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Split finger or 3 under?

And is it true that most of the limb ratings for recurves are based on a 23" riser? So, conceivably, you could order 35lb limbs but if they are that weight on a 23" inch riser, they would draw at a higher poundage with a 15" riser? Everything else being equal.
 
My typical compound setup is 60-65# @ 29" and my current recurve setup, a Black Widow PA V, is 52# @ 28.5". My personal preference is split finger with a Damascus-style (buckskin or goatskin) glove, although I can shoot with a Black Widow multiple-fingered split tab. I do shoot "true" instinctive with this setup vs. gap shooting or using a reference point/sighting plane. I shot only traditional for about a year, and I learned a ton of great info, much of which was able to translate back into non-traditional archery when I picked the compound back up. Ethically, I'm currently stuck on the compound as my hunting setup, as my allotted time for my practice regimen is limited. I used to shoot 50+ arrows a day, 5-6 days a week, and now I'm lucky if I get 30-50 a day on the weekends (although my muscle conditioning is top-notch because I tune, shoot, and draw daily at work)... Traditional is more fun and engaging to me as compared to shooting a compound.
 
3 under, much more accurate this way for me using a fixed crawl. My compound is 65# and my recurve is 45# @ 28”. Next trad bow will be 50#.
 
I think if I shot longbow three under would do alright. With my recurve I don’t like the the angle that my finger are put in and the release feels unnatural. It’s almost like it plucks the string when I release. It is super cool to be looking straight down the hog of your arrow though. Once you get it down it’s practically aiming. I did bring my anchor close to my eye for split finger shooting and the arrow goes where I want it too so Im not dying to change what I currently have. I shoot a glove but it’s a little big. I need to get a glove that fits as well as a shooting tab to try.
 
Recently switched to 3 under for all the reasons listed above (accuracy). I prefer a glove.......It's one less thing I can lose/drop while sitting in a saddle.

Firefly Longbow is #53 @ 28 and Black Widow PSAX recurve is #46 @28ish. Both bows are 62". Longer bows make a huge difference in finger pinch when shooting 3 under. My draw is a true 29" shooting traditional. I have a hard time shooting bows that are any shorter than 62"....personal preference in the end.

I shoot instinctive.......because the mind is a terrible thing to waste! :tearsofjoy:

Have Fun and Be Safe!
 
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I've shot 3 under for about 7 years now. I like getting the arrow closer to my eye. As GCterpfan says it's easy to transition to 3 under.
I shoot with a light leather hunting glove during season, a tab in summer. All I want is some protection for my fingers, it doesn't seem to matter how I get it.
 
I’m 3 under. Draw weight on compound is in the 65ish range. Recurve is 41. I shot a glove at first but switched to a tab this year and my release cleaned up quite a bit. I prefer a heavier cordovan leather tab. The calf hair I tried initially really hurt my fingers after a few shots.
 
I tried 3 under.....accurate, but kinda noisy. None of my bows are tillered for 3 under.

I shoot split, with a Black Widow tab. The bows I hunt with are between 60-64#.
 
I like a tab if I'm target shooting a lot and bare fingers when I'm hunting. I shoot a 70# compound and shoot a 60# longbow and 45# recurve. I like the 45# recurve the best. Hunting with the 45# lets me draw back easily, hold a bit if needed to and aim (yes I aim) and shoot within my abilities. I find if I'm practicing with the 60# longbow, I tend to shoot beyond my abilities and have a few bad shots which I wouldn't want while hunting.
 
3 under for about 20 winters. I am sure I use some method but I don’t know what it is. I draw, point, and release. I like to shoot 50 yards plus for practice. 20 give or take for hunting. Some say it is noisy but that can be tuned out pretty easy with the right string silencer and placement on the string. Put the top silencer on the quarter and the bottom on the third. Measure the length of the string and divide by 25 and 33 to hit the spots. Heavy arrows help too.
 
I grew up shooting a compound split. For whatever reason that never felt right on a recurve or longbow. I always had to shoot three under to feel right. I use a tab. I personally find 50# to be excessive weight for me. I want to be able to hold if I need to, I cannot do that for any meaningful period of time. I shoot and hunt with 42-46#.
 
Shot split fingers at first. Bought a Orvis recurve in 1970 and it was so short finger pinch made me switch to three under.
Now I hunt with a 58# black widow and a fixed crawl.
 
I have no idea how you guys use a glove. I’ve tried a few and I cannot feel the string nearly as well as I can with a tab. My release always suffers.
 
kbetts,
I know this thread is a little old but you should try a damascus glove. It's all I've shot with for the past 30 years. I own tabs and have tried them but it feels unnatural. The damascus glove goes on first, then the fingerless wool gloves (when it's cold). Great string feel and very comfy.

And relating to split vs 3 under, I grew up shooting split fingers. I shot daily and as a kid would regularly skewer groundhogs and the occasional skunk. Shot my first buck with my recurve that way too. Now, although I think my shot is a smidge quieter shooting split, I'm more consistent shooting 3 under, especially at shorter ranges. I'd recommend starting that way.

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Damascus Shooting Glove

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Sean
 
GCTerpfan said:
I shot split finger most of my life. There were various times when I was younger that I would try 3 under but, quickly abandon it in just a few shots because I didn't hit what I was looking at. Last year I finally made the switch to 3 under and gave myself more than a few shots to make the correction. Within 50 arrows my brain had made the correction and in a short amount of time I was shooting better than I had ever shot. The difference in my shooting the last two years is noticeable enough that my dad has also switched to 3 under after shooting split finger his entire life.

Both of us struggled a little with face scrapes and hitting our noses when we made the switch. I just had to consciously pay attention to my head position for a while but, it's now part of my form and I don't have that issue anymore.

I have helped several people get started with Trad the last two years and I recommended to all of them to shoot 3 under, the arrow being closer to your eye really helps.

Edit: The only 'pro' I know of to split finger is if you are shooting longer shots, it makes your point on farther away. This is why a lot of long range target shooters shoot split finger. At the distances I shoot in hunting situations that's actually a con.
Click to expand...
I'm a split finger guy bit I have half-heartedly tried 3 under years ago but I never gave it an honest try. Maybe I should give it another go.
So, do you find that nock height or brace height needs changed for 3 under?
And how about tiller? I assume bows are tillered to shoot better one way or the other??

I like a cordovan leather tab. I’ve shot calf hair years ago but my cordovan tabs are so slick from thousands of shots. I've never had calf hair as smooth as this leather. Cordovan never wears out and actually gets better the more it's used.
And I dont have to cut off the fingers of gloves in cold weather. A tab slips over the wool glove. Not a fan of a shooting glove for that very reason.
 
JSEXTON23 said:
I grew up shooting a compound split. For whatever reason that never felt right on a recurve or longbow. I always had to shoot three under to feel right. I use a tab. I personally find 50# to be excessive weight for me. I want to be able to hold if I need to, I cannot do that for any meaningful period of time. I shoot and hunt with 42-46#.
Click to expand...
I grew up shooting compound split finger too then I went to a release. For trad I still shoot split and instinctive but seriously considering morphing everything over next year to three under, string crawls, mapping my shots and the push method for getting into this.
 
Allegheny Tom said:
I'm a split finger guy bit I have half-heartedly tried 3 under years ago but I never gave it an honest try. Maybe I should give it another go.
So, do you find that nock height or brace height needs changed for 3 under?
And how about tiller? I assume bows are tillered to shoot better one way or the other??

I like a cordovan leather tab. I’ve shot calf hair years ago but my cordovan tabs are so slick from thousands of shots. I've never had calf hair as smooth as this leather. Cordovan never wears out and actually gets better the more it's used.
And I dont have to cut off the fingers of gloves in cold weather. A tab slips over the wool glove. Not a fan of a shooting glove for that very reason.
Click to expand...

I've always read that you want an even tiller to shoot 3 under but, I only have one bow tillered even, the rest are tillered about 1/8 strong and I don't notice a difference between any of them. Brace height hasn't had to change for me but, your nock point will probably move. 3 under typically requires a a little higher nock point. One of the bows I'm shooting now likes 7/16" above square, the other a little over 1/2".
 
I can switch between split and 3 under without changing nock height but that's with longbow and recurve 58" or longer. Shorter bows will be more sensitive to finger position (and heel pressure but that is another issue)

Sean
 
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