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Hunting with Recurve Bow

1,418 Views | 17 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by Ol Jock 99
BlockerBLDG
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Anyone doing this or have done this? Your experience good/bad?

Know it's probably a huge investment of time but with my kids hunting now, not worried about having meat in the freezer, more about the experience of hunting. Kids still shooting rifles.
AggieChemist
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I have a longbow. My range, when I choose it over the compound, is limited to about 15 yards, versus maybe 30 with my compound.

Just a matter of what you wanna do, and if you have the time/discipline to devote to traditional archery.
raidernarizona
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Interested as well. Let me know when you figure it out.

I bought a 55# Martin Hunter 2 years ago with the same intention, but no matter how much I read, watched, practiced, I couldn't see any improvement and got a bit discouraged. Still love the bow and enjoy shooting it on occasion, but I am currently in the market for a compound to hunt with. On a good day, I might have a beach ball grouping.
AgEng06
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Apparently shooting them with a trad bow makes them unrecoverable. Isn't that right, shayne?
Lungblood
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Pow! Right in da kissa!
BlockerBLDG
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raidernarizona said:

Interested as well. Let me know when you figure it out.

I bought a 55# Martin Hunter 2 years ago with the same intention, but no matter how much I read, watched, practiced, I couldn't see any improvement and got a bit discouraged. Still love the bow and enjoy shooting it on occasion, but I am currently in the market for a compound to hunt with. On a good day, I might have a beach ball grouping.
Beach Ball grouping at 20 yards?
will.mcg
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Get a 70# limb bow(full grown man, not for kiddos), practice, practice, practice.
shaynew1
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AgEng06 said:

Apparently shooting them with a trad bow makes them unrecoverable. Isn't that right, shayne?


The big ones at least.

I plan on killing some deer w mine this fall.
AgEng06
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Just ribbin' ya. I look forward to some pics of dead deer taken with that recurve.
Charismatic Megafauna
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I've had an old ben pearson since I was a kid that's about 30lb and a lot of fun to shoot, especially when I haven't shot in a while, but it's really too light to try and kill something with. So a couple years ago I bought a kodiak magnum (I think?) in 55lb and got some arrows set up for it. But it is a bear (hehe) to shoot more than about half a dozen times and I'm not dedicated enough to shoot it regularly, so I got an old Penney's Foremost (as in JC Penneys, was actually made by Root) and got it set up. That bow is a dream to shoot, accurate as all get out, super quiet and a dream to shoot, and it's unique and pretty to boot! Still haven't kilt anything with it, maybe this year? Sure is easier to carry a recurve than a compound...
raidernarizona
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More like 12-15 yards....

I have a 20x20" Hurricane Bag target that I can easily miss at 20 yards.

My arrows were cut to length, but I have no idea what grain arrow or field tip I should be shooting. Gibson's here set me up with blazer vanes which I think is less than ideal.

I need to go to Leading Edge in Boerne and get set up.

BradMtn346
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Taken last year on our place. Traditional recurve. 35 yards. Went about 80 yards and piled up. I'm not talented enough to shoot one, but it can be done.
spud1910
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Long bow for me. Haven't bowhunted in several years, but when I was shooting regularly, my compound buddies were amazed at how close I was to them at 20 to 25 yards.
AggieChemist
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That's a hell of a shot. I know some extremely talented traditional archers. I know of about three people that could pull that shot off.

Fred Eichler is one.
Log
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They'll kill a 6x6 bull elk.
BlockerBLDG
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BradMtn346 said:


Taken last year on our place. Traditional recurve. 35 yards. Went about 80 yards and piled up. I'm not talented enough to shoot one, but it can be done.
What's your setup on your bow? what type of bow? How often do you practice?
Born Maroon
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Best of luck with your new bow!
I've hunted with a Recurve since 2004. They are great for kids starting out. Once a recurve or longbow is properly set up and tuned, it's just practice and muscle memory.
If you like to stalk and still hunt, the recurve has advantages over a compound.
There is way less gear to tote. You only need a quiver, bow and glove. No rangefinders, releases or gadgets needed.
Once your brain is trained, you don't need any sights to hunt. Imagine someone is 30 yards away from you and you want to throw a baseball to them. Your brain and muscles do all the calculations because you've performed the task thousands of times. If you miss slightly the first time, odds are the next throw will be a strike because the computer between your ears makes all the necessary adjustments.

I've been lucky to take 4 Elk, 3 Black Bear, 8 Whitetail and many, many other critters with my recurves, mostly on foot.

My self imposed max range is 35 yards but most kills have been at 15 yards or less and I practice out to 55 yds.

The best advice I can offer is to find a bow that you enjoy shooting as you'll need to shoot it a lot to become competent.
Advice # 2 - Don't worry about shooting groups. Shoot one arrow, collect it, then shoot another. Your brain will reset and relieve target panic. Shoot from a variety of distances, positions and elevations. Kneeling, sitting and at angles.

Once you're competent with a recurve or longbow, you'll lose any feeling of handicap or disadvantage by not using sights and mechanical releases.



NRH ag 10
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will.mcg said:

Get a 70# limb bow(full grown man, not for kiddos), practice, practice, practice.
Wut?

I don't know that there are many recurves that even have the option of 70lb limbs.
Ol Jock 99
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Log said:

They'll kill a 6x6 bull elk.

Only if you make them at home though.
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