Trad Gang is not Popular Mechanics - UPDATE page 30

[joevan125]

Ok i just went back and read it sorry Arrow k9.

I love this site and i hope in the future it stays what really attracted me to it, a place that a newbie like me can learn things about trad archery that would otherwise have taken me years to learn.

An example would be me getting to spend a weekend with Rod Jenkins and learning how to shoot a stick bow correctly.

I also have become friends with Rod and i call him at least a couple of times a month and he is ALWAYS eager to help me.

I LOVE THIS PLACE and i dont want it to become like some of these other so called trad websites.

After speaking to Terry about some issues i was going through i feel completely sure he will not let that happen.

[Mike Gerardi]

No apology necessary joevan125.

[heydeerman]

Terry,

The things you state in your original post have been the reason I have become a lurker on here for the most part. I have not posted much for the last year or so. I agree with you but what can a guy do to change what people are talking about?

[IB]

“We need to learn to gain a love for the purpose of Archery.
 Not the Act of Archery,
and  a knowledge of learning the difference”


Traditional  Bow Hunting/Archery, is a very personal destination that we have chosen. It comes with many basics and no absolutes. It is an endless string of trials and errors that we must endure to get to where we desire to be.

Not one person with Traditional gear has the right answer, at the very best we can share and should share, what is and has worked for us. The experiences we have had good , bad, and ugly. Again no one has a definitive answer, because there is none and never is one, at best it will be Trial and Error.

 How can anyone even attempt to answer a question like “Who makes the best Recurve”  that question is so subjective and loaded, it begs for an argument.

Which is better Longbow or recurve ??  Well I shoot both, either with a Tab or a glove and sometimes bare fingers……I always try and make sure that the next arrow out of the quiver is sharp. What broad head, is determined by which arrow comes up next.

I spend time with my bows, arrows and all the gear, just like I do with my family because Archery is. a personal relationship, as is my family. I know the broad heads I shoot will work for me and my bows anything less doesn’t make the cut. Only I can make my relationship work.

I have a friend who consistently drops his bow hand, takes game on a regular basis and is a nock busting arrow busting bugger……Now, how he shoots bugs the snot out of me, because it’s just plain wrong and doesn’t work. 50+ years ago he entered a relationship, has nurtured that relationship and beware it does work!!  Who’s Right??

Even in the basics every thing is different from person to person, help of any kind, at best is a starting point for your personal relationship.

Eat the meat and spit out the bones.
  Trial and Error…….Success and Failures…..Nurture your relationships………


 Make sure your bow is in………… GOOD HANDS

[DW]

Well I see that it has been quiet since we've been gone to the Pig-Gig    

Seriously, there were around 28 Trad Gang Members there and I heard this very Subject mentioned several times...."Different from the old days", "Too much technical Stuff lately", "Where's the hunting Stories?"...

The Technical threads have a place but can be very repetitive just like has been mentioned already...

Skyler and I love this place. We've made life-long friends here...People that I'm proud to let my Son call friend.....Trad Gang and BOWHUNTING are the reason for that.

Personally I love the Hunting threads more than anything Here but find myself searching for  certain threads or subjects often.

Now gonna go post about Hog Hunting in 6 inches of Mud for 3 days and then 6 in. of Mud and 4 in. of Snow for 2 days...An Adventure and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Don

[Chris Shelton]

Chris, I understand your point about bad set ups and "newbies". Im sure no one here, mods or otherwise, would let that happen if they could help it. I dont think newbies have ever gotten rebuked for asking questions. Actually, tradgang seems to have a "no question is a dumb question" mentality.
[/QB]

I know that and you know that.  This is definatly a open site, but what scares me is that they might now feel afraid to ask a quesiton like that.  

Although I love Iron Bulls last post, because that is mainly how I learned traditional archery, I taught myself, from the getgo.  all the way up from the stick from the back yard at the ripe old age of 12.

[adirondack46r]

What's all the talk about this being a private domain that we are given the privilege to participate in? We visit in droves, sponsors pay for the right to make "impressions" on the masses, and we patronize them. Seems a lot like a public market to me. Our visits have value, or so the sponsors think. Limit access to the handful willing to have their posts further constrained and sponsors will flee. Is it still just a "privilege" to visit here? Somebody needs to read the Cathedral and the Bazaar.

[dick sable]

Even though the other 18 thousand haven't chirped in, I will.  I've learned more from tradgang than all the books you could read in a year. I appreciate it all, and enjoy the give and take I've seen on this thread, for example. Really, I've never seen a more open minded bunch of folks -  - - people from far and wide - - engaged in discussion with civility! When I have time to be on the computer, I love to pick and choose the threads that interest and educate me. Kind of like having a day alone to browse through a world class library. "Don't ask me - - I don't know nothin'"
Good discussion.

[Terry Green]

Originally posted by adirondack46r:
What's all the talk about this being a private domain that we are given the privilege to participate in? We visit in droves, sponsors pay for the right to make "impressions" on the masses, and we patronize them. Seems a lot like a public market to me. Our visits have value, or so the sponsors think. Limit access to the handful willing to have their posts further constrained and sponsors will flee. Is it still just a "privilege" to visit here? Somebody needs to read the Cathedral and the Bazaar.

Hold on and I'll show you what that means...

[Ranger44]

This has been an interesting read.  I'm new to the site(joined in Jan 2010) so I don't know how it "used to be."  I'm 52 and last shot a trad bow, a recurve, when I was teenager.  I originally came here because I was interested in building a bow for myself.  

I have no mentor which would be best but have always enjoyed just figuring stuff out. But, these days with all the information at your fingertips it's easier to read up a little and get a good head start before I screw up the first move.

I don't know if I will ever build a shooter or hunt with a trad bow but I do know that this site has provided a wealth of information and I can choose to use/read/believe what I want.

I don't post much because I have so much to learn and so little knowledge to input on the majority of subjects.  

I want to thank Terry for the site and the rest of the people for sharing all the info that helps someone like me more than can be explained here.

[Muleyslayer]

As a new guy I like the K.I.S.S. mentality and thats one reason I'm switching to trad.gear. but guys like me need a place were we can ask that SIMPLE question, not high tech, just, well like when I asked for some basic help, forest creature,papafrank,and k9arrow and more all offered help,k9arrow even met up with me and gave me an arrow to try, my fence is no longer getting filled with holes,(lol),i'm hitting my mark, thanks guys, best, friendliest site on the web and I tried them all.  

[halsey]

Well, maybe if everybody just agreed with the admin, or terry, the world would be better.  

[Duckbutt]

I haven't read all of this and probably will not.  I like this site because it is basically talk around my favorite topic and it has always felt like everyone that can act like a gentleman (or lady) is welcome around the campfire of said topic....unlike most of the sites that evolve to bringing out the worst in folks.

Kind of an interesting line in the sand that seems to be developing here.....Hope it turns out for the best.

[Terry Green]

The problem seems to be working out already....in more ways than one.  

[Mr Green 740]

I Really agree with NDTerminators view. Why noy have a forum for the technical questions so if someone doesnt like it they dont have to look? I personally enjoy hearing ALL discussions and points of view.Ive learned to listen to EVERYONE and if their advice is meaningful to ME I use it. I think it would be a shame to keep everyone in the same box.

[Steve O]

Well, I've only read the first page and the last couple.

I enjoy everything about this place and I am so glad we have it as a place to come and learn and share.

The fun thing about traditional archery is there are no absolutes, because the human being that is pulling, holding, and releasing is an imperfect machine and plays an  EXTREMELY intergral part in that arrow going where it is supposed to go.  

Take this question from a couple pages back:

 

I didn't have any "hunting" questions for the guys at the trad bow shop. All my "trad questions" are still tech based. My new one is, I have some Grizzly Stik Sitka's that I can shoot with 100gr points. The bare shaft great with 100grs. My question is, if I want to shoot my 150gr stingers, how much would I likely have to cut off? 1/2"? A full 1"? On stuff like that, I need to ask. But I'm only asking because I want perfect arrow flight for hunting purposes and for accurate and enjoyable target practice on my backyard 3D course.
I don't consider that to be a bad question.  

Now, I don't call this a BAD question, but I do consider it a question  ONLY Mojo can answer for himself.  The only possible way to answer that question is to screw those 150s on and head to the range...you may be tuned just on the stiff side and with the taper on the Sitkas, you might not have to do anything.  Only you, your form, your release, and your bow are going to have that answer for sure.  Sure, we can look at things and guys that have similar setups would be able to say for certain, with the information you've given about your setup, the Sitkas would be their choice to start with based on past experience, but no one can tell you the exact lenght you need except you.  They can tell you if you go up in point weight, it weakens the shaft, and if you cut a carbon shaft down, it will stiffen it.  But to give you a specific amount to cut off, no way.

There are a lot of "experts" now touting absolutes and that is a bad thing.

A buddy of mine today said we've got to switch this certain something on our arrow setup today because someone else had told him about a magazine article they had read...I told him we'd make up a few like that and test it ourselves and see how it worked for us on OUR bows before we just started making wholesale changes.

Spine Calculators are a great tool and are a good starting point.  Ashby studies are a great tool and if I need that last 1 or 2% of penetration someday I will use some of those great findings.  They are not absolutes.  Use the tools and knowledge here to bolster your own field experience and it will make you a better hunter, but nothing here should be taken as gospel.


Terry     I like being able to come into  YOUR site.  Thanks for the many years of enjoyment    

Someday I'm going to have to go back and read through ALL of this one  

[leatherneck]

Originally posted by adirondack46r:
What's all the talk about this being a private domain that we are given the privilege to participate in? We visit in droves, sponsors pay for the right to make "impressions" on the masses, and we patronize them. Seems a lot like a public market to me. Our visits have value, or so the sponsors think. Limit access to the handful willing to have their posts further constrained and sponsors will flee. Is it still just a "privilege" to visit here? Somebody needs to read the Cathedral and the Bazaar.

Dude, you ought to be glad I'm not the gardner. This is like the 3rd post you have on this thread and all 3 are not ways to help the problem, YOU SIR, ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM!! In my eyes at least.
There comes that Italian in me again. I better shut up now.

[Terry Green]

Its like I said earlier....some either aren't reading my responses....or have chosen not to hear or get it.

I'd like to thank all those that have posted positively here as it sure looks from the overwhelming response that the site had drifted off course.

And, I'd like to thank all those members and sponsors that email and called me.

Thanks again...I think 19 pages is enough....lets get back to hunting....there are some stories on the way....

[Guru]

Looks like we need another go round with this thread...

There's a trend here going again, not sure if the time of year, maybe because seasons are over and folks have too much time on their hands...whatever...

Just hate to see guys that are getting started worrying about things they need not worry about.

Get yourself an arrow that flys well, with a good sharp bh, and go out and kill stuff with it!

Way too many new guys fretting about bevels, feather size, efoc,ufoc, etc...

Please go back and read this....          

[Green]

Point taken y'all.  I participated in one of the threads that got locked today.  As I see it, yes... form, practice, and equipment all blend together for each individual recreational shooter and bowhunter.  

Myself, I am just returning to trad archery and bowhunting, and there is plenty of new information available here on tradgang that wasn't a part of life back when there was no internet.

Maybe answering someone's questions regarding members' experience in the tech side of equipment should best be referred to the search feature.

I see several comments about members not being hunters and want to remind folks that the economy has taken a heavy toll on many people, myself included.  Personally, as I regain my financial footing hunting will be second thing that gets added back to my life.....right behind the simple pleasure of launching well tuned arrows with good form towards the target.  These arrows are "newfangled" and my shooting form has been rebuilt with the help of Terry and the many posts/threads on this site.  I hope that flow of information and exchange of ideas/experiences never stops.