I am looking to reboot and start right this time.

[philos]

I felt the urge to go trad, bought all the stuff (I thought I needed) but I did not truly think it out and have not really been into it.  My stuff lay dormant for several months.  Now I want to start again and start right without the shortcuts and get the details right.

I have a 1967 Bear Grizzly that is 48# at 28.  I like the bow but honestly I should have gone with a 40lb bow.   I plan on buying a 40lb-probably Samick Sage 1 piece-and get the form down and match arrows and other gear properly.  

Thinking I need to get a test kit for carbon and aluminum and get the arrows right. I want to get both the Bear and new bow tuned and ready to roll and I actually want to get a Toelke Chinook before the year is out -assuming I can get all the aspects headed in right direction.  I shot a few bows at RMSG a couple of years back and I was drawn to the Toelke.  I tried to make to to Dan's shop last year but had to cut my trip short and head back home.

I have an archery shop close by and although they don't really know trad stuff they are nice folks and I believe they will let me tune things up in their place.
 
Would love to find a mentor but not much going on in upstate South Carolina.  I'm going to try to make it to a couple of events somewhere in the Southeast US in the next few months.

So--for a couple of questions.  
What is a good current resource for arrow selection / recommendations on recurves?
Will I need to paper tune or just bare arrow test flight?  
Is there a good test kit that will cover the 3 bows I intend to have eventually?  
The Samick I am looking at is a 1 piece 60 inches 40lbs at 28.  My Bear is 48@28 and the Chinook I want is probably going to be 58 inches and 45lbs or perhaps 50 lbs.

I am leaning towards aluminum to keep cost down as I assume I will need a dozen different arrows for each bow.  Might go carbons with the Toelke.

Sorry for the long post.  I appreciate any feedback/suggestions.

[moebow]

Sounds like you are coming over from a compound??

IF you really want to start out right AND have success, get that Samic in a 30# or so draw weight.  Learn to shoot that first before you EVER try to "tune"!!  You CANNOT tune before you can shoot.  So generic arrows, left full length (DO NOT cut, YET!) you can try 1716 for 30#, 1816 for 40# and 1916 for high 40s.  That will GET YOU STARTED.  

Now just shoot for a while, learn all you can by going to those local shoots you mentioned.  Until you can shoot groups, you will not need to "tune" anything.  Just set brace height and nocking point and just shoot!!

Don't jump too far into this until you have a shot sequence and are comfortable with it.  There is a LOT of information here and elsewhere on the web BUT if taken out of order (walk before running) you will just spend a LOT of money and get frustrated.

First things first, light weight bow, simple FEATHERED full length arrows and just shoot.  Don't worry about hunting or hunting weight bows YET!

Arne

[CoilSpring]

Arne speaks wisdom....

[philos]

Arne,

Thanks so much!  I'm grateful that you took the time to respond.  Sounds like good advice to me.

[McDave]

Normally I can think of something to add to Arne’s posts, but this time he’s just about said it all.

I might quibble and say that you might be happy with a 35# Samick rather than 30#, or you could just go for a takedown, since Samick limbs don’t cost that much.

Dan Toelke makes very fine bows; I have several myself.  I don’t know what your draw length is, but if it is 28” or longer, I would try to steer you towards a 60” Chinook.  If you mainly plan to hunt whitetails, I would steer you toward 45# rather than 50#.  You will learn to be accurate faster on 45# than 50#, and 45# is plenty for game up to whitetails.

I believe Rod Jenkins will be teaching seminars somewhere not too far from where you live, and it would get you off to a good start if you could attend one.

[philos]

Thanks McDave.  I will look into the training from Rod Jenkins.  Also the 60" Chinook 45# is the very one I had in mind.

Where are you in South Carolina?  Perhaps we can get together sometime...I live in Fort Mill S.C. - about 25 minutes south on 77 of Charlotte NC.

Shoot me a PM!

[philos]

Will do Tony.  Thanks!

[Stumpkiller]

Start with some nice Douglas fir wood arrow shafts now and you won't have a lot of expensive techno-junk to store later on.  ;-)

[Red Beastmaster]

You will love the Sage one piece recurve!

[LBR]

Arne nailed it.  I second the Rod Jenkins clinic, or at least the video "Masters of the Barebow, Volume III".  I'll echo Arne...got to walk before you can run.  Got to learn to shoot before worrying about tuning, and learning to shoot means developing a consistent shot process...it's NOT about hitting the spot (not at first anyway).  Get the shot down, accuracy will follow.  Remember that the target does absolutely nothing--everything that matters happens at the bow.  If you get other resources, check credentials.  You may find a book or video that sounds good, is even recommended, but if the author has never done anything or coached anyone who's done anything...well, the proof is in the pudding.  My opinion of course.

Chad

[DeerSpotter]

X 3  Arne speaks wisdom....


Been there and done that !

 Back to the basics ! Slowly


Carl       <------------<<<<

[philos]

Thanks for all the responses.  I've ordered a 35 lb Sage and I've also reached out to Rod Jenkins.  I will be following up with him next week to line up training in Alabama.

I'm excited about this journey!

[Rob DiStefano]

what arne posted - in the beginning, lighter, or even lightest, is always better.  it'll be about form and just shooting - not hunting, not yet ...

[Looper]

Philos, where are you? I'm in Dacusville, about 20 min from Easley, Pickens, and Greenville.

[philos]

I am in Greenville.  
Good to know someone from Trad Gang is close by.