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New to Trad bow stuff. Help a noob!

Mschmeiske

Mschmeiske

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2017
Messages
1,949
Location
New York
If I wanted to get into traditional archery, what is a good starting bow? I usually shoot 50#compound and 26.5” draw length. I’d like to hear about bow selection, arrows, shooting with 3 fingers or split, etc.

Thanks in advance!
 
Welcome to another money pit, lol!

A good beginner bow would be to decide if you want a long bow or recurve. Longbows I have found are more forgiving with less than solid release. Recurve bows are just cooler, IMHO, LOL. if you're use to shooting 50lbs compound, you may want to start at 40lbs traditional as you have probably figured out there is no let off. And if you have a take down model bow, you can upgrade to heavier limbs when ready. A good recurve bow would be a samick sage. and a good longbow would be a black hunter. Both of these bows are within a good price range for beginners.

Arrows are different, the variables in what spine you shoot, as to what weight of head you want to shoot, can make your arrow weak or too stiff. that will come with tuning though. Best thing is to get a test kit to see what shaft works best. It can be a rabbit hole if you are willing to follow that road!
ex. Ashby reports!

The biggest thing to get is the release down! Anchoring everytime in the same spot and release needs to be smooth, not plucking the string, which can lead to some serious archers tattoo called string slap on your bow arm. However by not wearing a arm guard, you will figure out stuff more quickly of what. not to do anymore lol!

3 finger under or split finger is a personal preference, most say that 3 under is easier to shoot, but I truly think it's a personal preference.

There are a lot of good folks on here with knowledge that have been shooting trad for a long time. I am sure they will have some more advice if you have questions.
 
Not a traditional bow expert by anyone’s standards, but remember most recurves and longbows draw weight is measured at 28” I believe. If your draw length is less than that you’ll be pulling less weight
 
Since you are located in NY, I'd suggest you attend the Eastern Traditional Rendezvous in Coudersport, PA https://archeryfestivals.com/etar/ next year. There will be hundreds of bows to shoot both new and used and some of the finest folks to help you along the way. If you don't want to wait, I'd suggest a Samick Sage recurve in probably 45# range.
 
I also really want to get into the trad world i have a bow and its 50 lbs. i love it but its so heavy ive become a sorta snap shooter and that's at least for me not good.
im thinking 50 lb is a bit much for me being a beginner. I will definitely be looking for a 40 lb bow this off season.
 
www.3riversarchery.com

Timber Ridge T/D 60" Longbow

Check out the deal on Timber Ridge T/D 60" Longbow at 3Rivers Archery Supply
www.3riversarchery.com www.3riversarchery.com

This bow is the same as the black hunter, black hunter limbs fit this riser if you want to go up in weight. the limbs that com with this bow are very smooth. and it looks cooler than the black hunter. lol

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FlB1Y4w.jpg


eonBV7Q.jpg


rcbRNJZ.jpg


HwaqfdY.jpg


p5A1Oxn.jpg
 
arrow30 said:
www.3riversarchery.com

Timber Ridge T/D 60" Longbow

Check out the deal on Timber Ridge T/D 60" Longbow at 3Rivers Archery Supply
www.3riversarchery.com www.3riversarchery.com

This bow is the same as the black hunter, black hunter limbs fit this riser if you want to go up in weight. the limbs that com with this bow are very smooth. and it looks cooler than the black hunter. lol

9f3bDYv.jpg


FlB1Y4w.jpg


eonBV7Q.jpg


rcbRNJZ.jpg


HwaqfdY.jpg


p5A1Oxn.jpg
Click to expand...

Great looking bow and some nice kills. Congratulations!!
Now, if only they made it in lefty....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Mschmeiske said:
If I wanted to get into traditional archery, what is a good starting bow? I usually shoot 50#compound and 26.5” draw length. I’d like to hear about bow selection, arrows, shooting with 3 fingers or split, etc.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

I echo what others say: Start lighter than you would think, else you will develop poor form, get frustrated with inconsistencies, and end up quitting.
I started this season trad. Have not had that much luck, but did kill one small spike and it was really fun and rewarding. 8 yards... man it was exhilarating.

There are a lot of good articles on the web and youtubes to watch. YOu can really go down the rabbit hole on this one, but a lot is personal preference and trial and error. I would find a trad club and go shoot a bunch of bows to see what you like and what you shoot best. And a take down model with limbs that can go up and down in weight are worth its weight in gold.
Find a mentor if you can.
And practice. This is not compound archery where you basically have a scope - there are no sights.
I like some of Clay Hayes stuff on Youtube, a lot of it is about building bows, but there are some good vids on shooting and tuning.
Lastly, ditch your mechanicals if you are shooting mechanical broadheads. They won't do you any good through a trad bow, most likely.
Good luck and have fun!
 
Order a Black hunter from a reputable dealer and call it good, some of the versions on eBay or Amazon are not the same riser material. A timber ridge is also a good option, just costs double. I have a galaxy ember (black hunter) from Lancaster that is 40@ 28 and it's been great for me. If you don't mind waiting on the shipping you can get one from Mandarin duck for 150. I originally had a samick sage at 60 pounds and that was impossible to learn on. I may end up with a 45-pound bow eventually, but 40 is plenty to kill deer.
 
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I shot both these deer with a 40lb black hunter recurve. At my draw of 27 inches I was only pulling 37.5 lbs. I got a complete pass through on the doe and I got an exit hole on the buck. They are small southern deer but my point is that low poundage traditional bows can get it done if you keep your shot distances short. Both shot with 2 blade magnus stinger.
 
Mschmeiske said:
Also, any good YouTube channels on this stuff?
Click to expand...

here is a thread on that topic.

Traditional Archery YouTube Content

When I first switched to tradition archery a few years back I wanted to watch as much traditional content as I could find. After browsing a lot I found some good content. Here is a list of YouTube channels that I enjoy that have recurve and longbow hunting and information. I hope this helps...
saddlehunter.com
 
Find Jeff Kavanagh, Jimmy Blackmon, and the push archery on YouTube. Ton of great information from different perspectives let's solid foundational information.
 
Mschmeiske,

just a thought. Please do not underestimate the importance of having a low enough poundage when starting out. Too heavy a bow is a shortcut to bad form and target panic. It will take time to build a solid foundation. Take it easy and enjoy the ride.

I second Thogg's Youtube recommendations. Also, chances are there's a club near where you live.

Another good forum for all things single string archery is Tradtalk.

Traditional Archery bowhunting selfbows recurves longbows 3D Field Archery

TradTalk is a complete traditional archery community. longbows, recurves, horsebows, classic target bows are all welcome. Browse our galleries, forums, message boards, free classifieds, live chat, member blogs and more
tradtalk.com
 
"Shooting the stickbow" by Anthony Camera is basically the bible of shooting, tuning, knowing traditional/olympic archery.

I grabbed a copy when I started shooting traditional this march. Very helpful. 30# is a great starting range. I bought 30# and 45# limbs for my samick sage. The 30 actually pull about 25# and the 45 closer to 40. I can shoot my 25 in the basement and not get strained.
 
Look on the trad forums for used bows. 50% new is a good rule to buy by. It really won't matter what you buy. That will just be the first one. I have no idea as to how may bows I have bought, sold or still own. It seems any time I get bored I buy another bow. Covid has been a shopping disaster
 
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