New Age Traditonal Bows?

[Sixby]

composite bows are as old as the hills. Just like me LOL. A bow is a bow is a bow. As a bowyer here is how I see it. If I can build a bow that will shoot and arrow as hard at 45 lbs compared to another bow that uses 55 lbs to pull then I have enables many people to be able to hunt with a more efficeint hunting tool than they could before. A lot of people have problems handling a 55 to 80 lb bow and shooting it accurately. If they can get a bow that will do that at 45 lb then why should they have to pull the extra weight and possibly wound an animal simply because they were overbowed.

Your arguement of elitism is divisive without reason. I admire and have used and made primitive weapons. I do not look down on other trad shooters that do not. When it comes down to it Trad shooters and hunters have a stick , a string and an arrow. To me that is traditional regardless of the material the bow is made out of or the string , or the arrow. You still have to practice like crazy to become proficient with it. God Bless you all and Peace,, Steve

[Bowwild]

I don't mean offense to those who prefer longbows and selfbows and I definitely don't think more or less of those who do.  

For me, if I couldn't hunt with my recurves, I'd go back to compounds. The aesthetics of the recurve appeal to me over the other types of non-compounds.

Having spent 30 years working (now retired) in wildlife agencies, writing, recommending, and getting approved hunting rules, I am grateful to the compound masses for making bowhunting a signficant management tool. I believe, in the eastern half of the U.S. at least, our bow seasons would be far skinnier if the compound hadn't opened the door to a lot of folks.  By the way, I don't credit the compound with the move from 3-4% success rates of the 60's and early 70's to double digits these days.  I credit rapidly expanding whitetail deer herds for most of this.

[YORNOC]

I love shooting both. I'm very accurate with my ILF and even put python skins on it to try and trad it up. Lots of fun. But then I look at a heavily grained cocobolo riser with sculpted lines and hand checkering and different woods. Oh boy!  Have to shoot that one too.
Its good to have choices fellas!!!!! Live it up!

[David Mitchell]

"Elitism" and elitist attitudes can be seen on both sides of this issue--it is not restricted to those who find going modern not to their liking. As soon as someone brings up this point, somebody jumps in with the "elitist" label.  It's like the lamestream media--if you don't genuinely agree on principle with the libs you areeither a racist, a homophobe, or both.

[brinkwolf]

Well I have always liked traditional bows(especially laminated recurves and longbows). I never was a big fan of the word selfbow because to me a bow is a darn bow. I will just as soon take my ILF bow out to shoot as I would my many other traditional bows. It has no sights or stabilizer just plain traditional and is a heck of alot of fun to shoot. Funny because in Howard Hill and Fred Bear's day there were only bows and no grouping going on. It all comes down to todays way of thinking. Sorry if you want to think different but I shoot traditional bows in my view no matter what they are made of.

[Bill Carlsen]

Longstick64 nailed it as far as I am concerned. The degree to which we choose to challenge ourselves is a freedom we all enjoy  and those who wish to impose a definition of what "traditiional" is or  should be has no more right to impose that on me than if I were to,  for example, make a case that pimitive bows are less lethal than composite bows and shouldn't be allowed as hunting weapons.  The most traditional thing is that we keep our freedom to choose.

[warbird]

Technology will always progress forward. Improve on the old. Do you still watch a B&W T.V. or better yet ride a horse to work?

[caleb7mm]

Originally posted by rastaman:
 Regardless, elitism does not appeal to me.

this!!!!

[Bowwild]

I certainly agree that elitism is unappealing. With my return to recurves I'm being very careful not to make any kind of deal of it all around my compound pals. It's just a bow and my choice.

Now, if they will be as considerate when I come in from a hunt after having turned down a shot because it was 5 yards too far for my current skill level. My best friend is advising to bring both recurve and compound to the opening day of IN's bow season (non-urban) next Friday. I'm leaving the compound at home.

[whitetail_downer100]

Well gentlemen I got exactly what I wanted here didn't I... lots and lots of opinions.  As it turns out I agree with most of them.  Firstly, that bowhunting is bowhunting and no matter what medium we pursue it with the goal should be a clean quick kill.  If you are more proficient with an ILF bow then shoot it.  I have shot plenty of them and I think that they are amazing pieces of gear.  The second point was that we can all choose to push ourselves to whatever level we want in OUR sport; again I agree.  That said there was no intent of elitism in my post and I feel that several of you need to re-read the opening page of tradgang which explicitly states that we should not beat each other up in here.  I was only requesting opinions not badgery.  For those of you who respond respectfully I thank you for the others of you maybe you should reevaluate your particular stance on the brotherhood that is traditional bowhunting.

[ishoot4thrills]

Originally posted by whitetail_downer100:
I am just curious as to how you all feel about these composite bows that seem to be more and more popular these days.  I am not sure what is going on; we all claim to be traditional enthusiasts.........Maybe its just me but as far as I am concerned you might as well grab a compound and take the sights off.

Yeah, whatever you say! You come off with a remark like this? What kind of responses do you expect after that? And you say, "there was no intent of elitism"?!?

[rastaman]

Mr. Giger, i apologize if i misinterpreted your remarks. i saw a 22 y.o. who had exactly 7 posts in 3 years on Tradgang (4 of them in the last week)  coming on here and posting an inflammatory (in my opinion) statement that was meant to divide.
Again, i apologize for my misinterpretation of your post, and thank you for your service to our great country!

[Bowwild]

Whitetaildowner,
I don't think you could have read anything disrespectful in my responses but...  As "thrills" pointed out above, your last sentence comparing all who shoot longbows and recurves with "new age" materials to compound shooters (albeit w/o sights), is what struck the flint.

I'm amazed there are several on this site that never laid the recurve or longbow down for any appreciable time since the compound came on strong in the mid-70's.

A lot of folks here are more like me.  We started with traditional in the 1960's, switched to the compound in the 70's and have just recently returned to traditional. We know very well how much different compounds and recurves/longbows are to tune, shoot, etc. We know how much more practice and physical exertion (with some risk to our older joints)is required to shoot the traditional gear.  I don't like my effort, and yes, in terms of effective range, my sacrifice, minimalized by suggesting there is no differnce.

I've just come in from hunting this morning (3rd Sat. of our season). I saw nothing from the stand (3 deer were near the stand I killed a deer from last Saturday though!). However, at this point in my bowhunting life I would rather have a day with no deer and my recurve than tag another with my compound.

[don kauss]

like it or not, there is a division; hence the classification, "Traditional"...
we all weigh our thoughts on what that actually means in order to arrive at our personal conclusions...so i can see how the question comes up to some, and i also see how those who have been around it since electricity was invented could be so tired of it--->but this site doesn't say anywhere (that i've seen anyway)that it is only for those who are past the point of questioning...
i would assume that all of us at some point have had this valid question in our heads...seems to me that it's just his turn, and going off on him for asking it won't really help him understand anything...

[beetlebailey1977]

Originally posted by Jason R. Wesbrock:
I'm an archer. I'm a bowhunter. I'm not a reenactor.

I agree with Jason.

[JamesV]

I don't waste time worrying about what kind of bow someone else is using. That is their choice and it has nothing to do with my choices. If the projectile has feathers or vanes, it is archery. I would never exclude anyone from hunting with me because of their choice of equipment.

[Zradix]

Originally posted by JamesV:
..... If the projectile has feathers or vanes, it is archery. ......

James.. I know and understand what you are saying.
I am not arguing with your point..(archery is archery).

My beef lately has been shooting a feathered shaft is not necessarily archery IMO.

Shooting a crossbow takes skill but I don't consider it archery.
Unfortunately my state keeps making it easier to use a crossbow during "archery" season.

Just equates to more hunters in the woods taking the "easier" way and less deer on the public land I hunt.

My 2¢ worth a penny.

[ishoot4thrills]

Originally posted by don kauss:
.......i would assume that all of us at some point have had this valid question in our heads...seems to me that it's just his turn, and going off on him for asking it won't really help him understand anything...

You're partly right, Don. Him asking the question wasn't the problem. It was the comment in the last line of his first post and then denying that he wanted to start anything, with that kind of statement, that I have an issue with.

And, by the way, I don't own the type of bow that is the question of debate here. But I don't see anything "non-traditional" about them.

[Buckeye Trad Hunter]

I'm going to agree with you doug.  When the grab a compound statement was made it came off as an I'm better than you statement.  Whether it was intended that way or not that was how it came across.  Perhaps we're not the ones who need to re-read the first statement.

[Red Beastmaster]

If it doesn't have wheels I'm cool with it.