Modern traditional archery too high tech?

[forestdweller]

Anyone else feel the same way?

I see a lot of posts on other archery websites and a lot of people are talking about how they need to shoot these bow's that are very high tech and very fast to hunt and it's kind of odd to me.

Talks of the latest super recurves with carbon foam laminated limbs, clickers, magnesium alloy bow quivers, and the latest small diameter light tapered carbon shafts with lumnocks and so forth and so on.

I'm not going to name names but some of these bows could easily be mistaken for a compound.

What's really odd as well is that if you take the fastest modern traditional bows and put them up against the best selfbows (that I'm aware of) and the difference in speed is maybe 10fps (I could very well be wrong on this number but it's within 10-20fps) between a selfbow and a carbon/glass laminated bow.

Does anyone else feel the same way? That modern traditional is becoming (or has become) high tech like compound?

This post was not intended to berate anyone but is just my opinion.

[mcgroundstalker]

For years I fought going to "the dark side" using carbon arrows... Then after trying some at a 3D shoot, I was hooked...

I still have limited range for hunting, as should we all... That being said:

This guy does see some trad people holding onto the high tech compound way of thinking... Maybe the latest bow or bells can help them shoot better... I think not always...

Looking at "trad" catalogs sometimes makes my head spin... Sales are sales, I guess... I Love Traditional Archery and Shooting My Longbows! Mostly keeping it interesting and fun... So, if someone (needs) that high tech stuff, let 'em have it... You and I are just gonna have a blast getting better!

... mike ...        ...

[wingnut]

You've got your numbers a bit off.  
A few years back a member here that hunts with a selfbow made a similar statement.  He shot a 60# bow and 600 gr arrows with a 28" draw and was getting 160 fps.  A very nice shooting selfbow.

We had a customer ask about the setup the following day so we set up a test without showing the poundage of the bow.  
Our bow shot the same 600 gr arrow drawn to 28" 162 fps.  So pretty close.  Then we weighed the bow at 42 pounds.

Unless you are shooting a selfbow that you built yourself with cane  or shoot arrows you are utilizing modern tech.  You just have to determine how much you want.

Mike

[BAK]

60 years ago there was nothing wrong with trying out the latest sight or release or rest on your recurve.  IT WAS COMMON.  The line was crossed with the industry promotion and the Fish & Game departments acceptance of the compound as a "bow", which it isn't.

Today's "traditional" archers messing with materials and tweaking designs is nothing more than an extension of what had been going on all along.

[Travisc406]

that's the beauty of what archery it is, its individual and whatever you want it to be.  My bow is an extension of what my personality is. I feel when you look at my bow you can see who I am.

 I could care less what the guy next to me is shooting. As long as he isn't cheating on regulations or laws. So be it.

[mwosborn]

Originally posted by Travisc406:
that's the beauty of what archery it is, its individual and whatever you want it to be.  My bow is an extension of what my personality is. I feel when you look at my bow you can see who I am.

 I could care less what the guy next to me is shooting. As long as he isn't cheating on regulations or laws. So be it.

Couldn't agree more.

[highlow]

Even with the new materials, ILF bows, etc. I haven't seen one that could be said to be remotely akin to a compound.

Advances are to be expected in any field of manufacture. It's just the nature of the beast. I'll bet you're not driving a twenty-five year old car, are you.

[ThePushArchery]

It's all a personal preference. On my wall I have bows that were hand made by myself, beautiful customs by top bowyers and bows that sport aggressive high tech limbs on a meticulously designed metal riser built for max accuracy.

I have hand made wood arrows, aluminums and carbons of all shapes and sizes popping out of every corner of my shop.

I'll be honest, the last few years I've been on an accuracy and tech kick, and I am having fun pushing the envelope of the rules and my abilities on the competition front. However, when the leaves turn color, my set up becomes scrutinized and the tune recipe maximized for robustness in the woods. Bomb-proof, forgiving, and reliable is what I'm after.

Trad is not a word to describe equipment. It's a lifestyle. And I'm pretty sure every member that had the ambition to join TradGang lives that lifestyle, regardless of what their bow is made of or looks like. Stop drawing self defining lines in the sand and go shoot some arrows. The camp fire is open to everyone.

(A recent picture after a full blown retuning session of my rig)
 

[bear bowman]

I don't know if I'd call it high tech. I believe it's just part of the natural progression of things. Look how far cars have come, for better or worse, we're human and we're always tinkering.

[Jack Skinner]

Everything is simple till its complicated.
String your stick at a brace height that works for you add a nocking point that solves porpoise and shoot bow, simple. Get arrows that fly nice to your confidence with the weight of point you like and go shoot, simple;
Everything else complicated.

For a sport to be a sport it has to have a set of well defined limitations.   With hunting, there is an entirely added set of variables.  Much of the new tech and shooting techniques are target based. Perhaps the ilf bows help certain shooting styles, but on the whole the bow design changes are designed around the limitations of those shooting styles.  I did a lot of target shooting in my younger years, but abandoned it all because it did not match my hunting.   I believe that hunters are pushing the margins of intrusiveness with long term tree stand claims and satellite linked trail cameras on public land.    I am pushing for the limitation of 'leave no trace' use of all public lands.

[YosemiteSam]

Progress is debatable.  But business is business.  The more businesses crowd into a niche, the more they have to differentiate themselves by offering something new.  Otherwise, margins get compressed.  But they ultimately die if nobody buys their stuff.  So the problem isn't really the equipment.  It's our neomania.  New & shiny gets our attention & we keep buying it.  If we changed our mentality and suddenly started valuing homemade equipment and disciplined skill over fancy gear, we'd start seeing staves sold at Home Depot & coaching gurus in every city.  It's hard for me to see the issue apart from our cultural & business context.

[YosemiteSam]

Originally posted by pavan:
I am pushing for the limitation of 'leave no trace' use of all public lands.

I could get behind that!

I have been told three times that there was no place for us to hunt on public land because one or two guys loaded it up with their tree stands.   In NW Iowa, the land that has a Pope and Young buck hiding behind every tree, guys are showing up with pick up loads of tree stands and trail cameras and then telling people to stay away from their spots.   Almost every year the game warden tells me, a still hunt hunter and portable seat carrier, that I cannot kick people out of my tree stands, when I do not use any.  He has yet to tell any of the land hoarders that same thing.  So now I am raising hell at the state level,  I did it before and we got a tree stand law.  That law needs serious modifications, considering the  changes in hunters equipment and land use.   The problem when land and game management gets political, money talks louder than reason.

[A.S.]

Originally posted by Travisc406:
that's the beauty of what archery it is, its individual and whatever you want it to be.  My bow is an extension of what my personality is. I feel when you look at my bow you can see who I am.

 I could care less what the guy next to me is shooting. As long as he isn't cheating on regulations or laws. So be it.

Pretty much word for word what I was going to type.  Shoot what you want, and don't worry about what others do.....that's my feelings!

[Bladepeek]

It would be interesting to hear Fred Bear's take on this. After all, he was pretty much "leading edge" in his bow designs and materials and also built an early compound. Still, most Trad Gangers would consider him a "traditional" bow hunter.

I am in the process of ordering a flintlock - an early Isaac Haynes style. I like traditional. I don't own an AR, liking my smooth, graceful bolt action rifles much more.

I don't own a compound bow, so I think my tastes are pretty well established. At the same time, I don't expect to see any Olympic archers shooting self bows. Nice thing about living in this country of ours, we can probably find a group with similar likes and dislikes and can pursue those interests as far as we wish to take them.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Why should anyone care what kind of trad bow anyone else chooses to shoot?

[creekwood]

Originally posted by forestdweller:
 


I'm not going to name names but some of these bows could easily be mistaken for a compound.

What?

[longbow fanatic 1]

Originally posted by cpnhgnlngct:
It's all a personal preference. On my wall I have bows that were hand made by myself, beautiful customs by top bowyers and bows that sport aggressive high tech limbs on a meticulously designed metal riser built for max accuracy.

I have hand made wood arrows, aluminums and carbons of all shapes and sizes popping out of every corner of my shop.

I'll be honest, the last few years I've been on an accuracy and tech kick, and I am having fun pushing the envelope of the rules and my abilities on the competition front. However, when the leaves turn color, my set up becomes scrutinized and the tune recipe maximized for robustness in the woods. Bomb-proof, forgiving, and reliable is what I'm after.

Trad is not a word to describe equipment. It's a lifestyle. And I'm pretty sure every member that had the ambition to join TradGang lives that lifestyle, regardless of what their bow is made of or looks like. Stop drawing self defining lines in the sand and go shoot some arrows. The camp fire is open to everyone.

(A recent picture after a full blown retuning session of my rig)
   

Well said!

[Kevin Dill]

To each his own threshold, and to thy own selfbow be true.