Ok I see your point now, need to switch hands advice

[Dan A]

Hey guys, got on here a few weeks ago after getting my first longbow.

There was lots of great advice.

I am a lefty shoot right handed with a very dominate left eye. Lots of advice said cut my losses and go to left handed bow. I decided not to and I have been shooting pretty well right handed.

A couple thing happened. I did try the left handed bow and because of a bad shoulder I didn't do well. My shoulder was pulling badly.

This was with a compound bow.

A couple days ago I went to the shop I bought my last bow from and started not to but went ahead and tried a left handed bow. It was a long bow.

All I can say it really was an eye opening experience. I was immediately shooting it pretty good even though I had never shot left handed.

I felt good too, like everything was lined up right much like it is when I shoot my rifles left handed. Everything just seemed right.

The bow was only a 40# and I could hold it well with my 26.5" draw length.

The gentleman tested it on a scale and it was pulling right between 35 and 36 pounds at 26.5 in draw length.

I also found out that the $800 bow I had purchased from him could drawn down on weight and with my wife's super short draw length we could get that 50# right handed bow down to a good weight for her ... so no loss in money and the bow can go to her.

So anyways this has me thinking I will indeed as many of you suggested be a better shooter left handed. Plus it all just feels so right. First time shooting the left handed bow I was stacking those arrows together a good bit of the time.

So couple questions:

I like the bow I was shooting. Yep another $750 bow.

Since I am only pulling about 35 to 36 pounds of weight can I use it for whitetail deer hunting. Spine program says I would be looking at around 25#s of KE.

Secondly, anyone have any suggestions as to other bows I should look into before pulling the trigger of a left handed bow?

I may be starting over moving from right hand to left but from the looks of my groups from shooting that bow for 5 minutes in left hand, I do not believe I am backing up.

Thanks for any advice guys.

Ok PS, I really don't know how much more weight the left shoulder can hold. That 36#s felt like I could shoot it all day. 50#'s might disrupt the who torn labrith things I got going.

[David Mitchell]

Well, Dan, you had my experience exactly.  I could not believe how well things lined up when I shot a lefty bow after much frustration shooting right handed.  I am very left eye dominant as you are.  I would say that the right arrow flying good and true will take a deer without any problem.  Before plunking down $750, you may want to check out a less expensive bow and get a couple of pairs of limbs to find out if you can move up a bit in weight if you feel the need.  Best of luck on your adjustment.  It took me a while to even remember to put my arm guard on the correct arm!  

[Petrichor]

First questions first you may have said but I did not see it... What kind of longbow is the 750.00 bow??? Also check your local wildlife management to see if that is enough weight for deer.  I know my state is a 30 or 35lbs minimum so you would be fine in Louisiana.  Now a lesser money bow suggested above may be a good idea...... However if it feels right and you will be legal then I say go with what feels right.  Maybe try a few more left handed bows and see how that goes. And after doing that you feel that the first bow is the best then great!!! I am personally slightly left eye dom and I shoot right handed still with everything save pistols which I shoot both.  I was really big into shooting 50 lbs and up bows but recently got my first 45lbs bow and I like you have a 26 to 26.5 draw and oh my god I'm in love.  All  this to say is try a few more lefties and if that one is still the best.. hard to argue with stacking arrows.

P.S. there is a sponsor on here maddog archery.. I have heard he makes super great longbows and his prices are so low its ridiculous.... I don't know if he makes left hand but you may want to check it out.

[wingnut]

No weight restriction in Texas, so that's not a problem.  Check with RMS and see what they have in stock for used left handed longbows.  Also I think there is a left handed bow dealer that is a sponsor here on TG.

$750 is a lot to pay for a longbow this early. I'd wait a year or two and then make a decision on a higher priced bow.


Mike

[Dan A]

LOL, David, I love that. That is so me as well when you mention putting the arm guard on the correct arm, lol,

Dehayer, I purchased a Navajo Custom Longbow from Navajo Bows here in Henderson. Mr. Hall has been making custom bows for many, many years and sells a bunch and even has a strong European market for his bows. They are awesome in my limited opinion. Mine has virtually no hand shock and is as quiet if not more quiet than my hunting compound bow. He also has the one I am looking at now and shot.

I asked the question about whitetail not because of the laws as yes we can shoot any poundage my question was more like does the bow have the KE to get the job done.

Many web sites I've looked at have conflicting information. Some say you need at least 30# of KE whereas others say don't worry about it. I just didn't want to purchase a bow and find out it can't properly do the job in taking game.

My biggest problem is, I can't find anywhere even in the Dallas/Ft Worth area that has left handed traditional bows to try out to shoot any others.

I can get Mr. Hall at Navajo Bows to build me one with more poundage but I don't have patience to wait to three months even if that timeline is more than reasonable.

Wingnut, what is RMS?

Thanks everyone for all the help! I really appreciate it and thanks for the heads up as well on products to look into.

[McDave]

You've got one of the best traditional bow companies in the US right next door in Jacksonville: Bob Lee Bows.  Look at their ad at the top of this page.  Give JJ a call, and I'll bet he'll set you up with all kinds of bows to try out.

[Petrichor]

Well if you have one of his bows and love it. I don't think you will regret another. As for weight it's more than enough.

[slowbowjoe]

RMS is Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear, an excellent, reliable, well stocked sponsor in Colorado. they have an extensive selection of used bows, including left handed.
If you are (or spend  $30 to become one), you could place a "want to buy" here in the classifieds, and probably have at least a few very good options for used bows. With a reliable seller.
There are also several other sponsors here that have a collection of used bows - Big Jim's, Raptor, Lost Nation, Footed Shaft, off the top of my head.

If you prefer to get a new bow, McDave offered some very wise advise.

[Dan A]

McDave, yeah Bob is one of the best for sure. Unfortunately I think he only does recurves and I have a love for the Longbows. Sure does put out some really nice stuff though. He's setup at one of our club shoots before and my boss has one of his bows and raves about it.

Thanks dahyer, seems the new consensus is that the bow at 35 or 36 lbs is enough to take out a whitetail.

Thanks again everyone!

[David Mitchell]

Dan, you are right about Roy Hall.  he has been a friend of mine for several years.  I wrote a bowyer interview article for TBM on Roy a few years back.  He is not only an excellent bow builder but a fine man as well.  Wingnut made a good suggestion regarding Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear--good folks as well.

Hope you can stay on one side with that shoulder.  I have injured my shoulders twice, neither time did it have anything to do with shooting a bow.  A slippery rock caught me once, I broke a Schulz on that one, and last year a slippery ladder and a leaf blower, those rungs get going really fast when your feet ain't on any of them.  i found if I kept mind shoulder rotation to a minimum motion that i could shoot right handed again, as in half swing half spread draw, with a minimum of straight back.  You may need to watch yourself and take a slower tempo between arrows if you hold for a bit when shooting to let the fluids work in around any injured tissue.  You won't have the other problem that I had if you have not settled into a right hand bow completely.  I switch hit all the time, once an hour before sun-up, I put on my left hand arm guard, loaded my left hand bow, put on my right hand shooting glove, took out my judo point, slung on my right hand back quiver, put the arrow on the string did a couple of warm up draws and then in the moonlight  shot the round bale next to where I parked.  Man that hurt, it never hurt before.  I took the right shooting glove off my right hand, went and got my back up left hand tab and figured okay I'm good to go.  NO sneaking around for me that day, I could barely walk with the wrong back quiver on.

Oh yes, my wife's specs are the same as yours except her bows are 38 and 39 at 26.5".  she shoots forty pound spine cedars, 38 to 42, cut to 27" bop.  She shoots Bears and Eskimos out of her NAT Lost Creek and the same shafts with 145 grain heads  from her 64" Hill Cheetah.  The arrows absolutely fly perfect for her, even though the charts and some arrow makers would say that they should act stiff.

[Orion]

35-37# will get the job done on deer, but I expect you'll be able to move up in weight after you've shot lefty for a while.  

Don't be bothered by KE discussions.  KE has some value in comparing bows with each other, but is a worthless predictor of arrow penetration.

I'm not terribly familiar with Navajo bows.  Are the limbs interchangeable from right to left hand risers?  If not, you might consider a bow in which the limbs are interchangeable from left hand to right hand.  That would enable you and your wife to swap limbs as one or the other of you decides to move up or down in draw weight (providing you both have the same bow brand, of course).

[Dan A]

David, yes Mr. Hall is a great boyer but also just a super nice, all around great guy.

Pavan I had no issues with the shoulder holding that weight. My shoulder has been like this since 1984 when I dislocated it before our first season game. Doc said I might get to play the last game of the season since it was my senior year.

Missed only one the first game. They had me harnessed up every Friday and on Thursday's I got some kind of shot in the shoulder. It would get knocked out of joint in a game and I would lay on the ground and the coach would take my arm and pop my shoulder back into joint and back in the game I went, lol. Did that for the rest of the year. Had I known then what I know now, I would have just missed that senior year of football, lol. It got me sympathy from the girls and I was too ugly to get their attention otherwise, lol.

I protect it the best I can but it will still slip out of joint a few times a year, usually while I am sleeping.

Doc said the only way to fix it was surgery and that was still iffy if it would be a complete success. Physical therapy helps where it giving me real fits but I've been enough I can do it myself.

 I checked out the vendors given to me. To my surprise, RMS had a used Navajo bow in left hand and a close enough poundage.

Don't know if they will but I thought about calling them on Monday and see if they would work out some soft of trade deal with me. Worth a shot anyways.

If that doesn't work out, and after some of you including Orion now have confirmed not to worry too much about the KE, I'll probably end up getting that one up at the shop and have my current one redone to work for my wife.

Again, thanks everyone. This is the most helpful forum.