Tough choice ( I think)

[rybohunter]

Here's the deal...
I recently made the decision to go trad for this years hunting season. I bought a sweet longbow, got set up with some wooden arrows, and began practicing. Sounds good right....well I got the bug so much I dug out my OLD shakespeare necedah, got some aluminums and started shooting. Well in just a short time I am just as good if not better with the old bow as I am with the new one. And to make it worse, the old bow is significantly faster. I need to run em thru a chrono. But now I don;t know what to do? I love the new bow I bought, but I think I'd feel more confident with a more powerful bow.
The longbow is 50#, the recurve is 55#. Any tips?

[Luke Vander Vennen]

shoot 'em both  

[Curveman]

Shoot the bow you like the best or the one you want to like the best until you get good with it. I just switched to my "new baby", a longbow after 6 years of recurve and now feel a new zest for shooting. if you are going to HUNT with it though you are morally obligated to shoot either bow you use well enough to expect to kill the animal the overwhelming majority of the time. Weight and speed of the arrow doesn't weigh in that much IMO unless maybe you are hunting a moose!  

[Jwilliam]

Shoot both for now, and have fun!!! Eventually you will get things figured out. I think you will be just fine with either bow.
Bill

[sticshooter]

Heck shoot them both till ya decide which one ya like best.<><.

[Golden Hawk]

Shoot the bow that makes you feel the most confident this year and then next year switch to the other bow and shoot nothing else.

[Homebru]

I've got a $1,200 TD longbow (very well known / sought after bow) and a $500 1-piece longbow (I bought it for half that used)....I love 'em both....but I shoot the less expensive bow better.  I shot a pig with the 'spensive bow, now I'm putting it aside for the rest of the year.  I'm going to shoot the "cheap" bow the rest of the year.  No shame in choosing the bow that shoots best.
homebru

[vermonster13]

It's how the bow shoots for you not what it cost that matters. Confidence is priceless.

[bbassi]

ar you a righty or lefty?

If you're a lefty, I think you should shoot that expensive longbow and sell me that crappy old Shakespere. LOL  

[Curtiss Cardinal]

The Shakespeare is an old friend. The new longbow is a new one. You don't have to choose one friend over another. Shoot the one you want to each day just decide.Then have fun with the friend you're with.

[kcbrown]

I always find myself coming back to my old bear K-mag, it and a Kodiak Hunter. The arrows out of those bows always seem to go where you are looking. Shoot them both, you will know which one is the moneymaker.

[madness522]

Keep them both and pick one to get really good with.  There will come a point of diminishing returns where you don't feel like you are getting any better of you have a really bad day or two in a row. Then you can pick up the other one and fling some arrows with it.  I have done this several times and even though it is not the bow that is shooting bad having a different bow in your hand can and sometimes does make all the difference between hanging it up and bringing the joy back.

[paleFace]

shoot'em both. during hunting season i have all my bows ready to go. when i get ready to leave in the morning i just grab the one that feels right for the day. no reason you can't hunt with the old & new....

[Izzy]

Like paleface said.Take one out every other hunt.

[rybohunter]

Thanks for the advice. I'll probably just keep shooting both and then see how things feel when he season comes, or like some said just grab which one feels right that day.

[duck'n]

Same "problem" here.  I have several longbows that shoot good but I just can't leave my old Black Bear Hunter sitting too long on the rack.  Seems like the first shot out of that bow is on the mark every time...plus shooting it is like visiting an old friend since I have had it over 20 years.  I definately plan to hunt with it some this fall but on the flipside I can't leave those pretty longbows sitting there with nothing to do either!!!  What a great problem to have.

[Shawn Leonard]

Shoot them both and when it comes time to hunt. Shoot the one you shoot best. There has been some great improvements in trad bows over the years, but the fastest older bows are within 10fps. of most of todays bows. The fastest may be 20fps faster, speed is overrated. Shoot the one that is quick, quiet and you shoot the best. Shawn