Newbie Questions

[lonestararcher]

Ok so I'm looking at buying a trad recurve bow and need some advice. I have been shooting a very old hand-me-down bear compound for a few months to get started in the sport.

Any thoughts on a good starter hunting bow. I was looking at the Bear Grizzly but am not sure what pound draw to buy. My draw length is 30in.

Also I have been shooting Carbon express heritage 150s with feathers and 100 grain field tips. Can I use these arrows with the recurve? Can I use 3 blade broadheads as well or do I need to use 2 blade?

[TxNurse]

One of the best places to start is the top of the traditional forum section. By the time you get through sections 1 through 4 of the beginner's guide, you will have a good idea what questions to ask from there. The guys on here are very willing to help, and if any live in your area, are ususlly willing to give some personal guidance.

[feralswine]

Samick Sage seems to be the starter bow of choice around here. That's how I ended up with mine and I love it. Seems like they've been out of stock lately though... from what I've read. Mines a #45. Btw, I'm no expert, I'm very new myself, I'm just answering how this question usually gets answered. Good luck and welcome!

-Gabe

[Deb]

What they said.^^

[Mac...]

Don't know I it's what you're looking for but my friend has one he's looking to sell that won't break the bank.

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=304913

[Loreva13]

Samick Sage seems to be the starter bow of choice around here. That's how I ended up with mine and I love it. Seems like they've been out of stock lately though... from what I've read. Mines a #45. Btw, I'm no expert, I'm very new myself, I'm just answering how this question usually gets answered. Good luck and welcome!

-Gabe

The Samick Sage is an awesome bow. I started with this one as well though it was #40. They usually run between $129 and $149. Lancaster Archery has them at 129. Its a great bow to start with especially since it won't break the bank which will allow you to have extra cash to spend on arrows and other thing you may need. Another piece of advice I can give you would be to start with a light poundage to help you develop good form. Read the stickys at the top of the trad page also. Good luck! Trad is a blast!!!

[agtex42]

It's already been said, but the trad stickies are a great place to start the learning process.

The Sage is a good choice, but there are plenty of good used bows out there that will fit the bill nicely.

Most folks will recommend that you start somewhere in the low to mid 40# weight range, I'd always tell people to start with something they can draw and hold at anchor for a solid 3-5 seconds. This will allow you to establish your form and shot sequence rather than fight the weight of a bow that's too heavy to learn on.

It sounds like you're going to end up with a fairly long draw length if you draw 30" on a compound (it's likely to be a tad shorter when you make the switch). Everyone's different, but I wouln't try to learn on anything less than a 62" bow. There are lot's of variables that will come into play for you, but in short a longer bow will be more forgiving and easier to learn with than a short bow.

Last but not least, you're current arrows will likely be way overspined for any starter recurve or longbow. Arrow tuning isn't critical for you at this point, but you're probably going to want something in the .500 spine range depending on the final weight of your bow.

Good luck and keep the questions coming, that's what we're here for!

[Lewis Vaden]

Heritage 150's are 487 spine. I think they qualify in the 500 spine range agtex42 mentioned.

[agtex42]

Well daggum, I assumed the 150s would have been on the other end of the spectrum but I've never shot Carbon Express before, next time I'll look it up before posting!

Depending on the arrow length and final draw weight you could probably use those on a trad bow too (you'd more than likely need to use a 150-175 grain tip though).

Good luck making the switch, if you're anything like the rest of us you'll hang up the wheel bow for good after a few weeks!

[lonestararcher]

Thanks for the advice. I didn't even see the stickies at the top of the forum. I have been working my way through them and they are packed with info!