Freebird134 ?

[ElkNut1]

I see according to the classifieds you are considering Trad Gear? You must be wanting to shoot a 35# bow or less to accept a .600 spine arrow at 30"+ length, is this so? I assume you are planning to hunt with this gear in the future, what are your future goals for an actual hunting bow ?

ElkNut1

[Freebird134]

Hey paul,

Yep, I want to get into trad stuff more. I have a 50lb Bear Montana longbow, but I'm too much of a wimp to shoot it. It's too heavy, so my form sucks and so does my accuracy. Everyone has suggested I get something in the 30-35# range to work on form before moving to heavier bows. I just bought a used Hoyt Excel riser 23" and am going to throw some ~30 or 35lb limbs on it to learn on and see what happens!

I'm new to this, but my understanding with ILF bows (as described by guys on AT and TradGang) is that they are great learning bows because they accept a lot of different limbs; the bow can grow with you. I think I'll be able to resell my light limbs somewhere down the line (or maybe keep them) and upgrade to something 40-45#. From there, I hope to step up to that Montana longbow. It has sentimental value (it was my first christmas present from my wife Martha when we began dating 10 years ago), so I want to kill with it!

But, hey, isn't shot placement all that matters? A 35# recurve @ 10 yards with a heavy arrow and sharp 2blade broadhead should put an elk down, right?

I'd really love to hear feedback from everyone that is into trad gear. I know you've done it Paul, and Foxvalley too (I think), and Blackwolf is here and the trad section on AT. So I know trad guys are around!

[ElkNut1]

Cool, one thing to consider is your draw length. Most manufacturers make bows at a standard 28" draw, If you draw 30" you are most likely drawing your 35# bow to 41# & the 50# bow to 56#, you can estimate 3# of draw wt per inch of draw over the 28" standard unless you have a custom bow made. This would be more difficult for sure but in a week or two with everyday shooting it will become easier as your muscle groups strengthen in the needed areas. When you draw & anchor is your anchor point to the corner of your mouth? This can be done with finger touching corner or arrow nock. Find what you like best & repeat it & it will become automatic in time.

Personally I wouldn't hunt elk with 35# no matter the arrow wt! (grin)

ElkNut1

[ElkNut1]

I will also mention that when you anchor at full draw to corner of mouth be honest with yourself, do not give the string an extra tug to increase draw length as this is not a repeatable shooting style. It is very common for a guy to shoot a compound 1" longer than a recurve or longbow so don't force that extra 1" just because you thing it should 30" like your compound bow is. Do you know how to measure actual draw length correctly?

Another point to consider is your draw length, if the bow you have is designed for a 28" draw at 35# or whatever limbs you have you will notice it get's uncomfortable after that 28" mark is passed, this is because the bow is now "stacking" it's getting loaded beyond its design, yes you can shoot it that way but it gets much stiffer after the 28" mark is achieved.

ElkNut1

[Freebird134]

Thanks Paul. I've measured my DL several ways and it's right at 29" or a tad over. I do shoot my compound at 30"--I know it's too long but it seems to work just fine and I'll take the extra fps.

I am shooting 3 fingers under, and anchoring at the corner of my mouth. My anchors aren't solid yet; that needs work!

I hope everyone realizes I was kidding about the 35# bow for elk!

[cnelk]

When I shoot trad, I cant have a hat with a brim on. It messes with my anchor point
But I can using my compound.

Another item of interest is try not to hold the string too 'deep' in your fingers.
You could get an inconstant release and be rolling the string when shooting.

You will also need to have the correct spine/weight of arrows with a recurve/longbow - just like a compound

One thing to remember about going 'trad'... it takes ALOT more practice.
Practice doesnt make perfect - PERFECT practice makes perfect

Good Luck

[buglmin]

First of all, a lot of states have limits on your bows draw weight, and like Paul said, 35# or even 40# on elk...no sir, not a good idea at all.
Its hard to shoot trad equipment, it takes a lot of time and yessir, money. And if you think tuning a compound is a long experience, wait till you start tuning a trad bow.
Shooting an ILF bow is a good step. And with your draw length, a bow 62" to 64" is better then a 60" bow because of string angle and finger pinch. And plus, with an ILF riser, you can use an elevated rest which will help a lot in tuning.
True draw length is measured from the throat of the grip, not from the front of the riser. Thats why people are always complaining about Hoyt and Martin bows being a heavier poundage then marked...Hoyt and Martin use true draw length.
With your Excel riser, contact the guys at Lancaster Archery, and they will know what limbs you need for the weight you want. Remember that shooting three under will require a different tiller setting, so ask the guys at Lancaster about that. Buy the Tradtech limbs, wood/glass. Right now, you wont notice the difference between a wood/glass limb and a higher priced caron/wood limb.
Its all about pratice, and lots of it. I have a target inside my den that I shoot every monrning and evening, a 100 arrows a day. Work on form, and use your compound to show you proper form for drawing a recurve. Its better to shoot 10 good arrows a day the 50 bad arrows. Work on your form, and things will start falling into place...
What spine arrows are you using?

[Freebird134]

First of all, a lot of states have limits on your bows draw weight, and like Paul said, 35# or even 40# on elk...no sir, not a good idea at all.

But, hey, isn't shot placement all that matters? A 35# recurve @ 10 yards with a heavy arrow and sharp 2blade broadhead should put an elk down, right?

Can't you guys tell a joke? haha ^^^^That's a joke!

[Freebird134]

What spine arrows are you using?

IDK. I don't have limbs for the riser yet, so I'm waiting to buy arrows. Hopeufully you guys will have some tips on that. I just got Anthony Camera's (Viper1) book yesterday. I think that will be helpful too.

[buglmin]

Man, i dunno..a bow that lite...aluminums would be the best choice, but finding a size long enough...if you draw 29"...let me fun began...lol
Have you even ordered the limbs yet? The worst thing about an ILF bow is how cheap the limbs can be. Let me know if I can help in anyway...

[cnelk]

A useful link

http://www.3riversarchery.com/

Look under the "Help me Choose'

[ElkNut1]

I too shoot 3 under & prefer it after shooting split fingers for over a year. Have fun with trad & by all means don't over think it & make it harder than it needs to be. (grin) It's actually a ton of fun.

ElkNut1

[Freebird134]

Thanks for all the feedback guys!

It's going to be fun to work on it and learn this year. My wife is getting into shooting a compound, so we are going to work on archery together this year. We are joining a club with an indoor range, because she refuses to shoot out in the cold and snow She's had her Mission Menace for a week and is shooting nice little groups at 10 yards. I've had a longbow for 9 years and shoot 10" groups at 10 yards!