TRADITIONAL.........?

[Caughtandhobble]

I can honestly say that I never thought traditional archery was simple or more simple than modern archery. I was lucky to shoot with a fellow many years ago (30+) that shot a recurve very well, I sure wish I had started back then with his guidance. The gentleman "Josh" hunts and shoots 3D and his scores were consistently there with the top compound shooters. The one thing that I did pick up from him was that he anchored solid.

I decided to seriously try traditional archery a few years back but I could not get it right. I studied OL Adcocks tuning guidelines relentlessly without the results that I was looking for, even with tuned arrows. I was hopeless but determined, after all I had seen someone shoot very well with a recurve.

I knew that I needed more help than the WWW could offer, I decided to go to a local 3D shoot. Lucky day that was, I met a young man that could outshoot most anyone that I have ever seen, heck he was as good as Josh. We shot a round and then another round. I was studying every aspect of his shot. He was and is the type of fellow that will never offer advise unless you seek it from him. Once I finally asked for his advise he almost had a look of relief on his face. He made me take "baby steps" and did not overload my pea brain. Over the next couple months my shooting came a long ways with his help.

That year was 2012, I sold my Mathews Switchback and became confident enough to hunt with my Journeyman Recurve. The rest is history, I am officially a "Trad junkie".

[96ssportsp]

I am probably an exception. Rifle hunted my whole life, and have been very successful. At 47, last year, saw an old Bear Bearcat on the wall at my in laws. Kept pulling it down and handling it. Finally told my father inlaw I was stealing it. Took me awhile to figure things out , just bought arrows & shot. lol Ended up killing a deer 1st year and a 2nd a couple weeks ago  still have next week trying to kill an elk. I have fallen fuul force for Trad. I love the look and feel of wood bows, especially r/d longbows. Thanks for letting me ramble, Scott.

[Lin Rhea]

I like traditional thinking. It's what has been getting folks by for generations. It's our roots and I stick pretty close to it.

Same reason I like Western movies and home made ice cream.

That carries over into my knife making as well as my blacksmithing. Traditional archery is naturally the way I would lean.

[mgf]

I could probably say a lot about "why" but it's just what I wanted to shoot from the beginning.

When I first decided to get a bow I wanted a recurve but bought a compound on the advice of others who I thought knew what they were talking about.

I never enjoyed the compounds all that much and eventually got the recurve that I wanted in the first place.

[CRS]

I can only speculate as to what makes others tick, but I can certainly tell you why I switched.

1. The challenge
2.The ever increasing technology with modern bows.

This was in 1993/94

Wow, this is 20 years traditional for me.  Bunnies to moose, Florida to Alaska.  What a journey.

[fnshtr]

My handle tells why I do it... fnshtr = Fun Shooter! To me the wheelie bow was a tool, and very efficient. My tradbow is like a personal friend that only lets me down when I let it down.

I LOVE to shoot it.

I choose traditional archery because it is HARD!!!!!

It is hard to get good, and it is hard to stay good, and when I am successful, I am that much more proud of myself for putting out the effort required to achieve my goals!

Bisch

Originally posted by Caughtandhobble:
I can honestly say that I never thought traditional archery was simple or more simple than modern archery. I was lucky to shoot with a fellow many years ago (30+) that shot a recurve very well, I sure wish I had started back then with his guidance. The gentleman "Josh" hunts and shoots 3D and his scores were consistently there with the top compound shooters. The one thing that I did pick up from him was that he anchored solid.

I decided to seriously try traditional archery a few years back but I could not get it right. I studied OL Adcocks tuning guidelines relentlessly without the results that I was looking for, even with tuned arrows. I was hopeless but determined, after all I had seen someone shoot very well with a recurve.

I knew that I needed more help than the WWW could offer, I decided to go to a local 3D shoot. Lucky day that was, I met a young man that could outshoot most anyone that I have ever seen, heck he was as good as Josh. We shot a round and then another round. I was studying every aspect of his shot. He was and is the type of fellow that will never offer advise unless you seek it from him. Once I finally asked for his advise he almost had a look of relief on his face. He made me take "baby steps" and did not overload my pea brain. Over the next couple months my shooting came a long ways with his help.

That year was 2012, I sold my Mathews Switchback and became confident enough to hunt with my Journeyman Recurve. The rest is history, I am officially a "Trad junkie".

That "young man" was not named John, was he?

Bisch

[sidebuster]

Modern archery has just gone overboard on hi tech.
You might as well be shooting a gun IMO.

Here is a video that talks about the real challenge in bow hunting.

 

[Caughtandhobble]

Originally posted by Bisch:
 

Originally posted by Caughtandhobble:
I can honestly say that I never thought traditional archery was simple or more simple than modern archery. I was lucky to shoot with a fellow many years ago (30+) that shot a recurve very well, I sure wish I had started back then with his guidance. The gentleman "Josh" hunts and shoots 3D and his scores were consistently there with the top compound shooters. The one thing that I did pick up from him was that he anchored solid.

I decided to seriously try traditional archery a few years back but I could not get it right. I studied OL Adcocks tuning guidelines relentlessly without the results that I was looking for, even with tuned arrows. I was hopeless but determined, after all I had seen someone shoot very well with a recurve.

I knew that I needed more help than the WWW could offer, I decided to go to a local 3D shoot. Lucky day that was, I met a young man that could outshoot most anyone that I have ever seen, heck he was as good as Josh. We shot a round and then another round. I was studying every aspect of his shot. He was and is the type of fellow that will never offer advise unless you seek it from him. Once I finally asked for his advise he almost had a look of relief on his face. He made me take "baby steps" and did not overload my pea brain. Over the next couple months my shooting came a long ways with his help.

That year was 2012, I sold my Mathews Switchback and became confident enough to hunt with my Journeyman Recurve. The rest is history, I am officially a "Trad junkie".

That "young man" was not named John, was he?

Bisch [/b]

You know it Brother Bisch... He's my youngest hero.  

[Florida bowhunter]

Nice post guy's for me it was the simplicity of things, I could actually work on and tune my own bow with out ever going to the bow shop and getting some one else to do it, not much can go wrong with a trad bow that I can't figure out myself...and then there's the feeling of actually acomplishin without all of the technology we have today......

[Gooserbat]

It was a combination of thing for me.  I grew up shooting trad and always appreciated my roots.  I grew tired of the gadgets, and the complexity of the wheel bows.  I appreciated the simplicity of a recurve and I knew with a little practice I could shoot one well.  I remember the night I was in Walmart and saw a copy of Traditional Bowhunter on the news stand.  I bought it and it dawned on me that at heart I was a trad hunter.

[Tradcat]

I think the Wensel brothers said it best when they said ... "target archery is seeing how far you can shoot and still hit the target...bowhunting is seeing how close you can get to your game and not miss" ! AMEN

[dbd870]

Originally posted by Tradcat:
I think the Wensel brothers said it best when they said ... "target archery is seeing how far you can shoot and still hit the target...bowhunting is seeing how close you can get to your game and not miss" ! AMEN

Love it!   :D

[t2onboard]

While I shot for a couple of years in the 70s when I could walk, but couldn't run. I came back to archery in March of this year so that my wife and I could do something together. We've raced tandem bikes, canoes, and kayaks, so retired as we are, just being outdoors and archery just went together. Wife has it simple; no baggage, just started her out with wheels, and she's happy. She's tried the stick, but it hasn't stuck yet. I've set up two compounds with EVERYTHING, shot with every release know to man, and ended up shooting fingers because it just felt good. The compound/release bow sits, and will. The compound without sights using fingers is still fun, but the recurve is where it's at. Love it, and ordered a longbow. I don't know if it's the challenge, but I do know it's fun and rewarding.

[Tom L]

Watching the arrow fly and hit the mark.

Tom

[ChuckC]

All the above are reasons, but I think, in reality, they have to read about or see, especially the latter, someone using a longbow or recurve.  

There is some sort of romance to it and frankly, it appears trad shooters, in general fashion, tend to have more fun shooting arrows.  We make much more game of it and can enjoy it.

ChuckC

[Phrogdrvr]

It's all I've ever shot since I was a kid... except that short period of time when I was talked into an Oneida lever limb, but that didn't last too long.

Tom

[Crittergetter]

I feel more connected to everything around me! I don't feel weighed down with technology or stressed about whether or not I'm successful! I simply enjoy every moment each time out in Gods creation! Like a void had been filled. I feel free!! Never had that with any other way of hunting.

[Hoyt]

I started with recurves and came back to them because I feel more connected with the bow. It's like an extension of myself that challenges me mentally and physically every time I pull the string back.

It's also a very good feeling when it all comes together. But, in my case it's kinda rare I get everything perfect..and that is the challenge for me.