i've been thinking of purchasing an ilf metal riser and shooting with a rest.  is this still traditional shooting/ hunting to you?

I think traditional means fair. If shooting the combo you mentioned above still requires you get within 20 yards of your prey, then yup your still traditional.

YES YES

go for it. those ilf bows are supposed to be pretty awesome shooters.  Like everything in the world, everyone has their own way of interpreting things.  If we all thought the same thing, life would be pretty boring.

Black Widow made Metal risers and shot elavated rests many, many years ago and they were'nt the only ones. Elavated rests have been around for along time, I have be doing this since 1966 or 67 and back then they were popular. I think if you like it ....go for it!!!

shoot what you like...no need to worry about what is trad. or not. all my recurves have metal risers. although i have wood bows, i dont ever think about if one is more trad than another. just have fun. everyone likes different things...like all my buddies that carry magnum bolt action rifles, me i like my old marlin, not because it more traditional...it just shoots well for me.

I shoot aluminum arrows. I don't see the problem with shooting a metal bow.

If there are no cams, it is traditional in my book.

no training wheels!

Go for it. We got this one guy in our camp at denton hill who shoots a DAS we rough him up a little bit but for the most part his bow out performs ours. An there is no sight or training wheels. Shoot whatever works best for you. Ya have got to be comfortable with your rig

What kind of bow is it?

Yes

I'm an archer who hunts with what works for me. I'll leave the definitions to those who think they need them.

We never used the term traditional bow, in our everyday language, until the compound came along.  Think about that.

Now we seem to attach some ethereal component to the term traditional and make it into an ambiguous concept.  It's just a bow with no wheels.

Now some history:  Metal arrows were here in the 1930's and were used in the mid 30's National Target Tournament.  If World War II hadn't happened, we would have seen aluminum arrows in the hunting field in the 1940's.  The war put a ban on aluminum until it was over.

Metal risers?   The first metal riser takedowns were introduced in 1952.  That wasn't a typo!  Grimes Archery and Par-X archery both had early 50's metal riser takedowns.   Black Widown had them in the late 1960's with their HT and HF series.  Black Widow didn't have a wood riser takedown until the 1980's.

It's always interesting seeing how people want to categorize things per their perspective on the sport.   Traditional archery is utilizing bows and other equipment that was available before the compound device came along.  So you can shoot an aluminum risered Golden Eagle from 1967, aluminum arrows and a Reynolds sight, and be as traditional as anyone else.

No wheels, it's traditional

Like George said Traditional, maybe, is a wrong world;I think that compound bows are mecanicals and altrough they cast a arrow they are something different for the different Physic in their design.

sans training wheels

SSSZZZnnnznznznnnnnn..(snoring sound   )

Go shoot what you like and enjoy archery!

You're a bowhunter my friend and well said George. Most all my hunting buds choose to use compounds. To each his own I say. I always include them under the same category as I do myself, as bowhunters. I don't try to categorize anyone and don't think we should.

The sport we love is under attack daily. We need to stick together. We do segregate ourselves somewhat by  even belonging to sites as "Tradgang" but my hope is it's simply because we all choose to enjoy our sport of bowhunting in the same manner. I also know a lot of us came from, or have dabbled in compounds at some point in our time. Another thing I know is when I shot a compound I considered myself a bowhunter.

On the other hand, I've often debated the following:

A friend of mine - an older gentleman - is having shoulder problems to the point where he can't shoot more than a 30# bow and he is almost out of that.

He said he would rather quit shooting then shoot a compound.

I can't agree with that statement. I would have a hard time NOT being able to do something.

If one shot a stripped down compound with no sights, finger release, standard broadheads, feathered arrows, and still stalked game at 20 yards, wouldn't that be somewhat traditional?

Traditional with assistance maybe?    

A bow that demands total commitment and highly developed skill from an archery, to be nothing more than a bending stick and string.

Nothing that makes shooting a bow easy, aside from mental clarity and dedication to practice.

Beautiful equipment; wood, leather, skins, feather fletchings, and in our time the advantages that fiberglass and modern string materials provide.

The company of like minded friends.