I have multiple hobbies outside of pipes, and one of them is the passion for traditional archery. Of course at weekend shoots often pipe smoking makes its way into this other hobby as well. I started into archery as a young lad shooting with my father, and older brother. We took plenty of time each week to shoot together and make local 3D target shoots on the weekend when work allowed my father to take us. I started then with a modern compound, and we held onto archery for quite a few years. Then as too often happens life became busy and archery didn't play as large a role any longer. After a few more years went by I decided it was time to return to archery and decided to purchase a new bow. In that time archery had progressed in technology as everything else does these days. The bows were smoother and faster than ever before. I bought the "latest and greatest" at the time and started to shoot again. Though quickly discovered this even more modern equipment had changed archery. As technology tends to do it had made archery much easier. In distances where before I would have had my arrow drop an easy 16-20" I was only experiencing 2"s of drop. I shot less and less fairly quickly and couldn't find that passion that was once there. It had all been simplified to a point that I had lost the heart, so I soon sold the bow and let archery fade away once again.
Then there came a time when I met a local shooter by the name of Mike Ray. I had heard that he had always been quite a shot with a recurve or longbow. I had very minimal contact with this type of gear, but was intrigued. After some time talking with him he convinced me that I should give traditional a chance. He directed me to a bowyer that he had liked a lot, Bob Lee Bows. I decided that I would order my first recurve, and see what there was to this "dark side" of archery. It was only a few weeks and my first custom bow had arrived. I had a set of arrows set up for the bow, and begin to learn. My very first time to shoot made me realize very quickly this lack of technology was going to make this no easy venture. I spent many hours attempting to better myself at shooting. It was a slow venture, and I stayed to the grindstone determined to master it. After a very large learning curve I was getting better. Then learning more about my equipment took me to another level as I learned to tune it properly and pair the proper arrows. I chanced upon a link one day to a shoot in my hometown that was for traditional archery only. It was only a couple weeks away at the time, and I couldn't wait. The time finally arrived and I came to a place where I quickly saw that I was going to be able to learn a lot. This shoot hooked me in with some local traditional shooters, as well as plenty from around the state. I spent the entire weekend there and enjoyed breathing in every minute. It was around this time that I learned that the gentleman Mike Ray who talked me into shooting traditional was a former World Champion traditional shooter. Though I found a lot of joy just in shooting traditional, something else caught me. At the majority of compound shoots I had gone to there were quite a few nice people, but a lot took it entirely too seriously and acted as though they were ten times better than anyone else there. The best shooters were hardly approachable, much less helpful. Here the people were some of the nicest I had ever met, and not just some of them, but all of them. It was just one big happy family out there. People still competed, but their ultimate goal was to have fun, and that was very obvious. They all enjoyed sharing tips, and helping new shooters. This shoot was just over 3 years ago now, and my passion is still holding strong. Though I am no master of the art by any means I know lots of great shooters, and better yet, I call many great shooters my friends. My local traditional shoot is the first of the year, and at it a couple of weeks ago I shot a little, but mostly spent the time reconnecting with my friends that had traveled in from various parts of the state. Tournament season ends when hunting season begins, so we all had a lot of catching up to do. I still have a strong passion for it, and I do not believe that it will ever die, because I feel that it is something that I will always have plenty of room to improve. One local guy that I shoot with now who is the same age as I went on this past year to make a great accomplishment. He brought home the 1st place honor from the IBO Traditional World Championship. He is one of my closest friends now, and if it wasn't for traditional archery I may have never met him. Hopefully this year I am able to join him at the world championships. If everything goes as planned hopefully.
Now that my glass of scotch is nearing closer to the bottom I guess I will end this long winded post. When speaking about something I am quite passionate about I become long winded. So after all of that I ask this, are there any of you here that also enjoy traditional archery?
B
Then there came a time when I met a local shooter by the name of Mike Ray. I had heard that he had always been quite a shot with a recurve or longbow. I had very minimal contact with this type of gear, but was intrigued. After some time talking with him he convinced me that I should give traditional a chance. He directed me to a bowyer that he had liked a lot, Bob Lee Bows. I decided that I would order my first recurve, and see what there was to this "dark side" of archery. It was only a few weeks and my first custom bow had arrived. I had a set of arrows set up for the bow, and begin to learn. My very first time to shoot made me realize very quickly this lack of technology was going to make this no easy venture. I spent many hours attempting to better myself at shooting. It was a slow venture, and I stayed to the grindstone determined to master it. After a very large learning curve I was getting better. Then learning more about my equipment took me to another level as I learned to tune it properly and pair the proper arrows. I chanced upon a link one day to a shoot in my hometown that was for traditional archery only. It was only a couple weeks away at the time, and I couldn't wait. The time finally arrived and I came to a place where I quickly saw that I was going to be able to learn a lot. This shoot hooked me in with some local traditional shooters, as well as plenty from around the state. I spent the entire weekend there and enjoyed breathing in every minute. It was around this time that I learned that the gentleman Mike Ray who talked me into shooting traditional was a former World Champion traditional shooter. Though I found a lot of joy just in shooting traditional, something else caught me. At the majority of compound shoots I had gone to there were quite a few nice people, but a lot took it entirely too seriously and acted as though they were ten times better than anyone else there. The best shooters were hardly approachable, much less helpful. Here the people were some of the nicest I had ever met, and not just some of them, but all of them. It was just one big happy family out there. People still competed, but their ultimate goal was to have fun, and that was very obvious. They all enjoyed sharing tips, and helping new shooters. This shoot was just over 3 years ago now, and my passion is still holding strong. Though I am no master of the art by any means I know lots of great shooters, and better yet, I call many great shooters my friends. My local traditional shoot is the first of the year, and at it a couple of weeks ago I shot a little, but mostly spent the time reconnecting with my friends that had traveled in from various parts of the state. Tournament season ends when hunting season begins, so we all had a lot of catching up to do. I still have a strong passion for it, and I do not believe that it will ever die, because I feel that it is something that I will always have plenty of room to improve. One local guy that I shoot with now who is the same age as I went on this past year to make a great accomplishment. He brought home the 1st place honor from the IBO Traditional World Championship. He is one of my closest friends now, and if it wasn't for traditional archery I may have never met him. Hopefully this year I am able to join him at the world championships. If everything goes as planned hopefully.
Now that my glass of scotch is nearing closer to the bottom I guess I will end this long winded post. When speaking about something I am quite passionate about I become long winded. So after all of that I ask this, are there any of you here that also enjoy traditional archery?
B