Got a question!

[madoktor1]

Greg, BT, and smj and anybody else on the trad side, I have a question about recurves. A guy on another forum has a Howatt #70 recurve for sell. Docholladay siad that it would be hard on me. I shoot #70+ on my compound and I know there is let off on a compound and not on a recurve. I will be holding the full #70, but my question is: just how much difference is there in actually drawing the bow and shooting it? I know from reading that Greg shoots high poundage on his compound and around #50 on his recurve and all of y'all know more about Trad than I do. So any info and why' and why not's would be greatly appreciated. Please enlighten me with your traditional wisdom.

[BT]

I dont personally know of anyone who can shoot a heavier recurve than me and I shoot 70# when I want to.
Greg can do it but he doesn't because it's a ridiculous weight to try and control.
generally speaking....starting at 20# under your compound weight is about right for guys in good physical condition and 15# for the majority that shoot both compound and recurve long term.
70# (for anyone) is not a bow that I would reccomend....espeacially for those just starting out or taking to it 1/2 the time.

Shooting traditional is all about perfection on the anchor.
If you cannot solidly hit that anchor every time, you will spend the vast majority of your days frustrated and P.O.'d at your performance.
Better to shoot too light than too heavy

[smj]

Hey madoktor1 - a 70 pound draw is a lot to handle if you have not been shooting traditional bows a while, and building up to it. BT mentions it is all about the anchor - I would say that it is all about feeling comfortable, or at least, it should be about comfort. Let me put it this way, if you don't enjoy something, how often do you do it, and look forward to it? When you start shooting traditional you need to plan of spending some time working on form. Any inconsistency in form means that your arrow will hit a bit different from the last shot. If you struggle to draw the bow, those inconsistencies will be more prevalent. I would not recommend starting at 40 pounds, but I would say 40 pounds to start out would be better than 70 pounds starting out. Personally, I shoot a 70 pound compound. When I go back to traditional, I like between 60 and 65 pounds draw weight. However, I am not trying to learn forms and figure out a new style of shooting. I think you would find 50 to 55 pounds plenty of bow to start out with. See if you can give one a try somewhere... Maybe you are an animal, and 70 pounds would not bother you... I think it would bother most folks when starting out.

[CopperHead]

Madoktor1,
Just a suggestion but if you are looking to get into or get back into traditional archery start with a lighter setup that will allow you to work on perfecting form. Like SMJ said 50 to 55 lbs is a good starting point.

Now I sux with traditional equipment but everyone always recommends starting lighter and then building up. Once you get your form down the weight will come in time.

Its kinda like teaching a child to shoot a gun. Start them out with a 22 before giving them a 300 Win mag.

[Greg Krause]

I shoot 80+ pounds with my compound and 55#'s was too heavy for me to start with on a recurve. I had trouble being consistant. I switched to a 49# longbow and that helped tons, and I can still hunt big game with it. I can now shoot heavy weights but still choose to shoot 60#'s or less. plenty to get the job done and still funt to go shoot.

[madoktor1]

Ok, I trust y'alls advice. Now, any recommendations on a low cost rig to get started with? I have two bow shops within 30 miles and haven't seen any trad equipment in either one. The closest on could probably get what I needed and I think he shoots trad and I know he would help me out. I just want many opinions on rigs and manufacturers and I have come to trust and respect y'alls opinions and advice.

[BT]

Honestly?.....I would suggest looking at the Bear line.
Why?....good resale, very inexpensive, huge selection.
Martin was my go to for years (for the above reasons) but after what I saw last year?!...no more

$299.99 at Keystone

The Grizzly is a very popular bow and is available in 45-55# @28"
Whats your draw length?

[madoktor1]

My draw length is 30".

[smj]

Jan 31, 2009 0:41:03 GMT -5 madoktor1 said:

My draw length is 30".

I would suggest staying away from compact recurves, or shorter bows in general. If you buy one new, make sure it will accomodate your draw length - ask the seller or drop an email to the manufacturer. PSE makes the Impala Recurve Bow, it is a 60 inch bow. I shot one for a while - I draw 31" and it was just to short for me. Finger pinch and stack. So, don't go to short. I'll dig a bit and see what can be found.

[bowman]

Is there any Trad type shows coming up in TN if so I sugest hitting one and shooting a bunch of bows. seee what feels good to you and from my experience people at these are very friendly and willing to help a new person to the sport.

BT is right thouh the bear Grizzily is a great bow I have one and love it. I will be looking at long Bows today at the Kalamzoo MI Show.

Here is an event in TN
tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=94;t=001072