Help me find a starter bow

[snowman357]

I have shot many compound and crossbows I now want to try a recurve, I want somehting cheap to start with been looking at the martin jaguar but have found several bad reviews.  I would probably wan to attach a sight but no quiver, also string silencer.  Are the little rollers for shooting gloveless any good also.  Any advice?

Thanks Snowman357

[fr3db3ar]

I'd advise to try every bow you can get your hands on and buy the one you like.  As a backup recurve a long time ago I bought a $149 Hoyt and it's worked out just fine.  Find a weight you can work with.

I've tried those "rollers" as you call them.  They work....but I've come to prefer a tab to those or a glove.  The problem with the on the string grips is that they can move over time.  Gloves are ok and I used them for years.

So I'd say for shooting device it's personal preference and feel free to try whatever you want to find out what YOU like.

Skip the sights and learn to shoot instictive or "gap" shoot.  When you learn to bend your knees and bend your bow arm slightly, tilt the bow about 30 degrees or so.  With one finger above the arrow and 2 below, anchoring your middle finger to the corner of your mouth, the arrow is close to directly below your eye so left and right is easy.  then you just have to learn the hold for distances.

I'm sure I didn't explain that very well but that's how I shoot.

At 40 yards for me the point of the arrow is directly on what I want to hit.

[wormbobskey]

Go on ebay and find yourself a cheap solid fiberglass mid weight recurve and shoot it for a week or two. At the end of that time you ought to have figured out if you want to go further with a recurve. I have several really nice recurves that I picked up for not a lot of money, but that will deliver an arrow where I look at 20 or 25 yards all day long. I myself like short bows in the 52" range, but have longer bows. I shoot 3 fingers under the arrow and that puts the arrow right under my eye. I use an old batters glove instead of a tab as it gives me the soft feel of the string, but also gives me a little protection from the string. I don't have any of the hi end bows, but I do have bows that have some good history with hunters and they are bows that get the job done. I have Indians, Pearsons, Shakespears and Bears and all of them will put the arrow where I want because I use them all, all year long. Good bows are only as good as the archer using them. A great bow doesn't have to cost a fortune, it just takes time to find out if it is a truely great bow. I humbly step down from my soapbox. Worm

[GeorgiaDave]

Hello from Georgia,

   I have been shooting a recurve for many, many years and must say that archery equipment is much like cars and trucks. Most people have a favorite brand they like for different reasons, while they all serve the purpose. Some are base models used to putt around, while others are full out high performance. For my personal choice, I have always chosen Chevrolet, and Bear. The Bear bows just "feel" good to me. I have never had one that did not shoot good. I have had both Bear recurve and wheel bows and will likely never be without one (or 7 ). If you get a bare bones Bear bow, you will most likely be shooting respectable groups the first time out. Thay may not be as elegant and fancy as some, and a true custom will always be more expensive, but, as a functional tool, they are simply great. Having shot a bow before, I suggest that you start with a bow in the draw weight you want to end up shooting. No need to "work up to a heavy bow" whenyou already have the basic skills. Right now, I am shooting a Fred Bear takedown that draws 60 pounds and is a delight to shoot. I sometimes shoot aluminum arrows, but only hunt with good cedar shafts and Muzzy blades. Again, my preference. If you are serious about entering into the world of sticks and strings, I feel it would serve you much better to go ahead and get yourself a good bow to begin with, and then shoot it 10,000 times. I bet you will begin to realize that you can actually "feel" the bow. It will become an extension of your own self. These are just the opinions of a regular ol' country boy from Georgia, and far from an expert, although I have taken 5 nice deer with the old stick and string, and way to many fish to ever count. Good Luck on your choice,.

Dave

[scout4]

Try this place www.andoverarchery.com   I think you will find what you're lookin for. scout4<><

[JonD.]

I agree with wormbobskey, try e-bay for a cheap recurve to try out. I bought an older Pearson Mustang that shoots excellent for $35 plus shipping. Make sure the seller has really good pictures and description.

[wormbobskey]

Snowman, I have an Idian take down hunter i sell you for what I have in it. Let me know if you're interested. wormbobskey@hotmail.com

[Brithunter]

Hi all,

     Well I have also recently come back to archery so to speak. We did it at school with fibreglass flat bows and I did reasonably well or so I recall then they stopped it and along came motorcyles and girls plus there was not an acrhery club where I lived so................ well that was some 35 years ago.

     Having moved where I am now some 4 years ago I was talking about trying archery again and it was pointed out to me by mother that the village has an archery club. Well I finally got my butt down there and tried it using their club equipment. Take down recurve with sights as used in a lot of competitions and liked it. Looked on e-bay and bid on a few used outfits but didn't win. Then whilst looking for something related I found a complete outfit that no one had bid one with only a few hours to go (listed wrongly?). It was about double what I had intended on spending but it was not a beginners outfit by any means so it should last me out.

    It has:-

25" Spigarelli Riser (international fitting) with arrow rest
Arten Summit sight
Shibuya button
Hoyt vector foam limbs 36lb draw
set of 8 Eastern Platinum 2016 xx75 arrows
Bow slinger ( to safely fit string to limbs)
Arm guard and finger tab
Quiver
Arten Alloy Bow stand
Arten Alloy long rod
Field Locker hard case

Now the beauty of it is that I can just buy a lighter set of intermediate limbs quite reasonably should I wish to and work up to the Hoyt's of use it as is.

We found that it needed tuning as the string was too short to bracing height was out so a new one is being made, a Fastflite sting this time to repace the dacron one, and the tillering is all being adjusted to suit me and the arrows I am using to practice with as I brought some cheap ones to start with saving the Eastern's for later. I get it back this evening at the clubs meeting to try out again  .

Now I can upgrade it as I wish, new Olympic style sights should I wish or add more stabilisers etc however it was best to try out this sort of set up first as I did with the clubs stuff all I have to do now is get the technique right and we will be well away 

[fr3db3ar]

Just my opinion of course....but sights on a recurve are like tits on a boar hog.

I suppose they fit a purpose in target shooting.....but I pretty much left my compound in the case for the last 8 years because there is always something to come loose.

Learn to shoot without them and you'll be a lot happier.

Keep it simple.

[JonD.]

but I pretty much left my compound in the case for the last 8 years because there is always something to come loose.

Learn to shoot without them and you'll be a lot happier.

Keep it simple.

I agree with you. Too many trinkets and high priced junk on a compound. Something to move or come loose or rattle, or something you have to tune or keep in adjustment, not to mention a small fortune for all the accessories, and then a sling to pack because its now so heavy to carry... then you have to buy ridiculous brodheads that fold up because the bow won't shoot good without it--- just get a good stick and put a string on it, and some arrows, with good stout, sharp, broadheads, simple and easy....

[Brithunter]

Well I will not be hunting with my Bow as it's not legal here  so it's just for target work, some relaxation and a change from shooting the rifles. Get to meet some different folks too. Like on Sunday in the Village they had a memorial shoot to honour a member who died of cancer. That many people took part it didn't end until 7 PM. It was a glorious day weather wise and a good day was had by most.

I say most as one you lad ( about 15 years old) who shoot for the youth county team didn't drink enough fluid to felt ill and had to retire from de-hydration and a young lady moved slightyl wrong in the final stage of the draw/release and tore a tendon and muscle in her left arm. Apaprt from that as I said it was a wonderful day with every type of bow from a plain ole English long bow to the latest all singing target compound  . and just about every age group too!

[wormbobskey]

Archery is archery as long as you enjoy yourself shoot whatever type you want. Growing up I was the sort of bowsmith for my buddies and me and made dozens of elm branch bows and ragweed arrows. Got older and just had to try out the wheel bows and used them for many years. Still have an old bear whitetail II and an older indian compound. Last year got fed up with all the extra crap on the bows and went back to longbows and recurves. Now I shoot nothing but recurves. Like I said though archery is archery no matter what type it is. You get from it what you put into it. I think I get more out of it now that its just a stick and string than I did when it took weeks to set up a compound properly and get it shooting right. Oh and by the way, our deer archery season opens in 3 days, can't wait. Worm

[Winter Hawk]

I have had two bows in my life.  The first was a fiberglass Ben Pearson my dad got for me on Christmas when I was 16.  The other is an Indian recurve I bought in teh summer of 1966, which I still use.  I get it out every so often and go through a flurry of shooting with it, then after a while that dies down and it hangs on the wall until the next time.

Wormbobskey, we be neighbors, more or less.  I'm in Chauncey.  When we first got to Ohio three years ago, we rented a trailer on SR-56 just West of 691.

-Winter hawk-

[wormbobskey]

Winter Hawk, we lived in chauncey for 3 years, over on smith street. We've only lived here in southern ohio for 8 years, but are oridginally from central ohio. Maybe we can get togather sometime and do some bow shooting when you get the urge to shoot. I've done a lot of hunting and trapping in wayne national above chauncey. You wouldn't beleive all the coyotes up on that ridge. Also shot my share of turkeys up there to.

[teamnelson]

Appreciate this thread; I'm contemplating the same thing. My question would be draw weight - I'm a big guy, but I've not drawn a bow in decades. While 50# seems to be common, I've been wondering if it might not be better to go with a 40# at first, and upgrade limbs to 50# later on - I'm looking at a Martin Jaguar TD recurve.

Mahalo, Chaps.

[Brithunter]

Starting out again draw weight will depend upon your strength and fitness level. Trying to learn/re-learn with too high a draw weight will actually hinder you as you will be fighting the bow. For beginners they recommend no more than about 32lbs whilst you get the technique and stance/draw right. I am pushing it slightly by using a 36lb draw and after a few hours of shooting yes I can feel it. Now I have a butt set up out back I intend to do at least an hours paractice a day if I can fit it in that is  but at a minimum 5 days a week.

Once I can get the (torquing the bow) grab on release licked my groups should shrink fast as I can already hold 90% of my arrows in the main body of a Whitetail Shoot.N.C target with at 50% of them in the vital zone at 30 paces. My aim is to be able to keep them in Heart area within 6 weeks. I shoot 10 arrows in a round in practice at home. They shoot 4 an end indoor. I can feel my left shoulder is slightly sore from the unused to use  so I have to get fitter and my body used to this activity. There is no way I could shoot the 150 arrows required in competition but that will come with time.

Take downs are good in that you can slightly adjust the draw weight and of course swop limbs for different draw weights. I was going to buy some lighter limbs but I am managing the ones I have so.................

[wormbobskey]

Brithunter's right, start with lighter limbs and build up to hunting weights as your muscles get used to the draw, anchor and release. I like to do more ground hunting than treestand hunting so I practise at all sorts or different distances and try to shoot at different angles and postions, both standing and kneeling. You'le never know when your target might be bedded or maybe down hill. Anyway, start out light and build up as you go. Worm

[ronp]

I would suggest you look into a Quinn Stallion recurve.  They are about $275.00. The Stallion was my first recurve, and I still shoot it.  I have since bought 3 custom bows costing 4 times as much (that's right, over $1000.00 per bow) and they don't shoot better than my Quinn.  They may look prettier, but they don't shoot better.   And you won't find nicer people to deal with.  Do a search for these bows and see what every one has to say about them.  Oh, by the way, I will be hunting with my Stallion this year.  Here is their web site:

http://www.quinnsarchery.com/quinn's_archery_001.htm