Quote from: johnnyk71 on Today at 10:38:21 AM

Quote from: Maclean on February 11, 2026, 05:21:57 PM

Quote from: johnnyk71 on February 11, 2026, 01:24:34 PM

Quote from: cacciatore on February 11, 2026, 07:02:15 AMMy line up of Elkhearts

really awesome! I absolutely love the grip on mine!

I agree, the grips on the Elkhearts are fantastic. I think it's one of the reasons they shoot so well. Gregg will do whatever you want grip wise, but the standard is hard to improve on.

Johnny, you're going to have to update your bow list in your signature.

100% agreed! and the moose antler makes for an amazing gripping point for my fingers. don't even need a leather wrap on it for me.
@Maclean and how cool is that, that your bow and mine have risers from the same block of wood?! myrtle burl doing work in vastly different parts of the country! I think that is awesome, and I instantly recognized it when I saw your pics.

I think it's cool too. That block of myrtle burl obviously came from a left handed tree. 

  Congratulations Corey. Good eater.

awesome! I want to do this so bad. I'm about to start hunting my nearby WMA for a spot and stalk hog attempt.

Quote from: Maclean on February 11, 2026, 05:21:57 PM

Quote from: johnnyk71 on February 11, 2026, 01:24:34 PM

Quote from: cacciatore on February 11, 2026, 07:02:15 AMMy line up of Elkhearts

really awesome! I absolutely love the grip on mine!

I agree, the grips on the Elkhearts are fantastic. I think it's one of the reasons they shoot so well. Gregg will do whatever you want grip wise, but the standard is hard to improve on.

Johnny, you're going to have to update your bow list in your signature.

100% agreed! and the moose antler makes for an amazing gripping point for my fingers. don't even need a leather wrap on it for me.
@Maclean and how cool is that, that your bow and mine have risers from the same block of wood?! myrtle burl doing work in vastly different parts of the country! I think that is awesome, and I instantly recognized it when I saw your pics.

    

Nice job Corey. You always get it done 👍🏻

Nice shot! Thanks for sharing 

 

Quote from: Ryan Rothhaar on February 11, 2026, 08:41:51 AMI think you are way over complicating it. Get an arrow that shoots good (enough) with feathers and go shoot your bow a couple thousand times before May. You are going to be shooting a bear at 8 yards. You are not competing in the Olympics.  Killing that bear isn't about perfect bare shaft flight, it's about not $hitting the bed when he's standing there 8 yards away and blowing the shot.

Traditional equipment isn't a compound that you "tune" then only need to shoot 6 arrows out of a week before season. You won't have "perfect form" after buying a class and shooting a couple weeks.

Go shoot that bow a bunch with decent flying arrows and kill a bear.


Folks been doing it for a really really long time without all the drama!

 

R

Ryan just punched this thing in the face for you and set it straight ..... bottom line.  You can still strive for more,  but I'd say do that later.   Start with Ryan's approach.  When someone with little or no experience asks me about shooting my stick bow and "how do you aim it and hit what you want?" is something I've always gotten ..... and it is ALWAYS coming from compound shooters .... I tell them that it is something like developing a good golf swing in the way,  in the fact that "form" and consistency and lots of good practice and maintaining those conditions,  get you to where you are proficient.  Some folks have to pay large sums of coin to a professional golf pro to make any substantial progress with their swing,  some it comes more easily for.  Maybe,  it could be the same for the stick bow shooter,  in the way that some just get it faster and have good resources/friends to help them out,  and some seek professional guidance either because they are struggling or because they want to take it to another level, they want more ..... and IT'S ALL GOOD,  but what I'm getting at it what was touched on above .... it requires more get-after than the compound game for certain.  I have buddies that shoot 6 arrows 2 days before season with their wheel bows and that satisfies them.  I shoot my longbows all year long,  even in crap weather (shoot in the barn).    Shoot and shoot and shoot and then shoot some more.  You will eliminate variables as you go,  I'm quite sure of it. You will even shoot arrows that group ok,  and think you are making good progress ....  and you would be correct, but then you make even more progress with form and consistency and now those arrows that grouped ok are not good enough because your shooting form got better and you can now make use of a different length arrow, point weight or even spine.   
A simple stick and string ..... Oh it so simple isn't it.    Not necessarily as simple as it looks, but very satisfying and the only way to go is how I feel about.
And take what Kurt said about brace seriously.

Well this whole project sounds even better than I originally thought!  Now, to get power to my shop at the farm so I can begin.  We are going totally off grid, so we have to upgrade the solar set up to handle a bigger AC, mill, saws, etc.  Hopefully, I'll be able to start in earnest late this spring.

Kirkll, I'm certainly open to some horse trading, what did you have in mind?