I was wondering if anyone here hunted with recurves? I've got 3. None have sights. (all instinctual shooting) PSE Impalla (45# @ 28"/ 64# @ 30"), Martin Dream Catcher (70# @ 28"/ 80# @ 30"), Mongolian Horse Bow (74# @ 28")

mike

I hunt with a recurve-instinctivly. I've only been doing it a couple years, but I love it. Mine is a pse impala 50 lb. Some day I might go to something else. I've been looking at adcock longbows....too bad they don't make recurves with their technology.

the chef

I shot a Mongolian bow a while back. It was pretty interesting to shoot. The owner says it was 60 lbs but it sure felt more like 40 to me. It really stacked badly and had huge handshock, as well as a lot of creaking and groaning. It was still fun to shoot!!!!!

the chef

I shoot and hunt with a Palmer recurve or one of the Osage self bows I've made.

Past couple of years I haven't done much personal bow hunting.....that's going to change!

-Ron

Just my old Fred Bear Grizzly recurve, 60# @ 28". Minimal hand shock, light enough to carry all day without noticing.
I did try a Hoyt takedown recurve a few years ago, a lot heavier to carry, and with the alloy riser a lot more felt shock. It's gone and I'll stick with the Bear recurve.

Cool. We seem to be a select few. I started with my PSE. It's a good starter bow, and it got me hooked.It's still a lot of fun to shoot, as it's relatively low poundage, so shooting for hours is easy.

The Martin came about as I was looking for a heavier bow. I ordered one of the new Hoyt takedown recurves, but they kept rolling the delivery date out, and out. So I canceled the order, and got my 70# Dreamcatcher from the last batch that Martin made. Martin is still making 70# bows, just not the Dreamcatcher.

I purchased the Mongolian as I love the shape. And honestly, it's my favorite bow to shoot. It's smooth, stacks on evenly, and is just as accurate as either of my other bows. It's definitely different though.

I've not heard of Adcock longbows, so I'm not farmiliar with their technology, but I'll look into them.

mike

I really have to stop promoting Adcock bows. I want to buy one some day but the waiting list just keeps getting longer and longer.

the chef

Pretty nice looking. I personally prefer recurve, but those are some pretty nice bows. Quite expensive though.

mike

cndrm
If you want to know a simple way to set up gap marks to help you here's some pix I posted on another thread
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've been a competitive archer since 1959. In competition I shoot in the NFAA Freestyle Limited (fingers-tab) Pro division but since the early 80s I went back to shooting a recurve to hunt with. This is a simple- on the bow gap mark sighting system I use for myself and when I teach.

I sight over- down the top of the arrow and align the arrow vertically in line with the spot- the gap marks are just for elevation. I aim my bowarm at the the target before I draw- so with these gap marks I hold my bowarm at the range/elevation I think the target is before I draw.
On my old Bear teaching bow I put a piece of scotch tape on the edge of the window and then just painted on marks with liquid paper- that was too much trouble- it's easier to just cut little strips of masking tape and stick it on the edge of the window- move them as you settle in on your distances.



On my Partners(Palmer) bow I figured out where my marks were then I stuck a piece of masking tape on the back of the riser window and transfered the marks. Then I used Glow-In-The-Dark stick on material that I use in my darkroom (I'm a photographer) for the permanent marks. I used a little dab of FletchTite fletching cement on the tape so it wouldn't get nocked off. They work great, especially in the dark for hog hunting!!







This photo shows my Quinn Stallion next to my Partners bow. The marks on the Stallion are just strips of masking tape. You can really see the difference in the speed of the 2 bows. both bows are 64" 55# bows that I shoot the same arrows out of.

I got ride of my last wheelbow ten years ago and hunt with a recurve. Shooting instinctive isn't really all that hard. However, one must dedicate the time to master it.

Boss, I haven't seen you in here for awhile. I thought you'd pop in on this one.

the chef

Recurves Rule#1 !I love one piece & take down recurves & Longbows!They are the bowyers art work!

How can anyone not love the feel of a well executed shot from a recurve/longbow? I could shoot mine forever and not get bored. Longbows are soooo quiet, you just hear that little "bump" as the string hits home.

I was at the archery center a couple weeks back--feller there was shooting with his training wheel bow. I was almost scared to stand beside him, every time he shot there was this terrible racket. He was muttering about something or other being loose and constantly adjusting things. Poor guy could have had so much fun with a recurve.

the chef

Chef,Your post made me think about ,back in early 80s i played around with the trainingwheel compounds,Explodeded 5 like a hand granade!The little teardrops would let go at the end of the cable or the sress from the limbs would bust the sring or arrow nock and all hell would break lose!Those compounds have a lot of adjustments/stress that can & will go wrong.I went to the recurve just like a duck to water and never looked back....You know there are alot of great really well made recurves & longbows to choose from now,just 20yrs ago there were only a select few.Traditional archery has really caught on again and made a huge comeback.....
My Favorites are Great Plains,Cascade,Bear, Black Widow,schaffer silver tip...

Chef - I've had a busy few months.

I find in interesting that people are so amased that we can shot instictively. Granted for field archery it is a bit harder to master. But, for hunting, most trad archers don't hunt past 20yrds. Once you can judge yourhunting distences it's very easy.

Yeah, some people really find instinctual shooting just short of amazing. I personally feel right at home with it.

The really funny thing is I can't hit the broad side of a barn with a compound , but do pretty well with no form of sights.

I really love my bows. I never caught onto the longbows, but I don't contest their quality or effectiveness. (I know better than that. If they weren't good, the english wouldn't have used them for so long)

mike

A longbow is harder to shoot than a recurve for sure. But they are so light and elegant it's just a real joy.

the chef

I certainly don't contest their effectiveness at all. I just prefer recurves. I've gathered that longbows stack on much faster, and aren't quite as linear as recurves.

But to each their own. I personally think there is a certain air of elegance, simplicity, and total effectiveness about them.

No matter how much they refine the wheels and limbs of compound bows, they'll never do away with the tried and true longbows and recurves.

mike

I love the traditional side of the sport too and try to explain instinctive shooting by comparing it to throwing a baseball. You just do it enough to get good at it. When you start to think about the shot you miss.
Blackbearhunter, I have had a recurve string break at fulldraw and a longbow de-laminate and stab my hand the week before deer season. It is not any more fun when it is traditional, you just can't run out to the store and buy another. Valid excuse for owning more than one.

Considering that the average bow kill is supposed to be 12 yards...why would you need anything else. I can shoot to 30 yards, if you can't get any closer you're not as good a hunter. I also don't have to range my target first. I love such simplicity.

I could go on and on I love it so much.

the chef

I agree!Think Close range ,Think the arrow -be the arrow...... Theres not much arrow drop to judge at 12- 15yards.
25 yards is a long shot...tree stands can make for some awful close range shooting when set up on the gametrail at the right tree......Can anyone say buck fever!

You guys got me thinkin again...damn it!!

The little 8 pt I got this year was at <15 yds...so were most of the does too and I was thinking it was too easy with my compound with all the gee whiz stuff on it. I actually had these thoughts before this thread, but now you're validating them!!...damn it!!

Guess I should read Byron...what's his name's book again.....guess this is the time to start practicing if I'm gunna do it...damn it!!

348srfun, I've also had a string break at full draw (right at the eye loop). And I got pretty lucky as nothing really happened. Although it scared the living crap out of me.

As for range, I regularly shoot out to 35 yds at my house, and it's a long shot. I'm glad to hear that the most common shot is at 12 yards or less.

mike

One thing to consider to be fair to the wheel bow guys. At 15 yards it's very easy to spook a deer while trying to get the shot off. At ranges over 20 yards it gets a LOT easier. At anything over 40 yards you don't have to worry at all. That's the thing about hunting though if you make it too easy its just shooting a deer it's not hunting anymore. Another thing if you don't have a lot of time to spend hunting maybe a recurve isn't for you--because it truthfully does take more time and effort as well as huting skill. And don't jump on me...I'm not saying compound hunters arent skillful. I'm saying that if you want to score with a recurve you inevitably have to get more skillful for it to work out. But when it does its damned sweet. In two years of bowhunting I've only gotten 2 deer but I've learned sooo much and I know that in the future I'll be a lot more successful. My rifle hunting has also become a closer range thing--because I know how to do it now.

the chef

Calgarychef1, I see more deer when gun hunting now because I hunt them like I bow hunt. Quiet, sent free and in the thick stuff.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy a good challenge. I'm not happy that 12 yard shots are the most common because I can't shoot. I'm just a lot better at 12 than I am at 35.

Like I said, I enjoy a challenge. I'll just use it to learn from.

One must know, understand, and respect his quarry before he can get close to it.

mike

What does everyone prefer ....one piece recurve or a takedown with metal riser? What are the advantages of each? Which gives less felt recoil?

Lowrider - I'm archery we refer to it as Hand shock. Hand shock is a result of enery not being absorbed by the arrow.

Heavier arrows eliminate much of the hand shock issue. The next componate is a heavy riser(the middle section of a bow).

A take down recuve has more mass in the riser so it absorbs a bit more unused enrgy.

I have three T/D recurves built by Navajo. 60# with a Birdseye Maple riser, 70# with a Osage/Cocobolo riser and 85# with a Micata/Bocote rier(my Big Medicine Buffalo bow)

All are good heavy riser materials, in my case they were picked because they are progressively denser to handle the stress of the draw wt.

Arrows selection usually starts around 10 gr. per pound of draw wt. so a 55# bow would shoot a 550 grain arrow. Then once wt. ans spine are decided, one fine tunes the arrow a bit farther.
Bow design, brace ht. shooting style comes intro play. My bows seem to shoot best with an arrow that is 8.75 gr, per # of draw wt.

That's a 615 gr. arrow from my 70# hunting bow.

I use a takedown and it almost never gets taken apart.....but it's nice to have the option while traveling. I can also stow it in my back pack until I get beyond the hord of "granolas" that day hike close to the parking lot. It's better that they don't know what I'm going up the mountain for. Almost all the target archers use metal risers....maybe they know something I dont't. Metal must be hell on the hands on a cold day though.

the chef

Chef - I seldom breck my bows down either. It sure makes travel easy. I travel with two water proof duffels. A recurve and a PVC tube arrow case. If one get's misdirected I'm still hunting. I would go anywhere to hunt with out a back-up bow.

Nothing I carry traveling to hunt would alert anyone that I was a hunter as I feel it's no ones business other than mine.

Thanks gusy!

It seems the metal riser adds weight which is what dampens shock/recoil rather than any magic in the metal...right? If you used a one piece wood laminate bow and added a stabilizer and equal weight, wouldn't you get the same result?

I use roughly 8.5 grains/# in my compound which I'm told is kinda light, but it has worked just fine on <200 lb deer. I think Boss is implying a heavier arrow cuts down on shock in the bow which makes sense to me.

I always wear my camo and use bow or gun cases with lots of stickers when I travel. I always get questions on "how we did" rather than any anti hunter remarks. I did get a PETA type comment once while carrying fly rod cases...go figure!!

quote:

Originally posted by calgarychef1:
I really have to stop promoting Adcock bows. I want to buy one some day but the waiting list just keeps getting longer and longer.

the chef

I have a TD recurve that O.L. made for me about four or five years ago. The summer before 9/11, we had previously received VIP permits to hunt McAlester AAP (state draw traditional hunt for whitetails) http://www.mcaapcontrolledhunts.com/ during the rut every year before that. After 9/11 it stopped and my OL Recurve never got to go with me. He had put his recurve presses away at the time, but agreed to make mine. Mine may be one of the last recurves he made. Zebrawood riser and walnuts limb lams, it is super smooth and fast. I shoot fat cedar shafts with Snuffer heads. I plan to get a longbow from him too. The waiting list is long, but I think you will find his longbows will outshoot or stand with about anything out there.

Learn how to shoot instinctive and you won't need sights or marks.

Well, I ordered a Martin X200 recurve in 40#. It is a one piece rather than TD. The gentleman at 3 Rivers Archery said the one piece seemed to shoot more smoothly and more quietly. I'm excited!!

Lowrider - Yes, heavier arrows do help reduce handshock. As do heavy risers, heavy strings and silences.

My gear bags bow or gun are very plain. No indication to anyone I'm a hunter. No camo, No logos, kinda beat-up with lots of millage & history on them. Hopefuly, no one will be tempted to grab my tack and ruin my hunts.

I couldn't care less about offending PETAphiles. However, my hunting is my business and I share that with those that I choose to.

I carry my handguns to the range in a canvas tool bag. Those bags with the COLT logo are just screaming...STEAL ME!!!!

My orange travel duffels are water proff. I can ee them a mile away.

PETAphiles....now that's pretty funny and appropriate!!! PETA and ELF are terrorist organizations and should be treated as such!!

Lowrider 49, I think you'll be quite impressed with the X200. My buddy has one in 45#, and it's considerably smoother drawing than my PSE Impala in 45#. (at least I think so). Very nice bow indeed. Hope you like it.

mike

Thanks Mike!!

I talked to a few folks and they are all Martin shooters and I've been using Martin wheel bows for years, so I was buying a Martin from the start i guess. Hardest decision was 40# or 45#. I went with the 40# since everyone said stay with a lighter pull...you'll shoot it more.

Thanks again for the feedback....I can't wait to try it out!!

Lowrider 49, I love my Dreamcatcher. It's a beast, but I love it. And between you, me and the forum, I actually prefer the look of the X200 over the Dreamcatcher. I just picked the Dreamcatcher as '05 was the last year that Martin made the Dreamcatcher in 70#. (so I guess it's a ltd. edition).

I'm sure you'll love your X200. 40# will be easy on the fingers, so you'll probably more than love shooting it. If it's anything like the one I've shot, it'll be hard for you to even put it down.

mike

Mike,

A brown step van dropped off my new X200 this afternoon. Following a little set up, about 36 arrows down range and I'm very happy with my new bow!! It is smoother than I expected (just as you said) and it is doing pretty much what I want right out of the box.

At 15 yards, I'm inside the pie plate everytime, but #2 son is doing better than I can at this point. He wants his own now. I lucked out on this one..it really is a nice bow!! A couple months of shooting and tweaking and I'll have a hunting bow for sure!!

Just one question...do you use a bow quiver? I have always taken the quiver off my compound to shoot or in the stand and I'm thinking about just using a hip quiver with the recurve. What do you thinK?

I use a hip quiver that I attached to the tree when I'm in the stand. As you hike through the woods you can slide it behind your back.

Mine uses a quickie quiver that I can remove. I've seem guys at trade shoots that have mounted quickie qwuiver right to thier risers...I couldn't bring myself to do such a thing.

I would highly recomend using a stalker type single arrow quiver while hunting in the tree or on the ground. Use it in addtion to what ever quiver you choose. I have an older style, mine ties to the upper limb. If your handy with leather, you can make a simple one.

http://www.alaskabowhunting.com/