Traditional Bow setup

[Deon Cloete]

Hi Guys , I,m new to the forum thing so just be patient with me pls ... Why I actually joined this particular forum is I,m looking for some advice and tips on Trad shooting and hunting , I have been shooting Compound bows for the past 8 or so years , my draw length on these bows is 27.5 and I have most of the time been shooting at +/- 60-65# ... I always had since childhood been keen on Traditional bow shooting and now have made the switch .. I met a guy in my hometown that builds custom Trad bows and he has borrowed me one of his for the time been to see if I like it and then we will discuss a custom made one for myself . The Bow he lent me is a 62" Hybrid 53# at 28" .. I can shoot the Bow but find it difficult to hold at full draw and therefore my form suffers & is not consistent .. What draw weight do u guys suggest I should aim for in this type of bow ?? Also I will be hunting small game up to say a Blesbuck at +/- 20 to 25 yrds ...

 

[kathy]

I can not hold a recurve like a compound, I don't try.
you need to shoot every day to get and keep your muscles in tune.
maybe you friend has a lighter bow you can try, but I would not want to hunt African game with much liter than 53# Forrest

 

[mrpoindexter]

Yeah, the 53# bow is probably at the low end of what you would want to hunt with in Africa based on your draw length. I don't have the power cycle curves, but basically a long bow will start at zero pounds and then increase in draw weight as you pull back in a fairly linear fashion. Assuming the same brace height as your compound bow, it will average about half the max draw weight over the entire power cycle. So, if you have a 6" brace height and a 27.5" draw, you have a 21.5" power cycle with an average draw weight of 29# for 51.96 foot pounds put into the bow. Not all the power put in gets to the arrow but I hear the efficiency is somewhere in the 80's %-wise. That would yield maybe 41 ft-pounds of K.E. in the arrow when it leaves the bow.

A compound bow gets a lot more power into the bow in its power cycle because the weight ramps up so fast and then drops off just at the end to make it easier to hold. I calculated that I am getting about 68% of (the power cycle (draw length - brace height) x draw weight) into the arrow. That would likely be 80% of the max draw weight as the average draw weight and 85% efficient. Going through math I don't want to try and write out in a forum post, it looks to me like a traditional bow would need to have a draw weight about 38% higher than a compound bow to get the same amount of kinetic energy and/or momentum. That would mean you can take your traditional bow and multiply it by 0.72 to figure out what it would be in equivalent to a new compound bow (and mine is a 350 IBO speed so it is very efficient).

So, would you hunt these animals with a 42 lb draw weight Mathews Halon? If yes, then you probably have the power in your traditional bow, but holding 58 lbs at full draw is not easy.

If you have access to a chronograph, you can check the velocity, weigh your arrow and calculate the actual KE you are getting - always a good thing to know.

My PH on my safari told me they have a word for traditional bows in South Africa - they call it a wounding stick (but I suspect more based on accuracy than power). Good luck.

 

[Synergy]

In my last trip to Africa some of my friends went with traditional bows, 45-50 pounds range and they didn´t have any problem with Impalas, wharthogs, and Oryx.
Remember that you use a heavy arrow with trad bows so penetration is not a problem (45 pounds and up).
For me accuracy is the real challenge with a traditional bow.

 

[Deon Cloete]

Thanx for the reply guys .. I,m learning fast .. I agree 45-50 # for African game is about the limit on the bottom scale , but ok then again have been growing up in Africa and knowing the game animals and also hunted them before it would be very stupid of anybody to go hunt a buffalo or Eland with say 55# Trad bow , then again a Kudu is a big heavy animal and guys had successfully hunt them with .22 rifles cause it's a soft type skin animal , it all lays in knowing the game animal , your & your bows limitations , good shot placement and accuracy I think , anyway I,m practising every day and getting much better at it , getting used to holding the Trad bows full draw weight etc.

 

[razorsharptokill]

My set up is a 55 lb hoyt recurve with a 650 gr. FMJ tipped by a Zwickey Delta. I will be surprised if I don't get pass throughs on everything up to and including Kudu. August can't get here soon enough.

 

[razorsharptokill]

Holding a trad bow at full draw really doesn't do much for accuracy. If anything if I hold longer than a second or two, its time to let down and start over. Rarely do I shoot a good shot once I pass that "window". My form and the accuracy of the shot suffer greatly the longer I hold. Once I hit my anchor point, the shot is usually on the way almost instantly.

 

[Lrntolive]

Ah, the old struggle stick. I recommend you back down on the draw weight until you are more comfortable and consistent with it, then move up. Start around 45lb, and once your accuracy and consistency are up, move up to 50, then 55 and so on.

There are exercises you can do to help increase draw weight. Use a cable machine with adjustable height so the handle and cable are horizontal to your shoulder. Draw a weight that is comfortable to start and you can hold for 10 seconds at full draw. Repeat for 10 reps. Move up in weight when you are ready. You'll soon be able to hold at full draw for longer periods. Just don't over stress your shoulder. Don't need any torn tendons or ligaments. Good luck.