Beginner's equipment decisions

[Nantahala Nut]

I am new to trad this season as well. I went with the save with 45 pound limbs. It's a decent bow for the price and seems to be very forgiving for a beginner. I think it's wise to go with a cheaper bow to learn and save the extra cash for something nice once your skill and knowledge progresses

[kennym]

I bought a Sage to see what all the hoopla was about them, liked the grip so well that I built 2 TD longbows with the same feel. Bro and I shoot them better than anything I've built to date.

Sorry, sold it yesterday to a young man wanting to try a recurve. He shot it while we shot a round of 3D and was waiting to pay for it when we came out.    

Oh, order a decent string to use instead of the rope that comes with em....  

[old_goat2]

Originally posted by bowheadhunter:
old goat 2

tell this old guy a good tab to buy now so many out there or a good glove with finger stalls

I have a prototype from highplains AKA Tommy Clum at rmsgear and man it's nice! E.W. Bateman cordovan is the next best thing, if you have the opportunity, search through the entire stock of tabs to find the thickest one you can! I won't use a glove, can't wear them with gloves in cold weather and plus a shooting glove makes it difficult to pick your nose without taking it off!

[bowheadhunter]

If u want trad longbow the  eaglewing frontier a nice one no stringer needed in the field a nice fast bow but very noise free I had  300 caribou around me just watch their brother die tbey never heard the bow they thought he just layed down to sleep!I never had that happen before!

[bowheadhunter]

thank u old goat2 will check it out,,

[NittanyRider]

I got into archery about 3 years ago, and in that time, I've spent well over $1000 on two bows that I either don't shoot or no longer own.  

As others have said… go with the Sage until you figure out what really works best for you. When I started out, I convinced myself that I should buy a longbow just because I liked the way they looked… well, two longbows later, I realized that I liked shooting recurves better.      

I just bought a Sage for a friend of mine and I was really impressed with the grip and the way it shoots.  

good luck!

[LBR]

Another vote for the Samick Journey.  I also advise tossing the rope for a string that comes with it--a good string makes a night and day difference with that bow.

Once you shoot for a while and get a feel for it, then you will have a much better idea of what you like and don't like in a bow, what draw weight you prefer, etc.

[bowheadhunter]

can I have a list of string makers who are sponsors here that could make a good string looking more for a string that (reduces noise) on my bows not a speed string ,,,less noise longer limb life,,

[LBR]

I think most of us here have good reviews, and most if not all of us stand behind our product.

We all have our preferances.  My favorite material is BCY-X, 18-20 strands, for a moderate (not tiny, not fat) diameter string.  On my bows (including a Samick Journey) it's quiet, consistent, and stable.

I haven't seen any reports to confirm or deny a particular string material making a bow last longer.  

In my personal experience, I've broken a lot more bows while they had a Dacron string on them than any other, but I don't blame the string material.  

I have one bow that I bought new a good 15 or more years ago that's never had a Dacron string on it and it's still going strong--draw weight hasn't changed, no sign of wear from the string.  It's been used and abused--had it refinished twice--but no string damage.  

The Journey has had a BCY-X string on it for going on two years, been shot a lot.  I draw around 31" and am shooting arrows that weigh less than 9 gpp.  So far, so good--no signs of wear or damage from the string.  Taking it bowfishing for stingray next month.

Chad

[mangonboat]

Welcome, Sweetwater! Lot's of Carolina archers on this board and some excellent hunters and shooters in the mix. I'm just here for the free food.

You've gotten some great advice but let me add a few more cents worth. 1) Your draw will lengthen as you practice and develop your back muscles. Drawing a trad bow uses a whole new set of muscles. As your draw lengthens , it will impact the tune of your arrows as 1 additional inch of draw can make a huge difference in how your arrows fly. 2) Arrow quality and match are more important than bow quality, cost or style. 3) take advantage of all the TG forums, including the Shooters Form forum, as a resource to develop proper form, pick up ideas, ask questions. 4) Find trad archery shooting buddies. There are few better ways to spend a Saturday morning than wandering the woods with a buddy and a handful of arrows looking for stumps and clumps to shoot from every conceivable angle and distance.

[bowheadhunter]

LBR what maker nock fits best 18-20 strands BCY-X and serving material IS BEST,,I ALWAYS seem to have a nock to loose on newer strings made today. We are Haven Alum and wood arrows made my native  friends will not eat any game killed with carbon arrows ""carbon"" is bad medicine up here in Arctic cold destroys carbon also they snap on me at 50 below hope my new carbon limb bows hold up this winter will let everyone know..

[Sweetwater]

Man, I can't believe the number of great advice posts from you guys! After reading thru these today I will commit to sending Terry $30 and I think it might be smart to visit shoots before I even buy a Sammick (Sage and Journey seem to have equal amount of fans).

One thing is obvious, I won't be hunting this season unless it is closer to closing day, there's just too much to learn about traditional archery and it sounds like arrow tuning will be an active pursuit as I develop my skills. It is very encouraging to know lots of Carolina Guys are around. I'm in the suburbs right on the NC/SC state line and and I've struggled on NC Game Lands in the past. I might add an SC license to my NC license next season just to broaden my chances and try some hogs south of the border.

[LBR]

Any good string maker should be able to serve the string with the serving that gives you a proper nock fit.  Just need to know what type nock you are using on your arrows or the throat diameter.

For serving materials, I like Halo and 62XS.  I haven't used it enough personally to endorse it, but Power Grip has been getting very good reviews also.

[bowheadhunter]

OK I GET SOME alum arrows made by someone and alum arrows if I can find someone who to do both alum and wood and use the same type nock.

Now I need to  good longbow stringer for a Border Harrier one piece its a very powerful longbow she in  need for good  stronger stringer that easy to use in the field..

[Sweetwater]

Mangonboat,

PM rec'd and replied.

Support from this forum rocks! I moving down to the form section now to learn some more.

   

[riser]

Go with the Journey over the Sage.  Smoother draw.  Very underated bow.  The Sage can stack over 28", and as you progress, your draw length will increase a bit.  You can start with the 64" Journey, and still have "growth" room in it as you advance.  I've shot both the Sage and Journey.  I can feel the stacking on the Sage at ~ 29".  The Journey is smooth as far as I can pull.

[old_goat2]

Originally posted by bowheadhunter:
can I have a list of string makers who are sponsors here that could make a good string looking more for a string that (reduces noise) on my bows not a speed string ,,,less noise longer limb life,,

The guys at rmsgear make as good of string as anybody and better than a lot!

[bowheadhunter]

ok on msgear thanks

[Tall Paul]

I also second the Samick bows.  I bought a Samick Journey recently to bowfish with and its a good bow for the money.

WHATEVER you do, don't start with too heavy limbs.  Start light, develop good form, and then you can buy heavier limbs.

[MO Bow]

Lots of good advice here...several millenia of combined experience.

You might also want to give Big Jim a call.  He has a lot of used bows in stock.

When I started out, I had hunted and shot a lot of 3D with a compound, so I was no stranger to how an arrow flies.  I dove in head first and bought a 52# Black Widow.  Spent a lot of money on my first bow, but I had shot a few other bows and liked the BW the most.  

Looking back, I don't think I'd change a thing, but that's MY situation.  I figured that if I bought a cheaper or used bow, I'd end up shooting something different after I learned to shoot well.  

I kept my compound for a few years in case it took too long to get good enough to hunt with.  That's one of the reasons why I didn't buy something with lower poundage.  I figured if I was going to learn, I wanted to start with the bow that I was going to hunt with.  I received the bow in the spring and practiced enough to be able to hunt with it that same fall.  

I still have my first bow...got it 10 years ago and finally got around to buying my second trad bow...a Big Jim Buffalo.  I always thought longbows were cool, and I wanted to try something different.  I've shot a few different styles of longbow and liked Jim's the best.  

I guess this is the longest way to say: Try before you buy!

You don't have to go low or high on the weight or go cheap or used or expensive to enjoy this sport.  

Do your research, pull the trigger, and PRACTICE!