Can someone explain in detail what the difference is between "primitive" class and "traditional" class when shooting at events? It seems there is less in primitive, but a lot more interesting bows, arrows, etc.

I would like to shoot the primitive class and need to know what kind of longbow I should look for..

Thanks!

It really varies with the tournament. In one tournament I shoot in, primitive includes laminated bows, so long as no fiberglass is used. I suppose primitive would always include any self bow, so you would be pretty safe there. Wood arrows only, of course.

Tournaments also may have different rules within the traditional category, defining what is a longbow, for example. In a lot of tournaments, you have to shoot wood arrows in the longbow class. In some tournaments, longbows have to be one-piece, and D shaped when strung. In the recurve category, there are rules about stabilizers, sights, etc.

Primitive is generally considered any bow that is made of all natural materials - i.e. no fiberlass.

Primitive Classes usually mean a Self Bow. Some allow the "self bow" to be backed by snake skin or sinew. Technically, the backing makes the bow a composite bow.

Composite Classes are bows made with natural materials. They can be laminated but no glass. Where the line gets a little fuzzy is how the laminated natural materials are glued together.

Also, some Primative Classes also require a self nock arrow, no plastic nochs.

Alan