Recurved traditional wooden bow for hunting?

[rollingrock]

Anyone? I'm really curious. Seems most bow hunters are using modern compound?

[Will]

I just bought a Pro Hunter II Recurve from Chek-Mate....should be here this week. :grin:

It was recommended by quite a few Fellas........I got to feel one for fit last week and WOWSERS very Nice......makes my Vintage longBow look like...well a Vintage LongBow:lol:

This Spring Bear season will be my Debut as a Bonafide Bow Hunter ! Pending alot of practise and a reevaluation of my abilities come May :grin:

I do really Hope I don't get Eaten..........:?

[rollingrock]

:D Bring a spear with you!

How heavy is the pull?

[Will]

:D Bring a spear with you!

How heavy is the pull?
I went with a 48#........should help with the amount of practise I'm gonna need, doubt I may go for Bison at this time anyways :wink:

[bruin]

I shot a compound up until I was about 14 then I switched to a recurve since then. I have taken a few animals, missed alot of opportunities due to restricted range. FInally this year I got tired of it and took up a compound again. I had a big buck up close and he heard me draw the bow in October. If I had my silent and deadly recurve he would've been a dead buck, murphy's law at it's best. The vast majority of bowhunters are using compounds but there is still the diehard taditionalists out there. Check out TBBC at http://tbbc.kics.bc.ca/

[Avalanche123]

I shoot a recurve and love the simplisticty of it. Both set ups have their virtues and I prefer the virtues of the recurve.

[J_T]

Compromised range and accuracy are the real differences. The recurve or longbow are clearly not as accurate as the compound. One must accept that.

As a recurve shooter I know my effective range on large game (elk) is 20 - 25 yards, on deer (12 - 18). The compound with its let off, does allow you to hold at draw longer, perhaps waiting for the shot. This might prevent the animal being alerted at the last minute. And it does provide you with a much greater effective range.

Biggest advantage with a trad bow - provided you accept short range hunting - is that it's light to pack around, can be used as a cane when you get older and no amount of bashing it through the bush is going to put the sights out of alignment.

[bruin]

I have always been curios of switching from recurve to long bow and wondered how much range is sacrificed? Any other comments?

[rollingrock]

Is it necessary that the longer the bow is the better the shot is going to be? And why the wooden arrow out of a wooden trad bow is slower than a carbon one out of compound given the same poundage? Does a longer arrow help extend the draw distance to increase the power and the speed?

[Tuffcity]

Bruin: range between longbow and recurve are pretty much the same. some people shoot lb's better, some recurves. It's more of a style choice than an effective range issue.

Rollingrock: longer doesn't necessarily equate to a better shot. Most people (especially those starting out) will probably find a longer bow more stable in their hand. If you shoot a low wrist (most of the hand on the handle) grip I think you'll find a short bow is twitchy- the left to right movement of the limb tips is exaggerated. I find I can shoot short bows just fine if I use a high wrist grip- hold the handle just in the space between my thumb and first finger.

A wood arrow out of a trad versus a carbon out of a compound is slower for a number of reasons; a wood arrow generally weighs more than an equivalent size carbon, but mainly the compound utilizes a huge mechanical advantage when the cams kick over and accelerate the arrow.

Your draw length is generally dictated by how long your arms are and your shooting posture. Obviously the further you pull a trad bow the more stress you put on the limbs which translates into more energy available (to a point). But artificially lengthening your draw will usually result in poor shooting form, poor release and inherent inaccuracy.

RC

[rollingrock]

So roughly how much is the difference in terms of arrow speed between trad wooden and a compound? Is that substantial?

[J_T]

I shoot a 62# Chek-mate recurve (It was a #64). I have chronographed my wood arrows at 200 fps. The wood arrow weighs 750.

Just this year, I switched over to carbon arrows my new arrow set up weighs 640.

The wood arrows were 23/64ths in diameter, the carbons are quite a bit thinner. My current thinking is the thinner arrow and different surface material allows for less friction once the arrow makes contact with the target and perhaps will lead to better penetration. Time will tell.

A compound bow is likely pushing 250 - 315 fps. Generally a much lighter arrow.

What we have to consider, is that kinetic energy is a combination of both speed and weight. But it is the speed at the target, at the point of impact where the kinetic energy matters most. I believe that arrow weight holds the kinetic energy, while speed is dropping off.

When we speak of our KE, we most often talk of it, off the shelf. Not at the point of impact. As a traditional shooter, when I say that my effective range is 20 yards, that doesn't mean I can't hit a target at 30, it reflects my thoughts on the ability of that arrow to cut through the target at that distance. KE.