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    • tjwvu30
        May 3, 2015 at 2:08 am
        Post count: 4
        #2785

        Hello to all.

        I am looking to get into traditional bowhunting and am not sure where to even begin. I have been using a compound bow for several years and love to shoot and hunt with my compound. However, I want to try traditional archery. I am looking for something to begin. This website has been highly recommended. I am a tall guy, 6’5 with a 31.5 draw length for compound. What size traditional bow do I need and should I begin with recurve or longbow?? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated, thank you all!

      • Stephen Graf
        Moderator
          May 3, 2015 at 11:37 am
          Post count: 2429
          #13357

          Your draw length with a traditional bow will likely be much less than with a compound.

          Your draw weight will also need to come down.

          The best single piece of advice I can give you is to find a traditional archery shop and go try out bows and get set up with some arrows.

          The type of bow you get is relevant only to your sense of beauty and fun. What ever floats your boat is fine. Go cheap on your first bow though…

          What is important is that you get a bow that doesn’t stress your bod too much, and that has matched arrows.

          Good luck, and have fun with it!

        • Doc Nock
            May 3, 2015 at 12:20 pm
            Post count: 1150
            #13398

            Steve and many here know their stuff…

            Only thing on this website is its not required you list where you hail from… finding a “TRADITIONAL” archery shop, might be an undertaking! Depending on your locale.

            Another bit of sage advice is to find a traditionial shoot somewhere, well attended and a few good vendors and go there. Traditional guys are usually a very helpful & friendly bunch… You can get to shoot a lot of bows.

            Don’t let ego drive your choices. Steve is spot on with the “lower draw weight” aspect…different muscles used in a different way to pull back a bow that gets more difficult the further you pull it… not just rolling over a “cam”. I went from 67# to 45 and could barely get the 45# all the way to anchor! Didn’t take long as a much younger man to become quite comfy with the 45, but it was startling to be sure, to me!

            If you PM or email any of us, share your location, I’m sure we could try to help you identify either a shop or google same, or find a trad shoot you might attend.

            Good luck and don’t be shy

          • tjwvu30
              May 3, 2015 at 12:55 pm
              Post count: 4
              #13436

              Thank you both for your advice and comments. I was definitely concerned with the draw weight and would like to develop good form before trying to pull back too much weight. I am from north central West Virginia and have been having a hard time locating a traditional archery shop. There are several archery shops and some selling a few selected traditional bows but not able to provide a lot of information for beginners. I work most weekends, only 3 off since January, so I have a hard time making most shoots.

            • Doc Nock
                May 3, 2015 at 1:25 pm
                Post count: 1150
                #13459

                Sounds like you’re tween a rock and hard spot. SEnt you a PM with some ideas…

                I worked a sporting goods/archery store and was the resident person on Trad… they relieved the manager and brought in some yahoo who couldn’t have cared less about trad, but we used to get a lot of trad traffic, but not after that change… so you’re right…with only a small % of the archery traffic being traditional interest, most shops find it counter-productive to even bother. Others pretend and offer some astoundingly bad advice. I even saw that where I worked back then… and would wait for that prevaricating sales person colleague to be done and then intercept the customer and try to undo the damage…

                Good luck! Hopefully, you’ll find some folks in North Central W. VA here who might tag team with you and take you under wing!

              • David Coulter
                Member
                  May 3, 2015 at 7:54 pm
                  Post count: 2293
                  #13698

                  Good luck with your new start. Search the thread on archery books and follow that guy Steve Graf. He’s a nice guy and probably as steeped in know-how as anyone active on this site. Also search Troy Breedings advice on tuning arrows. There’s volumes of knowledge on this site. If you can’t find something just ask. The price is right. Best, dwc

                • Col Mike
                  Member
                    May 4, 2015 at 1:50 am
                    Post count: 911
                    #13958

                    tjwvu

                    I’m in W MD Deep Creek lake area probably not far from you. If you can visit have both long and recurve you can try if your right handed. Send me a pm if you desire. I am available during the week.

                    Welcome to the site and have fun.:D

                    Mike

                  • Stephen Graf
                    Moderator
                      May 4, 2015 at 10:35 am
                      Post count: 2429
                      #14360

                      Your a good man Mike!

                    • tjwvu30
                        May 5, 2015 at 10:51 am
                        Post count: 4
                        #15534

                        Thanks everyone!

                      • grumpy
                        Member
                          May 6, 2015 at 11:58 pm
                          Post count: 962
                          #17261

                          That’s big of you Mike.

                        • tjwvu30
                            May 7, 2015 at 12:52 am
                            Post count: 4
                            #17307

                            Thanks Mike, I appreciate that, I’m about an hour and half west of Morgantown so if I have a free day I may contact you. Thanks for the offer!

                          • Col Mike
                            Member
                              May 7, 2015 at 9:17 pm
                              Post count: 911
                              #18243

                              tj

                              We are 40 Minutes east of Morgantown. Give me a few days notice to ensure we are here and not looking at darn boats:evil: on the coast—where we are off tomorrow to look at another of my captains–“this is the one”.

                              Mike

                            • paleoman
                              Member
                                May 7, 2015 at 10:11 pm
                                Post count: 931
                                #18290

                                colmike wrote: tj

                                We are 40 Minutes east of Morgantown. Give me a few days notice to ensure we are here and not looking at darn boats:evil: on the coast—where we are off tomorrow to look at another of my captains–“this is the one”.

                                Mike

                                Mike – when you find one, consider the name “BowT”:lol: Sorry! I never got too far past Jr High school humor…

                              • David Coulter
                                Member
                                  May 8, 2015 at 12:13 pm
                                  Post count: 2293
                                  #18957

                                  BowT. I love it. Got a little Sponge Bob Square Pants ring to it. Dwc

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