We all know the archery greats, Hill, Bear, to name a couple. I always wondered how many more great shots that never competed because they had to work or lived in areas where there weren't any shoots. So I wonder what you think, were there a lot of great Archers or the ones who we know were in a elite group.

My honest guess is that there were some that might even have been better than the "greats" we're familiar with. There are many out there who have great skill but consider "competition" a complete waste of time.

of coarse, its like the greatest guitar player in the world, he is probably rebuilding outboard motor carburetors in a shack outside washing dc somewhere, doesn't own a tv or a computor, and doesn't give a dang what anyone else is doing...fred bear and guys like that are respectable, but they are also a product of there own calculated promotion..in that once you invent something, you have to teach people how to use it and give them the dream, so....they had these historical hunts planned and all financed and filmed with a business financial proforma. they spent money with the advertising side of the business plan to promote the sales for the manufacturing side of the business and that's American business sometimes. there in lies the legend, no pun intended. Fred Bear was an advertising executive essentially. and that is a good thing..

What “The Greats” all had in common was a craving for the limelight and enough of a flair for showmanship to stay there, once they found a way in. And usually some considerable dose of pure, dumb luck involved in getting there. On top of good skills, to be sure, but I’m sure there are a lot of very fine shots who don’t perform well under the pressure of an audience or competition, or maybe they are just too smart to let their passion turn into work.

JMO, we have a few guys on the First Shot thread I sure would like to be able to keep up with.....

The top five at your local Archery shoots. Seems to be lots of shoot offs at those. Number of shoots times 5, lots of working folks and another 5x for those who do not compete in an area close to shoots.

Jeff Kavanagh is the best shot I've ever seen - through his videos - and I believe he said he does not competition shoot.

I would say definitely yes. Fred Bear said Ed Bilderback was a better archer than Fred himself. Would many people know who Ed Bilderback was if it wasn't for Fred? Fred & Howard were great promoters and made a living in archery.

Lots of great shooters on here. IMO just look at shot off the day.

If you ever get to spend time wandering around a bunch of archery shoots, and archery related events you are going to run into some guys and gals that can flat out shoot.

Many of them are folks you will never gear about. They don't do videos, they don't compete on a national level, they just enjoy themselves. I ran into a lady several years ago at a shoot in Coshocton, Ohio who was shooting a purple Hummingbird. She was just about as good a shot as I have ever seen. Never ran into her before that day, and have not seen her since.

I think as far as great shooters go, we probably have some right here in this forum, that could shoot with the best of them. But they never saw any reason to compete or toot their own horn, or make a show of it.

I would guess there are some really great shooters you'll never hear about just like the guitar reference above. I'd guess there are quite a few outstanding shots that frequent this site. I KNOW for a fact that Frank (Nemophilist) is one of them. He's a good friend and lives about a mile from me and we've shot together numerous times. I shoot every day and consider myself a pretty decent shot. Spend a few hours shooting unmarked distances up to 70 yards in Frank's yard and you realize there's good and then there's a whole other level of good.

I believe the vast, overwhelming majority of people who excel at what they do, do so without being famous for it.

You should have seen the craftsmanship I did yesterday. Wow. And maybe a handful of people will see it in his lifetime. There's lots of highly skilled folks around creating, achieving, performing great things that practically nobody will ever know about. It's just how they pass the time.

Yeah, I think there were and are a LOT of great 'no name' archers.

fdp, did she have a Labrador with her? I believe her name is Nancy here from southwest Ohio, and yes, she is an excellent archer, so is her husband Dick, she shoots a Hummingbird

Umm, yeah, I just wanna be the first to say I don't belong on this thread. Thanks for the kind words but I've always believed that there's nothing I do that others couldn't if they wanted to. That's why I made my videos in the first place. Sadly, archery barely exists here. I work at a fishing tackle and bow shop and I jump for joy when I get a chance to set a compound bow for someone. Trad bows, although we have some in stock, someone buying one is a very rare thing. Everyone shoots and buys crossbows here. I've never had the ambition or could afford to take the time to drive a full day and stay in hotels, etc., just to shoot some arrows with other people. That's just about what I'd have to do too.

Poppy yes she did. And she was a very kind and gracious lady.

Hey you all forgot Frisky. He’s the best!

I'm sorry but Frisky would not be able to target shoot complete. There are not trucks allowed to be driven on the courses. Joe would have to drive over a target. LOL

"He's got that legend stuff covered"

The best shooter I was ever around usually shot with a baby on his back. Just a regular guy, seeking no limelight, shooting his longbow, baby sleeping away in its carrier, arrow after arrow in the center of the ten ring. Unbelievable.

There are a lot of really good shooters out there. Many never compete.

I wonder how many of those guys who are truly exceptional have no idea how good they really are?

A lot of would be greats simply never had the time or finances to work at it. >>>----> Ken

"I wonder how many of those guys who are truly exceptional have no idea how good they really are?"

GF, I'd guess a vast majority don't know and likely don't care. As was mentioned in posts above, a lot of guys don't have the time, money or the desire to ever compete. Some folks are just happy to shoot in their yards, rove around, go hunting or shoot local 3D's for the fun of it. I fall into that category but don't knock the folks that want to compete and respect their drive and dedication to do so.

Over the years, 50's and 60's as I remember them there were many great archers all of whom were champions at some point.

Now if you took all those champions and put them in a hall to compete, one would win. Would the others be losers, I think not.

I would say the elite archers were elite on the day the won the tournament. The next weekend or the next shoot they could come in second place.

Some work for fame or glory while others work to avoid it.

there were and are some great bowshooters around knoxville Iowa who have been and still are an inspiration to me even as a 79 yr. old bowhunter today!

I've shot with some of the best in the world at that time, and it showed my how mediocre I was. I loved competing when I was younger and I learned a lot from many great shooters, most of them freestyle guys who were generous with their help. Most don't toot their own horn though, and those were guys shooting those long target and field ranges.

I belong to a private hunt club in Northern lower MI, no fence and 14000 acres. Years ago one of our old timers shot a buck at a witnessed 90 yards. The buck took three hops and dropped. Several members witnessed the shot made with a longbow.

And I've popped the balloon and won the pot at 140 yards, but I wouldn't hunt deer from there. The old pig and acorn story.

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