i went traditional.

[let.it.fly]

just picked up my new rig, "the stick" not the best on the market but good starter bow. im pretty excited, i think i will be at the dirty thirty on the first or the hangover shoot.

[quadrafire]

Lets see it

oh and where is the dirty thirty?

[rasbo]

sweet thats cool,im going the same way,got a sapphire hawk,good luck and enjoy

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Congrats on giving up them training wheels!

Quad - the dirty THirty is at Skookum... go here to see the whole WSAA Calendar:

http://washingtonarchery.org/Files/2011_WSAA_Calendar.pdf

[CallMeBigPapa]

Say it ain't so!

[rasbo]

Congrats on giving up them training wheels!

Quad - the dirty THirty is at Skookum... go here to see the whole WSAA Calendar:

http://washingtonarchery.org/Files/2011_WSAA_Calendar.pdf

nothing at tacoma sportsman???

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Nothing on the Calendar anyway. 

[Hornseeker]

Congrats! Its funner than heck....  you will never look at your compound the same again. Not saying you wont want to hunt with your compound...but the actual "shooting" of a trad bow is sooooooo much more rewarding.... as a hunting tool...it offers a bit more challenge!

[let.it.fly]

Say it ain't so!

it is so, you gona be out at skookum on the first? look for me, i will be driving my wifes rig of course 

i do plan on hunting with it, i know it will mean i will not fill as many tags but its all about the hunt for me.
plus im sure it will make me a better hunter. i was with in 20 yards of plenty of legal bucks this year in the methow this year so hopfully i wont go hungry next year lol. i wish i could shoot it now but its a christmas present so of course its wrapped under the tree. soon though 

[CallMeBigPapa]

I'm thinking about it, may see you there. I'll look you up if do.

[Old Dog]

I thought that was a Christmas present?   You shouldn't be shooting it yet. 

[Ray]

Way to go. Starter bows might be better than some of the best on the market bows if you ask me. Best of luck to you 

[saylean]

Right on man....one of these days I might switch over too...just has some sort of alure to it.

[bearmanric]

only panzys go traditional. wait a minute i'm going back to. Had enough of the idiot's and Rude people. was very succesful in the 80's. good luck it's fun. cant wait to practice this summer. Rick

[NWWABOWHNTR]

LOL.. real men and women don't need "training wheels"....    One of the reasons I went back to "traditional" was at a 3D shoot,  shooting compound... and the tense atmosphere in our very competitive group... "SHHHHH"  I wasn't having much fun.. watching the trad guys laughing and cavorting through the course... hooting and hollering when someone did good and when someone shot a tree...LOL  That when I said time to go back.... now I am very, very competitive... except now when I fling an arrow if I hit the 10... whoooo hooooo,  its more fun to not expect perfection but when you do...its great.  The hunting is even more satisfying... the need to stalk up close rather than just put a pin on its chest at 55 yards and kill it.

[ribka]

LOL.. real men and women don't need "training wheels"....    One of the reasons I went back to "traditional" was at a 3D shoot,  shooting compound... and the tense atmosphere in our very competitive group... "SHHHHH"  I wasn't having much fun.. watching the trad guys laughing and cavorting through the course... hooting and hollering when someone did good and when someone shot a tree...LOL  That when I said time to go back.... now I am very, very competitive... except now when I fling an arrow if I hit the 10... whoooo hooooo,  its more fun to not expect perfection but when you do...its great.  The hunting is even more satisfying... the need to stalk up close rather than just put a pin on its chest at 55 yards and kill it.

x2

Trad shooting is  definitely a lot more fun and less stressful.

[GlennGTR]

Maybe when I am old and crippled I will consider a compound bow, but while young, strong and healthy I cant see the need.

[bearmanric]

i want to have Fun again. was ready to give up Mod Rifle elk hunting on my Trout Lake area cow Tag. it's like people will kill ya to get a elk. was no fun at all. going to make it Fun again. Rick

[rasbo]

LOL.. real men and women don't need "training wheels"....    One of the reasons I went back to "traditional" was at a 3D shoot,  shooting compound... and the tense atmosphere in our very competitive group... "SHHHHH"  I wasn't having much fun.. watching the trad guys laughing and cavorting through the course... hooting and hollering when someone did good and when someone shot a tree...LOL  That when I said time to go back.... now I am very, very competitive... except now when I fling an arrow if I hit the 10... whoooo hooooo,  its more fun to not expect perfection but when you do...its great.  The hunting is even more satisfying... the need to stalk up close rather than just put a pin on its chest at 55 yards and kill it.

x2

Trad shooting is  definitely a lot more fun and less stressful.

yeah that,and I can look down on the little people that feel they need wheels and cams.Oh how elite I feel now

[carver52]

When I lived in  North Louisiana in the late 80's and early 90's I shot at a club at Ruston.  One of the members was a guy named Sterling Harrell, a near brother to Ben Pearson and shot and hunted with him and Fred Bear many times.  Anyway, the compound guys would set up shots the traditional shooters couldn't make and us trad. guys would set up shots the com. guys couldn't make.  Some of the guys in either camp would get real loud and upset about it, but most would really howl and laugh about them.  Some shots we'd set so you had to shoot laying on your belly or brace the bow with your feet.  Another was with the target directly behind a fallen tree trunk, neither being possible with a compound but very makeable with trad. gear.  But if the compund guys placed a target with low overhang brush, we'd be out of it on that one.  Usually we'd just shoot for a leg or butt just to take one point away from it.
Overall I think you can have a more casual relaxed shoot with trad. gear, but either way it is a matter of mind set.

Thinking of Sterling, he was a great guy and held some sort of areal target record, I think the most consecutive hits at one point.  He'd shoot at sports shows and other large gatherings, with hand thrown targets, richochet shots, ballons etc.  He had a small archery shop in his back bedroom and all of us trad. guys would go in and out for our gear.  His stories of the Nat'l Longbow shoot in Michigan were great.  Swimming alligators, charging boars, lions, squirrels running through trees, flushing pheasant targets, you name it.

[NWWABOWHNTR]

LOL.. real men and women don't need "training wheels"....    One of the reasons I went back to "traditional" was at a 3D shoot,  shooting compound... and the tense atmosphere in our very competitive group... "SHHHHH"  I wasn't having much fun.. watching the trad guys laughing and cavorting through the course... hooting and hollering when someone did good and when someone shot a tree...LOL  That when I said time to go back.... now I am very, very competitive... except now when I fling an arrow if I hit the 10... whoooo hooooo,  its more fun to not expect perfection but when you do...its great.  The hunting is even more satisfying... the need to stalk up close rather than just put a pin on its chest at 55 yards and kill it.

x2

Trad shooting is  definitely a lot more fun and less stressful.

yeah that,and I can look down on the little people that feel they need wheels and cams.Oh how elite I feel now

LOL... I wouldn't say we are elite... we just like more of a challenge! 

[let.it.fly]

LOL.. real men and women don't need "training wheels"....    One of the reasons I went back to "traditional" was at a 3D shoot,  shooting compound... and the tense atmosphere in our very competitive group... "SHHHHH"  I wasn't having much fun.. watching the trad guys laughing and cavorting through the course... hooting and hollering when someone did good and when someone shot a tree...LOL  That when I said time to go back.... now I am very, very competitive... except now when I fling an arrow if I hit the 10... whoooo hooooo,  its more fun to not expect perfection but when you do...its great.  The hunting is even more satisfying... the need to stalk up close rather than just put a pin on its chest at 55 yards and kill it.

x2

Trad shooting is  definitely a lot more fun and less stressful.

yeah that,and I can look down on the little people that feel they need wheels and cams.Oh how elite I feel now

LOL... I wouldn't say we are elite... we just like more of a challenge! 

other then the need for more of a challenging hunt, this is another reason i wana shot trad. i shot well enough once to be in one of the top flights at a 3-d shoot, those guys were good guys but way to damn competitive. i noticed every shoot became to competitive for myself. if i didnt shoot well it ruined my day. i just wana have fun. there has only been one group i shot with that was compound that i realy had fun with, that was when i met BIGPAPA. good guy for sure, kinda like a killer hippie, lol.

[Button Nubbs]

[Drifterat]

[/quote]
 that was when i met BIGPAPA. good guy for sure, kinda like a killer hippie, lol.
[/quote]

Too funny.

I hope you have fun with your stick bow. I'll see ya out there.

[Snapshot]

Maybe when I am old and crippled I will consider a compound bow, but while young, strong and healthy I cant see the need.

When I am no longer able to pull the string, I'll switch to a camera.

[GWP]

I have a friend that set up targets NOBODY could hit. Well, he could, but he shot better then anyone else I have known. One was standing on a tire (no rim) and leaning over to get a site picture. You got to be kidding me. I can barely stand up on solid ground and shoot! Archery is fun, no matter what kind it is. I prefer wheels for some stuff, trad for other. One of these days I may pick up a crossbow! Oh my goodness, did I say that out loud?!?!?!?

[Beztine]

I am new to this forum and this post caught my eye   Welcome to the wildside   Nothing else like shooting traditional.  I have been back to shooting traditional for the last 11 years.  Never going back.  So much more enjoyable.  Need any help let me know.  Brock

[boneaddict]

WELCOME!   Cool to have another Trad shooter on board as well. 

[Machias]

Welcome aboard Beztine.   

[throttlejocky20]

I did not switch over but I recently picked up a recurve. I have been shooting compounds since I was 12 and I have to say, You guys that do this and hold good groups my hats off to you. Shooting one of these bows is an art in its own. One that I will master.

[granola/hippyslayer]

I wish I was good enough to shoot traditional.

[Ratdog68]

Traditional IS "Archery".  Any ol' monkey can learn to line up sights and pull a trigger when they're not holding the full power of the bow.   

I own a pair of EARLY training wheeled bows "just 'cause".  But... it's the longbow that gets my juices flowing the most !  I likes my recurves too, but, that longbow is where it's at for moi !   

[Hornseeker]

What kind of longbows do you like Ratdog? Been shooting trad long?

[Ratdog68]

What kind of longbows do you like Ratdog? Been shooting trad long?

I have one I made, I have one I had made for me by a feller in AZ who builds custom bows (this one is a take-down), I have a Martin Mountaineer that I really enjoy shooting... a few kit bows that I need to finish up... and at least one more slight R/D designed bow.  I've got a lot of recurves of various makes, mostly Bears.  I've probably got close to 40 bows in all.  From 18# for a kid to learn on to my 63# longbow I made and 'bout everything (weight wise) in between.  Only been shooting them for a few years now.  Haven't had a chance to go hunt with one yet... but, that should change.

I likes my Sportsman gear.   

[Hornseeker]

Who was the custom by? Just curious, I've been building bows for a few years now and know quite a few of the builders...

Trad archery is Fun, Fun, FUN...there is no doubt! ut with 40 bows... you got Yerself... a Problem!!! 

[Ratdog68]

Who was the custom by? Just curious, I've been building bows for a few years now and know quite a few of the builders...

Trad archery is Fun, Fun, FUN...there is no doubt! ut with 40 bows... you got Yerself... a Problem!!! 

Bill Griffen "Zona Bows". 

I do have a problem... not enough places to hang 'em on the wall to view !    

[Hornseeker]

right on...

Ive heard of him, but have never seen the bow...you ought to post a pic of one!

[Ratdog68]

right on...

Ive heard of him, but have never seen the bow...you ought to post a pic of one!

These are the only pix I have of the Zona T/D longbow with a bit of a R/D design.  It's a very nice bow, shoots well.  These were the pix of it before he shipped it out to me.  Bill's a very nice man to deal with.  His waiting list can take a while, but it's what he does on the side in his "off time".  He calls this lamination based riser his "dessert camo" offering.  His selected hardwoods run more money, and are GORGEOUS.

[dscott]

That's a beautiful bow ya got there! Would love to see a pic of it strung

sinc.
dScott

[Machias]

Very nice looking bow!!

[Ratdog68]

Thank you gents.   

[Hornseeker]

Nice looking bow.... geometry is not far off from mine, bet its a great shooter!!!

[Beztine]

I like yours better Ernie.  You build a great bow.......

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Let it fly... you coming up for our shoot?  Nice to see you got rid of the training wheels! 

[Boss .300 winmag]

right on...

Ive heard of him, but have never seen the bow...you ought to post a pic of one!

These are the only pix I have of the Zona T/D longbow with a bit of a R/D design.  It's a very nice bow, shoots well.  These were the pix of it before he shipped it out to me.  Bill's a very nice man to deal with.  His waiting list can take a while, but it's what he does on the side in his "off time".  He calls this lamination based riser his "dessert camo" offering.  His selected hardwoods run more money, and are GORGEOUS.

Whats a bow like that cost?