I've kind of got an interest for trying out alittle recurve shooting. I toyed around w/ one years ago but, never really did much practicing.

I have several questions that I know you fellas can help me w/.

First off, A friend has a Recurve that I can borrow (He'll probably just give it to me). The reason I want to just try his out for a while is just to see if this is a hobby I'd like to persue before I sink alot of $$ in it. This bow is only around 50 Lbs or so. In your opion would that be enough weight to consider hunting whitetail w/? I know it will kill one, I'm just wondering if it would be a wise choice as I'm not sure what poundage most of you traditional guys shoot. I'm pretty comfortable w/ my 80# high country compound as well as my 70# Bowtech so, this little bow seems quite light of a pull.

What arrows would be suitable Aluminum or Carbon, I've got a pile of both types that I've kept around over the years. Would a light carbon be a no-no out of a recurve? Seems like it would give alittle flatter arc and would penetrate adequately w/ a two blade COI head.

What about string silencers? Same as Compounds?


Now, I'm not planning on diving off into the woods w/ this type of set-up anytime soon. If I do get to where I can be pretty effective on paper at 15 yards or so, I think I may try to harvest a Whitetail, seems like it'd be quite the challenge.

Any good websites that have good pointers on form and shooting styles of these type bows?

Thanks for any help.

Have a Good One

Reloader

Your first question, is a 50# bow enough. Yes, I know a few older guys who have had to switch from a 60# to a 50# and still hunt with it. They say the switch made them more accurate, and in the end that's what counts. On the other end of thing I only know a couple of guys who shoot 70# recurves. One thing to remember, the poundage is measured at 28" draw length. If your draw is longer the weight will stack. So if you are trying to pull a 70# bow 30", you will be holding more than 70# when you hit your anchor point. At my anchor my bow is at 63#, one of my friends is at 64#. Remember, with an 80# compound at 65% let-off your still holding 28#s. If you double that your still not at 60#!

I shoot carbon arrows out of my set-up. They are just tougher. As far as weight they should be spined for the draw weight. Lighter arrows lose energy faster the further downrange it gets so a light arrow may get there a split second faster but will not penetrate as well as a heavier arrow.

I use a beaver ball for the string silencer.

I don't know a website off hand, but there are many bow types. I'd try to find a traditional shop near you and shoot as many as possible. There are some great customs out there and that's how I found mine.

hope it helped

You should decide whether you want a center shot or not. Mine isn't-makes spine more important. On the other hand I can easily switch between longbow and recurve without much mental adjustment.

If you decide to shoot without sights you should shoot off the shelf-therefore the shelf must not be radiused where it meets the riser. But it must have a high spot where the arrow rides (for important reasons). If you shoot off a rest you will probably be gap shooting instead of instinctive-something else to think about.

There's a good site somewhere about gap shooting/instinctive/string walking do a search and check it out. String walking or gap shooting both work very well if you know your distances-but it negates the advantages of shooting instinctivly. I tend to gap shoot at further yardages, as do many people. If you shoot off a rest you will notice that when the tip of the arrow is on the target (spot on) at a certain yardage it will hit where it is pointing--somewhere around 40 yards. Shooting off the shelf changes that and the yardage increases a lot I still don't know what my spot on yardage is, but it's quite a ways.

I use a finger tab others use a glove. The tab is nice because I can let it flop around on my finger when not shooting and it doesn't affect my manual dexterity while doing other things. The tab also fits well in my hunting gloves so I can remain warm.


String silencers are a good idea, as are brush buttons-which reminds me I gotta get some of those things.

Shoot a cut on impact broadhead, not fancy stuff. I got some Ted Nugent broadheads this year...pretty cheap, but not the best I think. They don't take a great edge. But then I'm a little picky being a chef I only understand shaving sharp.

One other thing, I have a 35 lb and 50 lb. I love the 50 lb but my elbows don't. It's amazing when I shoot the 35 lb for a couple days and go back to the 50 lb my accuracy is ALWAYS improved. It goes to show what good form and perfect practice can do. The lighter bow obviously uses different arrows but they both have pretty similar trajectory out to about 20 yards or so.

Don't shoot too many arrows on any given day. I try and shoot 20 of my best shots per day. Some days I'll only shoot 1 other days 3. My thoughts are to create an artificial stress where I only have one shot like in a hunting situation. Sometimes it's brilliant sometimes it's a dismal failure.

Make sure you know which is your dominant eye....I didn't know I was reversed until about 2 years ago. I can still shoot decently but would be better if it was the other way around.

Buy G. Fred Asbells book "instintive shooting" it's great. Read it and make your own style not everything he says works for everyone. I really like his bow grip though. He shoots off his fingertips and I used to too but with a deeper hook I seem to get a better release.

Go to O.L. Adcocks website it's great

You're going to fall in love with your recurve-it's impossible not to.

the chef

I've killed deer with a 45 lb recurve, but clean arrow flight and a scary sharp broadhead is critical. See if you can find a local mentor (the usual guy behind the counter at the wheels pro shop will just look at your cross eyed) to make certain the brace height and nock location are set correctly and to help you pick the correct spine for your arrows. If I had it to do over again I'd try heavy carbons or stick with aluminum shafts instead of going with cedars. Recurves tend to be quieter than compounds (though my Hoyt Havoc is a rulebeater in that regard, but it has silencers and dampers everywhere) but string silencers a easy to install and even easier to remove if you don't like them.

I'm pretty well taught in Compound bow tuning. Been tuning several of my own for years as well as many of my shooting friends. Will the same techniques for tuning be used on this bow? (IE Knock Placement, Paper tuning, etc).

Also, when I build my arrows for my compounds, I use a straight slight offset Jig for various reasons. Will these much slower arrows need a stout helical instead?

Thanks for the pointers guys.

Reloader

I shoot 62in.55# & 58in 60#recurves at my draw,2216 aluminum easton arrows with 125gr.snuffer or 125gr.thunderhead broadhead. You want to be able to shoot a deer at 20-25yards with traditional equipment.Thats the challenge,up close and personal.Check out the web site called tradgang.com
They are a great bunch and will help you with anything.The trad bows are really easy to shoot and learn,most folks just dont practice enough and find compounds easier to shoot,kinda like training wheels on/off a bicycle,once you learn its not hard anymore.Check out some videos of Fred Bear or Howard Hill and you will see some awsome shots!One thing i will stress though,dont over bow yourself,look for a weight that feels comfortable to you,i like 55# and a 50# bow feels way to light for me and 60# is my maximum.Also a good crisp release is the most important part of finger shooting,Pluck the string and your arrow will shoot wide.Try shooting at 10yards and then back up a little,concentrate on form and release.You will be wizzing those arrows in no time at all.Also the tradgang site has some videos you can watch for free.One has The great archer/bowyer Paul Shaffer shooting a Cape buffalo and Mountain Goat with a recurve.
Good luck!

Some very good advice given here. I found that 55# to 60# is ideal for deer. Use a fairly heavy arrow like the 2219 with 125 gr heads. Use a Neet hair tab for the best release. Lift your index finger almost off the string when you reach full draw. This will transfer the bow weight to the finger under the arrow and you can shoot as good as with a release. Use string silencers and brush buttons on a recurve to quiet the bow.
Tuning is tough! You have to mess with arrow spine, head weight, arrow length (Leave your arrows a little long to start because you can't put any back if you cut them.), rest position, nocking point and string height. There is no weight adjusment. A center shot bow is easier to tune.
Use three fletch, 5" vanes with full helical to make broadhead flight the best. Offset might be OK.

Remember what ever happens to the arrow causes the opposite to happen on the other end, that will help figure out most tuning problems. A heavier tip will break the spine as well as a longer arrow. When in doubt go with weaker spine and work backward.

It's amazing-when I shoot blank bale how consistent my groups are--much more than when "aiming" The more blank bale you shoot the better you will be --period.

the chef

Listen to all, but make your own decisions. Your bow weight should be something that you can draw repeatedly without tiring. There is no need for the super heavy weight bows that some obviously can and do shoot well. Deer hunting in CT is limited to a minimum of 40 pounds. Obviously enough to the job with a well placed shot. As your muscles develop you will be able to handle hevier weights if you so desire. Staring off too heavy can hurt your shoulder and cause serious problems. Another good site is Stickbow.com, with lots of assistance only an email away.