Anyone else constantly swapping between bows? Do you feel it positively or negatively affects your shooting? One week I can't miss with one bow and I'm convinced it should be my go-to, then I'll have one bad session with it and feel like I need to try a different bow. Rinse, repeat. I think it can help to have the ability to adjust on the fly, but I also wonder what would happen if I used one specific bow for 6 months.
I mostly shoot two bows, my hunting bows. I do shoot several others fairly often. For example, today I pulled out my ELB and shot surprisingly well with it. After a few arrows, I usually settle in with whichever one I use. Granted, I am not a world class archer, so "consistency" at my skill level is not particularly hard to achieve.
Oops! Double post.
I swap between different bows every day. Hunted 6 days this year with 6 different bows. No issues.
I have 9 bows. This week I shot my go to hunting bow 3 days, my favorite classic bow twice and a self bow. I often shoot multiple bows in a practice session. It takes a bit of time to get the gaps right on em, but form is form and thats what I am working on. I hunt with one bow primarily. So before a hunt for a couple days I will stick with that bow.
I generally pick one for the season and use that one exclusively to hunt with. Sometimes I have a back up bow in the truck.
I used to shoot many different types of bows and switch a lot. Lots of fun to shoot different bows. I have since narrowed it down to 2 bows, primary hunting bow and a back-up. Shooting the primary bow all the time really improved my consistency day to day shot to shot. YMMV.
Way too many except now, just before season opens. My hunting bow and a similar spare.
I switch a lot I have 7 Bows and don't want them to feel neglected, but when season starts I generally will only shoot/hunt with my Stalker!!!!
Steve Jr
I stick with one bow at least for a month before season. The other times I usually take two bows to the range. I have been told by the guys I would be a better shot if I stuck to one bow and "hunting" distances but heck lift is short I want to have fun as well.
I shoot one bow, my Black Widow Longbow.
:archer2:
Nah. I like being a one bow man. It keeps it simple and honest for me. When I miss I KNOW it is because I failed to shoot properly. It's dialed in perfectly and I've proven that hundreds of times.
The only complaint I could ever dream up about my Sierra is that it's a little long for traveling with and I sometimes wish it were a 2-piece take down so I could pop it, my arrows, my binoculars, calls, etc all into a small Pelican case for AR type rifles and then pile the luggage on top. Since I can't do that, whoever is in the back seat (never me) just gets to deal with a bow tip poking in between the seat spits from the cargo area.
I am a one bow guy for the most part. I shoot my Sarrels Blueridge longbow almost every day of my life. I only practice with that bow, and 95% of my hunting is with that bow. I have a recurve, and a couple of selfbows so I can shoot more rounds at 3D shoots. I don't like owning a bow that has not killed a critter, so every one I own gets a little time in the woods. That's what they are made for!!!
I feel, for most folks, that switching between bows a lot is not good. There are a few guys that it does not matter. They are just that good. But not most.
Bisch
I swap every hunt,but i own 2 of the same bow. Does that count as one?
I switch between the 2 in my signature, and could shoot either one any day, but generally stick with one during hunting season, my recurve, with the heaviest limbs. It just feels great to shoot the heavier bow.
I enjoy shooting different bows but stick with one primary bow during hunting season. I build self bows and often shoot various bows in a weeks time.......variety is the spice of life.
I usually stick with one bow through out a season, or once I get blood.
If you want to be a great shot, shoot one bow.
If you want to be a good shot, shoot many bows.
I switch about every 12 to 15 years.
Last year I didn't even switch bows when switching hands. I was going to start the season with just one right hander because of the arrows it can shoot. I may change my mind on that. My wife shot her Hill a bit for the summer and then went to her Lost Creek, stubbornly adding that she is using the cedars and Zwicky Eskimos, she was down to four of them but more are on the way, thanks to SuperK.
During the summer I just shoot whatever catches my eye, when season comes I have to hide m grizzly under the bed so I can focus on on getting it down with my hunting bow. Next year it might be my longbow I have to hide under the bed :)
I like shooting them both, variety is the spice of life.
Not very often. I would say about 2-3 times per year, I switch between 2 or 3 bows.
I used to switch bows on weekly basis...traded or bought and sold them about as often! I have 2 Black Widow longbows now and switch between them as the mood stikes me. I tinkered with a recurve some last season for a bit, but went back to my PLs before the season was over.
I have never switched bows during hunting season. I've went as long a s 15 years with a single go to bow. That said, I have a new Bear takedown to hunt with this year.
I decide what bow I am going to hunt with in the spring based on what trips I anticipate for the year and then use it exclusively that year for all shooting and hunting. I will shoot a similar backup enough to have it tuned should I need it (never have in 43 years of hunting).
I have 35+ bows of which 20+ are shooters. the rest are old, but when hunting I always grab the same bow. My St. Joe River long bow
I stick with one bow the whole season. I was on a pig hunt one time with a bunch of guys in Texas. It was a tough week for pig hunting for reasons out of our control. There was only one guy who connected on a pig. I can't remember his name now but he was a very quiet and reserved guy. The pigs were not responding to bait sites during daylight hours so he went on a stalking mission in the morning. He carried an old bear takedown and aluminum shafts. He jumped a large boar and shot it on the run perfectly. I started asking him about his equipment and he said "I don't really know much about the new bows. I've been shooting this one since I was 15 years old. The guy was probably 65 years old.
I just shot for about 45 minutes in the yard...5 different bows! lol. Would have been 6 but I've got one down right now getting a new beavertail grip.
Most of my bows shoot similar, I have little to no trouble switching between them.
I stick with one bow. I find that if I have a bad stretch of shooting that it isn't the bows fault.
As long as you're proficient I don't see that it matters. I've killed six deer in a season and all with different bows. I only have three right now so I'll only switch a couple times at most.
Ps. I am like Bisch, I only like to have bows that have l killed with. A miss or two and they are gone.
I limit myself to two or three that i shoot equally well. Sometimes I just feel like taking out a recurve, other times a hybrid or longbow. Might carry a different bow in the afternoon than I did in the morning.
I suppose like most, I have an occasional miss, but I can't attribute any miss I've ever had to the equipment or a lack of familiarity with it. It's always been operator error.