One of the big motivators/themes to my channel is showing old school hunting methods. Stuff that I think is getting “lost” and I don’t wanna see lost. Anytime I talk about hunting with a recurve, people think it’s cool even if they don’t hunt. That makes me think there’s a lot of people who are interested in doing it. I put this video together mainly for compound guys who are interested in switching to TRAD. I tried to cover everything that is different from modern hunting, things I struggled with, different perspective etc. I know a lot of you guys have been doing this a long time… What did I miss?
Good start. Re making the switch, I think it's worth pointing out that folks won't be able to shoot as much weight with a recurve as they will with a compound.
Because of the heavier weight and because they won't have sights and releases, etc., it will be necessary to practice more to keep the body and brain in tune. Luckily, that's fairly easy because shooting a stick bow is a lot more fun.
And, regardless of how good they get with a recurve, they'll likely never be as precisely accurate (particularly at longer ranges) as they can be with a compound. i.e., have realistic expectations in making the switch and if you can't accept them, don't switch.
That's pretty good Video. Compound guys think they are an archer. To me, shooting a recurve or longbow and getting good at it, actually makes you an archer. JF
I had taken sights off my Browning Tracker compound prior to moving back to recurve, I had started shooting "instinctive" with the compound, so all I had to adjust to was the switch from 35% let off to recurve. Key is to not get frustrated that you're not stacking arrows like you were. Practice will bring that back.
Nothing feels like taking game instinctively with a traditional bow. If you practice hard and long enough , you will know it the moment you experience it for the fist time. No gap, no string walking , no bare bow gizmos no draw check, no help. Just your eyes on the pray , and watch the flying missile land squarely on it . At the beginning, I personally thought it was just a bunch of BS, until ....
When I switched from compound years ago (only 50% letoff) it was before a Release was legal to use hunting. You had to draw and release the old compounds with fingers. Today's Compound shooters using Releases, use the release to draw, hold, and release the string. They haven't developed the finger strength to hold the string through the draw and at full draw. Also for them keeping the back of the hand straight, not allowing the fingers to bend when drawing so the arrow doesn't flip off of the shelf. That is why it easier for them to shoot 3 under, than shooting split finger. 3 under is a stronger draw when learning, all 3 fingers are together. Switching from a 60# compound to a 60# recurve or longbow was not that big of a transition drawing "for me" because I was already using my fingers to pull that weight using the compound. Today's compound shooters, they need to start with lighter bows to develop that hand strength and muscle memory and form for shooting traditional bows, more so than we did, switching 30 years ago. Just my opinion. DANNY
I'll hit x3 on orions post. You're right, that was something I had to let go of and forgot about. bodyman one of my hunts this late season I got busted getting out of my heater body suit, I shot my rifle buck in it this year and have done a ton of bowhunting (compound) in it cost me a followup shot lol 3:09 I think the big difference was 15 yards instead of 40 plus. Guess I'll have to get tougher on those cold days! Funny you guys say that about letoff. When I was turkey hunting this spring one of my buddies asked me how much letoff my recurve had. He's a compound guy, I took it for granted that people knew there wasn't any.
I suspect most 'compound guys' are quite aware of the difference when push comes to shove. I do know guys though that can shoot longbows, recurves and compounds on the same day and do it well, so it's just a mind over matter thing. Most already have the basics of form down and there isn't much different in that regard other than the holding weight. So with that in mind, I think it's much easier to go from a compound to recurve than to just start in archery anew, and lots of folks do that successfully. Form carries over, and generally speaking, if you can do one, you can do the other, and probably both of them fairly well.
Pissed off a few compound shooters in my day…lol. This when I mentioned that you can go to the store, buy a compound, have it set up with sights, release, etc. and be shooting groups within an hour or so. Bingo! I know this because I’ve seen it done as well as have friends who’ve worked in stores that set them and with a bit of coaching…. well pretty easy. Trad is a whole different animal.
Been shooting compound bows for 5 years, just got into trad this year.
Got to be honest, I do feel a little offended. I felt that I got pretty good with a compound bow, so wanted to try recurves.
Being told that I'm not an archer because I shoot compound bow make me believe some of the elitist beliefs that I was warned about by others. I heard of the distain for crossbow, which I didn't understand. But to say that you're basically not good enough to be part of a community because you like a archery in a different way seem exclusive.
So do I need to be able to make my own wood bow and arrows from a tree that I cut down with an axe that I smith in the furnace myself?
Would a plunger or clicker disqualified me too?
Can anyone tell me what's the best sinews is to make strings?
Sorry, just saying.
Anyway, I'm still going to continue my journey in traditional archery my way. I personally love vintage bows, but I guess I'll only use an ILF setup until I can test for my 'archer' certificate.
“ Because of the heavier weight and because they won't have sights and releases, etc…”
Although, strictly speaking, there is no reason that you cannot use sights and a release with a recurve. That is / those are an option if it appeals to you.
As far as what does or doesn’t qualify someone to be called an “archer”… JMO, that’s like drawing a line in the snow in the middle of an avalanche. No way in hell I’m going to tell an internationally ranked Barebow or Olympic style… ummmm…. Archer… that he or she is not “an archer”.
I’m not saying that there’s not a distinction at some point, but I’m just not sure exactly where it sits. Personally, I think once you get your fingers off of the string, something essential has been lost. Probably a lot of ancient Turks would whip out a thumb ring and shoot me dead very quickly for saying that.
I will go this far: I have shot a new-ish compound within the last decade. 85% let-off, peep, pins, stab, release. Basically what’s out there today. Even killed a deer with it. And it just wasn’t Archery. It wasn’t all bad, but It was not All There. A lot easier on the ears than a rifle; I have to give it that. Although I did miss the great big cloud of white smoke.
But a good shot with a Stickbow will be a fine shot with any compound that you place in his/her hands, just so long as the draw length fits and they can roll it over; and there are a lot of very accurate compounders who would be up a creek if they had to anchor #40 and had no peep, kisser button or release.
I’m not prepared to bestow any kind of mantle on someone just because he can pick up a stickbow and usually hit an 8” plate at 50 feet or less… so long as his feathers are big enough. Now, if someone who is at about that level can walk out into the woods and kill what he’s shooting at, then I will cheerfully award that one the title of Bowhunter.
Being able to read the music and play the notes doesn’t make you a Musician.
Hey we all shoot bows be they compounds or trad.Ok compounds are possibly easier to get good with and easier to hold at full draw but it still shoots arrows and uses a string to propel them .Any archery is good archery .Even in trad we have collectively at times had arguments on who is more trad than who.Personally I could not be bothered with all that BS To be honest Primative archery is very traditional .Use natural materials wood sinew flint feathers .Make it all your self.Hats off to those folk who do. With our modern life styles it's nice to know we have a past time like archery to enjoy in all its forms .We are all Archers so just go out and shoot and have fun . Cheers Osr.
I don't think it has anything to do with being "elitist", ball and patch guys probably feel the same way with fellas that shoot plastic tipped bullets encased in plastic, they ain't what most folks call Muzzleloaders. It takes practice and commitment to shoot conventional equipment. Learning what/how brace height affects the bow, what spine is and so on. Not so much with a compound.
Elkpacker I always think of Fred As bell’s quote “a longbow is like a beautiful woman easy to fall in love with difficult to understand and impossible to ever fully possess.” Lol someday I’d like to kill a deer with a longbow, I struggle with them even more.
Mike funny you say that. A guy at work was asking me about recurves the other day I said people think they’re simple, but they’re far from it. Lots of problems to solve and they’re almost all my fault. Last compound I bought I never even needed to adjust the sights the pro shop mounted them and they were right on.
The traditional bow is anything but simple.. but it is the simplest of the weaponry. Not to master the weapon, but the least in technological SHtuff. My own personal belief is that it's the person not their weapon that makes them a legitimate bow hunter or not. Show me a guy who knows his own limitations and makes ethical decisions with an arrow and I don't care if it's from a compound or a recurve. Sometimes, regardless of the hours spent shooting, the traditional bow is not an ethical decision to carry into the woods to take an animal. I would much rather a guy take his compound bow out and kill a deer, than wound 10 "trying" with a longbow or similar weapon. The longbow for me is just as difficult as anything I have ever done. I had never heard the quote from Mr. Asbell, but I can fully appreciate it. Thank you for the video and for your enthusiasm into more traditional means of archery.
“I don't think it has anything to do with being ‘elitist’, ball and patch guys probably feel the same way with fellas that shoot plastic tipped bullets encased in plastic.”
I guess it depends on your definitions of terms like “elite”, “elitist” and “elitism”.
The way it usually comes up in a thread like this one, somebody is whining about people “who think they’re better than” the whiner. Which is all about big egos and hurt feelings.
There are weapons that meet the letter of the law and there are weapons that meet the intent of the law. There is absolutely NOTHING “elitist“ about expecting everyone who wishes to participate in a restricted season to honor the restrictions intended at the outset.