Going Hi-Tech With My Bow Hunting This Year.
Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2010 9:02 pm
I have been hunting with a longbow (after about 20 years with a compound) for the last 15 years or so but times are a change'n. Last year I seemed to really be struggling while shooting, my accuracy was off and it just wasn't fun shooting. I actually dreaded the possibility of having to draw on a deer and resigned myself to only taking slam dunk shots.
Fast forward to this spring. My daughter and I attended the Compton shoot Fathers Day weekend as we always do. The Compton shoot is an excellent Traditional Shoot in Berrien Springs, Michigan. I hadn't even drawn my bow prior to that weekend. We had just started shooting a course when I those issues reappeared again, struggling while shooting and difficulty getting a solid anchor. Before we finished that course the problem was obvious, I was over bowed. The custom made longbow that I have been shooting for years had become to heavy for me to shoot accurately. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm getting older (I'll be 55 this September) and have gone from working out in the shop to an office job and I'm just getting old and soft. My longbow draws #58. To some compound shooters, 58# doesn't sound like much but at full draw, I am holding 58 lbs. compared to a compound shooter say, shooting a modern 70# compound with 75% let-off, is only holding 18#. It was clear, I needed to go to a lower weight bow.
As I wondered around the vendor area I just casually looked at some bows. New custom longbows run around $700 for a nice, not fancy bow. and take around 6 weeks to 6 months to get one depending on the bowyers back-log.
While walking past a vendor that had several used bows on a rack, I was drawn to a beautiful recurve. Picking it up, it just fit like a glove. I looked at the bowyers name and price and put it back down but I would come back and look at it several more times. I asked the vendor if I could shoot the bow. He strung it up and I took it out on the course and shot it. The bow, a Robertson Stykbow, draws 51# and shoots like a dream. I took it back and let him put it back on the rack.
Sunday I went back and shot it again and out came the plastic. Shooting is fun again my accuracy came back and I am not struggling while shooting anymore. I know I am going to kill a deer this year with this new ( new to me) bow. She's a sweetheart!!
Maybe this Hi-Tech equipment is just what I needed.
Fast forward to this spring. My daughter and I attended the Compton shoot Fathers Day weekend as we always do. The Compton shoot is an excellent Traditional Shoot in Berrien Springs, Michigan. I hadn't even drawn my bow prior to that weekend. We had just started shooting a course when I those issues reappeared again, struggling while shooting and difficulty getting a solid anchor. Before we finished that course the problem was obvious, I was over bowed. The custom made longbow that I have been shooting for years had become to heavy for me to shoot accurately. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm getting older (I'll be 55 this September) and have gone from working out in the shop to an office job and I'm just getting old and soft. My longbow draws #58. To some compound shooters, 58# doesn't sound like much but at full draw, I am holding 58 lbs. compared to a compound shooter say, shooting a modern 70# compound with 75% let-off, is only holding 18#. It was clear, I needed to go to a lower weight bow.
As I wondered around the vendor area I just casually looked at some bows. New custom longbows run around $700 for a nice, not fancy bow. and take around 6 weeks to 6 months to get one depending on the bowyers back-log.
While walking past a vendor that had several used bows on a rack, I was drawn to a beautiful recurve. Picking it up, it just fit like a glove. I looked at the bowyers name and price and put it back down but I would come back and look at it several more times. I asked the vendor if I could shoot the bow. He strung it up and I took it out on the course and shot it. The bow, a Robertson Stykbow, draws 51# and shoots like a dream. I took it back and let him put it back on the rack.
Sunday I went back and shot it again and out came the plastic. Shooting is fun again my accuracy came back and I am not struggling while shooting anymore. I know I am going to kill a deer this year with this new ( new to me) bow. She's a sweetheart!!
Maybe this Hi-Tech equipment is just what I needed.