Hi I am new to bow hunting and all I have right now is my grandpa's old recurve bow and some terrible practice arrows I plan to replace. He has traditional arrows with feathers for the fletching with sharp points for broadheads ( or at least I think it is I haven't seen the real arrows for a while ). I am familiar with the bow have shot it since I was 6 ( I was pretty strong ) and the draw weight is 55 lbs ( I think ). In Ohio you need at least 40 lbs of draw weight and at least 2 cutting edges ( exposed or unexposed ) minimum 3/4" width, expandable or mechanical broadheads. I want to use it for deer and possibly turkey. I want to buy some new broadheads if they are cheap enough ( 3 pack for 30+ dollars, holy **** ! ). The season doesn't end for another month or two ( around the middle or end of February ) so I have plenty of time to practice. My main question is how do I aim with it ? Is it just instinct ? Muscle memory ? I don't want to add any changes to my grandpa's bow except I will use a mechanical release otherwise my hands hurt the next day and after 20 or so shots. I am a youth ( 13.5 years old ) so my grandpa or friend from Church have to be with me, and I don't want to make a bad shot, so how to I train with a bow ? I am good with a high power air rifle ( pellet rifle ) in .22 caliber, so my gun skills are good. Bow hunting just seems fun vs. slug gun hunting. Any help would be great
You have NO time to practice, forget this season! 55# is too much to start traditional archery with. If your fingers hurt after 20 shots you are WAY TOO OVER BOWED. I've been shooting recurves for over 50 years and it took me years to build up to be accurate with that weight. There is a myriad of broadheads out there. That is NOT your concern right now. You need to perfect form and accuracy. You need correctly spined arrows, matched. You need to be able to hit a 6" circle at 20 yards, consistently. What bow do you have, are you sure about the weight, what arrows do you have, what spine are they, what weight point are you using, are you right or left eye dominant? Aiming is done either by sights (you say you don't want to change the bow so that's out), gap shooting (spacing the target from the point of the arrow) or instinctive (looking at the target and nothing else and being able to hit it, muscle memory, hand/eye coordination). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I agree with the above. Dude ive been shooting 65-70lb compounds for a couple years now. Its nothing for me. I have a 55lb Bear Kodiak Hunter that is too much bow for me!! You cant expect to pick up traditional equipment and hunt A month later. You need practice, then some more practice, and when youre done you can practice some more. Its not something you learn overnight. And i dont mean to sound offensive but it may be beneficial to start reading some literature on trad gear and learn what you are talking about first. A broadhead should be easily identified... And $30 for a 3 pack is cheap, mine run $45 for a 3 pack and are worth every penny. Whats the sense of spending months practicing and all this money on arrows and gear to shoot a crappy broadhead and wound an animal? I know where you are coming from, and its great that you are excited about it and want to take up the challenge! Just know that archery is not something you can half-azz with good results, it takes time, dedication, and yes even perseverance when you feel like you will never get the hang of it . Once you start practicing with some better arrows, and get more consistant, take your bow after some of your pests that you hunt with your air rifle. shooting at black birds, ground squirrels, pigeons, starlings etc would teach you to focus on your small target which is absolutely necessary for instinctive shooting, as well as teach you range estimation and stalking skills. It would be a fun off-season activity to get you better prepared to take on larger quarry in future seasons.
Easy guys... he was being honest and just asked for help. O.P. Archery is a tough sport to master... most of us never will, even with top notch gear. Don't get discouraged but do know you will have to work up to hunting proficiency.
Instinctive Shooting: A Step-by-Step Guide to Better Bowhunting, Volume 1 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Talk to your Grandpa or the guy from church. Ask them for some help. If not, maybe they can find someone to help you.. I know there's lots of guys who would love to help you… Wish you lived close to me, cause I'd love to help you. Ask questions here.. we'll do our best to help. Merry Christmas
I hope he's come back to read our advice. He hasn't posted anything since the original posting. Sent from my iPad Mini using Tapatalk Bows, Broadheads and Backstraps
