What are the top dogs shooting?

[FerretWYO]

I have been around some great shooters for a long time. I will have to agree with those who say that it is not the bow alone.

The best traditional shooter I have had the great pleasure of meeting shooting with shoots a 20+ year old stumbo 70# recurve. At one shoot we all switched bows a few times and it showed that he was the shooter not the bow.

[dino]

Couple of years back there was a guy shooting with Brandon Smith who was a crack shot (wish I could remember his name) went to the Cloverdale Nationals with $100.  Bought a used bow and a handful of arrows with the $100.  Shot the course and placed near the top of the finishers.  Bottom line is that he was trying to prove a point that it wasn't the equipment it is the shooter that makes the difference. dino

[foamkiller]

I think first you would have to identify who the top Trad shooters are before you would know what they shoot. Who they are depends on what organization you want to check. The two main 3D organizations are IBO & ASA, NFAA covers the field side of thing and you have Cloverdale, ATAR &ETAR for the purely trad side.

[Larry247]

There were a bunch of differant bows at ATAR last year in the top five longbow and recurve classes.

[Orion]

I'm not telling.  

[crookedwoody]

I AGREE WITH THE PEOPLE ABOVE ABOUT THE SHOOTER NOT THE BOW.I HAVE A SHOOTING BUDDY THAT MOSTLY SHOOTS HIS JUTE BACKED HICORY SELF BOW THAT HE MAKES ,SHOOTING ABOUT 150 FEET PER SEC WITH WOOD ARROWS MADE BY HIM.HE JUST KNOWS HOW TO SHOOT.IT IS FUN JUST TO WATCH HIM SHOOT.HE HAS PLACED TOP SPOTS AT CLOVERDALE SELFBOW DIV. SEVERAL TIMES..TO ME THAT IS AS TRAD AS YOU CAN GET.....CHRIS

[buckeye_hunter]

With all due respect to the knowledge of those involved on this site...

I think he just wants some ideas of what the top scoring shooters are using for equiptment.

Lets give him a few ideas.

-Charlie

*I also agree that good shooting is the key, but that isn't the question posed.

[jmc334]

I just thought it would be a good topic as we know most are paid/compensated to shoot what they shoot.

PS. That fellow placing with 100 dollars of used bow and arrows is impressive.

[Mike Byrge@home]

I've been attending the two-biggest trad shoots in Louisiana for several years now.   I doubt any of the top shooters at those shoots are compensated or given bows to shoot.

At those two shoots it is just about a given that they'll be at least one Black Widow, an Acadian Woods or two, a Sovereign Ballistik, Blacktail (maybe two), a couple Bob Lees and whatever Tal M. brings which was a Quinn last year, near the top.

In the one-piece longbow class it's there is usually a couple 21st Centurys, a couple of Acadian Woods Treesticks, A couple Black Widows, a Fox or two and Liberty if I'm having a good day.

Definately see a lot of Bob Lee and Acadian Woods bows in this part of the country.

[Chuck Hoopes]

Rick Welch, Dakota Bows, Great guy to learn from.

[smokin joe]

I have always heard: "Shoot the cheapest bow you can get away with; and shoot the best, and best matched, arrows you can get."
I think it works out pretty well.

[goodolboy94]

not to brag my self up just to show you its the shooter not the bow last sunday i won the traditional class at an achery shoot the other guy(yes there were only two of us) he shot a custom made black widow recurve that was 1200$ bucks, and he was shooting for 3 or 4 years, I have been shooting trad less than a year and i shoot a pse legacy your bottom line bow it cost like 230$ so its definatly not the bow

[Str8Shooter]

I think if you looking into local competitions it will really depend on what the most skilled shooter likes. Of course any bow, in the hands of a skilled archer, will be more than up to par.

That being said, most guys who consistently place well are shooting bows that have forgiving characteristics. Deflexed risers, usually a fair amount of mass weight, decent brace height. Even in the longbow classes these are characteristics are common.

If you're looking to get into top level competitive archery many recurve guys are using ILF risers and limbs set up to be accepted into the trad class. Longbow shooters seem to favor bows like 21st Century, Fox, and other long riser LB's that still conform to the the governing body's rules.

Hope that helps.

[Builder]

You probably could ask what the shooters on this forum shoot. I was amazed at the number of world class shooters earlier on a thread about accuracy. Guys that said they could keep 2-4" groups at 20 yards every time they shoot, with  no fliers.

[Hattrick]

I was told 21st century bows in there hay day won more titles than any others. They were the 1st radical refex-deflex bows kinda started the hole hyberd thing. I have 2 they are nice, but theres a lot upper self bows now a days morrosin, shrews, horne, widows its endless