Traditional Archery

[chops]

@ txbeerboy & houndstooth I will look into it- esp the magazine. My heart is with traditional but all my friends who I would likely hunt with are trying to talk me into using a compound.

Thank you pipebow88, for posting this! It's gotten my thoughts stirring again.

 

[txbeerboy]

The boys around you that shoot compound bow can burst Bayer aspirins at 30 yards, and hold their bow at full draw all day long I would bet. However, you will have so many more shot opposition rather than just shooting a stationary target all the time. I guess it would be best if you were rich enough to have both bows huh ?

 

[txbeerboy]

One more thing you can always have the wife throw the molded hamburger buns in the air . I recommend a judo tip to shoot them with it is like star burst with out the noise and the birds will love you for it

 

[pipebow88]

It looks like the help of a simple thread got a few peoples old passion reignited a little bit. Heck I'm really glad I started it now.
Chops, stick with the trad, if you pick up a compound you will likely find yourself trying to sell it to fund more trad gear before it is over. Before you know it a few of your compound buddies just may join you in trad. Then the fun starts over again as you get to introduce people into it.
Houndstooth, wonderful suggestion on Traditional Bowhunter Magazine. I absolutely love that publication. It will make the fever get in you to want to travel the world with a backpack and longbow. One of these days..... It honestly is the best published hunting literature I have ever found. Every magazine is incredible. The only Hunting magazine I read cover to cover every time.

B

 

[ammohouse]

I love traditonal bows, I have several. My newest favorite is my Roy Hall, excellents bows.

I've been out of it for a couple of years due to rotator cuff & elbow surgery.

Ive made a promise to get back in shape to be able to bow hunt this year!

 

[houndstooth]

chops, my hunting buddy is a compound only guy, and he is quite successful with it. He thinks I'm crazy with my interest in traditional gear, and especially hunting with it. I am pretty certain, though, that within a year or two the tide will have turned, and I will have persuaded him to hunt with a longbow or recurve. He doesn't think so, but we'll see.
I find the sense of satisfaction I get from seeing myself improve with my longbow to be more rewarding than the admittedly more reliably accurate (for now) work I can do with my compound bow. It's kind of a funny thing.
The benefits of trad vs. compound for hunting are several:

1. Considerably lighter gear to carry into the field.

2. Less complicated and therefore fewer things to break or go wrong.

3. Much faster to get a shot off (especially when one uses a mechanical release with a compound).

4. Typically no rangefinder needed when shooting with a traditional bow (also contributes to being faster to get a shot off).

5. Easier to see the target and shoot in low light or fading light.
I'm sure there are more good ones I'm not thinking of at the moment, but these are off the top of my head.
Honestly, the main reason I am happy about having a compound in addition to my long bow is that I can compete in more than one category in our local weekly matches. Most guys at my range and club are in one camp or the other, but there are a couple of people who dabble in both, like me.
pipebow88, I also want to thank you for starting this thread. How about we start including some pics of gear, etc.? I will try to take a few photographs this Sunday from the range and post them.

 

[houndstooth]

bentmike, sorry, I should have said, "let's continue to post some pictures." That's a beauty you posted! I have been contemplating making a self bow someday. Yours is really inspiring.

 

[foggymountain]

You guys make me nostalgic for archery. I was the archery champ in college, and ended up as the school instructor. Haven't shot a bow in over 50 years. There were none of these modern bows with pulleys back then. I just used a 40# longbow. I enjoyed archery practice at 3 AM in the hall of the college dorm. That didn't go over well at all. Just read a few posts back. They have rangefinders now?

 

[pipebow88]

Ammohouse- Hope that it works out and you get back to bowhunting this year! I cannot wait for this hunting season to come either. Though I am also glad 3D season is here. I've missed my tournament family. I think my goal for this season on top of a Deer is going to be a goose on the wing.
Houndstooth- It is quite nice to haul so much less gear in quantity and weight. I have been in the days of too much gear. Going to the woods with nothing more than a longbow, quiver, and a grunt call is so much nicer. Definitely would like to see some more pics of gear. I'll post a few up shortly. Bentmike had the upper hand and was ahead on that one. I still love looking at that selfbow. The simple beauty that can come from a stave of osage is simply amazing.
Foggy- Rangefinders, adjustable sights for the yardage, etc etc. Archery is a farcry from when you were in. Though you saw the better side of it. I love traditional though 3am practice in the halls tops me. you sir, were beyond committed.

B

 

[pipebow88]

Just a couple for tonight.

Far left was my wife's Martin. She decided it wasn't right for her. She is about to try a longbow which I believe is going to work better. The right side is a Bob Lee presentation III on the left, and a Horne's Combo Hunter on the right.

The Horne's combo hunter at work the morning of the archery opener here in Texas this past season.

B

 

[houndstooth]

Hera are a few pics of my Toelke Whip longbow from this morning. It's my first longbow, and I really love it. It's extremely quiet, smooth drawing, and no hand shock at all. Fits like glove too.

 

[pipebow88]

Houndstooth that whip is a beauty! I have yet to shoot a whip, but have heard many great things about them. I have a new longbow being built currently by Predator Longbows. They are another Texas bowyer that build some amazing shooters, can't wait to get it!

B

 

[bentmike]

Great pictures guys! Houndstooth that is a nice looking bow. If I am correct that style of longbow is called a reflex-deflex design because of the way the limbs tend to bend forward towards the tips? That design provides more cast to the shot. I bet it zips an arrow nicely.
My philosophy on traditional archery is pretty simple. I really don't like how in this day and age every hobby or pursuit has been commercialized to the hilt. With modern technology we have reached the pinnacle of thousands of years of archery development and today's compounds are amazing shooters without a doubt. To me it's kind of depressing that if a guys wants to gear up and go hunting he's encouraged to go out and spend $500- to 1K on a bow and then shell out more money on arrow rests, sights, dampeners, stabilizers and other bits and pieces and blinds and scents and camo clothes.
I'm not an active hunter at this point in my life but I spent some time in the past in pursuit of game. I have to say that for me learning and practicing woodcraft and learning to shoot instinctively is far more rewarding than just having a fat wallet and kitting up with latest and greatest from the industry. As humans archery is deeply ingrained in our psyche. To prove this just put a toy bow in hands of a small child boy or girl and watch the light bulb light up when that first arrow flies.
Hunting with bow and arrow is one of the noblest forms of the sport I think and I greatly admire those who chose to do it with traditional or primitive equipment. It ties us closer to the earth and the circle of things. These days I find the fun in simply watching the beautiful arc of an arrow in flight and the satisfaction when once in while I hit the mark.
I'll work on getting some pics up of my other bows.

 

[houndstooth]

Thanks Pipebow88 and Bentmike! I have heard of Predator bows, and will look them up. There certainly are a lot of skilled bowyers making great bows these days!
Bentmike, yes, the Whip does have a bit of reflex-deflex in it. It's relatively mild, but you can definitely see it when the bow is unstrung. The arrows do zip right along, and although there are a lot of guys I shoot longbows with regularly who have similar weight bows (45 lbs @ 28"), my arrows always seem to penetrate deeper and are a bit harder to pull from the bales and 3D targets than theirs. Some of the other guys give me good natured grief about it, but I am happy to have to exert a little extra effort to pull them, because I'm pretty sure that can only be a good thing for the day I arrow my first deer with it!
BTW, Pipebow88, I forgot to mention how nice your bows look... and that room! That's a great man cave, and one I could imagine you must spend quite a lot of time enjoying!

 

[damnyak]

Some Beautiful bows being shown here!!!
I have been a trad Shooter for about 3 years now and my wife for 2 years, we have a local Club "The Royal City Bowmen". it's 44 acres of 3d targets, Super shooting!
My bow is a 1964 Wing Archery "Red Wing Hunter" shoots like a champ and super light!
My wife uses my original Bow a Samick "Sage" a great starter bow.
Here are some shots from the club:
Me shooting:

My Wife 4 months pregnant at the time, bagging a 3D bear!

Me from my Brother's point of view standing behind me. The target is about 40 yards back.

 

[pipebow88]

Bentmike- I definitely look forward to putting my own hands to a piece of wood and coming away with a great hunting and shooting tool. That method is definitely one that brings a product one is supremely proud of, as well as cost effective. However....

Traditional can be quite cost effective as well as modern compound. Buying used equipment is generally the key in either one, but for traditional it quickly can become much more costly. I can think of plenty of bows off the top of my head that are an easy $1,000+, with a few busting $2,000. You still have some mass produced very affordable bows, but the custom market has really exploded.
houndstooth-Be sure to check out Predator. Bobby Lutkenhaus(Predator longbows) really does knock out an incredible one piece bow. If a better bow is out there then I would certainly like to shoot it.

That is actually just our dining room. currently no official man cave. I am ready to build a house and have my mancave.
damnyak-The Wing archery bows are fine bows. for the time it was made the red wing hunter truly is. No wonder that it was so highly regarded in its time. It is as the level of many modern recurves that cost many times more. I wish I had mine back that I sold a little over a year ago.

B

 

[chops]

Man oh man, you guys are really getting me thinking... I would love to get my hands on some lightly used bows.
I have registered over at TradGang and have been combing through the forums there. It's a bit busy and a lot of info to sift through- harder to search for threads relevant to my needs. I guess it will take some getting used-to.
Do the Trad bowhunters here have any difficulty with their equipment in inclement weather? (i.e. bowstring in the rain, leather goods or fletching getting damaged) Do you tend to hunt from the ground or a tree stand? (Some areas by me require hunting from a tree stand only). Do you tend to make your own arrows or buy them?
Also, I have found out that I am left eye dominant but right-handed. I had been shooting right-handed for years (maybe I can blame the eye dominance for my poor shooting? Should I try to shoot a bow left-handed and re-train myself? I know technically we are supposed to shoot with both eyes open anyway but since it's been so long it would be a good time now to re-train myself rather than down the road.

 

[pipebow88]

Trad gang has a lot of good info, and last time I was there you could find lots of good deals on used bows. Been a while since I was on there though.
As far as equipment issues in the weather go the only thing that can really be an issue is feathers. Commercially processed feathers are bleached before being dyed. This takes all of the natural oils out of the feather which were once it's natural water repellant for the turkey. There are a couple of different powders that you rub into your feathers as a waterproofer which work well for a little while, and a lot of people use a waterproofing spray as you would put on a pair of boots and spray that over there feathers. That works quite well. I am currently having a new set of wood arrows made, and this set will have Turkey feathers cut and trimmed for fletching so they will be naturally waterproof. The bowstring will be perfectly fine. Leather goods may need some oiling from time to time, but as long as you care for them properly they will be ok. Before long a buddy and I are going to start making our own wood arrows, but currently we have someone that makes them all.
As far as how to shoot with being right handed and left eye dominant, that is a tough one. I would try to get somewhere I could shoot a right and left handed bow side by side and see what is the better choice for you.

B

 

[pipebow88]

Well it's a cold and cloudy Saturday here. Worked all of last night and only a few hours sleep this morning. What better way to take it easy than this?

B

 

[houndstooth]

Nice Pipebow! Your screen name in action! I enjoyed that issue.
I made my first Flemish Twist string today. Not bad, but the length was a guess with a new jig. I think one or two more, and I should have it dialed in much better. It was pretty cool though, and a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to making some more!