Schooled with a Stick

[Autumnarcher]

Was out back here at work, shooting a few arrows with a couple other guys. This practice round went as usual, long looks down their noses at my Thunderstick. While they checked for loose screws, adjusted nocking loops and whatever else they do, I shot 4 arrows in to the bulleye at 20 yds. Never said a word, nor did they.

I watched as they shot their first groups. Twang, boing, buzz, rattle. Two shooters, two very expensive Mathews bows, very noisy. They finished, and I stepped up and shot my first shot. Right in amongst those high dollar carbons.

Another look down the nose from the peanut gallery. Nocked and shot another, dang near took his knock off.

HEEY! Watch it!  A snicker from the guy with the stick- whassa matter? "fraid I might hit one? "Fraid my wood arrow might bust yer carbons? How could that be, being I'm shootin that "antique bow"?

He says better pull them toothpicks, or I'll but 'em with my next shot.  Ok, go ahead. Bet ya can't, I replied. He couldn't.

When I told him it was my turn, he pulled his arrows.

Sometimes life is funny. Have fun, shoot well.

[indianalongbowshooter]

Have never heard a noisy Mathews bow, when I shot compounds had one that I had 1100.00 in and it was as quiet as most recurves...most newer compounds made now are real close to as quiet as recurves...good shooting though...Ill keep my recurves though, did get tired of making sure everthing was tight all the time..had a sight fall off on the way to my stand before daylight, got daylight looked down and it b was gone, was so pissed I just sat there for 2 hrs anyway, sold it that year and went back to traditional, plan on staying here.

[2-BIG]

John, I have been faithfully shooting my Thunderstick MOAB for the past couple months. 2 weeks ago I got invited to shoot with some buddies that I hadn't shot with for many years. These 2 guys have won all sorts of trophys at 3-D shoots and their attitudes had caused me to steer clear of them on the target range. Well, we went and I beat one of them and the other barely outscored me. I didn't even want to keep score but they insisted just in case they could place high enough to get a trophy. Next time they may just want to take my advice and shoot for fun.  

[Bowana]

Last night my son and I were shooting our longbows with a couple of wheelie guys that are his friends. One of the guys had to borrow my pliers because his cable guard kept turning and wouldn't stay tight. After he got that fixed he made another shot and his sight fell off!! I had to smile...

[breid]

I shoot both and I can say I have never had to tighten stuff very often.  LocTite works wonders.  Now if I could shoot my recurve as good as my compounds........

[pdk25]

It's nice to be able to shoot well, but don't fall into the trap of feeling superior to the compound guys.  It doesn't feel good when they look down their noses at you.  Compounds and traditional bows are different animals.  Complexity or not, I doubt you would want to get into a nock breaking competition at any distance with someone who shoots their compound proficiently.

[Over&Under]

I would have to agree with indianalongbowshooter, and pdk25.  We don't like them doing it, and I just sold a matthews and it was dang quiet, quieter than some recurves I have shot.

Good shooting Autumn Archer!!!

I beat a compounder friend I work with the other day when we shot the video shoot, a compounder should easily be able to beat me at 25 yds, I was just shooting well.  

Good fun, but like pdk25 said, don't fall into the trap.

Some years back we were on a guided elk hunting trip, it was my dad, me, and two trad guys.  (me and pops were shooting compounds at the time, not anymore)  I ended up killing the first bull in camp, and that night one of the trad guys, (both were heck-of-a-nice-guys) made up his dinner plate, and handed it to me, and said "congrats, you killed first, you get to eat first tonight".  

We made lasting friendships with those guys, despite the bow barrier.  His attitude towards us is one thing that helped us make the switch to trad.

Agiain - Great story AutumnArcher, and good shooting!!!!

[Autumnarcher]

Oh trust me, I don't go  for the "better than you cuz I shoot a stick"  mentality. I'm a firm believer that a bowhunter or archer should shoot what they find the most fun for them. In our case, its a trad bow.

But, after all the ribbing and smack-talkin I put up with, its fun to humble them a little.
Funny thing is, after last season, we all had stories of missed shots. Any bow is capable of remarkable accuracy, the variable is the nut holding it./

The past three seasons I've spent Spet. in elk camp with a group of bowhunters. Not always the same guys each year, but we all know each other.
About half and half compounds and stickbows. Exactly 50/50 on elk killed, 2 trad kills, 2 with wheels, one year we got skunked. Bottom line, we're all bowhunters. We all have our limitations. And we all had fun. Its killin me not going this year. Best times I've ever had hunting, best bunch of hunters.

2-Big- I was hoping to catch you at Woods and Water Weekend. Talked to Dick for a few. I've been shooting my Arrow Inlay MOAB since I got it, gonna try to make meat with it next week.
Early MOAB seaon LOL. Are you going to the FredBEar Memorial SHoot at Lapeer this weekend? I'll be there Saturday.

[HATCHCHASER]

Here is what happens when you shoot a carbon with a woody.    
 

[2-BIG]

John, I have to work and the wife is helping run an archery event for Pheasants Forever Kids day.

[Curveman]

I know the feeling though. Last year I shot with 4 or 5 compound guys from our club. They opted for LONG shots and just for fun I decided to shoot from where they all shot from. Miraculously, I had "kills" on all the shots; keeping up with or beating all but one of the compound guys! Needless to say they were impressed! I don't practice at those distances and I don't think I'll do that again though as I wasn't joking about the "miraculously" part as I can't really shoot like that!      

[Tom L]

Originally posted by Curveman:
I know the feeling though. Last year I shot with 4 or 5 compound guys from our club. They opted for LONG shots and just for fun I decided to shoot from where they all shot from. Miraculously, I had "kills" on all the shots; keeping up with or beating all but one of the compound guys! Needless to say they were impressed! I don't practice at those distances and I don't think I'll do that again though as I wasn't joking about the "miraculously" part as I can't really shoot like that!          

That kinda stuff happens. I walked up on some friends shooting at chipmunk sittind on a log next to a 3D target. I didn't have a bow so I said let me try. A lefty buddy hands me his recurve. Just as I draw the thing runs  :eek:  . I nail it to the ground running  :eek:  . I was more supprised than anyone but I just said nothing and gave him his bow back and went and got my arrow  :cool:  . A blind hog find's a acorn once in a while. I did take a lota grief over not eating it.

[Over&Under]

WEll Said AutumnArcher!!!

[Shawn Leonard]

I will have to fully disagree with IndianLBshooter, the noise a compound makes cannot be compared to even a noist Trad. bow. All compounds make a totally different sound than a trad. bow. I hunted with compounds until 2005 and trad bows since 1997, ya very seldom get a second chance with a compound if ya miss, but with a trad bow it happens quite often. Shawn

[Autumnarcher]

Hehehehehe- my poor wheelie shootin friends are  still at it. A week+ before opening day, arrows with broadheads are flying all crazy for the one with the real nice Mathews bow. 3 guys hovering over it, tool box all laid out all over the table. Head scratchin o'plenty! The flipper up and down arrow restin thingy  seems to be getting all their attention. Been tinkering all afternoon, paper tuning, reinstalling the flipper-thingy, a few words ya can't say round your children, and then some more head scratchin.

Not a lot of shooting getting done. They've tweaked the spring tension, wrestled with the fletch clearance, moved sight pins, dropped one of those little clips that goes flying across the room. More bad words. Still no shootin.

Meanwhile, I politely offer suggestions while thumbing through a back issue of TBM magazine.

Oh, I shot 3 arrows. All had massive fletch contact with the shelf. All flew like darts. All hit right where I was looking. But that was hours ago. Hehehehehehe.

But I'm the one who gets ribbed for shooting that "out-of-date" equipment.

Too much fun. LOL.