[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: I just can't cut it #44489

Don’t beat yourself up about it. It doesn’t help. The way I look at it is that if I met all my goals the first time, then traditional archery would be just as boring as compound shooting.

Save it, and enjoy the idea of finally learning to shoot the straight bow well, for next year, or the year after…

As others have said, it sounds to me like maybe the arrows are not matched to the bow, or some other technical problem.

I have several “hill style” longbows with about 1 inch of string follow. I learned to shoot these bows in a summer. They are accurate easy bows to shoot, once you figure out how to grip them, and have good arrows. I found that if the arrows are not PERFECTLY spined for the bow, it won’t shoot consistently. But once you get PERFECTLY spined arrows, the bow will shoot great.

Shoot some bare shafts. They will tell the tale.

In the mean time, get a nice deer with the recurve, and have fun.

I’m shuttin down the computer and toting my take down recurve in the suitcase to the airport now. Going to Colorado. Maybe I’ll get lucky on some poor confused 3 legged, 1 eye’d , deaf elk.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Bring it. #41086

My gear is mostly packed, and I will be flying out to CO so I can hear it for myself, this weekend…

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Please don’t kick me off the forum… (this is a long one, so grab a beer and happy labor day) #38480

J – nice story! My 12 year old girl is shooting with me and getting pretty good, but she isn’t interested in hunting (although she wants to go with me to see what it’s like this fall…)

I’m on the fence about this whole issue 🙄 but if I could push a button and get rid of all pay-to-play outfits and insure the future of our public lands and democratic management model, I would. Nothing could stop me.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Low percentage shots #38476

A shot not taken is not regretted. Good call. I don’t know how you resisted, having come to full draw.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: New String #34702

If the 2 strings are not exactly the same, and the brace height isn’t set the same, you will not get the same results.

Put the old string on and check:

-Brace height

-nock location

-silencer location

Make the new string like the old string and everything should be ok… When I get a string shooting really well, I record all that info on a sheet of paper for future reference.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: 40 yards, Kodiak Mag, elevated rest. #34698

George,

It didn’t look like you canted the bow that much… Not perfectly vertical, but not much cant from looking at the little picture on my ‘puter.

you like elevated rests?

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: 15 to 30 yards, 48# Recurve. #34687

Nice! I counted about 38 steps to the longest shot.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: A little bowfishing film. #34677

Where’s the target practice scene? Good job, college boy.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: the on going talk about bareshaft tuning #31253

A little nock high isn’t bad. If you are hitting where you are looking, then it can’t be too much.

I have found that some bows just shoot that way. If you can’t get rid of it all, I wouldn’t worry on it too long.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Homemade steel broadheads? #31252

There have been a few threads on here where people have done build alongs for broadheads. Do a search on broadhead and I expect they will come up.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Monkey Tails #30150

Seems like a lot of money to spend when a bit of wool yarn will do the same thing…

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: What are your plans? #30144

taterman wrote: ive been invited to grayson co. virginia was wondering if it was worth the time or not, is anyone familiar w/ the area?

I’ll answer your question with a question: Where you from? Are you going with friends?

VA is a beautiful state with lots of nice deer. If you haven’t hunted there, and you will be with friends, how could it not be worth it?

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: My New Longbow!! A Little Guidance Please… #29007

Nice bow! When shooting a new bow, the best place to start is with bare shafts. I always keep a bare shaft around to shoot. That way, when I add silencers, or change strings, or adjust brace height, or whatever… I can shoot a bare shaft. Sometimes I shoot a bare shaft just to see that things are staying the same.

Once you get a bare shaft flying straight, you are ready to start practicing with the bow.

I wouldn’t mess with the rest just yet. Let the bare shaft tell you what to do.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: cresting on carbons? #22401

I use white spray-on lacquer from home depot. It really does a good job of sticking and drying smooth. The first set of arrows I taped a line so that it would have a clean edge. But after that, I have just sprayed it and I kind of like the fade look.

I learned to wait 24 hours before glueing feathers on though. Otherwise the glue can melt the lacquer a bit.

I don’t add any other colors, so I don’t know how the lines would look.

But I can say that I have refletched a few arrows. And it was easier than using wraps. Cut the fletching off, and rub with steel wool and the lacquer comes right off.

And at 4 dollars a can, it is way cheaper than wraps. I have done a bunch of arrows, and the can still feels pretty full.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Hand shock or "damn my elbows hurt"!! #20167

After shooting like crazy last year, I developed the pain in my left elbow too. I bought a “tennis elbow” strap at the drug store and use it every time I shoot (or do any other work like splitting wood, or working in the garden, etc). It keeps my elbow from hurting while shooting.

But still, a year later, it is still injured. It is getting better slowly. If you read about tennis elbow / golf elbow you will read about the tendons involved. And that it takes a really long time to heal.

[Author]

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