Compound to Longbow

[Taxcollector]

Hello,
I'm looking at getting a longbow for hunting. I have been shooting a compound for a while and am just getting drawn to a longbow (pardon the pun). I have a couple of questions; My draw length is 29". Do I need to get a LB for that draw length? Or, are LB generally 'one size fits all'?

[lpcjon2]

You have to re-check your draw, what you drew with the wheels may not be the same with a LB or any other trad bow. I would look for an inexpensive LB either in the classified or maybe BPS or Cabela. You want to make sure you like trad before you put out the big bucks on an expensive bow.and most are @28" draw and you can draw past that and it wont hurt anything.Take my advice on an inexpensive bow you will not regret it.

[moebow]

There is no pat answer to your question.  Are you looking at a reflex deflex LB or a standard "D" shaped ( Hill style) long bow?  If you are looking at various new bows the best answer is to call the bowyer and ask for their recommendations.

A general answer is that a Hill style bow  will want to be in the 68-70" range for your draw if it is still 29".  The RD bows vary by maker and design.

[Plumber]

look up northern mist longbows they got what you need an are more then willing to help If you are going to tree stand hunt keep the lenth 64-66 inches an dont overbow your self good luck

[Rob DiStefano]

it's not a matter of the type of stick bow, it's making sure of other factors.

click on the first link in my sig line for some help.

 

[inthere10x]

I agree re-check that draw length. If your bow is over 28" it will depend on the style of longbow (hill style, reflex/deflex, heavy reflex/deflex)if you would need/want a longer bow.
Just DON'T OVER BOW yourself!!!!!!! Go with a light draw weight to start, remember no let off w/ the longbow. What weight was your compound?
Get to any tradtional shoots you can, most guys will let you try their bows.

[monsterbuck]

Congrats, welcome to the club. You won't be sorry you took your training wheels off,,,,,,Im not.   God bless.

[Red Tailed Hawk]

This trad stuff can get pretty addicting!!!

You have been warned    

Welcome to the gang

[Elk77]

Been new to Traditional I would like to say welcome. You may like to give my brother James ( JD Berry archery) a call(509)299-3029, he is one fun guy to talk to and he really knows is stuff and he enjoys talking. James has been building custom longbows for over 30 years now. He could help out alot with what ever route you would like to take. If you would like to take a look at is web page its  www.jdberryarchery.com  He's also listed above in the sponsors list. Once again welcome and happy shooting.

[GreyGoose]

Oh, and what the man said about not being overbowed - otherwise, you won't have to worry about whether it can safely be pulled past 28".  I had to buy a second bow to build up to the "cheap" starter longbow I bought a year ago.  But keep the faith - I can handle both of them now, even though they differ a lot from one another - and for sure from the wheelies.  I shoot a lot more now, and enjoy it more - hope your adventure is as good as mine.

[JamesKerr]

I agree if your draw length was 29" with a compound it will most likely be around 27" with a traditional bow. I would highly recommend getting a Bear Montana bow as a first longbow to try out. It is not very expensive and you will get very good performance for your money.

[Rustic]

I was just like you. I shot compound for years and I thought I wanted to start "Trad" with a long bow but I ended up with a recurve. So, give'em all a try. Also, your draw length will change. Unlike some folks, my draw length increased.

[zinndl]

If it is a longbow you like then IMO go with the straight grip D shape Hill style. Straight grip and D shape are what makes a longbow...a longbow.
The r/d longbows with recurve type grips are better called Hybrids, a cross breed of the recurve and longbow.
Either way dont overbow yourself, if you pulled a 70# compound then go no more than 50 or 55# on a trad bow.

[elknutz]

I would say go back to Robs post and read his link.  It is a great tutorial.

[screamin]

I always liked to draw 29 1/4" with a compound and a thumb release. With traditional I stretch out to about 28 1/4 to 28 1/2". Most of the time your draw shortens about an inch but thats not set in stone. YMMV

The straighter grip bows like a Hill longbow will cause a natural bend in your bow arm, a good thing for hunting, while a deep recurve grip will result in a straighter arm, a good thing for standing targets and tighter groups for some. The most important thing is to get a quality bow for less money that is easy poundage for you to shoot and then let your draw be what ever it is once your form is achieved. It does not have to be a any exact number, mine is 26&1/4" with a Hill style bow and 27" with a recurve. A young shooter came by a while back with his new bow called a solo bamboo made by great tree, that he got for a couple hundred bucks. I was rather surprised, it shot pretty good. You could always shop for a used one in the classifieds, these guys won't do you wrong. Just don't over bow yourself right off the bat.

[Rick Richard]

Don't over bow yourself as Pavan said and try different bows before you purchase one based on Name alone.  You will find what works for one person will not work for the other...grip for example. Take advantage of the 'test drive' options offered by many bowyers.

[jbat73]

Look over the Samick line of bows at *********s Archery website, they are a phenomenal bow for the money, the best value, "bang for the buck" IMO to learn with. I wish they would have been a more prevelant company, more well known bow co. when I first started shooting Trad. I have owned and shot over 30-40 bows easy, recurves and lonbows and selfbows, and have only enjoyed shooting 2 of them, a Bob Lee Signature and a Black Widow, but everyone is different, hopefully your learning curve will be shorter with great help from a great bunch of people on TradGang!!! J

[bolo7735]

When I used to shoot compound my DL was 29.5". My DL now on a longbow is 28 1/4". Just like the compound each bow will vary on your DL.

If you enjoy shooting archery, you are going to love traditional bow. I never had so much fun shooting my longbow. I have no regrets switching over.