novice trad bow choice?

[darren1968]

Hi all, I`m a newbie to this forum, and novice to trad bows.
I`m originally from London UK, interested in taking up archery for target and hunting, here in Romania, where i now live with Romanian wife.
To my knowledge, no archery clubs, shops etc exsist here.
Seems ppl here favour hunting with shotguns, for which there are many retailers available.
I`ve read info on using the bow, but have no hands on.
I would like to buy a bow and hope that it`s possible to become self taught?
I am 6`1" with a 29" draw lenght.
Online target archers in UK suggest as a novice i should consider a bow lenght of between 64" to 68"  with a low draw weight of around 35lbs as a learner.
I found a UK dealer offering 68" Longbows with draw weights from 30lbs to 55lbs @ 28" draw lenght, also on offer a 60" take down Recurve with replacement limbs from 30lbs to 60lbs draw weight @ 28" draw lenght.
I found no other take down recurve longer then this is on offer.
I favour the take down recurve as it would allow me to upgrade the limbs to a higher draw weight later, without the need to buy a second bow?  

Fearing a biased response to questions regarding the use of bows in hunting from UK archers whom almost only shoot at paper targets, as bowhunting is illegal.

I would like to hear what you guys, being bowhunters and all, suggest i do?   :confused:

[Diamond Paul]

Well, since you obviously have internet, there are many, many online sources of traditional bows.  The problem is that if you have no experience shooting recurves, anything you order is just a shot in the dark, so to speak, in terms of whether you will like it.  Since you mentioned target archery (I would check to be sure bowhunting is even legal there, as it is not in many European countries), I would tend to steer you in the direction of an inexpensive ILF recurve (Olympic/FITA style).  ILF limbs are interchangeable on any (well, most) ILF riser; this allows you to start with low poundage and eventually work your way up to a comfortable weight for hunting, if allowed.  These bows are somewhat longer than most people here like for hunting, but longer is never a problem when developing form and shooting accuracy.  Once you gain some knowledge (sites like this have all the info you can handle and more) and shooting skill, you can decide whether to get a different kind of bow more suited to hunting or not.  There are many people who do hunt with ILF bows, though.  You can find many good quality, inexpensive ILF bows and limbs out there, both new and used.  ILF risers come in 23 and 25" lengths, and limbs are short, medium, and long.  Anyone who sells them will be able to explain the various riser/limb combinations to you and get you into something that will suit your draw length.  Good luck, Paul.

[JSimon]

I have very limited experience with different bows, but I think a recurve 60" or longer would be fine for a novice. My first recurve (and the one I'm still shooting) is 60" and doesn't seem to be any less forgiving than a longer bow.

I ended up buying a Quinn Stallion take down as my first bow, after a great deal of research, and would definitely recommend it for a starter. They are quite inexpensive and their performance has been compared to many much more expensive custom recurves. I also wanted a take down for the option of getting heavier draw limbs, which I have since done. The Quinn bows also give you the option of shooting off-the-shelf or with any type of elevated rest. They have an aluminum riser that is drilled and tapped for all the accesories including plungers, sights, quivers, and stabilizers.

Here are a couple of links if you are interested:
 http://www.quinnsarchery.com/quinn\\'s_archery_012.htm

 http://www.tradtalk.com/ckshop.php?item=70&ret=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tradtalk.com%2Fckshop.php%3Fpage%3D1%26category%3D21

[WidowEater]

Bear Grizzlys are always my favorite suggestion for a starter bow.  Many around, relatively inexpensive, variety of draw weights, recurve (I believe it easier to learn on a center shot recurve)

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I agree with WindowEater.... after you get in to it, You might start building Your own.

[peak98]

I'll second the Quinn Stallion, it's a very shooter friendly bow at an excellent price.

[Diamond Paul]

I forgot about the Quinn bows.  By all accounts, execellent shooters and the price is right.

[Gnat]

I just started out a few weeks ago. I got a one-piece longbow for simplicity and it has been great.

You'll almost certainly want to try some different bows anyway (it's pretty addicting--be warned)...so don't get too caught up on picking one you'll have forever, or worrying too much about upgrading that particular bow. Limbs can be as expensive as whole bows, or hard to find, depending on what you get. Plus you easily may want something totally different after a few months or even weeks. I'm already considering what I'll get next, but will likely stick with a one-piece longbow mainly because I prefer the old-school style.

I'm 6'1'' with a 29'' draw also, and I got a bow that is 48# at 28'' and it's been fine. It took a week or so to get comfortable with the draw weight, but I would definitely not go under 40# unless you are super skinny (I only wieght 160 lbs and can shoot 30-40 arrows without getting tired); I'd go closer to 42-43# or even maybe more if you are relatively muscular-built. My bow is 60'' long and that seems fine, and it's a lot easier to find bows 60-64''...longer doesn't feel necessary although it will supposedly be easier to shoot. Mine is not shakey or anything; feels about perfect.

The beauty of starting is that you don't know what is an easier or more difficult bow. You just go with what you have. I chose to start with a longbow, as they're described as more challenging but I don't know the difference. So far so good and I am learning mostly by reading too. It helps a ton once you actually start shooting...you also realize how much there is to it. So much to learn, but that's what fun about any real hobby.

You are going to love it. I've been shooting until exhausted daily and getting better every time. One tip: buy bright-colored arrows...they're easier to lose than you think!