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Starting the Traditional Archery journey...again

Tim W said:
I've been really intrigued and wanting to give the trad route a serious try for hunting. I have zero experience with traditional archery and I don't know anyone to really get me started or going in the right direction. I watched "The Push" which really got me motivated to pursue this route and the thing that appealed to me the most was how he explained aiming/shooting using the 'fixed crawl' technique. I then went to the local archery shop that had a small selection of bows and the guy at the shop explained I would need/want to get an ILF bow if that's how I plan to shoot, but he didn't have any for me to try or get my hands on and said he could order once I decided what I want... That then lead me to try and research, but the more I read, the more options I find and the more complicated/overwhelmed with information I have become. I've now found myself in the position of "paralysis by analysis" so to speak...! How do I make a decision of what to get or what I'll want when I don't know anything about traditional bows???

I guess what I'm getting at is, HELP please? Any advice/wisdom to push me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Others have said to get a Samick Saige and give it a try, but from what I've been told or read that won't allow me to shoot the fixed crawl, is that correct??? I've been looking online at the Hoyt Satori or the Trad Tech stuff, but if I'm going to spend the money on those options I'd like to feel confident I'm making the right buy. It doesn't make sense to me to spend the money on just any bow to learn on and then have to turn around and buy a different bow to be able to hunt with... I'm not sure if I'm over thinking this or missing something, but my perception of traditional archery was that it was a simpler style of archery and I'm now feeling like it's much more complicated than I ever imagined...? lol

Thanks for reading this, please feel free to set me straight and make me commit to this challenge.
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I have zero experience with an ILF rig or shooting a fixed crawl so I can't speak to either of those things specifically. I can say that like just about anything; Trad archery can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. I assume they recommended an ILF rig because of limb tiller. Traditional archery was the only thing I knew for the first 10 years of my bow hunting life and I never worried about limb tiller. I shot both 3 under and split finger with the same bows during that time.

Based on the good things I have heard about the Samicks I recommend getting one and just start shooting. You can pick them up on Ebay for under $100. Play around with the fixed crawl, shooting instinctive, and what ever other aiming methods you want to try. You will either be hooked instantly or find it's not for you (My money is on "hooked instantly"). If you do get hooked, you will be buying a new custom bow (or three) at some point anyway.
 
GCTerpfan said:
I have zero experience with an ILF rig or shooting a fixed crawl so I can't speak to either of those things specifically. I can say that like just about anything; Trad archery can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. I assume they recommended an ILF rig because of limb tiller. Traditional archery was the only thing I knew for the first 10 years of my bow hunting life and I never worried about limb tiller. I shot both 3 under and split finger with the same bows during that time.

Based on the good things I have heard about the Samicks I recommend getting one and just start shooting. You can pick them up on Ebay for under $100. Play around with the fixed crawl, shooting instinctive, and what ever other aiming methods you want to try. You will either be hooked instantly or find it's not for you (My money is on "hooked instantly"). If you do get hooked, you will be buying a new custom bow (or three) at some point anyway.
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Thanks for the advice. I recently got to try shooting a long bow and like you said, I think I'm hooked! lol
 
Tim W said:
I've been really intrigued and wanting to give the trad route a serious try for hunting. I have zero experience with traditional archery and I don't know anyone to really get me started or going in the right direction. I watched "The Push" which really got me motivated to pursue this route and the thing that appealed to me the most was how he explained aiming/shooting using the 'fixed crawl' technique. I then went to the local archery shop that had a small selection of bows and the guy at the shop explained I would need/want to get an ILF bow if that's how I plan to shoot, but he didn't have any for me to try or get my hands on and said he could order once I decided what I want... That then lead me to try and research, but the more I read, the more options I find and the more complicated/overwhelmed with information I have become. I've now found myself in the position of "paralysis by analysis" so to speak...! How do I make a decision of what to get or what I'll want when I don't know anything about traditional bows???

I guess what I'm getting at is, HELP please? Any advice/wisdom to push me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Others have said to get a Samick Saige and give it a try, but from what I've been told or read that won't allow me to shoot the fixed crawl, is that correct??? I've been looking online at the Hoyt Satori or the Trad Tech stuff, but if I'm going to spend the money on those options I'd like to feel confident I'm making the right buy. It doesn't make sense to me to spend the money on just any bow to learn on and then have to turn around and buy a different bow to be able to hunt with... I'm not sure if I'm over thinking this or missing something, but my perception of traditional archery was that it was a simpler style of archery and I'm now feeling like it's much more complicated than I ever imagined...? lol

Thanks for reading this, please feel free to set me straight and make me commit to this challenge.
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Doesnt matter if you are shooting trad or high tech...form is form, and you gotta get it right.
There's no way trad equipment can be as complicated at high tech.
I think the hardest thing for me was to actually trust instinctive shooting. Once I stopped trying to aim so much and started to trust what my brain was telling my body to do, my shooting improved dramatically.
 
Tim W said:
Finally pulled the trigger and placed my order on the Hoyt Satori yesterday. I'm excited and can't wait to get it in my hands and start shooting!
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That's great! I'm currently shopping for a new bow myself. My 9yr old has taken an interest in shooting with me so I am looking to upgrade the cheap fiberglass bow I bought him years ago. I'm leaning towards getting him one of the youth model Samicks.
 
I was out kicking a basketball around the yard with my 9 year old son last night. When we started I told him I would give him a dollar for every time he hit the ball. It didn't take long before I realized how expensive what I just said was going to be and I had to cap him at $10. Best $10 I have ever spent.

CGH-bow.jpg
 
Welcome back to trad. Once I fully made the switch I knew I didn't ever want to go back to a compound. I thought it would limit my opportunities, but it hasn't changed much as far as getting shots.
 
It’s awesome that your kid is into recurves. Mine wants everything to be easy.
 
If you're interested in the benefits of a clicker, listen to every podcast you can find with Joel Turner. He's a regular guest on "The Push" podcast. Also check out some YT videos from the guys at The Push. They're the reason I switched to a fixed-crawl.... immediate improvement in my consistency. I'm not a clicker fan but many swear by them. For me it's another thing hanging off my bow and I went trad to get away from having gadgets attached to my bow. I tried one for a while and it does help get a consistent draw to anchor and can be used for unanticipated release, but I just didn't like it. Joel Turner now uses a grip sear.
 
Nutterbuster said:
I need to buy another samick and start flinging a few arrows. 3 of the 4 deer I killed last year were inside 20 yards. And it'd be nice to carry a lighter bow. The Synergy is a sweet but chunky girl.

Of course, the 9 point was about a 75 yard shot...I don't have the patience and fortitude to good-naturedly let opportunities like that slip away. I have had dreams about every buck that has ever escaped me. Makes me mad just thinking about it. :angry:
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I love my cheap Samick Sage... Plan to hunt with it this year and get into a nice ILF rig next year. After spending saddle $$ this year I can't afford the new bow yet. haha. I went from carrying an old, heavy, Ten Point crossbow to carrying the Sage... night & day weight difference!
 
ThomasHemlock said:
I love my cheap Samick Sage... Plan to hunt with it this year and get into a nice ILF rig next year. After spending saddle $$ this year I can't afford the new bow yet. haha. I went from carrying an old, heavy, Ten Point crossbow to carrying the Sage... night & day weight difference!
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Get back with me when a big ole bumpy horns strolls past you at 40 yards. ;)
 
EricS said:
It’s awesome that your kid is into recurves. Mine wants everything to be easy.
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I'm hoping he sticks with it but, I'm enjoying it while it lasts. My 17 year old son went out and shot for the first time the other night also, he seemed to enjoy it even though he couldn't come to full draw because my 31" arrow wasn't long enough. He's a long armed 6'4" and has a 32.5" draw. I've got him set up with 4 arrows now, I'm hoping he gets into it also.
 
GCTerpfan said:
I'm hoping he sticks with it but, I'm enjoying it while it lasts. My 17 year old son went out and shot for the first time the other night also, he seemed to enjoy it even though he couldn't come to full draw because my 31" arrow wasn't long enough. He's a long armed 6'4" and has a 32.5" draw. I've got him set up with 4 arrows now, I'm hoping he gets into it also.
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If he gets any taller you’ll have to put an overdraw on his recurve. Never seen that before.
 
EricS said:
If he gets any taller you’ll have to put an overdraw on his recurve. Never seen that before.
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After we measured his draw I was a little worried I wasnt going to be able to find him arrows, luckily my dad had 4 arrows that were 34" and close enough in spine to work for a while.

He's already 4" taller then me, the good part of it is all those boots and hunting clothes I've bought him the last few years are now too small and he's handed them down to me.
 
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Do yourself a favor and either do a fixed crawl for 20 or 25 yards - or use a high anchor with longer/heavier arrows to get a point on of 20 or 25 yards - whether you shoot 'instinctive', 'split vision' or gap your shooting and consistency will improve and you will do better on game.....JMHO
 
Nutterbuster said:
Get back with me when a big ole bumpy horns strolls past you at 40 yards. ;)
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You are right Nutterbuster - and it will happen if you hunt with trad long enough....When I started passing on the smaller bucks I started back hunting with the compound because opportunities with the big boys are not that often for me...

To me, when I'm hunting with trad I'm just deer hunting - meaning a doe or a buck that is nice but maybe I wouldn't shoot with the compound I will gladly take with the trad bow. It's more about the equipment and the challenge than just big horns....That makes the hunt fun and more realistic as most deer I encounter are not of the trophy class.....When shooting trad you just have to accept the limitations of the weapon and accept that you may miss an opportunity on a trophy....
 
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