It Can Be Done... Encouragement for Brothers with Wheels

[mrpenguin]

The past few days, after work and determination, I am finally to a point where I won't even consider a compound bow to hunt with.  Like many, I was ALWAYS worried about my accuracy.  I practiced with bow stickbow and compound, but 8 times outta 10 grabbed the wheels and set out for the woods... That changed last June when I finally let go and sold the wheels... for my own personal reasons (and family finances) I went trad 100%.  Last month my wife bought me a wonderful early B-Day present, a Savannah Longbow.  I've shot that bow everyday and today was the clincher... at 30 yards this 3D pig is rather dead.  At 20 yards, I always hit my deer in the vitals and now know when to let down because the shot doesn't 'feel' right.

So, my encouragement to all my brothers and sisters of the bow out there that are on the fence, let me say that accuracy and confidence can and do happen.  For me it took just making the commitment and jumping in 100%.  If you, like I was, want to hunt trad, but were worried about the shot, have faith in yourself and get rid of the crutch... you will be amazed how you develop!!

God bless and good luck this season everyone!

About 20 Yards Practice

 

About 30 Yards Practice

   

[joevan125]

Im putting my Matthews bow and case on the big site this week. I have over $1,100 dollars in this set-up and it's as new as the day i bought it. If i can get just $400.00 dollars for the whole thing im going to pull the trigger on it.

I got it out yesterday after shooting one of my recurves and it felt like it weighed 20 lbs.

I have nothing against compound shooters at all, i have killed over 150 deer with wheel bows and i think they are great weapons for putting a good shot on game animals.

I took up trad archery 16 months ago and i will NEVER shoot a compound again.

[luvnlongbow]

I as well hung up the wheels for good. Only I took the plunge about 13 years ago and have not looked back. Trad has so much to offer. I still remember the feeling I had the first shot I took with a traditional bow. What a feeling!!

[PA stickbow boy]

YEP!

[mrjsl]

I used to be a wheelie guy and had a lot of success with it. I sold my compound and THEN bought a recurve 15 years ago. I will never go back. When I see the bows people are shooting nowadays with all the stuff on them, I just have to scratch my head cuz I don't get it.

[Mudd]

I was where you are once but made the switch "cause these is funner!!"...lol

Congratulations!! Keep shooting.. not just for the practice but for the fun of it too.

God bless,Mudd

[stik&string]

Way to go! I hope for many successful trad only hunts for you.

[mrpenguin]

Thanks guys... I just hope if enough of us post up about our experiences, it will encourage others to make the commitment that they want to make anyway!  I was always wishy-washy... not I am stolid, confident, and at peace with my lethality!!  I have never been happier with my tackel nor my shooting.  And THAT is what this is all about... what Mudd said "having fun"!!!!!

[mscampbell75]

MrPenguin, I totally agree with you.

I got rid of my training wheels this past winter.  It was easy for me to do.  The wheels never made it to the woods, and only come out of the case when my brother wanted to shoot it.  He is the new owner of the wheelly bow.  I was 100% trad last year and had a ball,even though I'm still seeking my first trad kill.  I love the new challenge that trad brought.  I am feeling confident that it is going to happen this year.  

My brother and I had a friendly competition shoot the other night.  He had wheels and I held my own w/ the longbow.  Shooting at a quarter size target from 20yrs.  It suprised him (and me) at how accurate the longbow was.  He beat me 75% of the time but I was knock'n on his heels the whole time.  

Good shooting to all!

[Arkansaslongbow]

I believe that becoming a trad hunter makes one get closer to the animal he/she hunts; the wheels allows one to shoot farther but I think because I must be closer to deer and turkeys now makes me a better hunter and the confidence soars to new heights when one can release an arrow at ten yards and kill than releasing an arrow at 40 yards and killing...  

[Bonebuster]

The "brothers with wheels" are always looking...always watching...wondering.

Lead by example.

Great thread.

"Traditional" archery involves more than just the bow you use.

Great thread...GREAT THREAD!!!

[ablebonus]

How long did it take to be able to hit from 30 yards?

(I picked up my first longbow last December but haven't been able to shoot til this month due to broken wrist.  I have a mule deer hunt first week of Sep.  My accuracy is not so good even from 20 yards and I'm thinking this isn't the hunt for me to give up the training wheels.)

[mattmcdonald]

i dont remember who it was that said it but they said it well time to get rid of the TRAINING WHEELS

[mrpenguin]

Ablebonus: it took some work and everybody has a different time-frame but paying  careful attention to my form was huge.  Keep in mind there are folks on this form that could out shoot me blindfolded at 50 yds!  But,  here are, in order, the things I did:

1. Get a bow I like and was comfortable with (weight, riser, & grip)
2. Tuned arrows to the bow so that I could rule out my tackle and focus on me
3. Shoot everyday with a purpose and put it down as soon as form fails. 4-5 shots at a time.  Forcing myself to slow down.
4. Each day I tried to look at each phase of my shot (aim (pick a spot), draw, anchor, release, follow-through)
5. KEY OBSERVATION: I noticed that I tensed before I came up to draw.  The tension was anticipation of the weight of the bow and that translated into mental tension for the shot SO... I began dropping my shoulders and releasing tension as a pre-draw cycle in my draw cycle sequence.  This is something I started doing with compound shooting and never realized I did it with the longbow.
6. Mental practice.  I shoot in my head before bed and when I put my son to sleep.  Sounds silly, but it helps. A lot.  See Jay Kidwell's book on Target Panic for more on that... but every archery coach I've read recommends this.

Hope that helps out some... take what seems useful... and keep at it!

[liv'nonaprayer]

I gave up my compound a year and a half ago,at first shooting a bow was fun again,then I struggled with the accuracy I was used to with sights and all the bells and whistles.Well,tonight I shot a three inch group @ 20 yds with 6 arrows and this is getting better all the time!(I practice almost every night)hang in there,and good hunting!!

[Eugene Slagle]

I started out shooting a Recurve in 81' but got lured into the training wheels in 86' or 87' & stuck with em till February 2009 when a release broke on me & I said I had enough.
I practiced & practiced till I achieved my goal of being hunting ready by October.

Sold my last Compound in November & will never look back.

Good post bud.

[Gordon martiniuk]

Hmm Trad is cool but to put the nail in the coffin to compound shooters just not fair most of trad shooters , eg hunters learned how to bow hunt with wheels,, like it or not wheels have more jam and accurate shot,, some of us are cross shooters and hunters  and had it not been for wheels we would have given up on archery hunting so rather  than  give wheel shooters the  all the gears  Mabe some trad shooters and hunters should look at how they took up the challange of trad archery rather than throw stones at Wheel shooters after all we are all Archers and brothers of the Arrow!!  

[seabass]

i just got my cuz to stop using a CROSSBOW.all i did was refinish a kodiak magnum for him.then i took him to a walk through 3d course.now he is hooked.he sold the crossbow.now i have to get the guy he sold it to off the crossbow.and so on and so on.lol

[Zbearclaw]

No archery weapon is superior to a trad bow and heavy arrows at the ranges I typically try and hunt  That is not something I can even consider being debated...

I'd rather hike one million miles a season without hitting full draw on my "curve" than kill ten B&C bucks with anything else.

Zeke

[mrpenguin]

Originally posted by Gordon martiniuk:
Hmm Trad is cool but to put the nail in the coffin to compound shooters just not fair most of trad shooters , eg hunters learned how to bow hunt with wheels,, like it or not wheels have more jam and accurate shot,, some of us are cross shooters and hunters  and had it not been for wheels we would have given up on archery hunting so rather  than  give wheel shooters the  all the gears  Mabe some trad shooters and hunters should look at how they took up the challange of trad archery rather than throw stones at Wheel shooters after all we are all Archers and brothers of the Arrow!!    

This may be true for some, but not all...

The point here is that this thread is NOT about bashing wheel bows or wheelie shooters... it IS meant to encourage those who WANT TO BE "Trad ONLY" and are having a hard time making the commitment.  We all have the CHOICE to hunt how we wish in the bow season, all I am saying is if someone is on the fence, and WANTS to be 100% trad, it can be done.  You don't NEED a compound to be a good and accurate bowhunter.

And for the record, I started archery with a Browning Wasp Recurve.  Went to the wheels.  Sold them all.  Now I am a longbow man.