SAFalconer
AH senior member
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2014
- Messages
- 75
- Reaction score
- 4
- Hunted
- South Africa
OK. Thanks.
World's most popular community & resource for hunting in Africa since 2007
Beginner bow - compound or traditional?
- Thread starter SAFalconer
- Start date
Wynand Rohde
AH member
May I add my little bit of experience. The Feul is a good value for money, someone mentioned the Assasin, Great bow. Shoot them all before you buy one. Go for the best bow you can afford.
Paolo Mauritania
AH veteran
Hi Falconer,
Having shot longbows all my archery life, unless you are prepared to go a long way to root the correct technique, you are a couple of years away from your first serious hunt. I would not recommend a recurve (here I might get some critics) unless you are cast in concrete with your form, recurves are way less forgiving than longbows owing to their thin limb configuration.
A well tuned compound could be the answer, the difference with traditional bows is that mechanics takes a lot of load out of the archer. This doesn't mean you need to have proper form, but peep-sight, pins and let-off all helps.
I would suggest a compound that has an ample range of draw weight, being overbowed especially at the beginning, wreck havoc in your form, and a good let off. I have seen the Bear Cruzer, decent set up at a reasonable price and ample draw weight/draw length range, let-off 75%, speed (being a traditionalist I don't put all my faith in speed) but is a reasonable 310 IBO, which in practice translate in something less depending on your draw length/weight/arrow weight/bla, bla.
I shot with either a 70# or a 80# depending on the animal, but it took me a long way to work the poundage up and almost never failed to shoot at least 3 times a week, if not more frequently, and still I do not shoot over 25 yards range unless I'm in perfect mental and physical conditions (not after a long day hunt in the heat).
Here I leave it to the most experienced compound shooters.
Having shot longbows all my archery life, unless you are prepared to go a long way to root the correct technique, you are a couple of years away from your first serious hunt. I would not recommend a recurve (here I might get some critics) unless you are cast in concrete with your form, recurves are way less forgiving than longbows owing to their thin limb configuration.
A well tuned compound could be the answer, the difference with traditional bows is that mechanics takes a lot of load out of the archer. This doesn't mean you need to have proper form, but peep-sight, pins and let-off all helps.
I would suggest a compound that has an ample range of draw weight, being overbowed especially at the beginning, wreck havoc in your form, and a good let off. I have seen the Bear Cruzer, decent set up at a reasonable price and ample draw weight/draw length range, let-off 75%, speed (being a traditionalist I don't put all my faith in speed) but is a reasonable 310 IBO, which in practice translate in something less depending on your draw length/weight/arrow weight/bla, bla.
I shot with either a 70# or a 80# depending on the animal, but it took me a long way to work the poundage up and almost never failed to shoot at least 3 times a week, if not more frequently, and still I do not shoot over 25 yards range unless I'm in perfect mental and physical conditions (not after a long day hunt in the heat).
Here I leave it to the most experienced compound shooters.
Wynand Rohde
AH member
Paolo, no crits on very wise advice. I also wanted to go the recurve way and people adviced me in going for the compound, and I am so glad that I listened. I was acurate within a week with my first compound. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot off respect for poeple hunting with a long/recurve bow. Again very wose words.
Paolo Mauritania
AH veteran
Wynand,
Thanks. If Howard Hill himself once said "Why I do not shoot recurves? I'm just not that good" there must be something to it. They are beautiful bow to shoot, however many pick them up thinking about length as opposed to the LB, at around 28" draw, you'll likely end up with anywhere between 56"-60" to have a decent string angle for a consistent release. A LB at 68"-70" is not a major penalization, however with the proper arrow weight I found the LB way more silent and way more forgiving of "real" hunting situation shots (just try to twist the tip of a LB's limb and do the same with a recurve). I would suggest that if anyone wants to shoot traditional to start training in parallel, while enjoying the compound. It will take sometime and is a complete different style of shooting (aiming included) but once mastered is very satisfying, is amazing what can be done with a wood pole, especially shooting from the most unconventional positions. If anyone wants some suggestions please feel free to ask at any time.
Thanks. If Howard Hill himself once said "Why I do not shoot recurves? I'm just not that good" there must be something to it. They are beautiful bow to shoot, however many pick them up thinking about length as opposed to the LB, at around 28" draw, you'll likely end up with anywhere between 56"-60" to have a decent string angle for a consistent release. A LB at 68"-70" is not a major penalization, however with the proper arrow weight I found the LB way more silent and way more forgiving of "real" hunting situation shots (just try to twist the tip of a LB's limb and do the same with a recurve). I would suggest that if anyone wants to shoot traditional to start training in parallel, while enjoying the compound. It will take sometime and is a complete different style of shooting (aiming included) but once mastered is very satisfying, is amazing what can be done with a wood pole, especially shooting from the most unconventional positions. If anyone wants some suggestions please feel free to ask at any time.
Paolo Mauritania
AH veteran
Just a little tribute to our masters of the longbow and some typical daily training shots (for form) in the garage of a friend in Italy few months ago with the HH "Tembo" 80#:
Wynand Rohde
AH member
Wow, thank you for sharing.
Paolo Mauritania
AH veteran
Welcome.
Members online
- Trogon
- Jefferry404
- TwoTracks
- CRCO
- Flbt
- arniet
- Axle2010
- JES Adventures
- Monski
- WAB
- Hunt anything
- godwincp
- Certus
- Hyde Hunter
- Rafiki
- Rare Breed
- BeeMaa
- Skshyk
- rdog
- Whit
- Paul K
- skydiver386
- DmacD
- Cooposo
- Buckis
- Tucketed
- Winmdl71
- LucasK
- Goopy
- Scanos
- Captain Munro
- Alistair
- roklok
- Corey0372
- rhoward252
- Sideshow
- MATTANJA HUNTING SAFARIS
- Bivy
- mdwest
- samson7x
- SheilaCam
- jpg
- double rifle newbie
- farmer_john
- Voodooracer
- tward1604
- Albert GRANT
- kypatchwork
- Basser2x
- Somnas
Forum statistics
Latest profile posts
Mauser3000 wrote on HBartley's profile.
Hello,
I saw your post selling left hand rifles. Do you have any additional pics of the .416 Rem mag?
Thank you.
-Nathan
I saw your post selling left hand rifles. Do you have any additional pics of the .416 Rem mag?
Thank you.
-Nathan
Mauser3000 wrote on gbflyer's profile.
Hello, I saw your post selling left hand rifles. Do you have any other left hand rifles you may let go of? Also can you send a few additional pics of Borden rifle?
Thank you.
-Nathan
Thank you.
-Nathan