I was just wondering how many of you guys
(and girls) shoot recurve bows and compounds and which one are you particular to.

My father would not let me get a compound until I had stalked and killed my share of small game with a stick bow , his theroy was that jumping right into the higher speed and accuracy of the modern bow makes most guys lazy and lack good hunting and stalking skills.
I still shoot and hunt with my stick after I have put the seasons meat in the freezer , I've posted that I shoot a monster bow shooting real fast and have cought a little flack about doing so , I've been accused of being lazy in a round about way and that shooting such equiptment is pointless and shoulden't be as great a satisfaction as hunting with lighter draw and shooting a little slower.

I was just looking for a little imput from some other bow hunters and archers.

I bought my first bow two seasons ago. Its a dual cam PSE-F2, I think I paid like $300 for the kit. Well it is still here today but i believe i might go and buy a faster bow for next year. Im shooting a 200 grain arrow with a 85 grain thunderhead. I want more KE, call me lazy but I would much rather have that shoulder shatter and have my deer walking around alive with an arrow in him.

The reason I shoot such high poundage is for high KE and the weight doesen't bother me a bit , I like knowing that I can take a little less than perfect shot if its called for.
I shot a small feral pig (about 140lbs) as he was walking away from me , I was testing broadheads , The arrow hit the left rear ham , shattered the femur passed through the body , broke the right front shoulder and was sticking out about 12" or so. The pig dropped in its tracks and expired very shortly their after.
I shoot big 4 blade expandable heads at some pretty tough critters ,the heavy weight gives me the advantage.

Even on my stick bow I shoot between 80-90lbs with a big cut on contact head , this rig gives about the same KE as most lighter draw compounds.

I'm a firm believer that you should shoot as much weight as you can draw comfortably as soon as you get out of bed.
And I think that doing alot of snap shooting with the single string helps with this. I weight train for bodybuilding as a hobby and I have found nothing except drawing a bow that gives you the exact same work out.

I shoot both. I prefer to use a compound when stand hunting, but I use a recurve when stalking. I had a nerve injury in my right shoulder a couple of years ago, and I can't handle heavyweights like I formerly did.

I started with a bow at 5 years old....49 years ago. The first was a 15# longbow, then a 28# longbow and my first recurve I got when I was 12 at 39#. I shot 2 deer with that using cedar shafts and the old Bear broadheads. I graduated to fiberglass shafts, then to Aluminum and upgraded to a Bear Kodiak Hunter at 45#. I loved that bow and managed to bag a fair number of deer with it. When the limb bent I was forced to get a new bow. I got my first, and only compound in 1979. It is a Damon Howat all wood compound and shoots to this day at the weight I purchased it at....45#. What I will tell you is that you don't need high tech to bag a deer. The way I hunt is not for everyone but it works for me, gives me clean and quick kills and meat in the freezer. I have no sight on my bow and shoot instinctively. There is a quiver mounted on my bow and nothing else. I still shoot those same aluminum arrows but changed to Rocky Mountain 100s a few years back. The last 5 deer I shot (in the last 7 years)were shot at a maximum range of 15 yards...the closest 10. The farthest one of those deer went was 40 yards and I watched him drop. The closest went 15 yards...and I watched all 5 drop. There were no spine shots. In the end, no matter what the power of the bow, 45#, 65# or 85#, a super sharp broadhead, in the right place, will bag any whitetail. I do not plan on upgrading any of my equipment unless I am forced to. After all, if it isn't broke don't fix it.!!

Happy hunting....

[ 11-13-2003, 06:02: Message edited by: Bullseye2 ]

Recurves only. Had a 5 minute flirtation with a compound, but couldn't leave my old love. Been shooting recurves since 1964. It was a 25lb pull, all fiberglass, ??? Darn I've forgotten but I think it was a Bear. The fiberglass separated about 1972 and we chucked it. Killed crows, groundhogs, and lots of time with that bow.

Hey Hobie...was that fiberglass bow by any chance a yellow one?

I have an old Damon Howatt but just kind of plink with it for now. It is much different than shooting a compound and I am not sure I would want to chance hunting with it. Guess I am used to holding my bow vertical, using a release and I do love my sight pins!

I sold my last compound bow about 6 yrs. ago.

I'm having my 4th custom trad bow being built as you read this. My "Big Medicine" recurve will be a 80-85# Navajo II T/D recurve. 80-85# because until the limbs are built & drawn the bowyer won't be 100% sure of the wt.

I hope to hunt Cape Buffalo next year with it.

Hunted with compounds for 20 years,really just to extend the season.

When I started shooting recurves 4 years ago,I became a bowhunter.I'm actually alot more successful also.

That is in no shape or form a slam to anyone who uses wheels.

Mad

Madddman - "When I started shooting recurves 4 years ago,I became a bowhunter"

I felt the same way. When I was shooting a compound it seemed like I more of a bow mechanic than a bowhunter.

Also, no flame intended.

I gave up wheel bows two years ago. I have about 10 curves and longbows that I shoot now.
I watched some clown on TV yesterday gut shoot a trophy whitetail at close range from a treestand. Missed the vitals by a good 8", with the latest and greatest wheel bow with all the bells and whistles. I guess one of his bells or whistles must have come loose while climbing to his stand. That's the reason I gave up on the wheelies, too much crap to fiddle with.
Nothing like looking at your intened target without lining up a peep and pins, just the point of the arrow and your prey.

Rem. 222

Judging distance is easier too. I just think to myself, "Can I hit him?"

I started hunting with traditional equipment 3 years ago. I always admired folks that could hit the target with traditional bows without sights and I had to prove to myself that I could do it too (I admit that a goodly part of it is ego). I prefer the longbow, but I have a few recurves too. My recurves shoot closer to where I'm looking without any left/right compensation, just elevation. When shooting any of my longbows I must consciously aim right and higher than what feels natural. I call it "longbow left." Some situations require the shorter recurve, like inside a tent blind. When I first started shooting longbow I couldn't hit anything. Now I am winning tournaments with it. I still have my wheelies (Darton Lightning and Oneida Aeroforce X-80) but I haven't shot them in quite a while. I have nothing against wheelie shooters.

Hunt well