I am returning to archery after an, almost, 38 year layoff. I knew I needed a compound because that's what everyone shoots. After about a week of practice I knew something wasn't quite right - I grew up with a recurve and although I appreciate the technology, compounds hold no charm with me, are mass-produced and I hold no reverence to them. I wanted something special and was hungry to do-it-myself. I studied bow kits, you know - the ones that come in the mail with an instruction sheet and no support - the ones that let you fail a few times before you get it right. I didn't have time for that. Surfing the 'net' one day I found "Tradgang" and saw an ad for a "bow school". This is exactly what I was looking for. When I called Horne’s Archery to get details I was greeted with a friendly voice and offered the courtesy of a visit to verify what I wanted. The very next weekend I visited Horne's Archery. Mark and Sandy were patient with me, answered every question, let me shoot the bows they make and impressed me as having on of the best products available today. I feel qualified to make this claim because in a period of about a month, I had purchased a total of 7 traditional bows, some of which, are from names (more common to me at the time) as the “big-boys” in custom traditional archery.
It's Dec 21st as I write this - I hunted yesterday with the bow I built, under Mark Horne's tutelage, a week previous. What I learned in 2 days could not be learned in months trying to do it myself. I have a 50# bow that draws so smoothly, you would need a scale to know that fact, if you shot it. Never mind that fact that it’s beautiful too! Being good at your craft does not necessarily qualify one to teach that craft to others. Not so with Mark Horne. He has the patience of “Jobe” and communicated clearly the “why & how” of every step in the process. Though I felt I was at the controls, Mark watched closely to keep me from stepping into the ‘quick-sand’ mistakes usually turn into. This project exceeded my expectations 2 fold, at least! Though I have not chronographed my arrows yet, I predict now that the arrows will only be a few fps slower that my compound – this is the hardest hitting traditional bow I have ever shot. I am not a ‘speed-freak’ anyway and will choose a slower, heavy arrow over a light, speedy one every time. If my bag target can be called a “gauge”, I am getting about the same penetration as my 62# PSE compound which, by the way, is for sale if you need one!
If you do not have the time and money to afford to fail trying to figure out and learn the nuances of the perfect bow, be it longbow, recurve or deflex/reflex, you owe it to yourself to contact Horne’s Archery to see if there is a fit for you in “bow school”. You will receive and instructional DVD to view (I recommend 2 or 3 times) before class. Access is easy as the area is served by Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport and/or Love Field for those of you who use Southwest airlines. Boyd Texas is an easy, approximately, 1 hour drive north and west of Dallas. Dates for the 2010 classes are posted, hunting season is almost over so, do yourself a favor and register for the school. If you are not of the mind to build your bow, then order one and wait for the UPS truck to show up – you’ll be glad you did.
Topic: Horne Archery - Bow School (Read 410 times)
