Amazing what 10# will do...

[wihill]

I bit the bullet and picked up a cheap Samick takedown with 40# limbs - Man what a difference!

I can reach full draw comfortably now!  I'm not a 27" draw like I thought - it's definately longer!  I can hold at full draw now!  I can aim, actually AIM!  I actually have groups!!!   :D   Can you tell I'm excited?

Now for the "DOH!" moments, because I found where I'm comfortable drawing too, I noticed my arrows are exactly .25" too short.  I cut and glued them up when I was using the 50# bow and never making it all the way back.  I put a broadhead on just to see, and I'll need to be careful that last .25", it wants to walk off the shelf.  I may just pick up some more 33/55 shafts and some inserts and start over.  Live and learn - again.

Picked up a new Cavalier tab also - really like it.  The aluminum backing fits my hand perfectly, and my release has gotten alot smoother just with switching to this new tab.  Expensive little bugger though...

And finally, I did a bad thing.   :(   I got overzelous.  Seeing I had groups at 12yrds, I dug through my ancient archery box and found my old original Cobra recurve pin sight with upgraded fiber.  I put moved the pin to 20yrd and 25yrds (only have two) and shot 5 arrows - everything in a 3" circle.   :eek:    I know I need to get rid of the crutch, but it's interesting to see where I should be aiming in the sight window for the distance.  I may keep it on for a bit, but I have an entirely new appreciation for you guys that can do that without any pins at all!    

Now -

Do we have someone on the forum's approved sponser list that makes armguards?  I'm gonna need one.   :D

[Onehair]

A site can be a good training aid. It let's you see how important form is and how steady you have to hold to get good groups.

[DeerSpotter]

As you can see the list of bows I use is short,
for the very reason you stated above.

and they both drive arrows like darts !!!


Carl

[GrayRhino]

I shoot with two sight pins on my Widow and love it.  Hats off to the many guys that shoot instictively, but it's just not for me.

[Ray_G]

Chris,

For an armguard from a sponsor, go to Mike's Archery Leather.  Great work and you have some choices.  He is in the drop down sponsers list right above the forum posts on any page.

By the way, get a post card from your area and send it to him.  He collects them from his customers.  I need to do that yet.

Ray

[Hot Hap]

Nothing wrong with sights. Hap

[GrayRhino]

On the other hand wihill, you'd be suprised how quickly you can build up muscle to shoot that 50 lb bow.  Draw it back a few times with EACH arm a couple times a day, then draw it back 5  or 10 times, etc. and start holding it at full draw for a few seconds.  Work your way up and in a couple months you should be able to shoot it fairly comfortably.

I did the same thing working up from 49 lb limbs to 62 lbs.

[GOBBLER]

Check out Tim Roberts in the sponsor classifieds. He has a great looking knife/armguard combo.

[Doc Nock]

There was a video out by some big guy a few years back entitled something akin to "Learning to Shoot Heavy Bows"

He used a bow for doing exercises... it was pretty cool. He had some other simple weight tools to help.

If you wanted, you could use the 50# to do some exercises...pull to anchor..hold the count of 5 and let down slowly.

Another was to load bow 1/4 way, 1/2, 3/4, then full and hold for 5 count up...then down. Whew!

He emphasized doing it with BOTH arms though...to keep your body balanced

I'm surprised your 40 Samic does't like lighter spine arrows from the 50# y ou were shooting...course, if you weren't pullin it to what it said, it wasn't getting that full 50# either.

Buy some inexpensive alum to practice with the 40 till you get better form and work out with the 50# till you build those muscles...very different set and strain for a stick bow vs. compound...  

Keep the 40 for when, like me, you get older and need to lighten back up!

[wihill]

Thanks for the help guys.  I'll take a look at the brace manufacturers and find one that suits me.  Like to support the little guys when I can.    .  I've only been at this 3 weeks and I've got two trad bows and want more...  Wife's not gonna like this at all...