Home › Forums › Bows and Equipment › Does any one use true traditional Equipment
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I was reading through all the posts and it surprised me at how so many of you actually use true traditional equipment, like self bows, home made bows and arrows, flint or stone broadheads etc. Don’t get me wrong I am not critizing just surprised that’s all. After all this is a traditional bowhunter website.
So how many of you actually use true traditional equipment to hunt with.
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Todd — this is an issue of semantics. The gear you name is referred to as “primitive,” not traditional. I know a handful of folks here are pretty hard-core primitive, and many of us play with it at times. For instance I’ve built and hunted small game with selfbows. To me, traditional at this point in archery history simply means pre-compound technology — purely muscle powered and no wheels, bells or gongs. Many states do not allow flint broadheads. Dave
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ToddRvs wrote: I was reading through all the posts and it surprised me at how so many of you actually use true traditional equipment, like self bows, home made bows and arrows, flint or stone broadheads etc. Don’t get me wrong I am not critizing just surprised that’s all. After all this is a traditional bowhunter website.
So how many of you actually use true traditional equipment to hunt with.
I hope you did not take my post wrongly, I ment no disrespect. I just consider traditional archery, what you call primitive. By that I mean no aluminum arrows, mass produced broadheads, or compound bows. I have used all of these different type of archery equipment with success. As for using stone heads I know of no state that outlaws them. I know the places I hunt, mostly in the south the only stipulation is that it has a cutting width of at least 1 inch. Other states I can not say though but I am planning an Elk trip later this year and I will definently double checks the regs before I go hunt there just to make sure I am following the law.
Has anyone else taken any game with Flint or obsidian broadheads?
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Hi Todd, and welcome, it’s interesting to ponder just what traditional means.
That aside I have a question for you, what do you use as a target to practice on as obsidian and stone can be so easily damaged.
Mark.
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Pothunter wrote: Hi Todd, and welcome, it’s interesting to ponder just what traditional means.
That aside I have a question for you, what do you use as a target to practice on as obsidian and stone can be so easily damaged.
Mark.
this is true they are brittle compared to todays steel broadhead but they can be quite stout. I have been experimiting with flint and it seems to be stronger but the obsidian is much sharper I think. I am still experimenting with both. I look at it this way for hundreds of years obsidian and flint were the btoadhead of choice by ancient people and the indians of the U.S. It worked real well for them, so why not work in mordern times. Thanks for the reply.
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T Downing wrote: “As for using stone heads I know of no state that outlaws them.”
Colorado for one…Yes you and Dave are correct, but I am not going to Colorado. I am going to Montana to hunt. I will check the regulations there to make sure I am within the law regarding equipment. thanks for correcting me.
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T Downing wrote: “As for using stone heads I know of no state that outlaws them.”
Colorado for one…Wisconsin for two.
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ToddRvs wrote: [quote=T Downing]“As for using stone heads I know of no state that outlaws them.”
Colorado for one…Yes you and Dave are correct, but I am not going to Colorado. I am going to Montana to hunt. I will check the regulations there to make sure I am within the law regarding equipment. thanks for correcting me.
i live in illinois and u can hunt with stone points. and there pretty stick on laws in illinois -
ToddRvs wrote: [quote=Pothunter]Hi Todd, and welcome, it’s interesting to ponder just what traditional means.
That aside I have a question for you, what do you use as a target to practice on as obsidian and stone can be so easily damaged.
Mark.
this is true they are brittle compared to todays steel broadhead but they can be quite stout. I have been experimiting with flint and it seems to be stronger but the obsidian is much sharper I think. I am still experimenting with both. I look at it this way for hundreds of years obsidian and flint were the btoadhead of choice by ancient people and the indians of the U.S. It worked real well for them, so why not work in mordern times. Thanks for the reply.
Not trying to make a debate into an argument but there was no choice, once steel was introduced that became the material of choice. In Europe and Asia bronze was also used but due to expense/rarity there was a period where the two overlapped.Obsidians crystalline structure means that if worked properly it can produce a cutting edge far finner than steel and has been used by plastic surgeons for quite some time in facial reconstruction to reduce scaring. The blades that I have seen have all been bonded onto steel.
Still interested to know what type of target you use for practice so as not to damage the points.
Mark.
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Montana has no restrictions on stone points.
From Page 7 of the regulations:
* The arrow shall weigh no less than 300 grains with the broadhead attached.
* Arrows must have broadheads with at least two cutting edges etc.But there is no mention as to the material used for broadheads here in Montana.
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“Still interested to know what type of target you use for practice so as not to damage the points.”
I use an old burlap bag stuffed with very tiny plastic beads that are used in sandblasting. I use a inner and outer configeration to build this target. I fill a bag with these tiny plastic beads they are packed niether tight or loose. Then the burlap bag is sewed close and the bag is wrapped in duct tape completely. ( the duck tape is there to seal the hole when you pull the arrow out.) I then place the whole thing in another burlap bag and I paint 3 bullseyes on one side and a deer silluete on the other. It is placed in a homemade stand with lawm mower wheels so I can move it around my back yard. I shoot into it from my treestand, from the ground pretty much where ever I want. It is not pretty but it works very well. I do not shoot to many broadheads into it only enough to make sure I am still on target. The obsidian points seem to hold up to this. It has been the only target I can find that does not dammage the Obsidian Head. If I use Flint heads they work just as well with this type of target. For most of my practice I have several obsidian and flint heads that I do not chip to a fine edge this way I have less breakage.
I do not sight down the arrow when I shoot I use a snap technigue for shooting kind of like throwing a baseball. I learned this technique from watching old Fred Bear hunting videos and reading Howard Hill’s book. It works real well for me. Thanks for the reply.
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Todd,
Where in Montana are you travelling to to hunt?
Michael.
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J.Wesbrock wrote: [quote=T Downing]“As for using stone heads I know of no state that outlaws them.”
Colorado for one…Wisconsin for two.
I think you can in Wisconsin all it has in the regulations is that all metal blades have to be 78 of an inch. -
The only thing I’d add to Cottonwoods post is the arrow must be 20″ overall length. Expandable broadheads are legal as long as when they are expanded they are at least 7/8″ at the widest point & weigh at least 70grs.
The arrow shall weigh no less than 300grs with the broadhead attached.I have a couple friends who have used stone broadheads & they say they really open a wide hole & let a lot of blood out.
Frank -
I have a couple friends who have used stone broadheads & they say they really open a wide hole & let a lot of blood out.
Frank
I have killed a few deer and hog with Stone broadheads and they make a big hole and they create a huge blood trail. When you think about it, Newer metal broadheads with a razor sharp edge makes a clean cut with no tissue tearing to increase bleeding. A stone head is like a steak knife or the jaws of a shark, very jagged and very sharp, so it not only cuts clean like a razor, it tears tissue, musle blood vessles, and hide when it goes in. The result is one massive blood trail. Especially when I have a complete shoot thru. If you get a chance you should try them out. -
I shot primitive for a while, but drifted towards pickign and choosing. I never had the patience for knapping, and my sinew/rawhide bow strings gave me headaches. Now I’m still shooting mainly selfbows, but now I use Fast Flight strings and carbon arrows out of them.
I like being able to pick and choose what to use from the whole spectrum of ancient (my bows) to modern (my arrows):D
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ToddRvs wrote: [quote=ToddRvs]I just consider traditional archery, what you call primitive. By that I mean no aluminum arrows, mass produced broadheads, or compound bows.
It is interesting what we all consider to be “traditional” equipment. The term “traditional” as it applies to archery is pretty new. It was coined by compound shooters because they didn’t know what to call conventional archery equipment in shoot classes and such. We just picked it up from them. Primitive is traditional, but traditional isn’t primitive.
Rick
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