Any "Old School" shooters here???
12-28-2002, 12:24 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Groton CT USA
Posts: 28
Any "Old School" shooters here???
Hi folks,
Now right up front let me say I'm not looking to stir anythhing up, just trying to get to know some of you here. Ever since I first learned to shoot a bow (12 or 13 yrs old) I've shot a bare bow, no sights, stabilizers, slings or any of the other gizmos and gadgets I've seen people shoot with. I realize archery is a personal thing and I'm not criticizing anyone, but am I missing something? I just don't see the need for all of this stuff. Can someone please fill me in on all this? Why do people feel the need for all the extras?
Thanks,
Vudoochylde
Now right up front let me say I'm not looking to stir anythhing up, just trying to get to know some of you here. Ever since I first learned to shoot a bow (12 or 13 yrs old) I've shot a bare bow, no sights, stabilizers, slings or any of the other gizmos and gadgets I've seen people shoot with. I realize archery is a personal thing and I'm not criticizing anyone, but am I missing something? I just don't see the need for all of this stuff. Can someone please fill me in on all this? Why do people feel the need for all the extras?
Thanks,
Vudoochylde
12-28-2002, 12:36 PM
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Mountlake Terrace WA USA
Posts: 113
RE: Any "Old School" shooters here???
I would dearly love to be able to shoot without sights of any kind, but right now I am using a front sight but no rear peep. I just got back into archery after many years away from it and am using a No-peep to help me get consistency with my form. Once I get to the point where I can know without using the No-peep that my form is correct, I plan to remove the front sight and start practicing without it. That said, I do plan to use a release and stabilizer to help accuracy, balance, and quietness in the future. As you said, archery is a personal thing and everyone has things that make them feel comfortable and confident with their shooting.
12-28-2002, 12:43 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Groton CT USA
Posts: 28
RE: Any "Old School" shooters here???
Jason,
Thanks for the reply, I guess I should mention I'm getting back into archery after an extremly long layoff, 20+ yrs to be exact. But I never could see the need for all the extras.
Thanks for the reply, I guess I should mention I'm getting back into archery after an extremly long layoff, 20+ yrs to be exact. But I never could see the need for all the extras.
12-28-2002, 02:21 PM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: CHARDON OHIO USA
Posts: 55
RE: Any "Old School" shooters here???
OH BOY>>> Well alot of things have changed... I started shooting a bow in 1970... is that old school ??? I dont know. I started with a recurve no sights fingers... and now I shoot one of the fastest and most advanced bows on the market with all the very best toys.
IN 1980 I got a compound bow and was able to break ballons at 15 yards and thought that was great... Well then I went to shoot in Ohio about 40 mins. from my house, called the Ravenna arsanal shoot. You had to shoot 100 points to get into a drawing so you might be drawn to hunt there. This is where the famed Hole in the horn buck came from..Well I made that 100 points but I'll tell you I seen some equipment there.. Those people were shooting around 900-1000 points.. Something I was doing was not as good as they were..I went to a local pro shop bought a better bow,got alot of pratice in and the next year I shot around 600.. Still fingers but I had sights now.. I was alot better.
I am not saying that alot of equipment will make you a better shot.
I am going to suggest that you go to a pro shop, that has indoor or outdoor leagues. Watch some of the better shooters. Look at the equipment they are using. ask them questions why they use that stuff.
In those leagues you will find all sorts of shooting forms--fingers--release--recurve--compound--and so on..
You need to ask yourself ..... how good do I want to be..
If your answer is the BEST I can be. Then the modern archer needs STUFF
I hope this helps
By the way at that Ravenna shoot, if you were in the top five archers you were automaticly able to hunt.. It took a couple of years but I was one of those top five.. and now over 20 years later I still shoot alot of STUFF and love every min.
IN 1980 I got a compound bow and was able to break ballons at 15 yards and thought that was great... Well then I went to shoot in Ohio about 40 mins. from my house, called the Ravenna arsanal shoot. You had to shoot 100 points to get into a drawing so you might be drawn to hunt there. This is where the famed Hole in the horn buck came from..Well I made that 100 points but I'll tell you I seen some equipment there.. Those people were shooting around 900-1000 points.. Something I was doing was not as good as they were..I went to a local pro shop bought a better bow,got alot of pratice in and the next year I shot around 600.. Still fingers but I had sights now.. I was alot better.
I am not saying that alot of equipment will make you a better shot.
I am going to suggest that you go to a pro shop, that has indoor or outdoor leagues. Watch some of the better shooters. Look at the equipment they are using. ask them questions why they use that stuff.
In those leagues you will find all sorts of shooting forms--fingers--release--recurve--compound--and so on..
You need to ask yourself ..... how good do I want to be..
If your answer is the BEST I can be. Then the modern archer needs STUFF
I hope this helps
By the way at that Ravenna shoot, if you were in the top five archers you were automaticly able to hunt.. It took a couple of years but I was one of those top five.. and now over 20 years later I still shoot alot of STUFF and love every min.
12-28-2002, 04:22 PM
#6
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Groton CT USA
Posts: 28
RE: Any "Old School" shooters here???
Like I said before, I'm not trying to stir anything up. I was just wondering if there were other bowhunters/archers here that still shot with a bare bow and nothing else. Shooting the bow always just seemed to come naturally to me and before the layoff, I was able to consistantly able to hit a spot the size of a quarter up to about 30 yards, distances longer than that the spot had to be enlarged to a half dollar but I think my accuracy was more than good enough. Once I get all my equipment checked out and I know it's safe to shoot, I'll have to see if the eyes are still up to par. I can't say because I haven't shot a bow in over 20 yrs. I guess my feelings are like with a car or truck with all the power locks and windows ect... just more things that could go wrong. Murphy's Law isn't a law it just seems to be the way things go for me. As I said before archery/bowhunting is all about personal preference, and I'm not putting anyone down I just wanted to get a feel for what other shooters were doing.
Vudoochylde
Vudoochylde
12-28-2002, 04:27 PM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: In a Tarpon Boat
Posts: 846
RE: Any "Old School" shooters here???
Vudoo.,
I shoot both recurves and compounds.
I shoot 3-D so I have to use the best sights, stabilizers, and rest to try and compete, lol.
I shoot 3" groups at 20 yds with my recurves though which isn't too bad.
The recurves are much more fun to shoot, imo.
Besides, it's great not to have to worry about buying all the expensive accessories for my recurves like I do with my compounds.
Nothing to adjust either; just nock an arrow and shoot.
Another plus, my recurves are beautiful to look at also.
Sag.
I shoot both recurves and compounds.
I shoot 3-D so I have to use the best sights, stabilizers, and rest to try and compete, lol.
I shoot 3" groups at 20 yds with my recurves though which isn't too bad.
The recurves are much more fun to shoot, imo.
Besides, it's great not to have to worry about buying all the expensive accessories for my recurves like I do with my compounds.
Nothing to adjust either; just nock an arrow and shoot.
Another plus, my recurves are beautiful to look at also.
Sag.
12-28-2002, 08:24 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Eastern PA USA
Posts: 1,398
RE: Any "Old School" shooters here???
Vudoo:
I have done enough bare bow shooting to know what I can do. The problem is consistency. One day is great, the next is bad enough that I would not think about hunting deer with my recurve. I think it is fairly common for someone, like yourself, who finds barebow shooting to come naturally to assume that it should be just as easy, or nearly as easy for others to do the same. That is generally not the case. I do think that it is important to do enough barebow shooting at a young age to develop the hand-eye coordination needed for instinctive shooting. Went through the whole trad thing including making my own selfbows and arrows. Some days were incredible, but the bad days left me know that something was lacking in my abilities. I'm 50 now, and not likely to suddenly develop any amazing abilities in the future. I now shoot a fairly simple setup. An old two cam compound with a three pin sight (40yd. pin is just for 3D), no peep sight, release aid (for target panic problems) and a flipper rest. Not barebow, but not exactly 2003 high tech either. I have much more reliable accuracy with this setup. Not necessarily to shoot farther, but to be confident that I can hit what I am shooting at consistently.
Avoid the inevitable until it is absolutely unavoidable!
I have done enough bare bow shooting to know what I can do. The problem is consistency. One day is great, the next is bad enough that I would not think about hunting deer with my recurve. I think it is fairly common for someone, like yourself, who finds barebow shooting to come naturally to assume that it should be just as easy, or nearly as easy for others to do the same. That is generally not the case. I do think that it is important to do enough barebow shooting at a young age to develop the hand-eye coordination needed for instinctive shooting. Went through the whole trad thing including making my own selfbows and arrows. Some days were incredible, but the bad days left me know that something was lacking in my abilities. I'm 50 now, and not likely to suddenly develop any amazing abilities in the future. I now shoot a fairly simple setup. An old two cam compound with a three pin sight (40yd. pin is just for 3D), no peep sight, release aid (for target panic problems) and a flipper rest. Not barebow, but not exactly 2003 high tech either. I have much more reliable accuracy with this setup. Not necessarily to shoot farther, but to be confident that I can hit what I am shooting at consistently.
Avoid the inevitable until it is absolutely unavoidable!
12-28-2002, 08:59 PM
#10
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: fall river wi USA
Posts: 113
RE: Any "Old School" shooters here???
I DON'T KNOW HOW OLD SCHOOL I AM BUT I BELIEVE IN THE K.I.S.S. SYSTEM ( KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID ). I HAVE FOUND WERE I AM HAPPY MATTHEWS MQ1 SINGLE PIN SIGHT (IMPACT) NO PEEP NO STABILIZER...IT SHOOTS CONSENTLY 245 FPS AND GOOD TO 40 YARDS WITH NO HOLD OVER (ALUMUNIUM 2314 XX78SS). RELEASE AND ROPE KNOCK...THERE IS NOT MUCH TO GO WRONG AND HAVE SHOT THIS WAY SINCE I WAS 12. I PRATICE WITH FINGERS JUST IN CASE. I DON'T BELIVE IN ALL THE EXTRAS, THIS BOW IS A HUNTER FIRST.
IT IS QUIET QUICK AND APART OF ME AND THAT'S WERE IT IS IMPORTANT. I DON'T HAVE THE NEED TO THINK IT IS NATURAL....THANKS
IT IS QUIET QUICK AND APART OF ME AND THAT'S WERE IT IS IMPORTANT. I DON'T HAVE THE NEED TO THINK IT IS NATURAL....THANKS