Fixed crawl with wood bow?

[Pathfinder1974!]

So after shooting trad for first time over the last 3months I’ve settled on the best method seems to be a fixed crawl for me right now. So could I shoot this way with a custom built wood bow? Or would I be better ordering an ILF rig simply because I could correctly tune it easier?

[The Whittler]

Honestly it won't matter if it's a $100 bow or a $1000 bow, how the will shoot is all you. Shooting a stick bow is/can be very simple it's only as complicated as how much you make it.

Remember it's all you just enjoy and have fun. Good luck

[Pine]

A friend of mine shoots that way with self bows.

[Maclean]

I've had zero problems shooting a fixed crawl with any of my laminated wood bows.

[McDave]

I agree with the other comments.  You don't need an ILF bow to shoot with a fixed crawl.  With any bow, you can't be in tune gripping the string at the fixed crawl position and also gripping directly underneath the arrow.  You have to pick one or the other, and many people who use a fixed crawl never shoot any other way with the bow that has a fixed crawl.  Many times, I find that I initially have a nock low bare shaft when shooting with a fixed crawl, and I need to raise the nock height to be in tune.  This makes sense to me, because it moves my string hand up closer to where it would be when I grip the string directly under the arrow.

[Terry Green]

Are you planning on hunting that way?

[Pathfinder1974!]

I’ve tried a few different ways to shoot. Split, 3under normally and then I came across a fixed crawl method. Split is totally uncomfortable for me and feels widely unnatural. When I saw the fixed crawl method it looked like no way it would work and seemed crazy to me!!! But I’m new to this so I leave possibly for anything to work. Well I went from arrows flying all over the target to being able to keep groups immediately down to about 12in. Now after 3 weeks I’m holding 6-8in groups with occasional bad release flyer. So I’ve tied a third nocking point and made it big enough to not have to look at string to slide tab up to it and feel it. So yes I plan on hunting with it as I’ve made my point on 20yds and 15yds I hold about 4in low. At 25yds it’s about 6in high. Even with my compound I’m setting up for 16-22yds most times so this seems reasonable to me. I’ve had a cheap recurve to get shooting to see if I’m gonna like it or be able to do the trad thing. Well I’m hooked so been looking into stepping up to a bow that might have some bells and whistles. I just don’t wanna spend $1000+ on a custom woods bow work of art if truly an ILF would make more sense. I’d luv it if I could order a beautiful bow made out of stunning wood and ascents but not willing to sacrifice performance the animals I’m hunting deserve that. Like my gun I have one that works and I use it exclusively as it’s become an extension of my hand and when I decide on a new bow I want that to be the same. I just don’t know as I’m new to this game and even though I have this cheap recurve throwing arrows really well just didn’t know if an ILF would make more sense being able to adjust it as you can and a wood bow being more or less fixed.

[katman]

No worries here with fixed crawl and custom longbows/recurves, for me. Just get the bow tillered even for a fixed crawl. My ILF with a fixed crawl I set tiller 2mm negative and get them pretty quiet.

[katman]

Regarding Terry's question about hunting with a fixed crawl, I am willing to accept certain shot oppurtunities would be passed that could be made with 'instictive' shooting.

[Pine]

I have a suggestion,  most will poopoo this idea but if you put a raised rest about on inch higher, the tiller comes back to original and the bow will tune much easier.

[McDave]

I have a suggestion,  most will poopoo this idea but if you put a raised rest about on inch higher, the tiller comes back to original and the bow will tune much easier.

Totally agree.  Since venturing into the swamp of ILF, I have discovered that a number of ILF bows have been designed to be shot using an elevated rest, and will not tune well when shot from the shelf, even though a shelf is provided with the bow.  I have never found it necessary to raise the rest by an inch, a quarter inch has worked in my cases, but my conclusion is basically the same as Pine's.

[Wudstix]

 

[Friend]

Identified an ideal ground setup for an older longtime friend who would be shooting a 52" Kodiak Magnum using a fixed crawl for a 15 yard point on. He harvested a 150's 10 point on his 3rd hunt.

[Undomesticated]

I would suggest an ILF bow to start.

The two most important things on a bow are your grip and your tiller (and how they interact.)
On an ILF bow, these are both adjustable. You will be able to find your “sweet spot” for nock height, tiller, and grip for your fixed crawl.

I am of the opinion if your nock point is more than 1/2” above level, you’ve either got a tillering problem or a technique problem (usually heeling the bow or a poor release.) You can get away with tuning away issues with high nock point shooting targets, but when you start hunting with big broadheads you run into issues with poor arrow flight and/or poor penetration.

ILF can be a wonderful tool to find what works best for you. You can then select those attributes and pass them onto your bowyer. I actually have my wood bows built with a 1/8”-1/4” negative tiller. I was able to hone in on that thanks to ILF bows. Any good bowyer can accommodate this request. The simple “split finger” or “3-under” standard tillers are not good enough for what custom bows cost, IMO.

[Russell Southerland]

Are you planning on hunting that way?

Hello?

[Pathfinder1974!]

I would think this would be a great to shoot for hunting. I’m not instinctive at all and with gap I’m aiming 16-18in low to hit vitals. Bring tab down 1in anchor slightly different and now I’m aiming bottom of chest to hit vitals point on at 20yds and top of chest at 25yds. Not sure how that’s not better then a gap holding off deer by a ft.

[Maclean]

Don't let anyone tell you that you can't use a fixed crawl for hunting. I set mine up to be point on at 22 yards. I'm looking at the animal and where I want to hit it the entire time. I never have to take my eyes off the animal.
Find whatever way works for you in a hunting situation and practice until it's second nature.

[Terry Green]

I never said you couldn't hunt that way, but it's very limited. 

Maclean, how many Animals have you killed that  charged you and how do you crawl that in a split second? Do you have to use a range finder to find your point on?

[Undomesticated]

I never said you couldn't hunt that way, but it's very limited. 

Maclean, how many Animals have you killed that  charged you and how do you crawl that in a split second? Do you have to use a range finder to find your point on?

Most folks use an obvious physical indicator on their string (like a small brass nock) for their desired point-on distance. It’s a pretty clever and effective way to shoot, even for “split vision” type shooters. It’s an excellent way to set up a bow for folks with a low-anchor point (and hence a long point-on.)

But, you need to tune for it.

[Maclean]

No Terry, I've never been charged, thank God. My distance estimation is the same as it's always been, instinctive. And the beauty of the fixed crawl is that your fingers are always on the string in the same place, it's a "fixed" position. I use a tied on nocking point and can feel it with my tab or glove, so I don't have to look at the string. Everything else seems the same to me. I'm estimating the distance and I'm making instinctive mental adjustments as I aim and shoot. Having shot both methods I can say without a doubt that I'm far more accurate with a fixed crawl. And it hasn't changed how I hunt or shoot.
But that's just me, YMMV as with anything.