Resources to get started with trad archery

[Newtosavage]

Infinitely more resources available now than there were when I switched to traditional gear in '88. Back then, we had Traditional Bowhunter Magazine, complete with terrible shooting advice from G. Fred that took single-string archery backwards about 50 years (or more).

Thankfully, the single-string crowd has lived through that "hunker and squat" period to today, when good shooting advice is abundant.

I still tell folks however that if you have a short attention span and are only going to read one book, get Byron Ferguson's "Become the Arrow" and read it. It's a lot more practical and a lot less "zen" than the title would suggest. Byron didn't make a living making incredible shots with a longbow by accident. The man knows what he's talking about. It's a very short book, and half of it is whitetail bowhunting advice anyway, as a bonus.

 

[Newtosavage]

There’s lots of ways to skin the trad cat I’ve discovered, and you kind of have to treat it like a buffet and take the things out of the resources that work for you.

What helped me personally:

I second “Masters of the Barebow”
Clay Hayes on YouTube
Gary Chynne on YouTube (kinda different, but fun)
Fred Asbell’s “Instinctive Shooting” books
Jason Samkowiak on YouTube/podcast
The Push’s coaching moments on their podcast

I’m always gleaning little things and trying them. Sometimes they really click for me, sometimes they don’t.

I'm in the "take the ideas that work for you" camp only after someone has learned what proper alignment and anchor is. Because that is the foundation to good shooting. A lot of junk out there has folks shooting without proper alignment or anchor, and they will never be right no matter how hard they try.

 

[Beendare]

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[Newtosavage]

Well said^... and your Asbell comment is right on The money.

A buddy shoots that way... for many years. Is accuracy has gone steadily downhill. He has target panic and doesn’t even know it Though myself and friends have tried to tell him. He is getting up in age in between that and not shooting as much as he used to he cannot manage his 55 pound recurve.

He describes his shooting as Fred bear style, when he hits his anchor he releases. You only need to see him take two shots to realize he does not have a good alignment, Doesnt Aim and his anchor varies wildly with a flinch/Poor release on the shot.

He has conditioned his mind for TP to take over.

and of course he is stubborn as he has shot that way for decades and refuses to recognize that his shooting style is the problem.

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You just described nearly every member of the Leatherwall over the past 20 years. LOL

I was a "snapstinctive" shooter myself for at least 15 years before I learned better. Main reason is that I was overbowed from day one - which is also the reason most people shoot that way. And they either don't know it, or they are too damn stubborn to admit it. I made some incredible shots on game that way in those 15 years but I can also point to a number of stupid chip-shot misses too. And at no point was I using the whole draw length (i.e. power stroke) that was available to me. I have very long arms (77" wingspan) and if someone had just explained to me in 1988 that a 50# bow at 31" is equal to a 60# bow at 28", I would have been much better off all along.

I grew up idolizing Fred Bear too, and Howard Hill and Ben Pearson - all amazing shooters in their day. But what most folks familiar with them don't realize is that those guys shot that way because good quality cedar arrows that were longer than 28" were damn hard to find. So they learned to short-draw to compensate for the short arrows.

 

[Beendare]

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[Shawn Hultquist]

You just described nearly every member of the Leatherwall over the past 20 years. LOL

Theres a whole lotta truth in that statement you could also include AT and TG

 

[Newtosavage]

I do think a guy shooting sub 20yd shots on deer can be fine snap shooting.

Yeah, they are creating problems....but if pie plate at 15 yds is good enough...then fine.

A guy can do much better than that when they develop good shooting form- 30yds, 40 yds with good repeatable accuracy.
View attachment 268210

This was a 24 yd Rat.....with 2 of the best shooters around pulling arrows...in fact Alan is one of the top bare bow shooters in the world...or at least used to be. One of the rare targets I could stay with him accuracy wise.


BTW, if you haven't gone and shot these Trad shoots...jump in...you will be glad you did.

____

Alan is a good man. Pretty damn handy at the blackjack tables too. LOL

 

[Gumbo]

Lars Andersen.

Thats some low quality trolling right there lol.

Come on, you know you watched it twice...

 

[Beendare]

Alan is a good man. Pretty damn handy at the blackjack tables too. LOL

Super helpful guy.
His father-in-law next to him in that picture Tom is no slouch either. He knows his way around a recurve bow, great shooter. I don’t know those guys but have shot with them a couple times and they helped me immensely ....whether they realize it or not!

 

[Arctic Hunter]

Instinctive archery insights by Jay Kidwell is interesting reading.

The comment above about Fred Asbell’s style is spot on.

 

[Beendare]

Instinctive archery insights by Jay Kidwell is interesting reading.

The comment above about Fred Asbell’s style is spot on.

I really liked that Kidwell book.... even though I shoot gapstinctive.

It seems to me he did a good job explaining the mental part of archery..... it’s really helped me fight off target panic.

There is one guy I would’ve loved to meet in his heyday.

..

 

[Arctic Hunter]

I really liked that Kidwell book.... even though I shoot gapstinctive.

It seems to me he did a good job explaining the mental part of archery..... it’s really helped me fight off target panic.

There is one guy I would’ve loved to meet in his heyday.

..

I agree. I bought it when I was fighting with target panic as well. Actually ended up talking to him through email. Seemed to be a good dude. Very helpful.

I never could gap shoot. I really envy the guys that can shoot that style.