Guys, I've been in archery since the mid-60's. I switched to compounds in 1975 and and 5 months into a committed transition back to recurves. I have always felt that after God and family, bowhunting has been the most important thing in my life. I had no idea, as much as I have loved archery with my compounds, what a tremendous positive and exciting journey the past 5 months have been. I can't remember being more excited about archery than I am these days! My 31-year old son, who as always been a compound shooter, is making the move with me. If you have made this switch or are making it, how is it going?
I meant to write "...in 1975 and AM 5 months into a committed transition..."
How come it is so much easier to see the typo after you've passed up the opportunity to preview to post...sheesh!!?
I switched back in '85 haven't missed it at all.
Bowwild,
That's pretty much my story too. Started with a recurve in the early 60's and then went to compounds in about 1975. Just switched back to a longbow (my first) in December. It's been tough to get my form down but every day I can see improvement. I shoot as much as I can now that it's nice outside, probably 40-70 arrows a day. Any day I miss shooting I feel lost. I think at my age (almost 61) I need to shoot just about every day to keep my muscles tuned.
All in all, I'm having a blast. Archery hasn't been this much fun and challenging in a long, long time.
I switched 3yrs ago should have done it 30 yrs ago.Simple is always better,To much of this to much of that ,all boils down to money period. Look at the compound world ,speed,bigracks, gagets of all kinds got to have this got to have that,but with a simple arrow and string you can do all that........
I started out with a Bear Grizzly in 79' & switched to compounds in 86' & now I've permenently switched back to Traditional Recurve & Longbow just last year & once I relearned my form & what I had forgotten those many years I'm having the best time in my life.
I am a year into my 2nd time coming from compounds, first time I shot 4 years trad and about 5 years primitive and some how slipped back into compound shooting, I sold all of my wheels and have a few recurves a couple of long bows and have rediscovered my love of archery, its good to be back.
This is my 11th year of trad only, I waisted too many years with training wheels! I feel not so far removed from my hunting now, all simplisty and love every minute of it!!
Started with trad in the sixties up to about 75 went to wheels for a few years and back to trad. Back to wheels when my daughters sports put a premium on my practice time. Back to trad and here to stay. There is nothing like it.
I switched back to recurve 2yrs. ago. My oldest son and best huntin partner (compound shooter) seen me shootin one day and said "Let me try that stick Dad". He just bought his 4th recurve last week. I shot a Kanati longbow last year and took a nice little buck with it. I'll shoot trad. untill my shoulders give out and then do what ever I have to to keep deer hunting.
I would give you a report but its so hard to remember back that far..lol
God bless,Mudd
Don't know........been almost 50 years.....did'nt have to switch.....never tried the compound device (Jay Massey phrase).
Jerry
Your story and mine are very similar. I shot recurves in the late sixties thru ~1975 , then switched to compounds. My exclusive qaurry is the magnifent turkey. After harvesting 31 birds with wheelies and seeing two of my partners pursuee them with traditonal equipment over several years, I decided to switch. My compound was immediately sold two years ago. My mind was made up even though I had not tried to shot a tradional bow in over 30 years and I have never...never...looked back. The only regret is that I hadn't switched back earlier. Maybe my skill level would be much higher. The pleasure of 3 1/2" groups at 20 yards vastly exceeds my wheelie days of 10 X's in a row. Traditional archery has brought much joy to my life.
I started with a compound in '85 and switched in '87. I never considered going back.
Went into a local shop about 6 months ago an the owner handed me a brand new thing he said was the smoothest drawing compound ever made.
Dang thing almost put my shoulder out.
I started shooting before compounds came along,,held out long after most others had flipped,but when I did go the compound way I was never that happy or very good with them.
I changed back to hunting with a recurve in 84,but still shot compound at a club level until about 95 when gave them up for good.
Today one of my favourite back yard games is shooting tennis balls hanging on a string at 10-20 yards with a longbow,,,it keeps me amused for hours.
my story is also similar,,, 61 years old. Shot a recurve up until the early 70s. About 6 years ago I returned to archery with a compound and learned to shoot that fairly well. Never stopped thinking about the recurve and bought one last fall. Started the learning process in January and thanks to this site, have made steady progress. I still have a way to go before I feel comfortable hunting with it but I am enjoying trad archery more than ever. wish I would have done this years ago.
Finally sold my coumpound after getting into trad 2 years ago. My only "regret" would be getting $300 for a $1000 set-up. Trad has really put the fun back into archery for me. There was a boring regularity shooting my compound. I may miss the accuracy at longer ranges but getting closer is what this is all about.
ScottV
I haven't completely given up my compound. Giving up the extra range (which, ironically I almost never need in the bowhunting field anyway)is tough for me. I will hunt with a recurve at home this year for sure. I'm not sure what I'll do for an upcoming elk hunt out west though. I don't expect to be 95% confident at more than 25 yards with my recurve and will be seeking the under 20-yard shot. I'd hate to let an elk walk at 30 when I practice with my compound from 40-60 yards and know I can hit a baseball 95% of the time at those ranges. However, I'm an extremly conservative shot on game. I am bouyed though with the progress I've made since December with my recurve. At first I was in no danger of hurting my arrows by shooting at the same spot at 7 yards. Now I have to pick different spots at 15 yards or damage my arrows. I've found I can hit fletch-sized gaps between arrows now to avoid damaging nocks. On a recent 3-D (40 targets) I surprised myself by killing the majority of the targets and most were 20-30 yards! If I make this much progress between now and August....?? I do look forward to my first traditional kill since 1974 though! I'm happy with my compound kills -- 20-30 yards is still close and a bow-killed deer is exciting. However, I expect to be really boogered up when I relive a 35-year memory!
This will be my 4th year of Trad only and ooooohhhh what a journey. Never regreted it!
Just recently made the switch, and really glad i did. Never had this much fun letting an arrow loose.
I havent made the switch quite yet since I'm not very good with my recurve (yet) but I've decided if I get proficient enough to hunt with my recurve this year and I succesfully take a deer with it, I'm selling my wheels
Hey Bowwild,
I hunted for the first time in my life 4 years ago at the age of 47. I used a wheelie that year and for the next two years after that. Never did connect with a deer those three years. Some time around December of 2008, I felt a "pull" toward trying a longbow. Went out and bought one and used it last season (09) for the first time. The first live shot I took with my Montana Longbow was from 18 yards. It passed through both lungs of a buttonbuck that I mistook for a doe. I am completely enthralled with Traditional Hunting. TradGang has played a huge roll in this, allowing me to meet great people with a lot more passion and abilities than mine. Although I only used a wheelie for three years, I will never hunt with anything other thanTraditional Equipment again....I believe the fact that I connected on my first shot was no accident....that arrow must have been guided by a higher power. I can honestly say with confidence that if I never connect with another deer in my remaining years of hunting, I will not have one ounce of regret. .....the pleasure of Traditional Bowhunting is reward enough to make me REAL happy, satisfied, and blessed..... :pray:
Trab
I was going to make the switch last year but just never could get the arrow flight that I thought I should have so I put it up and it was another compound year. This year for some reason it's like everything just fell into place and the compound is hanging in the closet and I'm ready for my first trad kill (something bigger than a coon or rabbit). I finally go a decent size barr? hawg coming to my feeder at around 8pm for the last week so tomorrow after work :pray: he'll come in while there is still enought light to get a shot and possibly on video.
I switched about 17 months ago. Loving it the ironic part is I own part of wheelie bow shop. But have more trad shooters using the range.
hey guys-
my story is similar, started with a recurve in 1974 and then went compound in 1979. had a short 2 year stint with a longbow in the 80's. so, this is my second stint with trad and I know I will not go back. my new black widow should be here at the end of the month! can't wait and feel like a kid again about archery! thanks.
Kennyb
I first started shooting a compound in May 2006, only to give it up in Dec. 2009. I made the switch from compound to recurve in January 2010. In February, I picked up a friend's longbow and instantly fell in love with shooting it. I sold the recurve and bought a longbow and am never going to look back. I have since learned how to tune my bow and make wooden arrows. My next endeavor is learn how to make my own strings.
Looking back on compound, I just tired of the hype of having to constantly buy a new bow every year to keep up with the "proverbial Jones's". I also got tired of all the different 'gimmicks' with sights, releases, etc. With traditional equipment every thing is simple. Even though traditional archery equipment appears simple, there is some serious science behind properly executing the shot. Finally, the biggest plus for me switching is I honestly say I enjoy shooting traditional equipment over the compound.
Switched a year ago before turkey season. So far, two turkeys and two deer. No more compounds and I couldn't be happier. I learned more about archery and bow tuning in this last year than the four before that combined.
I switched to stickbows about 12 years ago.Was not much difference after a couple months of learning how to shoot without sights.Was a lot harder to go back to sights when all I could shoot was a compound after hurting my shoulder a couple years ago.Now I will continue to shoot both in case I ever need the compound again.Sitting out the rut that season was a bit too much for me and something I plan on never having to do again. ;)
who switched
i made the switch last summer. last fall was the most fun i have ever had bow hunting for whitetails. missed the first few deer i shot at but finally killed one. it was awesome!!
Four years here. Dont regret it at all.
I'm just in the infancy - shooting much more with my recurve than compound, but that's what's required to be proficient.
I am an equal opportunity archer. At least for now, I view Trad and compound as both fun ways to participate in the sport - and there are things I can do with one that I can't do with the other. I haven't hunted with the recurve yet, but will probably take it out with me when stand hunting this season. Spot & stalk for mulies and elk, I will most likely be packing the compound - I am just more confident in the range it provides me - stand hunting, I can do a little more to ensure that the range is condensed. With 10% or less archery success rate in my unit (for either species), I think the appropriate level of challenge is there with either weapon of choice. Would love to shoot an elk with my recurve, but also want to put some meat in the freezer this fall.
BTW, will add that shooting Trad has REALLY improved my compound shooting. I lean towards straight grips in both, so that hasn't been an issue, but shooting trad has really gotten me focusing much more on using back tension in my release, and has developed my muscles making holding a compound at full draw a breeze.
I'm goin on my 3rd year with a Longbow and havin the most fun ever, I live it! I have shot a compound since the first time I decided to try a longbow to see if I would like it, boy do I like it! It was like a light switch, picked up the longbow and set the Compound down and never looked back!
Txnrog is right on. I shoot both compound and recurve these days. I'm very pleased and super-confident with my compound out to 60+ yards (on targets but I'd never shoot that far on game). I found when shooting the recurve without the wall at full-draw it had to really concentrate on active bow arm and active drawing side back muscles to make sure I had back motion in the shot. The most difficult thing was to make sure the bow arm was active so the bow moved during release. I find the first shot with the recurve, after shooting a few arrows with the compound in the same shooting session feels a little weird but then everything is good. I suspect, while I don't want to give up the extended range for western hunts and even on some out-of-state midwest short duration hunts, I will eventually convert 100% to the recurve. It is just so much fun and a great sense of accomplishment to shoot the recurve and I already love shooting my compound.
35 yrs. and holding. :D The 2 yrs. I tried them was nothing but grief. Good Riddance!
started shooting longbow last december while continue to shoot the wheels.
Did not noticed but eventually I was only shooting the longbow (Bear Montana) so there was no reason for me to have a compound just getting rust so I sold it and with the cash ordered a Treadway Black Swamp that arrived last Saturday, yesterday I finally shoot it and................. I could not be HAPPIER with it. I just don't see myself shooting wheels anymore
I started shooting recurves around the mid 50's and got serious with them in the early 60's. Got into field round tournaments in Ga. and indoor in Fl. as well as serious hog and whitetail hunting.
I didn't switch over to compound when they first came out, waited about 3 or 4 yrs., didn't put a sight on the old Jennings Model T for about 4 yrs. Didn't go to a release until about 7yrs ago an looked through my first peep sight yr before last. I shot them up until about a month ago.
The release and peep sight is what really pushed me back into recurves. I never trusted the release and busted my lip more than once when they released on their own. The peep sight was put on my string wrong and I had to hunt for it every time I drew. Anyhow I'm back for good and really enjoying shooting my bow again.
Made the switch a few years ago and haven't looked back since. I so thoroughly enjoy every little aspect of trad that I can't even imagine picking up any other type of bow again.
It was a "burn the boats there is no turning back" situation when I made the switch. But what works for one doesn't mean it works for everyone.