How many older traditional shooters here

[redant 60/65]

Good for you Jack! I hope to be shooting when I'm 80      

[Curveman]

I'll be 52 October 13th. I am currently shooting my 64", 62#, Border Griffon longbow.

[reddogge]

Keep on shooting Jack.  I'm 65 and shoot recurves between 45 and 50#.  Started as a boy in 1955 with a Ben Pearson lemonwood longbow.

[Marvin M.]

51 here.  I feel like a pup compared to some of you guys.

I'm shooting a Martin Savanah at 50 pounds and a Bingham Projects Take-Down Longbow (the first one I made) that is 55 pounds.

[Missouri Sherpa]

53 in December.  My go to bow is a Shrew Classic Hunter @ 70 pounds.  Have been hunting with traditional equipment for 12 years.

[dragon rider]

Jack,

Shooting 40# at 80 - Lead on, Sir.  We're following you, hopin' to keep up.

[Barry Wensel]

I just saw this thread and had a chance to read through it. I found this very interesting to say the least. I turn 65 in a couple weeks and tell everyone I feel fine but just look like s***. Being realistic, my joints sometimes hurt but I think mostly it's because of high mileage. I've always shot heavier weights until I broke my left shoulder in the mid 1980's. Then dropped back to low 60's until I healed. Then went back to the 70 lb range until the mid 1990s. In the late '90s I dropped back to the mid-low 60 lb. range. Then in 2001 I severely broke my right arm and needed a dozen screws and a couple plates to fix it. Therefore I kept in the low 60 lb. range. Then in 2007 I "inherited" one of Paul Schafer's own personal bows that is marked at 70 lbs. but everyone seems to think it's a little heavier. I find my arm hurts after shooting only a dozen arrows at a time whether I'm shooting 56 lbs. or 70 lbs. So I practice just a few shots at a time such as roving/stump shooting, plus limit my shot distances. In fact, I passed up a solid B&C whitetail standing broadside at 28 yds. two years ago because I didn't feel comfortable at that range. Then in the spring of 2008 I started hunting with Paul's old bow. I killed three big bucks with it last year and plan on hunting mostly with it again this fall. I just like the flat trajectory and blasting through stuff again. I think a lot of it is likely psychological but I have a lot more confidence in the heavier poundage and flatter shooting arrows. I guess I'm weird but I think I'll continue to shoot the heavier weights and limit my shots until I feel I can't handle them ethically anymore. Best of luck to all. BW

[KentuckyTJ]

Great thread, good to see our leaders and their equipment.

[Red Beastmaster]

I am 50 and have been shooting bows for about half that time. I never considered myself as "older" or even semi mature until we were blessed with two granddaughters last winter!

I shoot recurves and longbows in the mid 40's every day if I can. I hunt the local whitetails, killed a couple javelina in Texas, and have recently discovered hog hunting at Ray's. But my passion was and always will be bowhunting groundhogs!

Dave

[Bill Kissner]

I will be 68 come Christmas eve. Shooting bows has been a lifetime enjoyment and I will continue as long as I am able. Used to shoot bows in the 65 to 70 pound range, now have dropped down to 59 to 62 pounds. I have been pretty heavy for most of my life and it is taking a toll on my back and knees.  Still do a Colorado elk hunt every year but the mountains get a little steeper each time. I still look forward to every season and will be after our Illinois whitetails in a few days

[kevin yacuzzo]

Decades seem to go by like seasons used to. I will be 50 this year. It did not seem to be a big deal until I noticed the generation ahead of me not doing the things we used to do with ease. I have shot stick and string for 20 years and went to longbows 5 years ago. Nice and light, just a pleasure to hold and shoot. My wife (God bless her) urged me to not wait any longer to go to Alaska. I went with a great friend 10 years older than I, and tough as nails. I'll never forget the hunt. I plan on throwing arrows every day for a long, long time.

Kevin

[Bill Turner]

I'm a young 62. Will be hunting with a 57@28   HH "Longbowman's Choice" this season. You'll love your new HH "Wesley Special". Great bows. Real killing machines.

[Earl Jeff]

I'm 43 all my longbows are from 54 to 57#

[ChuckC]

I will be 55 next birthday. Been shooting arrows since I was around 8 or so.    I have an 83# Big River longbow.   Course. . .   I can't pull it.

I tend to shoot from 55 - 70 pounds, longbows and recurves.
ChuckC

[wtpops]

53 next week and shoot


62" 53# @30" PSA V
60" 56# @30" PMA X
64" 54# @30" ACS/CX

[reddogge]

I'm 65 (almost 66) and begain shooting in about 1953. When I went into the service I quit shooting for 30 years, but once the kids were grown I started all over again. As a highlight, I won the Denton Hill Eagle Eye last year at the age of 64. I shoot a variety of bows in the 45-50 # range  

Way to go 2fletch.  Quite the accomplishment.

One more thing.  Most of the guys I hang out with in archery are 15-20 years younger than me but when we shoot or just hang out age doesn't seem to matter much.  We are all just fellow archers.

[Richard in OK]

65 next month. Been shooting since the early 80s, hunting for the past 7 or 8 years. Shoot a Widow PSR 50# @ 28, Martin X200 50# @ 28, and a longbow 46# @ 28. I'm still going strong, but putting my 75# canoe on the truck the other night d#$n near killed me. I need to start lifting weights again.

[Tioga]

I'm 52 and started out with a Damon Howatt in the early 70s and went on to shoot a compound until 2002 when I suffered a back injury. Hunted with a crossbow from 2002 until 2004. In 2005 I was finally able to pull a real bow back without a whole lotta pain in the back and neck, and bought my Allegheny Mountain Bow and never looked back. If I never kill another deer again in my life I don't care. Just carrying that bow brings me back to my days of missing deer with that Damon Howatt and of much more peaceful and simpler times.  

[bayoulongbowman]

Hell Im still youngster...54..

[buckster]

45, at least until NOV.