[Wapiti Hunter]

in reply to: PAYING FOR PERFORMANCE OR NAME? #21104

I am a big believer of going somewhere where you can shoot several differnt bows and try them out. We have several places in Colorado to do just that. I like to attend the Colorado Traditional Archers Society shoot each summer. Several bowyers attend as well as several traditional tackle dealers. It’s a great place to try out many new and used bows. The Colorado Bowhunters Association also holds a big shoot during the summer. There is also a nice traditional shop in the Denver area called Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear and they stock well over 100 longbows and recurves, both new and used. You can try before you buy and also get some good advice. So hopefully you have some opportunities to shoot some bows near where you live and make up your own mind whether the “big names” are worth the “big bucks.”

Mike

[Wapiti Hunter]

in reply to: Take down vs one piece #21093

I only hunt with longbows and I own both 3-piece and 2-piece takedowns. I like the lighter weight of longbows in general and thus I like the 2-piece takedown better because it is less heavy to carry. I have heard other guys who like the extra weight from the 3-piece models–not me. I also don’t like the fact that I could lose the hardware or wind up without an allen wrench to tighten the hardware on a 3-piece. I do very much like having a takedown or two to travel with. Years ago I carried several 1-piece bows on a caribou trip to Quebec, before all the airline regs and fees, and it was a bit of a hassle with the long carry tube I used. Finally, here in the west, many hunts use horses to pack into camp and into the back country. A takedown is much easier to carry on a horse.

That being said, when I’m running around in the elk woods near my home I definitely like the light sleek 1-piece bows I own.

Mike

[Wapiti Hunter]

in reply to: For those of you that hunt with wood arrows #12962

I have never used anything but wood arrows in over 20 years of hunting with a longbow. I have used cedar, lodgepole, spruce, fir, hickory, ash, and hexpine. And I have killed elk, mule deer, whitetailed deer, mountain goat, antelope, mountain lion, and various small game. Making arrows keeps me busy on cold snowy winter days and I enjoy making them and shooting the arrows I make. I don’t really mind losing or breaking one now and then because that just means I get to make some more.

Mike

[Author]

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