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My bow was a fiberglass longbow that i used from the age of around 4. At around 10 i got a 30# recurve and shot very often. at around 12 or 13 i got a 49# saxon coyote and started spending hour after hour researching different forms, my form developed slowly as i would imagine it always does when your self taught. I got a 45# Chaparral at the age of 14 and have shot EVERY DAY since.
HTA
Posts: 256 | From: Washington | Registered: Aug 2005
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-------------------- If only I had known the difference between Antidote and Anticdote, little Jimmy Smith would still be alive today. Posts: 186 | From: Laredo Texas, 1 mile inside the border. | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
Bought my first trad bow in 1989,a short 54" longbow,I have shot them all,longbows,recurves,selfbows,but love the longbow the best,self taught but have done a lot of reading.
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First bow, 1959-age 8, 25# solid red recurve,shot bullfrogs and cottontails.Age 14,golden bear 45# fiberglass arrow,two blade Bear rasorhead-first and to date best buck-absolute dumb luck. Found out about girls so left bows for a short time and after service,started where I left off. Seduced by wheels for 8 years ( killed alot but lost interest)1992 back to curves and have't wavered since although I'm shooting longbows now as well. Enjoy reading about other people's journey to Trad life as well which is why I spend too much time on this site. Thanks all for sharing!
-------------------- Hunting-it is not a choice but what is in my blood. Posts: 2245 | From: Grottoes,Virginia, Shenandoah Valley | Registered: Jan 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Voodoofire1: My Father taught me,probably started when I was still in diapers,he was a state champ when I was a baby,and archery has always been a part of my life,and always will be!.........Steve
I started off writing about this very thing and looked up and saw the above post!
-------------------- "Share what you know and know what you share" Posts: 59 | From: White River Lake, Tx, | Registered: Jan 2006
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Gee, 1960 first bow, Ben Pearson Strato Jet,35#.Then got an Ol Ben longbow 50# at age 15,1965. Shot longbows up until a few years ago only one recurve during that time, a 55# Pearson Cougar but loved the longbow. Shot that ol Ben until it finally gave up then bought a Bear longbow. First custom was an O.L. Adcock then an ACS. Started at 10 cause a friend was shooting and I fell in love with archery, did not hurt that Howard Hill came to our small school and gave a shooting demo,that sealed it. Have been through so many bows I cannot remember them all. Now shoot a Robertson curve,Cari-Bow Silver Fox t/d longbow and have a custom Blacktail on order. Pretty much taught myself how to shoot. 55 years young now and still shooting for the love of it.
Danny
-------------------- "When shooting instinctivly,it matters not which eye is dominant"
Jay Kidwell and Glenn St. Charles
TGMM Family Of The Bow NRA Life/Patron member NAHC life member Retired CPO US Navy 1972-1993 Posts: 6585 | From: Guam | Registered: Jul 2003
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This IS indeed an interesting thread! Look how many of us started with 'dumped bows'; and sticks and twigs ( like me). I started with a 'new-factory bow' bow that had arrows with suction cup tips; and a feather headdress deal- my brother got the set of Roy Rogers pistols and holsters. I still shoot a bow; he doesn't hunt or shoot or own a gun. I won
I remember shooting squirrels with my ben pearson recurve; and then deciding to try for groundhogs. I went to the local sporting goods store; and they told me that target points are for targets; and field points are for use in the field.. so for a way long time I shot groundhogs with field points. I remember too buying arrows; and shooting them; and marking the ones that shot straight; and the ones that didn't. I can't imagine any arrows I shot were spined even close to each other or were the same weight or length. You just held a little high with one arrow; and a little to the left or right with others. I found a person that bowhunted too and he gave me some tips- broadheads! Those worked way better than 'field points'! I got serious for deer after my draft related break from things; and in 1977 I hunted with my fathers bow; a 45 pound longbow that he got in the 30's for military school as a child. I think it was about 30 pounds at my draw; I practiced at 10 yards; and shot at a deer at 20 that just stepped out of the way of it. I was mystified by it though. I replaced that bow with the only bows availible at the time- compounds- a bear whitetail hunter. I remember shooting store bought arrows and having tight groups; and then buying some broadheads and shooting and missing the bales completely- to the left ; right; up down- agh with only a few days till the hunt. So I did what anybody would have done and called Fred Bear himself to ask him why I was missing like I was! He had NO idea who I was . But he talked with me like an old friend; and after much discussion it came down to the fletch I had was straight fletch. With that knowledge I went back to the store and demanded helical fletch- and they had NO idea what I was talking about! That corrected I took my first deer. I started shooting at a sportsmans club; and found out other things; like string nocks; and spine and all kinds of neat stuff. I look at this thread and realize that if not for the magic in the flight of the arrow - I think a lot of us would have dropped out a long time ago. I wonder how many people now are not into traditional archery because of not knowing some easy basic tips. I have a friend who recently bought a recurve at a second hand shop; and some arrows; all different kinds- and he said he was going to shoot the bow and see if he liked it. He didn't want to go to the expense of buying matched arrows; and the next time we went hunting he had a new compound! If only he had gotten matched arrows! Silly- but gotta wonder how much of that is going on---- and yeah I should have bought him the right arrows! But he is a self teacher; and he didn't listen to me about my warnings that bucks will attack 3d targets: and thus he left out--- his now reduced to pulp 3d deer target (he thought I tore it up- until he saw a buck working over its remains). We all need to always be open to new ideas and inputs!! Never to old for that!! I think we need to open our selves also-by helping others 'get good' with traditional bows. Seeing how we started is a glimpse into how we can improve things for other generations
-------------------- THE VOICES HAVEN'T BOTHERED ME SINCE I STARTED POKING THEM WITH A Q-TIP. Posts: 2556 | From: North Fork , Idaho | Registered: Feb 2004
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-------------------- Retired USAF (1966 - 1989) Retired DoD Civilian (1989 - 2009) And drawing Social Security! I love this country ;-) Posts: 5696 | From: Live Oak, Texas | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
I guess in a way I have to thank my Dad. In about 1977-78 he bought my brother and I a couple of fiberglass recurves from Beavers archery in Birmingham. I can still remember looking at the pictures of Mr. Beavers and Fred Bear together. In 1987 after I got out of the Marines I bought a Bear Take Down hunter 60 lbs@28. I guess I taught myself how to shoot. I did finally get a copy of G.Fred Asbells Instinctive Shooting. I wished I had known about it years before. It would have shortened the learning time. I did help both of my brothers and my son Logan get started in Traditional archery. It is kind of cool watching my son who is 14 getting his friends into shoot 'curves and longbows.
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I am basically self taught, but I have tried to pick up pointers from the better shooters I have run into.
My teaching method was trial and error.
While learning through the trial and error method is most likely not the most efficient way to learn, in the end I feel that you end up with a greater understanding of how and why things work.
-------------------- Looking to buy RH Black Widow HS takedown recurve bows. Please send Private Message. Posts: 342 | From: Maryland | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
Let's see, "How did I learn archery?" Well, I've been shooting traditional for 25 years and I haven't learned it yet. When I really figure it out I'll probably quit. Of course, that's not likely (figuring it out that is).
posted
I started in 1962 with a red fiberglass bow. I used to get up at the crack of dawn when I was 7 with the bow and hunt blackbirds on the lawns of the neighborhood. I bet my neighbors would have been upset if they knew I was hunting on their front lawn. But I would usually only hunt for about a half hour.My dad shot all the time I was growing up and so did my older brother. I don't ever remember not having a bow around. Gary
Posts: 814 | From: Utah | Registered: Jan 2006
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In 1975 I was 11 and in the 6th grade. Our Reading teacher told us we had to go to the library, pick a book (any book we wanted), read it, write a book report, and read the book report to the class.
I had no idea what book to get or what topic to start with. So I went to the card catalog, yanked open the first drawer and reached into the middle of the cards and found a title on .... you guessed it, ARCHERY!
Checked out the book, read the first chapter, and I was hooked. Read the book 3 or 4 times, bugged my Dad about a bow 'till he got me a 25# Ben Pearson fiberglass recurve. I taught myself to shoot that bow according to the instructions in the book (it had a rote method, step by step, Olympic style instruction chapter)and I wore that little glass bow out over the Summer.
That same Summer I got some more books on archery and learned about "instinctive shooting" and a fella by the name of Mr. Fred Bear. Dad got me a 50# Bear Black Bear recurve for Christmas that same year.
-------------------- The toughest thing I've found about deer hunting is getting them to hold still long enough for me to stick an orange spot on them and then step off the yardage... Posts: 1014 | From: Columbus, GA | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
lemonwood long bow, shot off the knuckles, was my dads, and my grandfathers before.... now my kids shoot it, although I now have a small rest on it so my kids dont get the bloody knuckles that I and my brother had..... lol migrated to the compound and have now found home again, read a couple of books, watched a couple of videos, asbel and such.... have so much mor fun with a stick and string....
Jeff
Posts: 63 | From: Ashley, Indiana | Registered: Nov 2004
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I supposed I was self taught, but Byran is my hero!
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and called Fred Bear himself to ask him why I was missing like I was! He had NO idea who I was ![[archer]](graemlins/archer.gif)
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