready to fall off. That's where shooting carbon or aluminum will make sense. Wood will eventually break and carbon or aluminum will shine in life span in comparison. I've shot everything from squirrels to bear with mine and have yet to feel handicapped. And like others have mentioned, don't over bow yourself. A #45 recurve will kill a lot of game with good arrows and shot placement.

You just wuznt close enough.

The crossbow is interesting to me and looks cool.

Ct made them legal for deer so I got one and its easy to shoot and even practice with in the basement. It's quiet.

The kit was only $200.

I like it all. I'm not above shooting them in the eye with a 22-250 either. I'd catch 'em in snares if it was legal. It just depends how much "sport" I want to have...and how hungry I am.

I like my Longbow if for no other reason it is like carrying a feather in the woods compared to my Compounds

If the compound no longer holds any romance for the OP I highly doubt a crossbow would. lol. I find the crossbow an interesting weapon. I don't think they belong in archery only seasons because the drawing and holding of the string on a conventional bow involves so much movement and archer input that they are totally different to me. But they shoot arrows, and are short range weapons - so, humm. Where do they belong?

In firearms season...or maybe muzzleloader. It's too late now though, their lobby is way too strong to ever give up ground.

I used to really care about things like that, but the older I get the less energy I have to get very worked up about it.

For me shooting the recurve and longbow is more about satisfaction than romance. I know the level of dedication it takes to attain accuracy with the recurve or longbow. For me that makes a great shot with a trad bow a lot more satisfying than a great shot with a compound which didn't require the same level of dedication.

I'm almost totally alone... in the fact that I use a crossbow just like any other. I"m not shooting distnace... nothing past 15 ish yards.

Too much noise and still the chance to dodge the arrow or make a bad hit. Something about 15 yards and in I've yet to have an issue, past that, there have been movement issues that don't please me while any arrow is in flight.

As to where it belongs, per the moving and drawing... hunting in a tripod/tree stand, or popup or like stand, you don't have much to worry about moving or not.

I've had deer very close to our pop up that did see movement trying to raise the crossbow... I would have had same issue with any other bow, though IMHO if I had my compound or recurve standing upright at that time, I could have drawn and shot with less chance of anythhing seeing it, but lifting the complete crossbow off my lap was another issue.

Wife was sitting with me. Of course part of the issue is the deer 3 or 4 steps away all over the place.... and they'll see about anything when you are ground level with em, even with a small shooting window...

All I can say in the end, when tuned up with a recurve, there is a lot less to go wrong with a shot than a compound IMHO. THe bow shoots itself. You don't have to think about so many other things as with a compound.

Just my take on it.

I started out with recurves in the 50's (shot Field Rounds in several states for quite a few yrs...Hunter Class) and finally went to compounds on in late 70's or early 80's. Hunted with them for many yrs with fingers and no sights.

But, the compounds kept getting shorter and shorter so went to a release and one pin with no peep site. I never liked the release..just don't like using the muscles needed to draw with one...but really hated the peep site when I finally put one on the string.

All that led to no enjoyment in shooting. So I decided to go back to recurves. Best move I've made and really enjoy shooting again. Didn't really change much for hunting..I hunt same way with recurves as I did with compounds and shoot them about the same. I do really like carrying the much lighter weigh recurve through the woods.

Got a new Covert Hunter being built now that should be ready first part of next month.

I still got my compounds but haven't pulled one back since going back to recurves. I do all my hunting with flintlocks I build (.58cal rifle for deer, hog and elk and .20ga. for spring gobblers and squirrel..only two flintlocks I got left) and a rim-fire .22 for serious squirrel hunting..or one of my .22cal Weihrauch pellet rifles.

I guess I like hunting with these bows and guns because where I hunt on public land I don't get many opportunities to kill deer or turkeys and when I do I want it to mean as much as possible for me. I also enjoy hunting with the same guns as the old long hunters did, just to know what it was like to be a turkey or deer hunter back in those days.

Most who try the longbow will never go back to the recurve

Agreed. Started off our indoor leagues this year with a compound - shot a 300 50X first time I scored a NFAA 300 round in 3 years. Sold that bow.....Went to a local indoor 300 shoot the next weekend, shot a 272 16X with my trad legal recurve. There is no comparison to the satisfaction I felt shooting the score that was nearly 1/2 point less per arrow. I don't really understand it myself, but a well executed shot from a simple stick and string is intoxicating.

Because of this thread and Lt Pat I shot my longbow about 45 times yesterday, still suck at it and my wrist got the chit string slapped out of it.

I did the same with my recurve minus the string slap injury.... I shot it to the point of failure and the trip to the chiropractor prompted the question as to why my left arm/shoulder was so tight. One mention and he responded "I need to get my azz outside and do the same." I love the fact that it feels like it weighs 1/4 of any compound. I have yet to seriously shoot a long bow for fear of losing the love for my recurve and I'd hate to do that.

Hold that bow like you're shaking hands, not like your doing a push-up.

I like them both, shoot them both and own them both. I do however like longbows with a lot of RD. I hate Hill style bows. I see no pro's with them and a lot of con's.

Thanks for the tip Lt. Pat, I'll try that the next shooting session

I'm gonna have to sell you my Toelke whip longbow.

Although that might be true, it wasn't for me. Although I have had and still do have and shoot a long bow (I've probably owned 5 or 6), I keep going back to the first recurve I had made, a Kimsha. It's a beautiful bow, 60" 50# @ 28 (I draw 29) and I just plain like shooting it better than the long bow. Not to mention I'm a better shot with it.

I'm jealous - Border makes some very nice stuff. I would love to try a Covert Hunter but don't have the guts to buy and try.

Unfortunately I may be heading in the opposite direction, at least for elk season.

My mid 50# longbows are starting to reek havoc on my old surgically repaired and arthritic shoulder. Yesterday for the first time in my 63 years I shot a compound for more than a shot or two. After maybe 30-40 arrows I realize I can keep hunting elk but I am going to have to head into a world of archery that is totally foreign to me.

Fortunately I was at an archery shop that understood why I was there and patiently set up a nice bow for me to shoot on their range. Of course, I'll probably have to sell three bows to pay for it unless I can find a used one in my old man specs.

"

Since I now live in the sticks, I don't have the luxury of trying one out. But, I've kinda been thinking about Border Bows for a few yrs. and just decided to give one a try.

All the rave about the new Hex 7 limbs is what really made up my mind for me. I didn't even know about the let off type draw cycle until after I'd ordered it. Don't really know if I'll like that or not until I shoot it. I know I don't like the draw cycle of compounds, especially heavy let offs..main reason I went back to recurves.

just remember you can shoot a compound instinctively.... many did for years when they came out. I have also. You can just get a good compound and keep on rocking. No need for 150 buck sights, releases, peeps etc...

EXACTLEY! I know guys that shoot compounds with high% let off because they've had shoulder work done. They still shoot with fingers and no sights. You may need a rest of some sort as compounds don't have the correct shelf geometry to shoot off them.

But I bet it might be hard to find a long enough one these days with this rage of short bows. Those short bow folks haven't a clue what it means to shoot with fingers and in a way thats a shame.

I missed this post, but boy if you think a crossbow is quiet... well you've NEVER heard a quiet stick bow, wheels or not.... quiet crossbow... I think thats under oxymoron in the dictionary.

That's right. Crossbows are legal here and most people think they're going to have it easy when they get one. Just my two cents, but the only time I have seen an advantage to a crossbow (other than those physically handicapped) is in certain situations where the sound of drawing a bow is almost certain to alert an animal.

and the sound when they are fired is so loud it almost negates that advantage,they are not as fast as a speeding bullet as many think...

Yessir. That's why used used ones are so easy to find.

Hoyt still makes one. I believe it is called the Tribute. Actually most shops have an area of 'old bows', some real treasures in there sometimes. I once bought a Reflex Caribou for $50!