Who bow hunts and with what gear?

[Omegaman]

Currently I am waiting on my new Hoyt Carbon Element. It will be in Max 1 camo / 64# @ 28.5”/ QAD drop away rest, Meta peep, Cobra Radiant sight, Apex quiver, Xring stabilizer, custom wrist strap and I will be shooting ACC Pro Hunters with 3” fusion vanes and 2 blade Rage heads and I use an edge 4 finger release. This bow has taken more time than I wanted because the first one they sent was in the wrong color.:mad: My other bow that I use the most is a Hoyt Dorado recurve. It is black and maple 47# @ 28.5”. I run it with a custom winner’s choice string and beaver puffs, for arrows I run ACC Superlites that I straight fletch with 3” barred feathers with Muzzy phantoms. I shoot all of my recurves three fingers under. In the photo I am shooting in the second floor of my blacksmith shop (10yds.) and I am shooting my black Hoyt Alpha Max 32.

[slowz1k]

That thing is Beautiful!!!

Dang I have to get a bow now! Haven't owned one in years... Never hunted with one, just targets.
Curse you Omegaman!!!!:D:D

[Giver of Doom]

I hunt with my old Bear Kodiak Magnum, it still hits hard and puts meat in my freezer. In late winter when it's real cold and I'm dressed to heavily to hit what I aim at with any consistency, I use my X-bow.

[Omegaman]

Man doom that bow is a classic. That bear was the second compound I ever owned.

[Snow Walker]

I guess you could say the wife and I live and breath archery. The only difference is she doesn't hunt. She has nothing against hunting, but doesn't have the time for it. I on the other hand have bow hunted since I was a kid and compete in 3D on a regular basis. We shoot year round, have a range in the yard and even shoot in the house.

I hunt deer, turkey and Black bear. Most of my game has been taken with a bow. The set up I use is the same for all game I hunt and the way I compete. The only difference is I use different broadheads for turkey to limit penetration and field points for competition of coarse.

I have always shot Hoyt bows and will say they make a great bow, but bows should never be bought based on brand names. I still have a few Hoyts, but a few years ago was in the market for a new bow. I tried numerous brand names and numerous bows within their line-ups. This is the key to buying a bow! Never buy one without actually shooting it and shooting numerous types. What fits you and what feels comfortable is far more important!

The set-up I now use is a PSE X-Force GX set at 61# with a 27" draw length. It has a HHA scoped sight without magnification, G5 drop-away rest, Doinker stabilizer, custom strings/cables and I shoot a Carter RX-2 release with a loop on the bow string. (see pictures, loop) The arrows I use are 28" Gold Tip Pro Hunters with 3" vanes. With this set-up I am shooting aprox. 280 feet per second with aprox. 64 foot pounds of kinetic energy which is plenty for anything I hunt and will allow for an arrow to pass through a Black bear no problem!

The next time I am in the market for a new bow it may be a Hoyt. The point being is you never know what will fit you the best. DON'T GET HOOKED ON BRAND NAMES!

In archery the saying "practice makes perfect" does not hold true. The better saying is "perfect practice makes perfect." I say this because in archery PROPPER FORM IS THE KEY! Muscle memory is everything and this is built through consistant practice repeating the propper step by step form over and over until it is one fluid motion you don't have to think about! One of my favorite excercises for this is to "blind bale shoot." Very simply put this is shooting at a target less then 5 yards away with your eyes closed over and over, but not too much. This allows you to feel everything your doing. It does not matter or have anything to do with where the arrow hits.

Another method I use is shooting at 50-60 yards for normal practice. I would never hunt at this distance around here, but it does help perfect your form because any mistake in your form will be magnified big time at that distance!!!! It forces you to use propper from and also makes a closer shot a breeze. I also shoot at this distance because the 3D tournaments I shoot will have at least 3-4 targets at those distances.

Blind bale shooting is similar to placing a coin on the end of a rifle without a round in it and slowly squeezing the trigger with the goal of not allowing the coin to fall. (This is not good for rimfire firearms though) When a firearm or bow is fired (using a trigger release with a bow) The shot should NEVER be anticipated and in all honsety it should suprise you while you are in the moment of aiming. The trigger should NEVER be punched. It should be second nature due to muscle memory.

When buying a bow please follow these rules for your own benefit...

*For an individual who has been into archery for a long time and has experience it would be VERY EASY to spend $1500.00 in a heart beat! For a newbie it's far better to buy a used one that has been checked over for safety reasons and/or buy a new, cheaper model to find out what works and feels right for you. Spending alot of money WILL NOT make you a better shooter!

*Find a knowlegable person to help you out or visit a local archery club to learn about the sport and equipment. BE CAREFUL...not all archery pro-shops and/or dealers are created equal! There are numerous people who just want to make a sale and then the heck with you. Here is a tip...If they don't let you shoot numerous bows, or only want to sell what they carry a BIG RED FLAG SHOULD HIT YOU IN THE FACE!

*MAKE SURE you are measured for the propper draw length. A draw length too long will be a disaster from the start and create bad habits and in turn bad form. Draw length should be exact if not a hair on the short side.

*DO NOT OVERBOW yourself! If your shooting too much draw weight you will only suffer physically and mentally. You will be doomed from the beginning. This is why bows are usually made in 10# ranges. For ex. my bow is made to be adjusted from 50-60#. I can shoot a 70# bow, but I will not benefit from it. Shooting at 60# is more relaxing and allows me to hold back for a long time if needed for hunting. It's also IMPORTANT to know that a bow which can be adjusted like mine from 50-60# will shoot more efficiently a the max. 60#. So get a bow you can shoot and then work up to it's max. YOU WILL APPRECIATE THIS ADVICE!

*There are numerous good books out there so make use of them.

*If you want to shoot with a release DO NOT buy a cheap one. Make sure you at least buy one with an adjustable trigger or a back tension release. A back tension release will MAKE YOU use proper form. I also recommend buying two once you have found one you like. As with a bow try out different releases.

*DO NOT shoot too light of an arrow it could hurt you and/or the bow! I have seen bows explode because of this. 6-7 grains of arrow weight to x your max draw weight is a good starting point.

*SPEED IS NOT IMPORTANT AND SHOULD NOT INFLUENCE YOUR PURCHASE. A fast miss is still a miss. Another "red flag" at a dealer is if they try to sell a bow based how fast it shoots!

*Practice, practice, practice, but don't wear yourself out to the point of muscle fatigue this will only doom you again. It's not about the number of arrows you send down range it's about the quality of each shot. I will often shoot one arrow at a time and then go pull my arrow. If I'm shooting at 50-60 yards I will shoot 3 shot groups.

*Number your arrows...place a small number somewhere on you arrows so you can see if one of your arrows is flying odd rather then thinking it is you.

Ok, I'll stop now, but if anyone has any questions feel free to PM me. I work on my own bows, make my own arrows, compete, hunt, and have been doing this for longer then I can remember. If I can save one person from from a bad archery experience this post will have been worth it.

Take Care

[Snow Walker]

Pictures from my previous post...

Wife's 1st "Robin Hood"...one arrow in another arrow at 20 yards.

A D-loop on a bow string for release to connect to. Saves serving on string from wear and tear and offers a cleaner release.

Wife proud of that Robin Hood...This was her 1st year of shooting.

My PSE X-Force GX

My 50 yard grouping.

[Diesel]

Very cool thanks for sharing Snow Walker!

That an Eberlestock pack on the right?

[Diesel]

Bows is the one thing I don't have in my stockpile or preps, definately something I need to look at

I'd love to know how practical or possible it is make your own once you lose or break the arrows you do have.

[Snow Walker]

Very cool thanks for sharing Snow Walker!

That an Eberlestock pack on the right?

Hey Diesel, yes it's an Eberlestock G4 Operator and I have to say I'm very happy with it so far. It's on the heavy side, but it carries very well supporting the load on your hips rather then on your shoulders. The color is called dry earth.

[Snow Walker]

Bows is the one thing I don't have in my stockpile or preps, definately something I need to look at

I'd love to know how practical or possible it is make your own once you lose or break the arrows you do have.

Do be honest Diesel you would pretty much be up a creek without a paddle. If something happens it would not be coming with me unless I had room to take it. It could be used for trading or hunting, but sooner or later you would need access to a bow press or materials for building arrows. In my opinion I would rather have my recurve in that type of situation. It's lighter, nothing can really go wrong with it and if you break a string you could rig something up unlike a compound. Arrows would be easier to make also.

[southernboy]

high country tss bow , gold tip arrows