Archery

I used to collect bows. A hunting bow that really is a sleeper was Shakespeare. If you are looking for an old bow to shoot, go with Bear. That was the best production bow made. I bought Bear bows that were leaning in closets for years and the limbs were still straight.
 
Yep, my other recurve is a mid sixties era Bear.
Found it at a garage sale twenty years ago, for $25 in near perfect condition.
It's a 38 lb if measured at the standard 28" draw.
Someone must have found out how difficult it is to master a traditional bow.
Very accurate, but not as much as the Hoyt-PSE target takedown.
But it cost used over ten times as much at the same time, and well worth it.
It's still being made, too:
http://pse-archery.com/shop/competition-recurves/x3-recurve-bow/#prettyPhoto[product-gallery]/2/
http://hoyt.com/traditional-recurves
 
Last edited:
I was watching a show on the Smithsonian channel the other night comparing Japanese and English Longbows. Both were pulling about 50# and would shoot through armor.

I'm sure that the local native americans were not getting quite that but still bringing deer home.

I was chewing the fat with the guys at the local archery pro shop one day, and because I was new to the whole archery thing, I asked if my 70# bow now dialed back to 62# was capable of taking elk. The universal opinion from young and old was that 60# would kill anything in the state of Colorado.

I'd feel very comfortable hunting with 50# and up; I just wouldn't take a longer shot with the lower poundage bow.
 
Not so much the bow weight as the crappy heads and super light arrows. That was all studied before. Many times. The bow weight was bumped up to increase speed. The weight on the shafts and heads was dropped to increase the speed.
 
One thing I like and hate about bows is if you go buy one today in 2 years it will be worth $50. But If you want to break into archery on a budget picking up a used bow is the way to go. Or even for bow fishing.

A few months back I picked up a Bear lite youth bow for my wife for a whopping $15. Yeah it didn't have sights but I now have it outfitted the way she likes it and I think it only cost me $60. Lots of people were selling carbon arrows on craigslist for $1 an arrow which made cutting them down to 26 inches not a concern.

I halfway want to get myself a bow like this for bow fishing because it is small and has a 25-50pound weight. And like 34-36 axle to axle.
 
Kinetic energy is a horrible determining factor in deciding if you have enough power. Just telling you speed is everything. Which it isn't. what it does do is skews the KE formula. KE takes into no account of energy beyond release point. Higher speed light arrows generate a lot of energy close to the bow but, due to their light weight, sheds a lot of energy down range.

I've killed a lot of deer and other animals with recurves, compounds, and longbows. Probably a 100 or more. From deer, to hogs, to elk and bear. I have shot through most of them regardless of the number that the KE formula give me. The key is tuned, a fixed head design, and put it where it belongs with an arrow of adequate weight. I'm no heavy arrow junkie but, watching a modern hunting show where the average compound penetration with a super fast arrow is dismal, these points are hammered home. These guys would be much better served by sacrificing some speed to get an arrow that maintains it's energy after release, versus shoot a 5-6 gpp arrow, with an open on impact head.

To get the best results, get the bow tuned so the broadhead tipped arrows impact the same POA as your field points, which means the bow is perfectly tuned. Get a good fixed head, not an expandable one. And, put it on an arrow that maintains enough weight to have the same gaps between the 50-60 yard pins as it does the 20-30 pins, which means the arrow is retaining it's energy well. Then shoot what ever you want.

BTW, your draw weight is more than enough plus some, if you meet these other requirements. God Bless
 
Last edited:
hunt

Sure we can talk bowhunting. Love it. And I'll say that until I took up serious bowhunting of deer, I was just a deer "shooter". And I still shoot at a bunch of deer with a bow and have nothing to show for it!!!! mm-mm-mm-mm- issed.

Bow/deer exclusively from treestands. Climbers mostly, ....these days more and more ladders and chain ups. I likely bowhunt deer more than I carry a rifle. That due to the fact the WMA nearby is mostly bowhunt only.

Dad started me with a Pearson recuve, my first good bow was a Martin Cougar Mag, laminated, with round wheels, and cranked up went 72 lbs. Fingers (tab) and feathers, 28"- 2117 XX75's. Bear Razorheads, and I still shoot'em.

Nowadays, I hunt two bows. One was Dad's, I was with him when he bought it. An older PSE "Coyote at 60 lbs lbs or so. The other a Mathews FX at 62 lbs. Same carbon arrows for both, full length still, 28", with 4" vanes, and the old Razorheads screwed on the ends! Shoot a strap style release, single pin zeroed for 20 yds on each. A peep on the PSE, the Mathews has a kisser button. Both bows shoot about 250-60 fps, the arrows weigh in the 450 gr range.

I've kept a "deer diary". My average kill shot is 14 yds. Longest shot a tad over 30, and I've only taken about 3 -30 yd shots.....ever. I am really selective about my shots/angles/amount of light and dx's that I shoot. Bow season runs over 100 days (concurrent with gun season when it starts one month later) and the daily limit is 2 deer a day, though I've never taken 2 as one is plenty of work already.

Always wanted to shoot instinctively with a recurve or longbow. But found that shooting that much to stay sharp gave my shoulder and elbow fits. The compounds let me take a few months off (Feb-June), but come back sharp without so much practice. Just plain easier to shoot well.

Man I love it.
 
The traditional wooden longbow is the only weapon I can shoot comfortably and somewhat accurately with both eyes open; I think that's one reason I like them so much. However, I'm still not consistent enough to take it hunting--even though MOST of my shots are pretty good.
 
But found that shooting that much to stay sharp gave my shoulder and elbow fits.
Click to expand...
Compound bows can cause bad habits.
Trying to pull a traditional bow using the same techniques can be less than satisfactory.
If shoulders and elbows are hurting with recurves and longbows, it usually means the wrong body parts are being used.
The power supply should come mainly from the back muscles on either side of the spine.
Like trying to crush an egg with the shoulder blades.
Due to the design of compounds, they let you get away doing things that are disagreeable for traditional bows.
Especially the length of time allowed for aiming.
Trying to hold traditional bows like a compound bow to line up the shot will fatigue and possibly damage joints.
As will the angle of the arm to the chest.
Because the compound has so little resistance at full draw, extending the shoulder joint to gain more draw length isn't nearly as stressful as with a recurve.
The secret to getting full draw with traditional bows is using the back muscles, and stretching the chest by taking a deep breath.
And not taking too much time to release the arrow.
Works good for a compound draw, too, come to think.
 
Last edited:
Stagpanther, Do you wear bifocals? I usually hunt on really steep sides and I found that my depth perception is screwed up now that I wear bifocals. It really messed with my bow shooting.
 
Stagpanther, Do you wear bifocals? I usually hunt on really steep sides and I found that my depth perception is screwed up now that I wear bifocals. It really messed with my bow shooting.
Click to expand...
I have bad near-sightedness. I have prescription for glasses but haven't used it yet.

My compound bow has a 3 pin sight which works pretty well without glasses--mostly because I have the sight way out there in front of me when fully drawn. I think the main reason traditional bow works well for me with both eyes open is that your only real target is the target itself--no sights, pins etc forcing the eye to do a near/far juxtaposition. Another big difference between trad and modern compounds is the fairly quick release--there is something of a peripheral awareness of the alignment of the arrow shaft/head in relation to the target--but not an actual sight alignment. I personally don't think it has anything to do with strength/ability to hold the draw so much as "feeling the right moment to connect" with the target which generally happens sooner rather than later. I believe this ability is in our DNA : )
 
Yes, but I don't know if you get what I was trying to explain. I never used sights either, but your brain has to calculate the distance it sees. When you start to wear bifocals you are "Fooling" the calculator in your brain. I even find it hard to walk in the woods if I glance down a lot.
 
My apologies--I thought I might not have understood your question--but you didn't say what your actual vision issue is other than you wear bifocals and it messes up your range/drop estimation. For me 30 to 40 yards IS long range with a bow. I'm no expert on vision issues--but I'm a senior and my vision gets a bit worse each year--though my issues are near-sightedness related--I can't read most things up close. Maybe try some shooting without the glasses and see if it works if that's an option?
 
As others have said Archery Talk is a great place. I do 95% of my deer hunting with a bow. I shoot a Hoyt Carbon Element that is set at 70 pounds and a 28.5 inch draw length. It is screaming fast. 2 friends of mine (married couple) are both big bow shooters/hunters. They shoot tournaments all the time and win. He has his hunting bow set around 60 and she has hers set around 50 and they both kill deer dead.

I have no problems drawing 70 for now and with how my bow is tuned up it shoots dang flat. Faster bow helps with deer jumping the string. Most of my shots are 20 or under with my furthest 2 deer being at 40 and a couple shot at 30-35. Not much time for them to duck a string.

Good luck on your hunt.
 
wow! step out for a few days and look at all the posts :) well i shoot good out to 30 yards well in all conditions i shoot year round in the yard here, rain snow sleet wind heat bundled up for cold dressed down in hot sitting standing and kneeling. im very confident in in my shooting and if mr. bullwinkle or mrs bullwinkle show up i think i can get him/her. im really looking forward to that trip. geraldton ontario fall of 2016. i will take another look at the measurements of the mangus heads but im sure they fit the descriptions per the ontario handbook :)

3030
 
I've long respected bow hunters. I was bitten by the bug at age 14. Made my own bow and arrows; only the bowstrings and thread/glue were store-bought.

Heart cedar for the bow; about a 40 pound pull. Arrow shafts from a local "growie". Points from barrel hoop. Feathers from a neighbor's turkeys.

The only results were one little yearling deer, one very unlucky jackrabbit, one rattlesnake (head shot) and a fox that I pinned to a tree.

I got the deer from maybe ten yards; I was in an oak tree overlooking a very small spring. A buddy and I were doing a horseback camping trip for a few days, around neighboring ranches. We ate deer meat for a couple of days, until it spoiled. Then back to peanut butter and jelly. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top