New to traditional archery

[JakeD]

Hello everybody.  I currently hunt with a compound, but keep feeling the pull towards a recurve.  Just something about it keeps calling to me.  I shot a recurve as a child, but went away from it after that until a couple years ago.  I had a recurve that I ended up selling because I just didn't care for the bow itself that much.  Anyways, I'm looking for suggestions to get a good recurve to hunt with.  I would prefer to keep it under $600, but can go over if needed.  This site seems to be full of guys that really know their stuff when it comes to this, so any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[jamesh76]

Welcome.   Consider being a contributer and searching the classifieds here.  Many options for you.

[Bud B.]

With a $600 budget, you have many options!! Save some of it for arrows and stuff    

My advice would be to go to a local trad shoot/tournament if you can and ask around and hold as many as you can and shoot as many as the owners will allow.

Start at a low weight, probably no more than 40lbs, but 30-35 would be better, so an inexpensive takedown, like the Samick Sage, could be an option to get you started so you can work on form and building strength until you figure out what you really want to settle with.


Welcome to the forum!

[Sirius Black]

[LBR]

Shoot lots of bows and take your time deciding.  If you want something "right now", I'd go with a Samick Sage or Journey.  Cheap, good shooters, and will give you something to work with while you look around.  The string that comes with them isn't too good, but other than that they shoot surprisingly well.

[Bladepeek]

Since joining this site I have bought, shot and sold dozens of really good bows from the classifieds. A few I made money on, a few I lost a few bucks on, but overall, I have been pretty much able to buy, swap, sell and break even.

I'm not done yet, but have narrowed things down to what I really enjoy shooting and had a great journey along the way. I tried several RER bows and then finally ordered a new one which I am very satisfied with and proud of. Same for Chad Holms bows. I owned and shot a bunch of them and know now exactly which one I want to order.

Guys at trad shoots are really eager to show you their bows and the times I asked to shoot one of them have always been rewarding.

[Sam McMichael]

Welcome to the world of trad archery. It is fun, difficult, but totally addictive. There should be many good used bows in the price range you want. Check the classified section. This hunting is more difficult than hunting with a compound, and will force you to become a better woodsman. What a ride!

[JakeD]

Thank you all for the suggestions.  How do you become a contributing member?

[JakeD]

Nevermind, I just saw the contributing membership at the top of the page.

[Stumpkiller]

Welcome!

I would recommend you NOT start out with a new (pricey) recurve as it takes different muscles to shoot a trad bow, and what you can shoot well now may not be where you want to be a year from now.  You will likely find a different draw length, anchor point and release method!  You don't know what you want until you have tried it.  There are many different grip structures (I like high grip, others despise them).  Be a shame to have a $600 bow you don't need.  Get a $150 used bow and then trade-it in or sell it for $150.    

Find a good used bow of 45# and get a couple dozen arrows.  Although that may be all the bow you ever need, if you do go up in weight you've got a back-up and maybe bow-fishing bow.  I went up and now I'm headed back down.

I shot target recurves, got a compound for hunting, failed at it for two years, and it wasn't until I went back to a recurve (or up to a hunting weight recurve) and had spent hours shooting stumps in the woods that I started to kill deer.  I thought I wanted an English style longbow,`` but it seems my brain is recurve oriented.  That and my muscles aren't geared for a 100# pull!

Note that I shot a 70# (30% letoff) compound very well and a 55# recurve killed me.  I had to go to 45# until I got the muscles figured out.  I gradually got up to 68# and then had some

Give it time.  Don't over do it starting out and HAVE FUN!  It's better to shoot two arrows every day than 200 and practice a lot of poor form.

[LBR]

Before you even get a bow, you might consider getting a copy of "Masters of the Barebow, Volume III".

[Terry Lightle]

I have a 45# Morrison in sponsor classifieds.
Terry

[Brianlocal3]

Where in MO are you.
There is a big trad following here in the STL area. Starting in jan the end of the month there is a trad only shoot on Friday night and there will be 30-50 trad shooters there.
Every single Monday night there is a group who shoot indoor 3d league in st Charles. And every sat morning at Townhall there is a good group of trad guys.

[Yewbender]

Welcome! And get ready for an overflow of advise from lots of great archers on this site!!!!!!!

[Krex1010]

As someone who just started in traditional archery a couple years ago here is the advice I feel comfortable giving. Don't spend $600 on your first bow, don't make your first bow too heavy. I'm a fairly strong person and my first bow was 45#, it didn't feel too heavy, but it was. It was hard to develop proper form when I was battling fatigue. I recently bought a 35# bow just to practice with and keep my form. I should have bought the 35# bow first, I definitely feel I would have progressed much faster had I done that.  You can get used bows pretty reasonably, I would go that route until you get comfortable and buy a pricey bow later when you actually know what you like and aren't depending on others to guide you completely.

I would not spend, or advise anyone to spend $600 on their first bow. You have no clue what you like yet, or even if you will stick with it. I would buy a good used bow to start with for half the $600, in a fairly low poundage (no more than 45#). I would then read and ask questions and strive to learn good form. I would also go to as many shoots as I could to meet more trad folks, and try all kinds of bows till I started to figure out what I liked the best. And last, but probably most important, I would find someone to help me along the trad road as a mentor. That would largely reduce the learning and frustration curves while trying to "get" trad shooting down.

Oh yeah, Welcome to the Gang!

Bisch

[JakeD]

I may have been too vague in my initial post.  I did have a recurve as recently as a couple of years ago that I ended up selling, as well as a longbow that I also sold.  The recurve I just didn't care for.  It felt "cheap", mainly because it was a cheap beginners bow.  I actually shot the recurve quite well and used both wood and carbon arrows.  I loved the wood arrows.  The longbow was a Bear Montana that was 60# @ 28.  That was just too much weight for me to shoot comfortably and I was overbowed.  Ever since I sold both of them I have constantly thought that I wanted a much nicer recurve to hunt with.  I love shooting them and feel that I would be better served with approximately 45-50@28. Would it be totally crazy of me to try and build a bow for me to use?  I've never done it, but I do woodworking quite often and feel that maybe it's something that I could do.

If you do your research, there is no reason you could not build your own bow. A great place for the beginner bowyer to start out at is Bingham Projects. They have all the stuff you need to build a bow, as well as kits and such for beginner bowyers.

http://www.binghamprojects.com/

Good luck!

Bisch

[JakeD]

Thanks for the link!

[RaybowTx]

Jake, my opinion is contrary to what's been said.  Buy the best bow and arrows that you can afford.  I've never seen great shooters shoot cheap equipment.  Also decide on on how you want to shoot.  There are different styles.  Also consider going to one of the shooting schools thats out there.  Rod Jenkins for one example...........Ray