This is a road I have been down before... sort of... and I am sure others of you certainly have.
A little bit ago I posted something to the effect that I was planning to sell my compound and go completely trad... I put it up for sale, but it didn't sell. I had offers fall through and low ball emails... and my wheel bow is top of the line. Elite Archery GT500 in flat black... its really fast, flat, forgiving and accurate, retails for $1200 set up as I have it now. But anyway...
Last week, the finances hit the fan at home. We had our son in July and steadily its been getting more expensive as we decided to have my wife stay home with him. Then the taxman came and due to my miscalculations (I will own that), we owe... in a panic, I put ALL my bows up for sale including my beloved Black Widow PSR recurve. The theory was, which ever bow gets the first offer and most money goes... sure enough, I sold the PSR to a fine tradganger and was able to balance out the budget... but the compound remains.
Before Lent, I had put down my bows as work and family needs increased, so I think the last time I shot traditional must have been 2-3 weeks ago. After the PSR was sold, I decided to start boning up on my compound shooting. Within one quiver my groups were in a quarter sized group... and my muscles were used to the action of shooting... pretty easy. It was then I began to really realize how much I miss my trad bows...
In the past I have hunted using either or (kinda like Fred Eichler and many other tradgangers). It was the flavor of the day for me. And I think there are times that I enjoy compound shooting (especially distances over 40 yds)... but I tend to grab my recurves for everyday shooting and practice, stump shooting and 3D... so here's the dilemma...
When I bought my GT500, it was to be the 'last and only compound I will ever need.' I shot everything trying to decide where to spend my money and the Elite was simply the best compound for me. I've looked into our budget and there just isn't any extra money for a recurve or a longbow. So, do I take the plunge and sell the compound bow and buy a trad bow (been eyeing the Savannahs and some used recurves in the classifieds) along with a less expensive compound (I do like having one, not as a crutch, but simply because I like shooting compounds), or do I focus on the skills of hunting and worry about the kind of tackle later in life? I've been hunting only 3 years so there is a lot to learn, plus I do have firearms to make sure there is meat in the freezer... but still, that Elite is a great, great bow...
As you can see... I'm torn here...
Sorry this was so long-winded... I just needed to get it all out and get some honest feedback from y'all.
You'll never get back the full value of your investment. Keep and shoot the compound and build yourself a "self bow" for now.
Erik
unfortunately only you can answer this one. It is whatever you want to do. I can tell you what I did, as can all the other folks here, but that really doesn't matter cause you need to choose what you want to do.
I can tell you this. If you choose to stick with the compound, you are no more or less a person in my eyes. You are no better or worse a hunter in my eyes.
Do what YOU need to do for yourself and your family.
Heck... in a couple years you may change your mind again, who knows.
ChuckC
If it were me.... I'd sell the GT 500. I come from wheel bows also. Wheel bows are like computers....... what you buy today is outdated next week. There will always be some "ALL NEW" compound model to buy. If you love Traditional and want to do it right now then sell the GT 500.... when money permits buy the next Gen GT 500.
Let the compound go.I still have my PSE collecting dust.I shot it a few weeks ago and didn't like it at all.I feel that shooting trad makes me better in tune with the woods and the animal.30+ yard shots with the wheels gives you room for sloppy hunting(IMHO) Go with the trad bow,Maybe you can get an inexpensive longbow and have money left to get a storage shed for the wheelie bow.Remember how boring it was to shoot 25 to 30 arrows and not have to worry about them hitting outside of 4".Thats why we went to trad gear.IMHO Good luck :campfire:
I would keep what you have. Times will get better for you and then you can get another BW.
How can we answer that question? Seriously bud, only you can answer that one....
if you really want a traditional bow get rid of the compound...maybe even liquidate a gun or two that you never use :eek: !i took my compound to a bow shop last friday and its on consignment now,my longbow and recurve are in the building(shot the long bow today).
do what you feel is right for you,i enjoyed shooting my arrow scorching pse camed beast but theres just something about that old stick and string that draws me to it...i guess its just the added challenge that im after....tag soup here i come! :biglaugh:
Erik,
I've got a recurve you can borrow this year if you need it. Just pm me
Dirtguy great gesture :clapper: :clapper:
i would keep ur compound, and when money permits, buy a cheaper quality recurve or longbow so u can then enjoy all aspects of archery. for example, i heard good reviews on a samick spikeman recurve and one just sold on **** for $145 brand new!
There ya go mrpenguin, problem solved. What a great attitude you have there dirtguy. :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Very nice dirtguy! A grand example to for us all. Mr. P. only you can make the final decision. But if you like both the offer sounds like your solution. During the year you can scrimp and save and shop the classifieds here for your own.
here is something that hasnt been suggested yet . . . strip down the compound completely and make it a "traditional/instinctive" wheelie bow???
if you want to shoot a trad bow get a good used one or pickup a mad dog, a quinn or a Chek Mate. Chek the sponsors. Only you can decide what you have to do for your family.
personally it would kill me not to shoot my Chek but that's me. you'll never get the money back for the compound and you shouldn't look at it as a loss. If you sell the compound and get a cheaper one along with a trad bow you have to consider the fun amd benefits that wet along with shooting your bow. If you shot it lots and had tons of enjoyment you got your moneys worth, the bow owes you nothing.
good luck
Loose the compound and buy yourself a used vintage recurve to get you past your money crunch. You could literally buy 4-6 vintage Bears or Howatts with the money from the wheelie. Right now it's a crutch for you and you can't give it up.
Sorry you are having money problems but you are vascillating on the fence here and we can't make up your mind for you what kind of hunter you want to be.
You have an offer of the loan of a recurve so let me step up and say if its a longbow that you need I have one I'd loan you for the up coming season.
You need to decide soon though because turkey season is right around the corner.
I think a good turkey hunt would help ease your mind or drive you bonkers..lol
Just send me a pm.
God bless,Mudd
PS I will remember you in my prayers.
Can't tell you what to do but. That is your decision. For me, I have five compounds all rigged for bowfishing and if I had to split with a bow it would be one or all of them. I would save a little and buy a nice used trad bow on the classifieds here. In a year or two you can buy another last trad bow you will ever need.
Keep the compound. If you enjoy it, then shoot your money out of it. You will never get anywhere near what you put into it when you sell. Just like a car, compounds devalue horrendously and their sticker price is a total rip off.
I went down that road, too. Sort'a...When our 'first' child was born my wife had the insatiable maternal instinct to be at home with child. I hung up the bows, fishing poles, parked the boat, oiled and stowed the guns. Worked two jobs, weekends, no vacations. Paid taxes, mortgage,student loans, insurance...drove beater vehicles
With the Lords blessings we have 5 healthy kids, marriage of 25 yrs. home mortgage paid, 130 acres prime ozark deer woods paid. :thumbsup:
Still have taxes and insurance, plus college,again :banghead:
You have to set your own priorities mr penguin. I only share my own as free advice, because I have be down a similar path
dirtguy- you are awesome.
Keep the compound and save for a trad.
Dan in KS
Thanks everyone for the advice... Tater John, I think you hit it right... drive the beaters, don't shoot/hunt as much as I would like, work 2 jobs plus extra work whenever possible and focus on paying stuff off! So, yeah, you lived it and are certainly a kind of inspiration that it can be done.
The general consensus here seems to be "keep the compound" because I do enjoy it at times and it was a big investment. Thanks to the generosity of a few tradgangers, I will have a nice loaner trad bow to shoot for the season as well.
You are all such great, honest people. That is why I love spending time here chatting with you...
God Bless you all and thank you!
Only you can answer, but I did just this last year to get my Black Widow PSA.
I sold all kinds of other stuff to offload my compound package, apex 7 with top notch everything worth $1800 for $450 on the big auction site. I sold extra bike cassettes for my tri bike, hiking gear, etc to get enough to buy some arrows, my PSA, and quiver.
I know Black Widow will work with you on payment options if you talk with them first.
But unlike you I grew tired of compounds and had no use for mine anymore. I am a recurve hunter, period...
Thanks Erik yea,'it can be done'
God Bless You and your family
Rusty
If you and your better half ;) go to the yard sales this summer to look for baby clothes,keep an eye out for used bows for sale.I bought a old Wing bow for $25 one time.Check the flea markets out.You can find good deals there too.
If you have any plans to sell the compound, do it quickly. They lose their value very fast. You will be losing good money by keeping it for a year or two. That $1200 will be $600 after a year. Give it a couple more and it will be worth about $200.
Who said you need to make a decision right now?
QuoteOriginally posted by Zbearclaw:
I sold extra bike cassettes for my tri bike,
Ha! I do triathlons too!! Planing on a half iron in Sept and maybe the Hartford Marathon this year! Always wanted to do the marathon... it pretty expensive though... so I may only do the half cause its cheaper...
Thanks for the advice and tip on BW. That is good to know cause I am pretty likely to get a PCH in Autumn Oak or talk with Dick about a Robertson in a year, once we have some debt under control.
Overall, I think I will keep the compound kicking around. If I ever want to get rid of it, I'll sell it to a friend or pass it on to someone in need. Who knows, maybe it will be my son's first compound! although I intend to teach him instinctive shooting first.
Best of luck and God bless!
sell the compound and use the money to catch up financilly. graciously accept the use of a loaner bow until you can afford to buy one. Its just "stuff" and stuff can always be replaced. Its time in the outdoors and with your family that cant be replaced. As for whether or not to ever use a compound again, do what feels good to you. there are people in this world who have a natural fondess for mechanical and technical stuff. the compound appeals to guys like this. I am not one of them but there is room for all of us in this world. I am also financially challenged at this time. I would suggest going to your local library and get Dave Ramsey's book "the Total Money Makeover. Its not a get rich quick book. Just advice on getting financilly healthy whatever your income is.
I have done a few half irons, actually two and have only done two tris in my life.
I sold extra broadheads, shafts, extra handgun mags, hunting packs, etc to get a BW. I lost a ton of money in the depreciation of my compound, but ended up way ahead with what I got in return.
Races are very expensive for sure, I am skipping this tri season for financial sake too. I may do a marathon in June if I can commit the wife to that being a family vacation, but otherwise trail running is how I am getting ready for hunting season.
One half iron and the cost to get there and back, plus a month of supplements and such are about what a BW is...
Tell me about it... I had to search and research for an affordable race. Turns out FIRMMAN in RI is still 'affordable'. I bought into the race several months ago under the illusion of a big tax return with the birth of my little boy... but that didn't happen. It is close enough to actually drive to the day of if needed... and it gives my family a day at the beach while daddy has his butt kicked. I had aspirations of racing more, but no way... $100 bucks for a sprint is crazy. This will probably be the only half I do... if I train again it will be the full thing and then I'm done with long distance tris... too much money.
My plan is to begin putting away a little bit each week and selling extra clothing, packs (I have one up on the classifieds now), etc... to pay for a good bow in about year. Until then, the generosity of my brothers on tradgang have provided me with something to shoot and hunt with this coming season... and I am so grateful. Later on if I find I am really not using my compound at all, I will likely lend it to a good friend of mine who hunts compounds but doesn't currently own one and work out a reasonable price to sell it to him. He is newly wed and saving to pay off debt (like me) to build a house on the land he and his wife were given for their wedding.
God bless and good luck racing... hope to bump into you there!
QuoteOriginally posted by Uncle Buck:
sell the compound and use the money to catch up financilly. graciously accept the use of a loaner bow until you can afford to buy one. Its just "stuff" and stuff can always be replaced. Its time in the outdoors and with your family that cant be replaced. As for whether or not to ever use a compound again, do what feels good to you. there are people in this world who have a natural fondess for mechanical and technical stuff. the compound appeals to guys like this. I am not one of them but there is room for all of us in this world. I am also financially challenged at this time. I would suggest going to your local library and get Dave Ramsey's book "the Total Money Makeover. Its not a get rich quick book. Just advice on getting financilly healthy whatever your income is.
Thanks Uncle Buck. I actually have the book!! It was given to me a while ago. Read it but never took it seriously... until now. I am taking his advice VERY seriously now and my wife and I are working to get out of debt in the next couple of years.
Thanks again and God bless.
If you like it and shoot it well I would keep it. You never know when you will need it particularly with not having a lot of time on your hands. I would much rather hunt with a compound than a gun if time didn't allow me to keep my proficiency up. If you get to the point you never shoot it and don't care for it then sell it. Trad bows are not that much that you can't save up a little and get another soon enough. You can find a nice bow right now for $250 or so. Hard to get a compound you really love for that. I still have my switchback in the case collecting dust. It is my favorite ever compound so I can't part with it for now. I may have to drop the weight on it someday when the arms start to give out. I just sold some guns when I needed to prop up the trad bow fund.
I compliment you on the move to sacrifice for your wife to stay home. I am currently under the same situation of a young family and it sometimes is hard to justify the expense of some of our outdoor hobbies.
I know that money has been tight for my uncle but he had been able to outfit his teenagers with recurves and longbows from **** auctions. I have been on there a few times and have found some in the heavier hunting weights (+60lbs). I have even seen some used Great Northern and Selaway quivers. Keep your eyes open to some of these options and I'm sure that you will be able to continue shooting your traditional gear.
Best of Luck,
Jason