Anybody else like slow, quiet and forgiving?

[Stumpkiller]

Originally posted by bigbadjon:
Your arrow is too slow if your flight path is such an arch that you have trouble hitting targets squarely past 30 yards.

How big a target?  I have fast bows that won't do that.      

Or if a gray squirrel can look up and side-step the arrow (I have seen this happen with a friend's self bow).  And we all know a slow and noisy bow (or buzzing fletch) isn't what you want to go after a whitetail with or you'll kill nothing but dry leaves past 20 yards.

[Jack Skinner]

Fast and quiet just dont seem to go together very often. Not from my own experence just some trad bows I have stood next to when shot by other archers. Seen some tradbows with every type of silencer made for them on the bow and still sound like a 22 going off. Probably the archer not knowing how to set up the bow, I dont know, dont care like what I like. That sounds really negative I just mean that I prefer the straight profile bows, though I own one reflex/deflex pronghorn, but it isnt fast by todays 180+ standard I think that what it is I remember when it was 160.

Stumpkiller makes good point. Even with my quiet selfbow buzzing maxifletch made it probable that mullies would just step away or duck my arrows. Now I use a 4.5 inch low back bananna, and what a difference. Now the deer just walk over and smell the arrow after I have missed and walk away (^8 not knowing what or where it came from.

[AdamH]

LOVE EM !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ishoot4thrills]

Originally posted by Stumpkiller:
Quiet is important to me.  Forgiving is nice in case of a poor release or other "outside force".  

I can do without searching specifically for slow.  I have enough slow to suit me in all my bows.  Stability and accuracy are more important, but speed is welcome when it comes along.      

X2! Very well said.

[Wannabe1]

I am going to an all Howard Hill line-up with the exception of one Maddog recurve that will be for turkey, play and maybe elk if the area is to thick in brush for a longbow.

[ChetterB]

Congratulations, I will take quiet and accurate over speed and noise any day!!! Thanks Jerry.

[Andy Cooper]

I suppose if given the choice between slow and fast, I'll opt for the faster...just as long as the quiet and forgiving part is present!!  :D    

[HATCHCHASER]

It doesn't get anymore forgiving than a D-Bow.  They are quieter than anything else too. D-Bows seem to be tougher as well so you can use em for a club     .  No matter what bow I wonder to I always seem to find my way back to a Mild r/d or d-bow.

[SpankyNeal]

IMHO quiet and forgiving are absolute necessities. The only speed that is important, whether fast or slow, is the one your mind is trained to!

Spanky

[Mike Mecredy]

You know, I am very impressed when a bowyer can build a bow, use an arrow that is at least 9 grains per pound of draw, and flirt with 200 fps.  But my favorite bows to shoot are self bows.  The nicest shooting bow I've shot to date was one made by Ed Scott, sinew and raw hide backed juniper.

[Dick in Seattle]

When I started out to build bows for myself my goal was to reproduce the early fiberglassed longbows from back in the late 40's/early 50's, when glass was new and everyone was amazed at what could be done with it compared to just wood lam bows.   I've made some nice, smooth, easy shootin' bows and certainly had fun with them.  

In any field, what used to work doesn't stop working just because something more effective comes along.   To me, traditional means trying to do as well with the same equipment as was used in the period you admire, not seeing if you can do better with better equipment.   It's a challenge, and fun.

Right now I'm experimenting with a glassed all bamboo lams extreme string follow longbow...

 

 

It's either going to be the slowest longbow around or the smoothest... maybe both!  :^)

[Stumpkiller]

Originally posted by Mike Mecredy:
You know, I am very impressed when a bowyer can build a bow, use an arrow that is at least 9 grains per pound of draw, and flirt with 200 fps.  But my favorite bows to shoot are self bows.  The nicest shooting bow I've shot to date was one made by Ed Scott, sinew and raw hide backed juniper.

I had a 70# Dan Quillion Patriot recurve that would toss my 600 gr 23/64" cedar shafts over 200 fps.  It was a miserable thing to shoot, I thought.  Sold it to a guy whose socks just rolled up and down as he shot it and he was happy as a pig in sh . . . very happy with it.  It was just not smooth in my hands or an instrument suitable to my shooting rhythm.  

That is the key.  When you shoot a bow and it feels right to you (or whispers softly to you) that is a bow you will be happy with.  If the arc is pronounced but your ballistic brain cells think along that arc you will be happy and accurate.  Currently I am finding I grab my 52# Browning Explorer when I just want to go out and loose shafts at a bale.  That first arrow appears where it should be, and quickly.  It is relatively noisy (not rimfire noisy but snap a dry branch noisy - excessive); but I haven't worked at quieting it as I haven't hunted with it and have lighter bows I hunt with.  I'd have to do something about the shiney gloss finish, too.  In my hands it is my most accurate.

Then there is my Ben Pearson Hunter.  Weighs just an ounce more than half of what that Explorer weighs and is 4" shorter and whisper quiet.  And it spits a 580 gr arrow out with determination.  Not quite so accurate, not quite so stable, not quite so fast; but it is a hunting tool for certain.  Again, for a hunting bow, that first arrow is the one that needs to be where you want it and in the vitals is good enough.

[Ben Maher]

 Your arrow is too slow if your flight path is such an arch that you have trouble hitting targets squarely past 30 yards.  

Such a statement probably is a just a bit broad maybe ...

I don't believe that accurate , forgiving and fast are mutually exclusive . There are many bows that carry all these qualities

Some of us prefer bows that to many others seem slow...But to us they are quiet, forgiving and just plain fun to hunt with.

after hunting and shooting bows for the past 30 years I'd be very hesitant to tell anyone that there arrows are too slow because they have trouble keeping their arrows on target past 30 yards ... A couple of blokes I know , one of whom celebrated his 1000th wild boar kill a few years ago , would be lucky to see the target at 30 yards .. and his 45# self bows and 700gn arrows are a testament to good hunting skills and a quiet forgiving bow .
Could Glenn have killed these animals with a faster bow ? YOU BET !
But he didn't need too.....

[Rob DiStefano]

to me, it's about examining what trad bowhunting is all about, and as such i see it as a short shot hunt that stays inside of 20 yards for the most part and ventures to 30 yards either some times or rarely.

with that in mind, most any stick bow can get the job done.  the better ones for me excel in 'stability' first and speed second.  finding a stable longbow that flys heavy arrows without much trajectory difference 'tween 20 and 30 yards is what i seek ...

... got one.  

[Andy Cooper]

I agree, Rob. I would much rather see how close I can get, instead of how far away I can hit! But that's me...to each her/his own.