When I get a group like this, I just grab a beer and call it an afternoon... I like to stop practicing on a good note when I feel like it's all coming together. I'm starting to get them all in the 9" paper plate more than not. This group is both eyes open, simply focused on the dot in the middle, and a nice release. 20 yards. My $81 Ebay 40# PSE Nighthawk recurve shooting 30" Chinese .500 spine carbon arrows with 125 grain field points and 3 - 4" turkey feather fletchings. I think I've got the arrows dialed in. I added a little weight up front and it has helped. That and culling out arrows that consistently are flyers. Feeling pretty good and enjoying the heck out of shooting. I think I'm ready to grab a 3D target and start moving around to different elevations, distances and angles.

For reference that center circle is 2".

I have a 50# Martin takedown recurve coming next week that I picked up for a hell of a deal. Next step is to work up to that and it will become my hunting bow. I think I can drop my points down to 100 grain and use the same shafts.

Bareshaft a few and see how they do. I would think you would be better with 600's on that 40lb and the 500's will do great on the 50 you are getting. That's with 125's but you don't know unless you bareshaft test them.


PS
Good going! Lots of fun ain't it?

It is and you're right, I probably should be using closer to 600's which is why I had to go with a little heavier tips. I had to keep playing around with shooting them getting a feel for them and playing around with the 3 Rivers online calculator. I think this PSE is the same thing as a Samick Sage.

And yes it is fun. For me after a long day at the office with all the deadlines and pressure to keep the power flowing, it's nice to come home and let some arrows fly and just simply empty your mind. I'm getting ready to see if I can bring home some food with one of these.

I'm setting a goal to bring home some food with a bow I built myself...

Sounds like you're having fun...

Good job

I have my dads old bear recurve from the 70s. I want to string it and get good with it. Love seeing the old school methods.

Yes i am and thank you.

it has taken me coming home most days and spending about 20 - 30 minutes having fun and shooting. Watching some Youtube videos and trying to gain some knowledge from folks online and on here.

Kind of a labor of love thing.

You should set up a target and shoot it. It is rewarding as all get out.

I keep shooting bare bow, and I'm going to turn into the Johnny Appleseed of traditional archery.

After many many many years shooting compounds, several years ago shooting just wasn't fun any more. So I decided that I was going traditional and picked up my old Bear Grizzly that I bought used 30 years ago for bowfishing and strung it up and started shooting and shooting became fun again! Then bought a 50# Samick Sage, then had shoulder surgery. Then bought a 40# Samick Sage killed a nice buck with it at 5 yards (nine weeks after shoulder surgery. Good thing I didn't consult my Dr before about doing that, lol), then bought a production custom recurve, then bought a custom longbow and killed a nice buck at 8 yards with it this year! I guess you could say I have fallen in love with archery again, lol. Very few things are as satisfying as watching a well shot arrow flying to the mark!!

All of that to say, stay with it and the rewards are great!

Nice group..I got an expensive recurve that's warped I put it in closet after I missed a big bobcat..sold it and guy brought it back complaining said it wouldn't string I said hand it here..sure enough damn thing won't string lol guess I'll get one when I can afford it..been broke for a year tho, im gonna try to fix this one just not sure how

Here’s my longbows:

JK Traditions Kanati



Bushmen M5 American Native



I’m shooting a .500 spine Gold Tip XT Hunter with 100gr. brass inserts and a 150gr. point. One of these days I’m going to get serious and kill a deer with a one of my longbows.

Thanks a lot, now I’ve got the itch for a long bow.

Those are nice bows Shaw. What poundage are those?

So you have 250 grains at the tip... I assume that's more mass for greater penetration?

If you go on Ebay right now, there's a guy on there that is selling Martin takedown recurves that have been returned or may have some slight blemish on them for $75. They appear to be some sort of a martin "value line" of bows. They are made in Italy. Still they seem nicer than my PSE Nighthawk, which in my opinion is nice than a Samick Sage. $75 for a nice bow is a heck of a deal. I bought a Martin "Willow" from the guy and it should be here in a couple of days.

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

The first paragraph in Clay Hayes' book he talks about how human beings have been on this planet in our current form for about 50,000 years and for the last 10,000 years or so we have been putting meat on the fire using a bow and arrow. What that says to me is that if anything should be in our genes, other and the natural desire to find a mate procreate, it should be shooting a traditional bow. I mean, if our ancestors have been doing it for 10,000 years it ought to be pretty natural for us to pick one up and enjoy using it.

I’m pulling about 43# with the JK and 47# with the Bushmen. Both bows were bareshaft tuned with that arrow setup. And yes, the 250gr up front is for added mass.

Clay Hayes Youtube videos are very informative. I am shooting 45# bows and don't see me having a need to increase the poundage. For my longbow I shoot 500 spine with 200 grain broadhead and standard inserts, my recurve I shoot 400 spine with 50 grain insert and 175 grain broadhead. Both were bare shafted to get perfect flight.

Good shooting Irishguy
Keep having fun !

I am subscribed to his Youtube channel, and of course I don't know him from Adam's house cat, but he certainly seems like a genuinely good dude. And he seems pretty humble too. I get the impression that he makes all of his income off of his Youtube channel, building bows for people, his book and other stuff associated with primitive archery and hunting. He's not a wealthy dude, but seems to make a decent living at it. He hunts some of the most beautiful public lands I have ever seen.

Thank you and I will.

Well Shaw, do you hold the bows sideways or do you cant them a bunch and stand on a 5 gallon to shoot them?

Moved up to the 50# Bear Montana yesterday. I really like this bow. It honestly feels light as a feather, like if I let go of it, it would float away... Seriously. And it shoots pretty good too. I think this will become my traditional hunting bow. It shoots really nice. These are 500 grain arrows with 125 grain field points at 20 yards...

Very nice shooting with your new Montana! I love shooting my longbow. You are right light as a feather and just feels right!

Nice group.

I wish they were all that nice. I still have a lot of work to do.