Looking to get into trad - looking for advice

[snowynock]

Hi, I'm a compound guy who's interested in diving down the trad rabbit hole. I have a buddy who's really good trad hunter and told me he's gonna be discussing some things with me but he's currently out of the country attending a graduation for his daughter so I wanna do some of my own research so things make sense and I can ask the right questions.

I'm looking to get a beginner trad bow to see how I like it first and foremost, I keep hearing great things about getting better with trad equipment helps level up the compound game but I just find the whole process fascinating. He had told me to look into getting a riser from southwest archery and bringing said riser into any archery shop to get fitted for a bow.

Well yesterday I took my bow into an archery shop(not my usual archery shop) to get some gear added/bow looked at(hunting buddy strongly recommended this shop) and I brought this situation up to the guy who told me that the advice I was given wasn't entirely accurate and before I make any moves I should be doing proper research into limbs and whatnot.

So my question is - what would be a good source where I can start to understand this process of what I should be looking into. I was told I should be looking for a 64" recurve with a 15-20lbs draw to begin with. I'm also looking for something on the inexpensive side where down the road if it ends up not suiting me I can sell it - the guy at the shop told me I'd be looking at under $300(which is fantastic).

Thanks - sorry for the big word salad.

 

[LostArra]

There are a couple of recent threads here about starting traditional. I would check those out.

Others may disagree but if you have been shooting a compound I think a 15-20# recurve is too light. I would suggest a minimum of 30-35#. A recurve that is 15-20# is a kid's bow and getting decent arrows to fly reasonably straight can be a chore.

 

[TCUHunter34]

Agree with the above, start around 30-35 lbs. I learned on a samick/galaxy sage for a long time. You can learn and step up the poundage later on.

Someone local or the Push online is a great resource.

 

[TX_Diver]

Where are you? If you’re near RMS gear in Denver go there. They also have some online resources and do clinics occasionally in other spots.

~30lb is a reasonable starting weight.

 

[ScottinPA]

I agree with the above-35lbs is probably a good draw weight. While 64" isn't really required unless you have an extremely long drawlength (31"+) you may find it smoother to draw but you can probably get away with 62" or even 60". Figure your trad drawlength will probably be a shorter than compound.

Where are you located? Look into Comptons Trad bowhunters and the Professional Bowhunter Society. You'll probably find guys local that can also help.

Stuff you can do while waiting on your buddy to get back in town:

Lots of good info on YouTube, Tradgang, Leatherwall.
- Do some research on bareshaft tuning and looking at a spine calculator.
- How do you plan to "aim" - instinctive, point of arrow, etc.?
- Look at both tabs and gloves, see which one you think will be best for you.
- What arrows do you think you'd like to try - carbon, aluminum, wood? I've shot carbon and aluminum but don't have time to build wood at this point. Maybe some day.
- Byron Ferguson book "Become the Arrow" is a good read. I've read Asbell's books too but don't follow his methodology as much.

I'm not familiar with Southwest archery but I'd start with either a cheap Amazon type ILF or TD, or an older Bear, Browning, Darton, etc. one piece to get started and learn the process.

While it can be frustrating (I've been know to send a bow across the yard) tuning and learning form, when it starts to come together it's a lot of fun.

 

[mtnbound]

Hi, I'm a compound guy who's interested in diving down the trad rabbit hole. I have a buddy who's really good trad hunter and told me he's gonna be discussing some things with me but he's currently out of the country attending a graduation for his daughter so I wanna do some of my own research so things make sense and I can ask the right questions.

I'm looking to get a beginner trad bow to see how I like it first and foremost, I keep hearing great things about getting better with trad equipment helps level up the compound game but I just find the whole process fascinating. He had told me to look into getting a riser from southwest archery and bringing said riser into any archery shop to get fitted for a bow.

Well yesterday I took my bow into an archery shop(not my usual archery shop) to get some gear added/bow looked at(hunting buddy strongly recommended this shop) and I brought this situation up to the guy who told me that the advice I was given wasn't entirely accurate and before I make any moves I should be doing proper research into limbs and whatnot.

So my question is - what would be a good source where I can start to understand this process of what I should be looking into. I was told I should be looking for a 64" recurve with a 15-20lbs draw to begin with. I'm also looking for something on the inexpensive side where down the road if it ends up not suiting me I can sell it - the guy at the shop told me I'd be looking at under $300(which is fantastic).

Thanks - sorry for the big word salad.

I'm not sure about taking a traditional bow riser to any shop and getting it fitted. Limbs are designed for specific risers and are not interchangeable with other risers. Southwest does offer a complete kit for beginners, which might be an option. If you can find a shop that carries and has someone who knows traditional bows.
Trad bows are great, but their limited range means you need to get better at calling, ambush setups, or stalking. You will also need to shoot more to keep up on accuracy. For myself, the Trad bow is about the challenge and experience. If you want to put meat on the table, then a compound has a significant advantage.

 

[snowynock]

Thanks for all the replies! Sorry took so long to respond - I'm currently waiting to see if I'm approved for Paid Family Leave - my 4 month old is a handful who doesn't really nap(gets that from me).

My location is NYC so I'd def do the push archery online school. For aim - right now I'm thinking instinctive but this is stuff I can definitely research and thanks for all the suggestions on thinngs I can research.

Right now I'm keeping to hunting with compound - the trad bow is more about recreation however in time if I get good enough I'd definitely welcome the challenge + experience.

 

[ScottinPA]

There are many trad guys in the NYC area that I'm sure would help you out. Think about hitting ETAR in July at Ski Sawmill in Morris PA. Lots of vendors with lots of bow to try. Nice opportunity to try different styles to see what you like at this point of your journey. The boys and I will be there Friday and possibly Saturday.

 

[desertdwellerdyl]

There are many trad guys in the NYC area that I'm sure would help you out. Think about hitting ETAR in July at Ski Sawmill in Morris PA. Lots of vendors with lots of bow to try. Nice opportunity to try different styles to see what you like at this point of your journey. The boys and I will be there Friday and possibly Saturday.

Is there anything like this in Arizona? I'm also looking into getting into traditional archery. It'd be awesome to get a bunch of different setups in front of me at one location.

 

[Subliminal1]

Where are you? If you’re near RMS gear in Denver go there. They also have some online resources and do clinics occasionally in other spots.

~30lb is a reasonable starting weight.

2nd this, the guy there is awesome! His name is escaping me.. Tom, maybe.

 

[TX_Diver]

2nd this, the guy there is awesome! His name is escaping me.. Tom, maybe.

Tom Clum

He and the other folks in RMS Gear have been extremely helpful to me over the last few years.

 

[ScottinPA]

Is there anything like this in Arizona? I'm also looking into getting into traditional archery. It'd be awesome to get a bunch of different setups in front of me at one location.

I'm not aware of any but can look into it.

 

[SwampGhost]

What’s your draw length with your compound? Like said before you don’t have to have a 64” bow unless you have a very long draw length. Expect your traditional draw length to be 1” shorter than compound draw length depending on where you anchor.
Lots of good bows on the low end to start with. Black Hunter is a great bow. 35# limbs is a good start and you can buy heavier limbs for it later when your ready. You can get it and anything you need from Stickbowsupplies.com.
Highly recommend you go to a Traditional Shoot! You will meet so many folks willing to let you shoot their bows. Vendors will also let you try their bows.

 

[riversidejeep]

Remember to keep it simple, The more simple , the more fun. Practice good form and the rest comes naturally.

 

[nettereo16]

I recommend you start at 30# to get form and comfortable. Then get a 45-50# recurve to hunt with. I bought the cheap Black Hunter recurves for <$100 and got a custom string made from Lane Holcomb on facebook. These bows are incredible for the price and I don't think they've held me back learning. I started recurve shooting last year after shooting compounds for a long time and it's a blast. Planning to take it to the treestand this fall.

 

[snowynock]

What’s your draw length with your compound? Like said before you don’t have to have a 64” bow unless you have a very long draw length. Expect your traditional draw length to be 1” shorter than compound draw length depending on where you anchor.
Lots of good bows on the low end to start with. Black Hunter is a great bow. 35# limbs is a good start and you can buy heavier limbs for it later when your ready. You can get it and anything you need from Stickbowsupplies.com.
Highly recommend you go to a Traditional Shoot! You will meet so many folks willing to let you shoot their bows. Vendors will also let you try their bows.

My drawlength is 28.5 on the compound.

In regards to the ETAR event - sounds amazing but I'm on a family vacay during that shoot unfortunately.

Lots of good information!

 

[Beendare]

@ScottinPA is giving you some great advice above.

Start cheap and light. Trad is all about consistent shot execution. It's much easier with perfect alignment and form with a light bow.. Take a lesson or have someone mentor you.

I wouldn't say that shooting trad helps your compound shooting....better compound shooting helps that.

Most guys never develop that trad form, they get frustrated, can't hit squat and dump trad gear.

 

[manitou1]

I have a 32” draw and have five 62” recurves that do fine. Some 62” bows will stack and some will not.

I agree… 35-38 lbs would be a great start.
15-20 is kids territory and you arrows will be falling to the ground at 15 yds.

Look into an ILF setup and you can adjust (tiller) draw weight a couple pounds either way.
After you get your form down and some strength built you can purchase new limbs for the setup without having to buy a whole new bow… and you will be familiar with the grip, which is an integral part of good shooting.

Look at the TaoBow (Tbow) Hoyt Satori copy riser. Inexpensive but a good riser.
Three rivers has some nice ILF limbs.
One of my go-to bows is the above riser and some 3k carbon bamboo limbs from 3 Rivers.
Fast, smooth, easy drawing.

I have several bows that cost in the $1400-$1700 range and they shoot no better than the combo mentioned above.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

There are lots of ways to get into trad. The pain free version is to start with Solid Archery Mechanics via the Push, and potentially ShotIQ.

Strongly suggest 30-35 lbs, 64-66" ILF to start learning, with plans to uprade as soon as you are proficient.
I also strongly suggest learning to gap shoot, and starting with 3 under. You can transition from gap to instinctive easily, but the other way round is much harder. Gap shooting helps develop stronger form as you KNOW when your aim is good, and can throw that out as an issue with your shot.

 

[desertdwellerdyl]

It must be a sign from God to start shooting trad. Just saw a 19” Tbow in pretty great condition listed on AT for $75 shipped