NDR: Recurve bow shooters....

Nate Grace

Nate Grace

Well-known member
Hey, question for the recurve bow shooters out there. Thinking of getting a used Martin Hatfield bow. Question is - Can I shoot regular carbon fiber arrows with a recurve, or do they need to be "special" arrows, made from wood with hand fletchings, etc?



Many thanks!



Nate
 
Glad to hear you are coming over to real bow hunting. Yes, you can shoot carbon fiber arrows, just make sure the spine and weight matches your bow. Traditional bow hunting retailers like Kustom King and Three Rivers are a good source of information. Check their web pages and give them a call. They will be glad to help you match your shafts, points, strings, etc to your particular bow. There are lots of other online trad bow dealers but those are the two I am most familiar with. Also, sites like Tradbow.com are a good place to visit for suggestions. Lots of helpful guys there, much like the DHBP.
My experience is that most retailers that sell compounds know nothing about recurves and long bows.
 
Thanks, Dwight. I am looking forward to shooting this bow. I was also looking at the Penobscot double bow. We have a TON of deer here in Gloucester and I think my chances are good of getting a doe or buck within range. I actually sent 3 Rivers an email earlier in the day. Will wait to hear from them and try and order some arrows from them as well.


Best,
Nate
 
You certainly can shoot carbons from your recurve, or aluminum for that matter, but making your own cedar arrows isnt too difficult. Plus once you are equipped to make them they are way cheaper than carbons. Its also a blast to walk around in the woods with a recurve and wing arrows at stumps or whatever.....or even squirrles to test your skills!!

A few years ago I got in my head that I really wanted to shoot a deer with traditional equipment. I bought a Martin Dreamcatcher, and a box of cedar shafts from Kustom King, along with the other arrow components, and a fletch cutter and fletching tool. I used turkey wing feathers from a bird I killed that spring, and made myself a few arrows. It took 3 years of trying, and one lost doe (hit the shoulder blade) before I scored this buck, my first with traditional equipment, and my best to date.
deer5.jpg


By far one of my proudest accomplishments in the outdoors, I can't encourage you enough to give it a shot!
 
Nate,

Absolutely. I got back into traditional last year and now have three longbows and all I shoot are carbons. I started off shooting the same Beaman Hunters that I used in my compound and have since started using Gold Tip 5575's. The great thing about carbons is that you never have to worry about warped arrows - they are always straight. Flex them and you will know right away if their integrity has been compromised.

My go-to bow is a 57# @ 28" Big River Longbow. I did some bare shaft tuning with full length Gold Tip 5575's and cutting them down a 1/2" at a time until they hit where I was looking.

Good Luck with your bow, I am having more fun now than I have in years.
 
Bill,
that deer is a moose. Were you on the ground or in a stand? What a nice animal for a recurve.

Nate,
I am thinking like you and have not found a bow yet. But it is on the list. I like my compound but would love to go traditional since we have a chance around here as well.
 
Nate,

While you might be able to shoot carbons from your recurve......in the functional technical sense.....the question might become - have you gone to the dark side? HAHA!!! sacrilege, burn him at the stake for blaspheming the god of traditional archery....

I personally have never shot carbons off my long bows or recurves but I have shot aluminum for hunting. So shoot carbon and do not show up to a traditional shoot......

Matt
 
Just make sure you have those carbons fletched with feathers and they will work. Even with a flipper rest I didn't think plastic vanes worked very good.
Also know that it is going to take some time to get good enough at 15 to 20 yards to hunt. It feels so nice shooting a recurve but I just don't get enough chances to shoot at long enough ranges to feel like I could kill anything...so recently I bought a Martin compound. :-( I feel dirty. hahaha

btw Those Penobscot bows are cool looking. You would have to shoot wood or bamboo arrows with that or the Indian gods will haunt you.

Tim
 
Matt, Many, many traditional bow shooters are using carbons now days. I haven't gone to wood for the simple reason that carbons are so darn good, repeatable, straight, etc. Also, it is a rare shoot that prohibits them. I spent three days at Compton Traditional Archers meet as well as another big shoot in Wisconsin and saw most people shooting carbons. Even traditional archery has come along way since we were kids. Would you not use a longbow because its laminated with glass/epoxy?

Wood is a fine arrow material and if it trips your trigger use it - each to his own.
 
Pete,

Personally as far as I am concerned, shoot what you want for arrows... Just seems that a few folks around here hold some very "traditional" view points concerning arrow selection... I shoot Al off my recurves and long bows and have been chastised a couple of times for such. I have never bought or tried any carbons, maybe someday when I run out of the stock pile of shafts I have.

There is about a dozen old fiberglass arrows from the early 70's still around here ( a couple missing I think) but they seem to be the relic in the closet.. I think they are even stamped with the Martin brand.

I personally have never owned a compound, but again that is personal choice. If you choose to shoot a compound that is your choice. So shoot what you wish.

Maybe I worded my previous post in such away that it is misunderstood...I was trying to point out that there are people who object to the use of carbon or Al arrows for traditional archery as a personal bias.

Matt
 
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Oh, I got your point. I was just pointing out that those folks who deride those of us shooting carbons have no problem shooting a modern laminated longbow. Splitting hairs if you ask me. I mean, really, the whole point of shooting traditional is the Zen of the arrow flight caused by your own muscles and internal computer. What difference does it make what the arrow is made of? If someone wants to make their own stave self bow, cut cane from the river and knapp points, more power to them, heck I might be one of them in a few years. In the mean time, enjoy the sport for it's (your own) sake.

I have no problem with those who shoot compounds either. I was one of them for 35 years and finally re-found tradtional again. I am having so much more fun shooting my three longbows than I was shooting compounds that I would sell all three of my compounds, if they were worth anything.

A bit on the other end of the spectrum. It all comes down to personal ethics. There are a lot of the modern day hunting tools that I refuse to use because its not right - to ME. Use those things if you want but don't ask me to or tell me that I am wrong because I won't. Oh, and my personal ethics seem to be changing all the time, more restrictive it seems, as I view and lament the passing of real hunting traditions in this country. Heck, who knows, I might be shooting only bamboo arrows next year but it will be because of MY choice not someone elses.

OK, enough of that, I'm starting to ramble.

Have a great day.
 
I love my Hatfield take down. I need to shoot it more often...getting lazy these days.
 
I went to the dark side in 1990 and have never looked back. Currently I have 4 Fedora bows, my favorite being the long bow. I usually shoot wood shafts for 3d and stump shooting but go to aluminum for hunting. Shoot off the shelf and forget all that flipper crap. The shelf will still be there when you get to the top of the mountain, the flipper may not. Nothing like it in my book.
 
Nate, the biggest differences (IMHO) between a trad bow and a compound are that there is no let off when you draw and that you don't use a sight....you pick a spot, draw and shoot, almost in one motion. It's like throwing a baseball or football, I suppose...you don't think about it, do you? You just look at the guy you are throwing to and throw.
And one other thing, maybe the most important...long bows and recurves are nice to look at....compounds look like a piece of gym equipment you would see on a late night infomercial. They are UGLY.
 
Picked up the bow lastnight, and it is sweet! 50 pounds with a 28" draw and 62" AMO. I have some old but new Easton 2117s that will be cut down, but also getting some Beman carbons from 3Rivers Archery. I am looking forward to shooting this bow and hopefully shooting a deer with it.

Thanks for the great advice!


Nate
 
Nate, I may be telling you something you already know...but as you learn to shoot your bow try not to "sight" or "aim." Learn to pick a spot with both eyes open and release..you will get the hang of it and "Zen" that arrow right where you were looking. Works for me (well, most of the time.) Good luck with your new bow.
 
You may find the 2117's to heavy for your bow @ 50 #. I shoot 2016 from my 50# and 2018 from my 58# and 60# bows. You can shoot bare shaft into a target at close range to see which flies the best. It's a science to get them shooting correctly. There is plenty on on-line information on how to tune it. Welcome to the dark side, good luck.

You can get a bunch of info here. If you can't find what you need ask.

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi
 
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