I have been shooting and hunting with traditional bows since 1952.
If I could offer some insights as well, I might answer your question #2 first: you would be fine with modern recurve bows or long bows with glass covered limbs at 50# draw weight (at the normal 28" draw length). I have friends that regularly shoot completely through deer, hogs, and bears with 40 recurves, carbon or aluminum arrows, and shaving-sharp cut-on-impact broadheads. I prefer down range 'whomp!' instead of worrying a whole lot about speed, so my arrows tend to be heavier--example--the last black bear I shot was with a t/d recurve with 60# limbs, shoving a fairly heavy aluminum arrow cut at 29 1/2" and wearing 5 1/2" banana cut fletch tipped with a 165 grain fixed three-blade Snuffer at a whopping 157 fps; but it went through the bear right front to left back and the bear never made it 10 yards. What you want is a bow that pulls easily from hunting positions: off one or both knees, seated either in a stand or on a stool/bucket, leaning off to the side, etc.--not all are hunting shots are classic archer form you see in pictures. Also the maximum range is something only you can answer as your proficiency improves. The whole object of bow hunting for me is 'up close and personal'. I have taken deer as close as three yards out to 25 or so; elk from six yards to 25 or so; hogs from three feet to 10 yards; bear from 5 or 6 yards out to 15; then I took a buffalo at 45 yards--as close as I could get. It just depends on you. And a 50# bow will take all these animals at reasonable yardages.
Question #1: I still, at this age, hunt whitetails from tree stands: hang ons, ladder stands, and a climber. I use both 60" t/d recurves (I pick from 7), or a 60" one-piece recurve (I pick from 2); I also use one of 5 different log bows (all 64" long). I have no problems with these lengths in the trees. The draw weights range from 45# up to 60#. What I choose to shoot depends on how I feel sometime in January--I usually pick my bow for the year, and it accompanies my to 3D shoots, back yard forrays, and into the deer woods in the fall. Which BW you choose would be strictly a personal choice. I like the exotic wood model t/d the now make--I've had the grey bark and the autumn oak, but I really like their Osage t/d.
Question #3: accessories. Fewer is better. I use Great Northern strap on quivers for all my bows: quiet, easy on and off, especially in a tree stand, and no holes required. Bow stringer to prevent twist to bow limbs when stringing your bow. String silencers--my personal choice is beaver balls, but that is only one option. I use a tip protector on my bottom limb as I have a bad habit of using my bow for a binocular brace pod. I also have a bow square for setting the nock point--when I travel, I use a t/d so I want to be sure my brace height stays the same when I put the bow back together prior to my hunt. The t/d requires an Allen wrench as well. I use a leather home-made arm guard to hold sleeves tight against my arm and away from the bow string. I use Black Widow shooting gloves (finger tip style), but you can use a tab or a full shooting glove as well. You will add lots of stuff as you attend traditional bow shoots or expos, trust me!
Question #4: You should work with someone with some experience to get an arrow weight that will fly correctly off the bow you choose. I use wooden arrows, aluminum, and carbons depending on how I feel, what I am hunting, and what the weather will be like where I will be hunting. I use lots of different arrow weights depending on which bow I shoot, and sometimes it is dictated by the weight of the broadhead I will use. I would not recommend mechanical broadheads for your bow. For deer I use Muzzy 125 grain heads with replacable blades, 125 Gr Zwickey two blade, and Wendsel Woodsmen 125 gr three blade. For all my bears, I have used 165 grain Snuffer three blade heads. For elk I use 145 grain Zwickey Delta two blade heads. Again, the choice is yours: just make sure it is of good quality.
Whatever your final outfit is, please do stick to your statement to let it walk if you feel anything amiss with the shot. Practice until you can say, "I made a good shot", not "I think I made a good shot."
God bless, Arch
