As some of you know from my introduction thread My Introduction Thread (http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=085846)
I am new to the world of bow hunting & shooting, I plan to use this thread to post my progress as a new longbow shooter, and to ask the many questions I know I will have.
Heres what I'm running
Bow #1 - Root Feild Master recurve, 45lbs at 28"
I plan to use this bow untill I have
established good form & some muscle
memory, then I will move to my Hill.
Bow #2 - Howard Hill "Wesley Special"
My personal goals are:
1) To attend as many 3D shoots as I can to improve my shooting & just have fun.
2) To become a good enough shot to pass my bowhunter education course in August 2010.
3) To become a good enough shot to take my bow bear hunting in spring of 2011, & hopefully get to use it :thumbsup:
4) Continue to hunt, shoot & enjoy my longbow.
Hope you enjoy the ride, I know I will.
That's a BIG jump from 45 to 70#! Just don't try and go too fast to that Wesley bud - a torn up shoulder will shorten your adventure for sure! Will follow your trip with interest - best of luck!
Ken
That is a pretty big jump in draw weight,might be nice to have a bow in between those like 55-60#.I would work on my form with the lighter bow so as not to devolope any bad habits with the heavier bow.3D shoots are a lot of fun and good practice.Maybe pick up Masters of the Bare bow III,a lot of good info in it on shooting.Best of luck to you,traditional archery is a lot of fun and enjoyment for me.
Good for you. Chase those goals. I would also recommend adding some in-between bows to your collection in order to build-up. However, if you are very fit and healthy, you might be able to go to a 70# bow straight away, particularly if you've been shooting heavy compounds. My mates Tony and Matt did that, and they are superb marksmen with their heavy longbows. But they are bush-tough, too.
Just be aware that heavy draw weight bows can have a bad affect on your shooting if you are not very careful--short drawing, etc. You really don't need that weight unless you plan to hunt cape buffalo :) I hunt with bows in the 48-55# range for all my hunting. I have killed a couple of nice bears with those weight bows. Have fun and take care of your shoulders. I hope you will take a few minutes before you start shooting each session to do some warm-up range of motion exercises before you just yank back those bows and start flinging arrows. Very few archers do and it's really tough on your shoulders and you'll pay the piper later if you ignore them.
In your corner Wes. Have fun!
Not to mention the difference in grip between your recurve and your Wesley.
Welcome Wes. If you don't already know Herb, check out Herb's Archery he's a nieghbour of yours in New Brunswick. Hangs out here once in a while.
QuoteOriginally posted by hunt it:
Welcome Wes. If you don't already know Herb, check out Herb's Archery he's a nieghbour of yours in New Brunswick. Hangs out here once in a while.
Hey thanks, I will look him up for sure.
Well I was out to the bow club on Monday night for some shooting & for the first time, I decided to shoot the 3D course & keep score.
I shot a 77 out of 200 on 20 targets. I was fairly pleased with that & the fact that I didn't totally miss any of the targets, some of them are small!! haha. I had a couple 10's also. The targets are between 10 & 25 yards.
I plan to go to mens night & shoot the course with the guys on Thursday night. I'll let you know how I make out with the nerves of being a new guy & the only traditional shooter there.
I think it will be a good time, & it will be nice to meet the guys.
Wish me luck!
haha
I just checked out Herbs website & was surprised to find out I grew up across the river from him.
I look forward to meeting him & learning from him.
Thanks for the tip, I had no idea there was anyone
Well I went to league night tonight & just as I thought, I was the only traditional shooter there.
I shot a 61 on a very tough course & had a great time meeting some of the guys, looking forward to next week all ready.
I also brought home my "Wesley Special" tonight, I will take some pics as soon as my bow stringer gets here, it is pretty hard to string without it.
Buckle up, it'll be a great ride.
Went't out tonight & shot the course again, 71 little better.
Here are some pic's of my Hill
<<<<
>>>>>>
I also took some pic's of the club tonight. The back wall is 23 yards. It can get a little trickey shooting between the posts at tight angles......just ask one of my arrows haha.
good for you - welcome - remember get good form that is duplicatable first.
jer Bear
Well I had a good shoot tonight, I didn't run the course, just played around with both bows trying different styles of shooting.
I was shooting at soda cans at around 10 yards or so (I don't use yardage, just a estimate) & I was drawing back anchoring & holding for a bit then releasing the way I always have been. I was shooting ok for someone that hasn't been at it very long, maby 2 or 3 out of 10 shots, I was pleased with that.
Then for some reason I tried just staring at the can, kinda drew my bow back toward my eye, I was bent over a bit too & just let er fly when my hand got to my face never taking my eyes off the can & SMACK! I hit it!
Thinking it was just a fluke I kept shooting like this & I swear on my life I was hitting the can 6, 7, 8, times out of 10. I was even shooting the bottoms of the cans quite consistently & my groups tightened BIG TIME!!!
After I shot the poop outa the can I just walked around the range shooting at random distance targets & I was shooting better than I ever have, WAY more accurate.
I hope this wasn't just a fluke tonight & tomorrow I can't hit crap, because I'm so excited about my shooting tonight I probably wont sleep HAHA!!!
The only reason I came home is because my finger tips are SOOOO sore! & I'm shooting with a tab to boot.
I just hope this isn't a poor way to shoot either, I have no idea, but it sure was fun tonight!
Night all, time to dream about more good shooting :jumper: :jumper: :jumper: :jumper: :jumper:
I got my "Hitting Em Like Howard" DVD the other day.
I am now in the process of learning the Howard way of shooting, so far so good, not quite skooting quarters out of the air yet haha!
I think you should let me hold on to that Wesley till your ready.It's good to have set goals just don't push yourself and get burned out or discouraged.Things take time.And I used HLH book to get my draw method down,it's great way to shoot.
Oh yeah, I'm using the 45# almost all of the time, I just like to shoot the Hill at the end of the shoot for strength building.................& for fun hehe!
Couple new things, my bow stringer came in, is all I can say is in the demo video, he must be stringing a 30# bow or something, because it ain't that easy!!!!!!
Also, this Tuesday at work I pulled my shoulder trying to reach through a small acess hole to take a 35# pump out, it wasn't that bad really (or so I thought). My shoulder didn't hurt at all for the rest of the week or last night, so I wen't to league shoot last night & my shoulder got quite sore right away & I only had my 45# recurve with me. Needless to say I only shot a 51, I probably should have gone home when I realized my shoulder hurt, but I didn't.
My shoulder is sore this morning & to risk hurting it even more would be stupid, I'm going to take a week off from shooting & lifting to let it heal up & see how it feels then. Hopefully it will.
I also measured my draw length with a clothespin & it is 28" right on the money, good to know.
Talk to you in a couple weeks :(
Well, after a week off with NO shooting at all, my shoulder was feeling good so I decided to go to league shoot tonight.
I decided to take it easy & only shoot 1 round & a few practice shots (25 total) & I am happy to report that I have almost no soreness at all tonight!!!
I plan to shoot every day untill Tuesday, but they will be short sessions, I want to work back into it slow enough to not end up hurting myself even worse.
Shot a 63 tonight
Glad to be back WOOOOHOOOO!!!!
Hey Wes, Nice meeting ya this morning! I have to agree with these guys, You may want to find a bow between those two weights. Your welcome to try one of mine for a couple weeks to try it. I can bring it to the show next week if you want. I really hope it works out with us getting togeather this spring a hunt. Call me anytime and we can get togeather and shoot. I'll PM you with my phone number.
Tony
Maine Guide
Very glad to have met you today, your the first trad shooter I've met so far, I look forward to shooting with you & picking your brain some more.
As far as I'm concerned, your in for a spring bear, get yourself a passport or a Nexus card so you can come over, I'll take care of the rest.
I got your info, I'll send you mine, probably see you at the show next Saturday.
P.S I love that glove already
Wesley with the stringer for the Hill if you shorten the string or spread your legs farther apart it bring the bow lower to the ground and makes it a little easier to pull up on from the lower point.Thats what I do on my Hill.(it's 70# to)
Hunt24/7, I sure hope you are taking a few minutes to stretch and warm up those shoulder and back muscles before shooting--especially now that you have had the injury to your shoulder.
Hey Wes thats great! I've got the Masters of the Bare bow video you can use if it might be help to you? Not sure how much help i'd be , but please feel free to call or email me anytime!Hope we can hook up at the show next weekend?Shoot straight!!!
Tony
QuoteOriginally posted by maine guide:
Hey Wes thats great! I've got the Masters of the Bare bow video you can use if it might be help to you? Not sure how much help i'd be , but please feel free to call or email me anytime!Hope we can hook up at the show next weekend?Shoot straight!!!
Tony
YES!!! I would love to borrow "Masters Of The Bare Bow" I'm interested in any information I can get my hands on.
I think you will be a great help, in anything I've ever done, it's always easier if you have someone to help you out.........I've already learned from you in that short time today.
As far as the show, just let me know when you plan to be there & I'll be there at the same time :thumbsup:
QuoteOriginally posted by David Mitchell:
Hunt24/7, I sure hope you are taking a few minutes to stretch and warm up those shoulder and back muscles before shooting--especially now that you have had the injury to your shoulder.
Yes sir, I ALWAYS warm up before I shoot, & thankfully I've been shooting the past 2 days with absolutly no pain afterwards YEEE HAAAWWW!!!!!!!
You have gotten a lot of good advice on this thread, and you should be able to make your goal with consistent work. As with any other pursuit, the answer is PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. If you shoot regularly, and develop good form, you will do fine. Just make sure that you are controlling the bow rather than it overpowering you. I have two Wesley Specials, both at 65# and a Bamboo Longhunter at 78# and have found that I need to shoot frequently to stay conditioned well enough to shoot them. You will enjoy the longbow experience.
Heres my almost 1 month of trad shooting update.
Well, I now have a routine & consistent anchor point. I anchor my pointer finger in the corner of my mouth & my thumb tight under my jaw. I can't wait to do some shooting with Maine Guide so he can let me know what I'm doing right & wrong, it's hard to learn without having hands on help.
I've noticed there seems to be a couple different types of trad shooters, some that are into target style or aiming & some that are into instinct shooting. Some of it can be confusing & hard to figure out what will help me & how I want to shoot, lots of talk about back tension, clickers & several other things.
Overall I'm happy with my shooting progress, when I started, my groups at 23 yards were anywhere from 3 feet to 1.5 feet, now they are a bad group 1.5 feet & a good group 6 to 8 inches.
I've noticed that I sometimes struggle with hyper focusing on a spot to shoot at on every shot. When I do get focused, I shoot much better, I find this will be a very important factor in becoming a good shot.
I can't wait to get outside & do some stump shooting, as sometimes I almost find myslf trying to aim my arrow & thats not what I want to do, I want to shoot 100% instinct. I think I do this because I'm shooting 3D or targets & every shot counts for something (score). So I don't want to take the chance on my instincts beeing wrong & not getting the points, so I kinda aim sometimes.
As soon as I get a quiver & some more arrows, I'll be ready to hit the woods for some stump shooting. Bear season is around the corner & I plan to take my bow when I bait for some fun stumpin.
I absolutly love shooting & can't wait to improve every day. If I think of any thing else, I'll be sure to post :archer:
Hey Wes,
Hows the shootong going? So you shot the 3d course with the long bow? Howed your shoulder feel after that? Stick with it! I have a unstrung long bow case from 3 rivers i'd like to give you. Its green and is a hard case. Check it out @ 3riversarchery.com I dont have a longbow anymore ,So your welcome to it.Good luck!!
Hey Tony,
Honestly, I'm pretty happy with my progress, I feel like I'm improving every day, & that's the important thing to me.
Yes sir, I shot the big boy on Sunday, I was pleased with my performance considering how nervous I was haha! Honestly, I've shot the longbow for 3 days in a row & I have no muscle soreness at all.
I'd love to buy the case from you, I'm scared I'm going to slam my bow in a door, either the car or one of the 3 doors at the bow club.
One thing I did learn at the 3D shoot was how good you can actually get with a trad bow. There were 3 trad shooters that I shot with & they were crazy good, one guy shot a 149 in the second round!
Thanks for all the help
Wesley
Started to build myself an outdoor shooting area this weekend. In the end I'll have 20 hay bale targets in the woods at different shot angles & yardages..............good times!
Hey Wes, Good to see you still have the passion for your new love of traditional archery! I've been a bowhunter for a long time, But when i crossed over about 4 years ago, It changed my life forever! It brought me closer to the history,passion and the tradition of achery. Its not about the kill rather the experience. Traditional archery is a very deep and personal thing for me. Only understood by people who live it.Its what i am and who i am. I'm so glad we met and that i can help you on your journey with the stick!!!
Tony
Hey Wes, How are the bears doing? Hittin' the baits yet? Man i cant wait! I'll call dave today and find out ifhe can fletch the feathers you asked about. He's done some funky stuff! I like like plain old shield cut my self. I got a dz carbon express the other day with parabolic cut and they fly very well.You need to drive over and shoot with me ! I've got a basement full of arrows. How did the case work? See you soon.
Tony
Only have 2 baits out for now untill I find out what zone you draw. No hits yet, but it's very common for it to take 2 to 3 weeks before it gets hit in the spring.
Yes, I definately need to do some shooting with you, we'll have to try to work something out.
I love the case, don't have to worry about breaking my bow anymore, thank you so much!
Tomorrow is the big day!!! :D
Just got in from shooting, I switch to my woodies and shot great! So i may bring some cedar shafts with 2 blade ace heads. I talked with my buddy Dave tonight if you'll be around the weekend after next we would like to come over and shoot and hang out?Next weekend he'll be out of town. Glad you liked the case , it was just collecting dust in my basement. Tommorrow is the day!!!
Tony
Sure, you guys are welcome to come over any time, no trouble to get into the archery club 24/7 I have a key.
Text me when you get your tag
Got to try some new arrows today
Beman Classic 340 11.2 gpi @ 30.5" with 150g points
Total weight 680 grains
I must say this is the first arrow I have had the chance to try that is heavy enough for my bow & man what a difference compared to the 440 grain arrows I was using before!
These arrows hit around a foot lower at around 20 yards, so that took some getting used to.
I noticed they don't rattle my bow hand hardly at all compared to the light arrows.
They flew awesome & penetrated almost twice as far.
I met another trad shooter a few weeks ago, & have become good friends & have been shootng once a week with him. He likes wood arrows & told me he had some brand new carbons he would like to sell, needless to say, I'm buying the dozen from him & they also come with broadheads that are the same weight as the feild points for a great price to boot.
It was nice to have the opportunity to try before you buy, can't wait to hunt with them!
Hey Wess, Get away from those 440 grain arrows.The will fly high and could damage your bow! Its almost like dry firing your bow at that weight!We maybe able to weight them up with heavy heads and weight tubes.Dont worry bud we'll take good care of you !
Tony
Yes sir, I'm really liking the 680's, I'll give the 440's to Dad with his 45lb recurve
Good idea!
I'll be attending my first outdoor 3D shoot this weekend. There is one on Saturday & another one on Sunday.
The weekend after that, I'll be going to a traditional only 2 day 3D shoot!
Should be fun!!!
I agree, just have fun but try not to jump in weight to fast, a 10# jump can take some getting use to and to go 25# at once will be a bit harder. Not worth hurting your self
If you're a young fit guy,start with something in the 50# range,you'll enjoy it much more.
50# will take anything in North America with no problem,as accuracy is so much more important than just Raw Power.
Good Shooting,
Greaseman
I had a great time last night with Tony (Maine Guide), Dave Tony's Father & their friend from South Carolina.
Tony & Dave came over last night for their first official hunt for spring bear in New Brunswick. I must admit, it was some neat to see a couple recurves getting into the blind, this will be my first all traditional hunting experience.
I gotta tell ya, that Black Widow bow sure is sexy haha, it makes any hunter look better.......even Tony haha! just joking ole boy!!!
I know this isn't twitter or facebook but I have loved reading your journaling. I also have enjoyed the verbal interactions between two obviously "ate-up" with archery guys. :campfire:
God bless,Mudd
like mudd said, this is pretty interesting. but that 70#er scares me, i shot 60#s for a long time and my shoulders hurt all the time, but i work hard too, that doesent help. :archer2:
Hey guy's, I'm glad your enjoying my thread, heck, i'm just glad someone's reading it! haha
As you know, I shot in my first 3D shoot this weekend, I must say, it was an absolute blast!!!
Only having shot indoors out to 20 yards max, over the past 3 months, i must say it was very different shooting outdoors. I had a hard time at the longer distances due to never shooting that far, the shots ranged from 20 yards to 50 yards. The shadows, un even ground, up & down hill shots all made it tough too.
The shoot was first class all the way, from the course to the food to the prizes, there were only trophy's for the winning shooters & all the hunting gear was given out by random draw, that way even the worst shooter could go home with the best prize.
There were 4 traditional shooters there including myself, & I must say we got alot of attention. Some of you Canadian boys might have heard of Best Of Bull Run tv show on Wild TV, they were there & a couple of the girls shot the course. It was pretty good for us 4 trad shooters because they shot right behind us & did lots of filming of us shooting because we were all trad, they were very mpressed with us. Also the local paper got some pics of us, took our names & told us our pic would be in hte paper. So look for my ugly mug to be on "Best Of Bull Run" sometime. HAHA!!! I hope I hit the target on film!!!
All & all it was a great time & I can't wait for the next one!
Oh, & did i mention, I won a McKenzie 3D deer target??? WOOOO!!! HOOOO!!! They must have been watching me shoot & knew I needed it most!!!
If you jump in weight too fast using the Schultz style of the Howard Hill style you can injure your bow arm shoulder pretty badly. Take it easy and groove in that technique before you add to much weight.
Couple new things to add,
in my short time in Traditional shooting, I have rounded up a really great group of new friends. They are a great bunch of guys & a hoot to be around :thumbsup:
I shot in my 2nd 3D shoot this past weekend, I shot much better for only my second time shooting outside. I am in love with 3D shooting, it really helps to have a great bunch to shoot with & it is really making me a better shot, can't wait for the next one!!!
I also finally bought myself a new quiver, I decided to go with a Safari Arrowmaster quiver. I chose this quiver because I wanted one that would be good for hunting & it came highly recomended for that task. I used it for the first time at the 3D shoot on the weekend & it worked great, I love it so far!
What a great journey this has been so far, it has turned out to be more than just a new style of hunting for me, I am most thankful for the great new friends I have made, you guys are great :clapper:
Its like having two wives ! you love them both! Shooting a traditional bow is a very deep and meaningful experience! Only understood by the guys that do it!Its my passion!!!!!!!
Man do I love watching my arrow fly into my spot, especially at 20 - 25 yards!!!! :archer2:
I have been checking in from time to time on this thread, and it seems that you are still making progress and having fun. That's great!
How well are you handling the heavy bow? Which bow are you using on the 3D course?
Continue to keep us posted. I'm sure your comments cause a lot of the old timers to dig up memories. I know it has brought some to my mind. Thanks.
QuoteOriginally posted by Sam McMichael:
I have been checking in from time to time on this thread, and it seems that you are still making progress and having fun. That's great!
How well are you handling the heavy bow? Which bow are you using on the 3D course?
Continue to keep us posted. I'm sure your comments cause a lot of the old timers to dig up memories. I know it has brought some to my mind. Thanks.
I have improved greatly on my shooting & just love when my pink fletched arrows hit my "spot" especially when it's a group of 3.
I have bought a 34# long bow for my 9 year old daughter & she loves it, my good friend Troy & I shot with our girls in a 3D tournament this weekend for the first time, what a great time. They were the only 2 traditional girls & the organizers of the tournament didn't have a category for them but managed to scrape up 2 extra 1st place & 2nd place medals, both girls didn't take their medals off the entire next day, it was pretty cute. They were so proud & so were Troy & I. Troy finished first & so did his girl, I finished 2nd & so did my daughter Grace, can't wait for the next one.
Until next time
Wesley
Well, I am now officially a bow hunter, I passed my bowhunter safety course today!
Come on Oct 1st!!! :archer2:
Congratulations and good luck out there! Look forward to a success story. :thumbsup: :clapper:
Good job Hillbro. Treat that Wesley nice.
Congrats ole buddy! Good luck! We need to get togeather!
Tony
On November 19, 2010 I officially made my first bow kill.
It was actually my first trip to the woods with my bow besides stump shooting. I am for the most part a waterfowl hunter & it isn't really bow friendly LOL! So you won't see me in the bush very often.
I decided to do some still hunting that evening for deer or whatever I happened to run into. I didn't see any deer, but did jump 3 moose along the edge of a cedar swamp.
It was getting later in the day & there it was, a rabbit!!! He was facing my left & broadside at roughly 12 to 15 yards, I drew an arrow from my quiver & placed one right through the shoulder!
I was pretty pumped to say the least, hopefully I will get a chance to take a bear this spring.
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa48/WESLEYTHEBEAU/IMG_0384.jpg)
Good shot on the rabbit. I thought there for a moment, "Oh my God he's gonna stick a moose with that Hill for his first. I am sure you had enough bow....
It has been a pleasure to read your "trip" into trad bowhunting.
I congratulate you for your perseverance and your patience.
Well done young man. Now enjoy and keep us posted..... You are correct from a previous post, Those Widow bows are sexy. But so is a Hill....
Kid, I can't see any reason at all to shoot a 70# bow. 50 to 60# will drive an arrow through anything you'll want to shoot except dangerous game and i'd highly recommend that you lighten up and enjoy the sport. Very few of us on this site shoot the heavy stuff and you'll do very, very well to heed the advice of the guys who have already said to stay away from the heavy stuff. Machismo is great with some women, sometimes, but it won't serve you well in this sport. I'm just sayin......
Good luck on your quest. When you get a chance maybe you could try using some blunts or small game heads and go roving/stump shooting. I like 3-D shoots occasionally but feel I get my best practice on my scouting/stump shooting forays. Anyway, you'll figure it out and find what works best for you.
QuoteOriginally posted by landman:
Kid, I can't see any reason at all to shoot a 70# bow. 50 to 60# will drive an arrow through anything you'll want to shoot except dangerous game and i'd highly recommend that you lighten up and enjoy the sport. Very few of us on this site shoot the heavy stuff and you'll do very, very well to heed the advice of the guys who have already said to stay away from the heavy stuff. Machismo is great with some women, sometimes, but it won't serve you well in this sport. I'm just sayin......
Hey, I respect your opinion & I can see where your coming from, my intent was to never look "macho" or anything like that, I just thought it was funny to be shooting a rabbit with this set up. (I was actually hunting deer)
Trust me, I would love to order a Black Widow 58# @ 28 - 58" PCH in curly bubinga (spelling) but I just don't have the $1500 CDN to buy one, nor do I feel the need to buy a lighter cheaper bow when what I have now is working fine, it's just not a necessity for me right now.
And as far as women & "machismo", I have been married for 10 years to the love of my life & have 2 beautiful girls, 7 & 9, & none of the 3 could care less about my bow.
I have gone back through all my posts & edited out the poundage of my bow, I don't want to come off like I'm trying to impress anyone, & I won't mentione it ever again.
..........."i'd highly recommend that you lighten up and enjoy the sport"...........
WOW! I can't belive you would say that!!!! You have no idea the enjoyment I get from me & my family in the outdoors, hunting & trad archery........... it's who I am
Again I am sorry if I came off as trying to be macho, was not my intent.
QuoteOriginally posted by vermonter1:
Good luck on your quest. When you get a chance maybe you could try using some blunts or small game heads and go roving/stump shooting. I like 3-D shoots occasionally but feel I get my best practice on my scouting/stump shooting forays. Anyway, you'll figure it out and find what works best for you.
Hey thanks, I do have some blunts & some flu flu's actually, I spent the better part of my summer tramping the woods stump shooting................Fun!!!
Here are a couple pic's from this summer
Practicing with my new broadheads, eventually I cut back to 1 shot at a time with the same arrow to simulate a hunting situation
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa48/WESLEYTHEBEAU/IMG_0056.jpg)
Some 3D
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa48/WESLEYTHEBEAU/DSC02418.jpg)
I have lots more, just need to upload them to Photobucket
Great shot on the rabbit...There used to be lots of snowshoe hares around where I live, but I have not seen a SIGN of them in almost five years.
Somehow, I missed the beginning of your quest, and see this thread began back in March. It is an honorable quest, and one that doesn`t end for most of us. There is always something more to learn...perhaps this is one of bowhuntings best parts. In fact, I have been a bowhunter for 32 years, and I`m sure YOU could teach ME a thing or two.
You will know if you are doing "it" right if you are having fun, and if you are having fun then you will know you are doing it right. :D
Don`t worry about draw weight comments. If you are strong, and physically active, bows drawing around 70 and under are not much of a problem.
Some people are just not built to comfortably shoot bows above sixty pounds...some are.
I`m betting the 70 lbs from your longbow is hardly noticed by you when you draw it for a shot. That is how it is supposed to be. About the same effort as walking up a set of steps.
Draw weight IS a great asset when bowhunting, no one will argue that.
Good luck with the bear hunting...winter can be long, but getting ready for bear will help shorten it!
"My Adventure in Longbow" cool thread, it hope your adventure never ends. :wavey:
Hey thanks Bonebuster, I must say that traditional archery is one of the best things I have ever come across in my hunting adventures.....& I am having a blast!!!!!!
Ive really enjoyed this thread 24/7, I hope you'll post the rest of the pics u mentioned. You've obviously learned to shoot a heavy bow accurately...quite a feat in my book.
You seem to be doing very well with that 70# bow and I would not edit that out of any post for anyone. Your accomplishments to this point have been great. Keep it up, they way you want to. Also, congrats on 10 years married to your love and children. Too many don't achieve that in life. In my opinion, you are doing every thing right. My hat is off to you sir.
Hey thanks guy's, I now have the pic's on Photobucket, I'll post some when I get home in a couple days.
Busting some balloons with the kids
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa48/WESLEYTHEBEAU/Archery/DSC02329.jpg)
Waiting for the wheeley boys to finish as usual LOL!
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa48/WESLEYTHEBEAU/Archery/DSC02419.jpg)
My killer stare LOL!
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa48/WESLEYTHEBEAU/Archery/DSC02706.jpg)
The family doing some shooting at Troys
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa48/WESLEYTHEBEAU/Archery/DSC02549.jpg)
Here are some pic's from my season so far
My wifes first partridge & my dog cooper.
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa48/WESLEYTHEBEAU/IMG_0021.jpg)
One of the farms I hunted
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa48/WESLEYTHEBEAU/IMG_0305.jpg)
My first speck!!! Rare around here!
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa48/WESLEYTHEBEAU/IMG_0047.jpg)
Some of my hunting buddies
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa48/WESLEYTHEBEAU/IMG_0234.jpg)
Congratulations on taking that rabbit with the Hill!
Update
I had the chance a couple months ago to buy a 58" 50# at 27" Montana recurve from a friend of mine really cheap. It is a smooth, fast shooting little bow.
The combination of a lighter more forgiving bow, paired with more consistent carbon arrows sure has improved my shooting.
I can't wait to bear hunt with it this spring, I'll be using Simmons Tree Sharks thanks to a thread I read in PoWow. :archer2:
Almost forgot, it's been a little over a year now since I started!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :archer:
Man have I ever learned alot over the past year, it was funny to re-read my introduction thread & this thread, sure have come a long way's in a year!
Thanks for all the great advise!!! :pray:
Took some pic's in my snow camo while theres still snow on the ground.
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa48/WESLEYTHEBEAU/DSC03441.jpg)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa48/WESLEYTHEBEAU/DSC03454.jpg)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa48/WESLEYTHEBEAU/DSC03457.jpg)
(http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa48/WESLEYTHEBEAU/DSC03449.jpg)