Swapping to traditional archery

[Recurveaholic]

I made a selfbow in 2017. It is addicting, but I have not switched totally. I have my trad bow and compound in the truck with me. Some days I grab the stick bow, some days I grab the compound. I have shot 3 deer with my stick bow. They have to be close. I don't like shooting out to 20 yards with it. I get in tight to where I expect the deer to come from when I have my stick bow.View attachment 8909

Very nice work!

 

[Recurveaholic]

Wow, Must be a short draw guy, or that was a mis-type? 25" draw maximum on that badboy before it stacks up!

my recurves are longer than your longbow(58" -64" )! I am with @Jasper2 it must stack awfully soon!

 

[Jasper2]

my recurves are longer than your longbow(58" -64" )! I am with @Jasper2 it must stack awfully soon!

He stated earlier in the thread that his draw length was in fact 25". Which is squeezing every bit of performance out of that bow since that is the recommended maximum draw length on that bow. Based on my experience, that bow will gain over 4# in draw weight from 25 to 26 inches.

I have a 56" Centaur and it draws smooth and even until you get to the max recommended draw of 27"....then BAM! It hits a wall which is fine bc I draw 26.5"
Awesome bows though, Jim Neaves is the man!

 

[Oakridge]

He stated earlier in the thread that his draw length was in fact 25". Which is squeezing every bit of performance out of that bow since that is the recommended maximum draw length on that bow. Based on my experience, that bow will gain over 4# in draw weight from 25 to 26 inches.

I have a 56" Centaur and it draws smooth and even until you get to the max recommended draw of 27"....then BAM! It hits a wall which is fine bc I draw 26.5"
Awesome bows though, Jim Neaves is the man!

I very much agree that Jim is a awesome bowyer. I love mine and I will like to order another soon!

 

[Recurveaholic]

He stated earlier in the thread that his draw length was in fact 25". Which is squeezing every bit of performance out of that bow since that is the recommended maximum draw length on that bow. Based on my experience, that bow will gain over 4# in draw weight from 25 to 26 inches.

I have a 56" Centaur and it draws smooth and even until you get to the max recommended draw of 27"....then BAM! It hits a wall which is fine bc I draw 26.5"
Awesome bows though, Jim Neaves is the man!

That's awesome i had no idea you could even get Longview that short! He must be an amazing bowyer!

 

[Recurveaholic]

That's awesome i had no idea you could even get Longview that short! He must be an amazing bowyer!

Sorry suppose to be longbow!

 

[Jasper2]

Sorry suppose to be longbow!

There are some awesome short longbows out there nowadays. When I started with traditional bows, I always heard that longer bows are more forgiving, easier to shoot, smoother drawing, more accurate..... Etc. But that just isn't the case for me and the hybrid longbows that I shoot. I didn't shoot longer bows any better and the added length didn't always allow me to hunt the way that I wanted to so I went shorter. Now I won't own a bow over 60".

 

[Recurveaholic]

There are some awesome short longbows out there nowadays. When I started with traditional bows, I always heard that longer bows are more forgiving, easier to shoot, smoother drawing, more accurate..... Etc. But that just isn't the case for me and the hybrid longbows that I shoot. I didn't shoot longer bows any better and the added length didn't always allow me to hunt the way that I wanted to so I went shorter. Now I won't own a bow over 60".

Yes I find myself wishing my widow was shorter especially when I'm tight quarters!

 

[Swampman]

Here is a 56 inch long self bow I made in 2018. It draws 52 pounds at 27 inches. It is made from black locust. I plan to turkey hunt with it this spring. I usually build bows 64 to 68 inches long but have found i shoot pretty well with shorter bows too. I like the shorter bows to turkey hunt from a blind.

 

[Redhaven]

Check out Maddog Archery if you want a custom longbow or recurve without breaking the bank. You can get one for $300. Mike does good work. They don’t have any fancy engraving or anything, but they shoot well.

 

[Recurveaholic]

Here is a 56 inch long self bow I made in 2018. It draws 52 pounds at 27 inches. It is made from black locust. I plan to turkey hunt with it this spring. I usually build bows 64 to 68 inches long but have found i shoot pretty well with shorter bows too. I like the shorter bows to turkey hunt from a blind.

Awesome work, it is a beautiful bow i just started a bow build myself and seeing yours i might shorten mine up thanks!

 

[Recurveaholic]

Check out Maddog Archery if you want a custom longbow or recurve without breaking the bank. You can get one for $300. Mike does good work. They don’t have any fancy engraving or anything, but they shoot well.

Good to know that is very reasonable pricing and for hunting we don't need all the bells and whistles we just need them to shoot accurately and quiet!

 

[swampsnyper]

Check out Maddog Archery if you want a custom longbow or recurve without breaking the bank. You can get one for $300. Mike does good work. They don’t have any fancy engraving or anything, but they shoot well.

I have a few mad dog bows for the kids. Not many bowyers build kid bows. They are simple but nice!

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Are there any special considerations for shooting a trad bow out of a saddle?

I've never tried to shoot a compound out of a saddle so I can't make a comparison but one issue I have, and I know some other guys have, is short-drawing trad bows when shooting off to the weak side. I know Boswell added a clicker to his longbow for that very reason. The clicker cured his problem of short drawing on the weak side. Short drawing tends to be more of a problem when shooting off a ROS. With a platform, it's no more of an issue than a conventional stand and harness. I would think that a compound, with it's roll-over of the wheels and stops, would present less of a short-draw problem.

Tether height can make a difference in elbow clearance with any bow so I don't know if the issue would be exclusive to trad bows. For me, a high tether presents more chance of my elbow hitting the tether when I reach full draw. Hitting my elbow on something when drawing is a real concentration killer.
When I 1st owned my old Trophy Line saddle, I was told that tethers had to be attached as high as I could reach. That high tether, in addition to that fat strap, created more elbow hitting than I could accept. Every time I drew, my mind was occupied with the chance of my elbow and that stupid high tether. Trad shooting requires a different level of concentration than shooting tech bows... Not necessarily a higher level of concentration, but a different level of concentration. Tech shooters can rely more on the bow's mechanics to help them shoot. Tech gear, by it's very nature, takes a lot of user error out of the equation. Trad shooters rely on our form and uninterrupted concentration. If your mind is occupied with your saddle, instead of your shot sequence, then you most likely won't shoot well with trad equipment out of a saddle.
I now shoot with a very low tether on my Kestrel and my mind is never on my elbow because it never hits the tether and my concentration is never broken.

The great thing about saddles is they allow so many more shot options than a conventional stand. But with those varied shooting positions also come the chance of different bow positions. A trad bow, shot off the shelf, is a lot less critical of bow position than a tech bow. I con shoot my bow held in nearly any angle from perfectly vertical to horizontal. I know of guys that can even shoot a reverse cant to horizontal (meaning with the shelf on the ground side of the bow. There are shooting positions that can be executed with trad bows that tech bows can never attempt.
Saddles and trad...They go hand in hand. Like 2 peas in a pod.

 

[Recurveaholic]

I have a few mad dog bows for the kids. Not many bowyers build kid bows. They are simple but nice!

You are right i just saw the kids bows on his site and I think that is great we need more kids involved in traditional archery or archery, period!

 

[Recurveaholic]

I've never tried to shoot a compound out of a saddle so I can't make a comparison but one issue I have, and I know some other guys have, is short-drawing trad bows when shooting off to the weak side. I know Boswell added a clicker to his longbow for that very reason. The clicker cured his problem of short drawing on the weak side. Short drawing tends to be more of a problem when shooting off a ROS. With a platform, it's no more of an issue than a conventional stand and harness. I would think that a compound, with it's roll-over of the wheels and stops, would present less of a short-draw problem.

Tether height can make a difference in elbow clearance with any bow so I don't know if the issue would be exclusive to trad bows. For me, a high tether presents more chance of my elbow hitting the tether when I reach full draw. Hitting my elbow on something when drawing is a real concentration killer.
When I 1st owned my old Trophy Line saddle, I was told that tethers had to be attached as high as I could reach. That high tether, in addition to that fat strap, created more elbow hitting than I could accept. Every time I drew, my mind was occupied with the chance of my elbow and that stupid high tether. Trad shooting requires a different level of concentration than shooting tech bows... Not necessarily a higher level of concentration, but a different level of concentration. Tech shooters can rely more on the bow's mechanics to help them shoot. Tech gear, by it's very nature, takes a lot of user error out of the equation. Trad shooters rely on our form and uninterrupted concentration. If your mind is occupied with your saddle, instead of your shot sequence, then you most likely won't shoot well with trad equipment out of a saddle.
I now shoot with a very low tether on my Kestrel and my mind is never on my elbow because it never hits the tether and my concentration is never broken.

The great thing about saddles is they allow so many more shot options than a conventional stand. But with those varied shooting positions also come the chance of different bow positions. A trad bow, shot off the shelf, is a lot less critical of bow position than a tech bow. I con shoot my bow held in nearly any angle from perfectly vertical to horizontal. I know of guys that can even shoot a reverse cant to horizontal (meaning with the shelf on the ground side of the bow. There are shooting positions that can be executed with trad bows that tech bows can never attempt.
Saddles and trad...They go hand in hand. Like 2 peas in a pod.

Could not have said it any better, great explanation! Do you use a single strap tether or a split tether, meaning two attach points instead of one?

 

[Kurt]

X2

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Could not have said it any better, great explanation! Do you use a single strap tether or a split tether, meaning two attach points instead of one?

I use the stock tether rope that came with the Kestrel, except I use a Ropeman1 and I also shortened the bridge and switched it to Amsteel. The shorter bridge allows a lower tether. I was really surprised that I didn't get hip pinch with that set-up, but it's really comfortable. But I also do a variation of a girth hitch on my bridge loops so I can fine tune the angle my bridge pulls on my saddle. I never really thought about that aspect of girth hitching the bridge, but doing so also potentially allows better elbow clearance...the farther down my bridge loops that the bridge attaches, the steeper the angle of the tether which gives slightly more elbow clearance.

 

[GodsCountry]

I've never tried to shoot a compound out of a saddle so I can't make a comparison but one issue I have, and I know some other guys have, is short-drawing trad bows when shooting off to the weak side. I know Boswell added a clicker to his longbow for that very reason. The clicker cured his problem of short drawing on the weak side. Short drawing tends to be more of a problem when shooting off a ROS. With a platform, it's no more of an issue than a conventional stand and harness. I would think that a compound, with it's roll-over of the wheels and stops, would present less of a short-draw problem.

Tether height can make a difference in elbow clearance with any bow so I don't know if the issue would be exclusive to trad bows. For me, a high tether presents more chance of my elbow hitting the tether when I reach full draw. Hitting my elbow on something when drawing is a real concentration killer.
When I 1st owned my old Trophy Line saddle, I was told that tethers had to be attached as high as I could reach. That high tether, in addition to that fat strap, created more elbow hitting than I could accept. Every time I drew, my mind was occupied with the chance of my elbow and that stupid high tether. Trad shooting requires a different level of concentration than shooting tech bows... Not necessarily a higher level of concentration, but a different level of concentration. Tech shooters can rely more on the bow's mechanics to help them shoot. Tech gear, by it's very nature, takes a lot of user error out of the equation. Trad shooters rely on our form and uninterrupted concentration. If your mind is occupied with your saddle, instead of your shot sequence, then you most likely won't shoot well with trad equipment out of a saddle.
I now shoot with a very low tether on my Kestrel and my mind is never on my elbow because it never hits the tether and my concentration is never broken.

The great thing about saddles is they allow so many more shot options than a conventional stand. But with those varied shooting positions also come the chance of different bow positions. A trad bow, shot off the shelf, is a lot less critical of bow position than a tech bow. I con shoot my bow held in nearly any angle from perfectly vertical to horizontal. I know of guys that can even shoot a reverse cant to horizontal (meaning with the shelf on the ground side of the bow. There are shooting positions that can be executed with trad bows that tech bows can never attempt.
Saddles and trad...They go hand in hand. Like 2 peas in a pod.

Well, that was informative and encouraging. Thank you!

 

[Recurveaholic]

I use the stock tether rope that came with the Kestrel, except I use a Ropeman1 and I also shortened the bridge and switched it to Amsteel. The shorter bridge allows a lower tether. I was really surprised that I didn't get hip pinch with that set-up, but it's really comfortable. But I also do a variation of a girth hitch on my bridge loops so I can fine tune the angle my bridge pulls on my saddle. I never really thought about that aspect of girth hitching the bridge, but doing so also potentially allows better elbow clearance...the farther down my bridge loops that the bridge attaches, the steeper the angle of the tether which gives slightly more elbow clearance.

Never thought about it that way but it makes sense!