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PostPosted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 7:52 pm • # 1 
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I am thinking of getting into traditional archery...maybe for hunting some but mostly just for a good back yard activity.

My Dad has a 44# recurve and used to hunt with it and even fletched his own ceder arrows. I am thiking of around a 50-55# recurve so I can hunt elk with it as it is the minimum for elk in Idaho. I think I will get into fletching my own arrows as well.

I used to do a fair bit of bow hunting with compound archery equipment and took a few deer over the years. Just thinking of stepping back to traditional gear.

Just looking for info and advice.


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 9:25 pm • # 2 
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I have no advise, but recently found some old bear fiberglass bows that I had as a kid and had them strung and picked up some arrows for them. Just had my son and the neighbor out today for the first time with them today. The squirrels and turkeys still feel safe in my neighborhood but we had a good time. I have thought about getting a nice recurve but seem to have too many hobbies already. How close do you have to get to an elk with a 55# bow?

Russell


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 10:39 pm • # 3 
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Riffling Hitch wrote:
How close do you have to get to an elk with a 55# bow?

Russell


Now that's an interesting thought, I wonder how many elk bow - hunters there are?

Les


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 10:58 pm • # 4 
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Very cool. I used to be into archery and recurves. Also fletched my own arrows and then I got married. :)
I am curious if 55 lbs is enough for elk. Take down recurve bows are nice if hiking is a factor in elk hunts.


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 1:56 pm • # 5 
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I really enjoy traditional archery.. I had shoulder surgery last winter and am almost 100% recovered now. I love those old recurves...heck I have close to 20 of them. For what it's worth I would start with a lighter weight until you get where you want to be. And, just like ultra light fly fishing, there are lots of folks out there who hunt deer, elk, etc with lighter bows. If you're a good shot and a good hunter you could kill an elk with a 40 lb bow.


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 9:58 pm • # 6 
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Been shooting Recurve and Longbows since the Mid 50s. 40 lbs. is plenty heavy for most critters out there (minus Grizzly Bears ;)) . Just make sure your Broad Heads are super sharp and match your shot distance to your shooting skills. I would start at 15 yards, get real good, then move to 20. Normal hunting distance for most traditionalists usually max out at 30 yards. Most of my shots I take are between 15-20. I make my hunting bows from trees I cut myself fashioned in a manner of the various American Indian Tribes. Seldom did their hunting bows pull in excess of 40 lbs. :)


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 11:36 am • # 7 
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Another way to do it, which is what I do, is to walk around in the woods and shoot at stuff (leaves, stumps, mushrooms) of unknown distances. Kinda like when you were a kid and got your first slingshot. This way you train yourself to let your internal rangefinder take over the process. Also, at least for me, it's a lot more fun being out in the woods and fields shooting a bow. I like taking a couple really long shots and just watching that arrow fly....


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 7:13 pm • # 8 
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I used to be really heavy into trad archery. I had a very nice Black Widow recurve, a JD Berry custom longbow (didn't like it much), a couple of Martin recurves, and still have a 70's vintage Bear Kodiak Hunter recurve.

I have all the arrow building gear as well. I made up a good number of cedar arrows, some lodgepole pine, and aluminiums. Port Orford Cedar is probably my favorite shaft material, but aluminium is king for tight tolerances and consistency.

I don't shoot bows anymore, I just lost complete interest in archery awhile back. I would like to hunt deer during the archery season, but I'll buy a crossbow for that before I pick up a trad bow or compound again.


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 11:44 pm • # 9 
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jkurtz7 wrote:

I don't shoot bows anymore, I just lost complete interest in archery awhile back. I would like to hunt deer during the archery season, but I'll buy a crossbow for that before I pick up a trad bow or compound again.


I used to be huge into archery hunting with various compound bows. In Idaho, a cross bow is legal for "any weapon" hunts and for "short Range Weapon" hunts, but not for archery hunts unless you have a disability. I think cross bows are really cool. I could go that way just as easy as traditional archery for hunting. I'm just thinking about something to shoot in the back yard.

Thx to all for your comments. Just kicking things around. I might dump the whole archery thing and get into airguns to shoot in the back yard. Who knows the way my mind has been working lately. The whole thing might get scrapped anyway as my wife has been giving me a few dirty looks here and there....buying the Glock 20, then the two other guns from my Brother in Law to help him out. Been kinda going nutz lately...maybe too nutz.


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PostPosted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 9:19 am • # 10 
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Location: Lorain, Ohio but can be found in fishing waters of West by God West Virginia and southern Ohio.
I haven't been been this year as I don't have the time to pick up my longbow as I been using my 32cal muzzleloader going after squirrels.

If you are left handed then I make a deal with you for mine.


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PostPosted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 11:13 am • # 11 
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I wish I was left handed....because I am left eyed. One day, I will put something together.


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PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 12:45 pm • # 12 
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Late to the thread, but this is a great time to get into trad archery, Bear archery has started to remake their best shooting bow ever, the 59 kodiak, also the prices have been chopped in half for the Bear Takedowns 1200 to 1400 a year ago. Both now are around 700 bucks. Take a look into a Quinn Stallion, no nonsense takedown bow, a very accurate and rugged bow, made by a Father/Daughter team ( I believe the father is very sick or may have passed) New Quinn is around 275 bucks , your choice of weight.I have owned literally hundreds of recurves and those three are at the top of my list.


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PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 1:27 pm • # 13 
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Grey Ghost wrote:
Late to the thread, but this is a great time to get into trad archery, Bear archery has started to remake their best shooting bow ever, the 59 kodiak, also the prices have been chopped in half for the Bear Takedowns 1200 to 1400 a year ago. Both now are around 700 bucks. Take a look into a Quinn Stallion, no nonsense takedown bow, a very accurate and rugged bow, made by a Father/Daughter team ( I believe the father is very sick or may have passed) New Quinn is around 275 bucks , your choice of weight.I have owned literally hundreds of recurves and those three are at the top of my list.


i have shot a few


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 27, 2014 1:47 pm • # 14 
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This is something that I've wanted to get into for a long time! For a bigger guy would 55 lbs be a ok place to start?


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 27, 2014 3:53 pm • # 15 
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Ken Curtis wrote:
This is something that I've wanted to get into for a long time! For a bigger guy would 55 lbs be a ok place to start?


It really depends on how in shape your upper back muscles are, those are what draw and holds the string at anchor. My recommendation to most people is start with a good 45 to 50 lbs draw recurve. A 45 lbs trad bow with perfectly spined arrows, and a scary sharp cut on contact broadhead will shoot right through a broadside whitetail deer at 10-15 yards.

If you only plan to use the bow for target shooting, then there is no reason to use a bow over 45lbs. If I was to get back into just shooting targets, I would personally get a 40 lbs recurve. No matter if you are target shooting, or hunting, buying a bow with a draw weight that is too much for you to hold at anchor for a reasonable time will cause bad shooting habits from the very beginning, and those bad habits are very hard to break. Don't ask me how I know that.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 9:00 am • # 16 
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Location: Lorain, Ohio but can be found in fishing waters of West by God West Virginia and southern Ohio.
I use a 50lb draw so It may be to much to start out but that is all dependent on you.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:13 pm • # 17 
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Thanks for the recommendations. I'm a little on the big side so the pull weight shouldn't be a problem. As much as i'd like to go after Elk and other game it will most likely be used for target practice. Hopefully I can find someone around here that will let me tag along and show me the ropes.


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2014 11:21 pm • # 18 
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Funny I actually created a thread exactly like this in the off topic forum-then went back and deleted it when I saw this. I am looking at getting back into archery with a recurve.

I like the simplicity of traditional instinctive shooting. It is appealing for some of the same reasons as fly fishing. While conceptually simple it takes greater concentration and more practice to shoot traditional archery and to learn to cast a fly proficiently. I also believe working to master each of this endeavors helps our overall outdoor skill set.

Anyway for you trad archers out there? I could use some suggestions as I jump back in.

philos


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 10:04 pm • # 19 
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Find a bow and some arrows and start flinging, When you get a bow let me know, I will make you a custom "skinny" string that will enable you to tune your bow to perfection. BTW I have a beautiful "Jefferies" custom "classic" that I would let go reasonable. I will try to get some pics up of it.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 13, 2014 4:13 pm • # 20 
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I love me some trad archery, been a junky for probably 20 years now, still think compounds are cool but trad gear is just the bomb for me, not that I'm a very good shot but its just plain ol fun, have been making my own arrows for years now, just kind of ups the fun factor for me.

been plenty of spot on info posted already so theres nothing I can add, you dont have to spend a lot of money on a good bow, check out the trad sites for used bows, ebay & craigslist as well, having never shot a custom all I can offer is info on "working class or hunetr calss" bows, I have 2 old Bear Grizzly's that I just fell in love with, one I traded from a friend & refurbed it, its a natural brown wood & 50# draw weight, and the other is a Grizzly made in grayling MI at the old Bear facility, its the factory green colored wood & 55# draw weight, also have a old Hoyt take down tournament bow,very clean but it needs a string & hasnt been shot in long time.

I'll encourage anyone to go trad, stump shooting, & small game is my fave, its mountains of fun & very habit forming.


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