Traditional Archery

Anybody else bow hunt with Traditional Archey gear? I am going to give it a try this year for Mule deer. I am using a Wes Wallace 65# recurve I bought a few years ago. I always planned on using it but I would chicken out and use my compound. This year is the year though, so far I really like shooting my recurve, it is a lot more fun and a lot more frustrating than shooting my compound.

it a try this year for Mule deer. I am using a Wes Wallace 65# recurve I bought a few years ago. I always planned on using it but I would chicken out and use my compound. This year is the year though, so far I really like shooting my recurve, it is a lot more fun and a lot more frustrating than shooting my compound.

Hi Mark,

Well, when I first took up the recurve, we were considered 'leading edge' guys. Working recurves stored more energy, and we set aside our longbows. Then, the 'wheels and pulleys guys' came along ...now we are called 'traditionalists'. The advantage of the accellerating push of the compound allowed people to shoot a smaller shaft and to hold at a fraction of the weight. Not bad, in itself, but the soft release often leads to releasing problems. So in comes the release and people are even further from the real art of archery; they don't even touch the bowstring. Ya, I know, the Turks and Parthians used release aids, but somehow the skill and mastery needed to loose a prefect arrow has been stolen by technology. Baby's and old ladies can shoot these marvels well right out-of-the-box. They don't even have a clue about tiller, spine, fletch or dacron.

The interesting part for me, is that I have switched from right to left hand because my left eye has become even more dominant. It has put a lot of fun back into the sport for me. Funny, I am shooting a much better arrow now than when shooting rh- I lost some bad habits when I made the switch. Of course, a lot of things are the same, but getting the 'feel' down to automatic is important. 12 strands on me bowstring pushing 2117 aluminum out of a FB recurve gives a soft 'thut' on release. A light bow to hike with all day and quiet at the 'moment of truth'.

Give it a try, you might even earn the title 'taken by bow and arrow'

Linc

In article

That Asian 'release aid' was a thumb ring worn to keep the string from ripping the pad off the shooters thumb. They used some serious pull weight bows. Their thumb was hooked around the string and held by the forefinger. Release was by relaxing the forefinger. Bill Van Houten (USA Ret) 'No matter how hard you try, you can't throw a potato chip very far.'

Yeah, though I'm near so good at it as I'd like to be, Mark. Still, every time I'm about to give in to the 'wheelside' I give the recurve and cedars another try and I'm good for another season.

frustrating than shooting my compound.

Amen to that. Good hunting! Michael

I got back into traditional archery about 5 years ago. I gave my compound bow and the gear to a friends son about 4 years ago and have never regretted it. I have 6 bows now...5 longbow and 1 recurve. I really like the longbow and enjoy using wood arrows too. about a year ago i started shooting carbon arrows and couldn't believe how my groups shrunk. I use both type arrows now. I grew up shooting a longbow and forgot how much fun it was until i got into it again. I used to spend most of the summer in my back yard shooting when i was a kid. I enjoyed the compound too but grew tired of all the gadgets and the sights. It took a lot of practice to get good enough for hunting but it was worth it. I limit my shots at deer to 20 yds, not a big deal really...I can't see farther then that during the bow season anyway...all the leaves are still on the trees. good luck and have fun!

Bill,

Not to get picky,but how can carbon arrows be 'traditional'?

As Ricky used to say 'splain that one to me , Lucy'.

Wally, Interesting point. I expect one can hunt in the traditional style - a recurve barebow shot with fingers - using wood, aluminum, or carbon arrows. Inversely, shooting cedar shafts from a compound would not make it traditional tackle. But perhaps we make too much of materials. Only the rarest recurve is fabricated without fiberglass and modern epoxies. Even most longbows - selfbows and wood bows backed with natural materials attached with adhesives used by the ancients excepted - benefit from post-WWII technologies. If lines must be drawn maybe there is a boundary between traditional equipment and primitive equipment. Good hunting!

Serious pull weight to the tune of something like 150#. (No kidding!)

That even sounds painful.

Bill,

It is interesting that you have responded to my post, and I appreciate your comments.

I don't know what you know about archery, but the first release shooters(USA) used a gizmo that was very much like thumb ring you refer to. Remember that the asian bows were exceptionally short. Having 3 fat fingers on the bowstring didn't 'make it' when you were shooting an extremely short bow. Therefore, a release mechanism that did not command so much of the string, was in order.

Furthermore, It is doubtful that the asians ever used the thumb-around-the-bow-sting, that Ishi was reported as using. I could, of course, be corrected, but my reading does not suggest that......yet.

Linc

I was an avid bowhunter during the 50/60s. My field/target bow was a 50 lb. Root recurve. About September I stepped up to a 70 lb Bear recurve. Three finger draw of course.

Asiatic bows weren't all the short 'horse archers' bows the steppe nomads adopted. Many of the Eastern armies had foot troops armed as archers. On the other hand, not long ago there was a thing on TV about Samuri archers on horseback. The recurve bows they were using were not the short 'nomads' bow either. One of the features of the 'thumb' draw was that it afforded a longer draw length. The Asians did not draw to an anchor point on the side of the face, but to the side of the chest. A feature of a Korean archery contest is targets at ~ 300 yds

Ishi being the last 'wild indian' in California ? It isn't doubtfull at all about the 'thumb' draw. In old artist's paintings of Asiatic battles it's quite evident. In fact it;s done these days. A check of a few museums will probably turn up quite a collection of 'thumb rings' made of horn, jade, or ivory. In fact, I suspect that the 'three finger' draw is a European invention.

BTW do you know how the 'one finger salute' is supposed to have originated ?

Bill Van Houten (USA Ret) 'No matter how hard you try, you can't throw a potato chip very far.'

Bill, Not to get picky,but how can carbon arrows be 'traditional'? As Ricky used to say 'splain that one to me , Lucy'.