new to trad and 3d shoots

[alteredbeast]

Hi everyone I am new here have been looking at these forums for awhile for tips on shooting. Got my first recurve about a month ago. Shot compound several years ago til my brother dry fired it...anyway went to my first 3d shoot last weekend with my kids who are also shooting they are 8 10 and 13. Wierd thing was we were the only ones there with recurves. Most of the people there ignored us altogether or was just curious about my homemade bamboo arrows and some even seemed like we didn't belong there at all. Anybody else get this kind of reaction?

[RunninWild77]

Yup,  a lot of times if you go to these shoots where it's all compounds those guys will turn there noses up at the trad guys like they're superior or something, it especially angers them when you shot just as good them also, I've seen quite a few wheel bow guys who are terrible. Or they'll come over and ask you goofy questions like '' how do you aim that thing?", or'' you don't really hunt with that do you?'' Just smile and answer them politely, you'd be surprised how many will take an interest in your gear. Although some will still snicker and sneer, they just don't know what they're missing out on.

[RunninWild77]

BTW, welcome to our fire        its nice to see another convert lol

[The Whittler]

Welcome from Maine. Remember you have left the dark side, so welcome to the light.

[njloco]

Don't worry, you won't be alone for long, as you will run into other trad shooters. Try and make it to the big Trad fests in your area, you and kids will love it, your in for a real good time, enjoy and welcome !

[Mitch H]

I go to a 3-D shoot with a group of buddies every weekend. Many of the compound shooters will come over and ask questions about our traditional bows.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that our group were the same guys that took the top 3 spots with compounds in most shoots for a lot of years?  

BTW, I continue to be surprised at how many recurve/longbows I see at the "compound" 3-D shoots every weekend.

[alteredbeast]

Thanks for the welcomes. I talked to the club president he said they haven't had a traditional shooter there in years. Probably not good for me as far as shooting with someone in my class but i guess i'll win the championship by default.

[britt]

Yes, me too. Just stay humble. Some will follow.

[Archie]

After spending a lot of time on TradGang -- the greatest traditional archery forum on the internet, by the way -- I developed a pretty negative opinion of compound shooters.  Comments about "the dark side", and "training wheels" are common, and we all get a chuckle out of them, but they started giving me a bad attitude towards anyone who shoots a compound.  (I have a compound that I have hardly shot since going to a recurve in 2006, and have pretty much parted ways from shooting compounds.)

Since I usually do all my archery practice, hunting, and shooting by myself, I guess I didn't realize the "look-down-my-nose" attitude.  Then last year I met a couple different groups of guys while out at 3-D shoots... some really friendly compound shooters, and some pretty snooty trad shooters.  I decided after that that I wasn't going to let someone's archery equipment determine whether I liked them or not.

The point is that there are good and bad people on both sides of the fence.  I prefer shooting a recurve or longbow, but that doesn't make me any better than the compound shooter.

[Arkansas Osage]

Originally posted by The Whittler:
Welcome from Maine. Remember you have left the dark side, so welcome to the light.

I like that lol. But there are alot of good compound guys out there. Alot of the bowhunters around here only bow hunt at all because the archery season is so long and the gun season so short. They just want extra time in the woods so they pick up the compound bow. I was at a local store yesterday where I'd never been before, looking for a bow stringer, they only had the kind with rubber things at the end that slide around the bow tip instead of over it, well it didn't work, just slid down the limb of my bear. Turned out one of the older guys there who can't shoot trad anymore had a leather pocket style stringer hanging on the wall and they gave it to me and didn't look down on my little recurve at all. The guy in charge said "Sorry didn't know we had that or I'da gived it to ya, I don't know nothin bout traditional bows, if it ain't got cams on it I'm clueless." They said to come up and shoot 3D with them sometime at the stores indoor range too. Looks like fun for only $6 an hour.

[Sirius Black]

I agree with Archie, and welcome to you!

[alteredbeast]

Awesome comments there now i don't dislike the compound shooters my sister and her family joined too and they bought compounds. just seems odd to me that nobody else is shooting recurve. I am addicted to it. Either way their attitudes toward me will not stop me from shooting and having a great time....and that is what its about after all...still can't wait for squirrel season!

[dnovo]

First thing you should do is check out UBI(United bowhunters of Il). Great bunch of trad guys.
There are a lot of trad guys out there. Once you get around, you will start to see them all over.

I have never run into a "snooty" trad guy at any shoot. Now amongst a group of ourselves we might be seen that way as we don't consider anything sacred or anyone above being insulted (in good fun). But that is strictly between a small group of 5 or 6 guys who get together to shoot every week.
Also just about every compound guy I talk to at a shoot is great. A lot of them are curious and express enthusiasm for us with sticks. A lot of questions, usually from younger guys who have never seen anything unless it's in a pro shop or on tv. Ervery once in a while you run into that one guy who just has to be an idiot with "those things just wound animals" and "can you kill anything with that"
My answer is "walk out 20 yards and lets see". That maybe a little harsh but many times I am fed up with stupid.

[Archie]

I just reread my post... I didn't sound very welcoming at all!  But nothing could be further from the truth!   Glad to have you as a member of the "Gang"!

[Shawn Leonard]

I do not bash anyone and anyone who thinks Trad guys can stick with the compound guys is mistaken(maybe out to 20 yards), umless you have never shot with  good or decent compound guys. I shoot almost every thursday with a world champion(several world championships) compound guy, great guy and he can pick up any one of my recurves and within a few minutes shoot better than 90% of the trad  guys out there. He just started shooting my bows a few months ago and only shoots when I go there to shoot. Remember be humble and shoot what you like but also do not develop an attitude, 99% of all people at 3D shoots are pretty good people. Shawn

[Richie]

Welcome    Stay motivated, this site will help

[JamesV]

Welcome from the Mississippi Delta, Ejnoy your equipment and don't worrie about the other guys. There are guys on both sides that just like to stir the pot, don't get drawn into this foolisness.

[Don Batten]

The man who moves from a town full of complete A--holes, most of the time will find his new town in just as bad.

The man who moves from a town full of great, thoughtful folks, most of the time will find his new town just as good.

Compound is just a different game. Good and Bad in both styles.

I actually prefer to shoot wheels at 3d cause there are more folks to compete against.

Seems alot ( AND PLEASE DON'T THINK I MEAN ALL) of folks use shooting a trad bow as an excuse to SUCK at shooting. Ive stood on the practice range many a time waiting to pull my four arrows, while some dude with two dozen in his back quiver is spraying them down range and bragging about not keeping score.  Lots of shoots in NC are doing away with the competitive classes all together . Maybe I'm wrong in my thinking.
I still mostly hunt with my recurve.  Did exclusively for alot of years. Not because I thought it was cool. Because I wanted too and I thought It was my most efficient weapon in my hands at the time.  I 'm sure that hunting with sticks has made me alot more patient and a better hunter. I'll take my wheels out once in a while now and I don't feel any less of a hunter than I would  if I was in the woods naked with a stone axe.

Dang, this coffee is strong. have a great day. Batman

[Naturebatch07]

I shoot longbows, recurves, and compounds both Hunter and Open class.  Each flings arrows into the air differently and all are fun to shoot.  Archery should not be about which equipment is better but rather learning about how to improve our shot regardless of the bow in hand.  I shoot my long bow more than anything and can hit a red bull can thrown in the air in front of compounders and they were "amazed".  At 3D shoots just tell them your are there to fling arrows and enjoy time with your family.  Good luck and thank for including your family that archery continues to grow.  Just my .02

[Sam McMichael]

Welcome to the trad world. You will like it here and will find a wealth of information along with some pretty good hunting stories.

I used to shoot at several clubs and most often was the only trad shooter on site. Very few were disdainful of my trad gear, and a large number were very interested. I had to keep an eye on my bow, or a couple of my buddies would be at the target butts with it as soon as I set it down.
Nobody ever acted as though they felt I did not belong.

There were 2 primary reasons I quit going to theses shoots. Some of the clubs disbanded, and compound shooters are generally just too slow! Nothing wrong with being deliberate but some just took it too far for my very limited patience. Still, most were very nice guys.

Sometimes I would like to start back to some of the mixed shoots just to let people know how great trad can be.