Son looking to get into bow hunting ...what kind of recurve?

[Alea Jacta Est]

Yep, I looked through several pages in the archery section. Samick looks popular.

I suspect he will not use sights. He's strong enough for 60-70 lb pull.

Any insights welcome.

Initially, he'll be hunting whitetail in Missouri...he'll be a guest of the Army at FtLost in the Woods.

He's not afraid to spend money for good kit.

Thanks in advance.

 

[navycraig]

Yep, I looked through several pages in the archery section. Samick looks popular.

I suspect he will not use sights. He's strong enough for 60-70 lb pull.

Any insights welcome.

Initially, he'll be hunting whitetail in Missouri...he'll be a guest of the Army at FtLost in the Woods.

He's not afraid to spend money for good kit.

Thanks in advance.

Much respect if he is going recurve and for that the only advice I have to offer is practice, practice, practice. I started out with a compound 35 years ago and have stayed with that, but I have a long bow that a neighbor kid made for me from scratch. It's a really nice bow and I shoot it just enough to know that I don't want to shoot it more.

Good luck and good hunting to your son.

 

[Devonian]

Start out with something in the 40- 45 pound range. He might be able to pull 60 or 70 but it will wear him out quick and it will take him longer to develop the muscle memory needed to shoot a recurve actually. I find it much easier to be accurate with a lighter pound bow ... Which is another benefit to someone starting out.
I have a samick and really enjoy shooting it.

 

[Archeryrob]

↑ what he said. I've killed deer with a 45# bear recurve and two bladed broadheads. I now shoot with a 55# stickbow and you do not need more that 45 - 55# to kill deer. If he is going to shoot heavy bow like 65- 70# tell him to make sure he learns to draw with his elbow level or close. Its better on your shoulder long term. That high elbow thing compound guys do is bad for your shoulder at heavy weights.

He is not going to be good enough to hunt this year if he has not practiced before. You have to practice everyday, or as much as possible, and build your brain coordination for instinctive shooting. I shoot out of may stand last afternoon as my daughter wanted too and shoot or shoot all around a tennis ball as 15 yards. Instinctive shooting is just like throwing a baseball. Focus on your target and practice and your brain will learn it. Just practice a lot.

Tell him to work on a consistent anchor point. Mine is my base of my thumb joint to my cheek right under the cheek bone. It can be finger to mouth or which ever as long as he does it the same day in and day out. If not, he will never get good at instinctive shooting.

Snap shooting a really good thing, IMO, but it takes a lot of practice. I focus on my target with tunnel like vision and block everything else out. I draw while staring only as the "spot". When my thumb joint touches my anchor point I loose the arrow. It can seem really hard when learning it, but its much better once you do learn it. I found the more I hold a bow the more I wobble and the more I think. I shoot better not second guessing and snap shooting did that for me.

"Aim small, miss smalll" I shoot wooden arrows at tennis balls only. The balls on a hill or elevated position shooting down. My daughter hangs a tennis ball on her archery target as she is shooting carbon arrows in a compound. If you barely miss a tennis ball you're doing very good.

Arrows is an entire different thread. Three rivers has the Samick takedown for $160 and if he's going to be enlisted for a while space might be premium for him. He can always do the research and get a really nice custom bow later, but that one will kill all the deer he puts in front of it. Bows are subjective and personal preference. Go on the Tradgang.com and ask what is the best recurve and you'll get 30 different answers for the best one. The best one is a nicely made one you like and enjoy shooting, plain and simple.

Tell him, Thank you for his future service.

 

[Alea Jacta Est]

↑ what he said. I've killed deer with a 45# bear recurve and two bladed broadheads. I now shoot with a 55# stickbow and you do not need more that 45 - 55# to kill deer. If he is going to shoot heavy bow like 65- 70# tell him to make sure he learns to draw with his elbow level or close. Its better on your shoulder long term. That high elbow thing compound guys do is bad for your shoulder at heavy weights.

He is not going to be good enough to hunt this year if he has not practiced before. You have to practice everyday, or as much as possible, and build your brain coordination for instinctive shooting. I shoot out of may stand last afternoon as my daughter wanted too and shoot or shoot all around a tennis ball as 15 yards. Instinctive shooting is just like throwing a baseball. Focus on your target and practice and your brain will learn it. Just practice a lot.

Tell him to work on a consistent anchor point. Mine is my base of my thumb joint to my cheek right under the cheek bone. It can be finger to mouth or which ever as long as he does it the same day in and day out. If not, he will never get good at instinctive shooting.

Snap shooting a really good thing, IMO, but it takes a lot of practice. I focus on my target with tunnel like vision and block everything else out. I draw while staring only as the "spot". When my thumb joint touches my anchor point I loose the arrow. It can seem really hard when learning it, but its much better once you do learn it. I found the more I hold a bow the more I wobble and the more I think. I shoot better not second guessing and snap shooting did that for me.

"Aim small, miss smalll" I shoot wooden arrows at tennis balls only. The balls on a hill or elevated position shooting down. My daughter hangs a tennis ball on her archery target as she is shooting carbon arrows in a compound. If you barely miss a tennis ball you're doing very good.

Arrows is an entire different thread. Three rivers has the Samick takedown for $160 and if he's going to be enlisted for a while space might be premium for him. He can always do the research and get a really nice custom bow later, but that one will kill all the deer he puts in front of it. Bows are subjective and personal preference. Go on the Tradgang.com and ask what is the best recurve and you'll get 30 different answers for the best one. The best one is a nicely made one you like and enjoy shooting, plain and simple.

Tell him, Thank you for his future service.

Thanks Rob for a well thought out answer.

He's now in his eighth year and has been deployed a few times. He's an officer of Marines attending then going on staff at the Captain's Career Course in their Engineering School. He's enjoyed four commands thusfar and appears to be on a career path. One never knows though.

I'll pass on your advice and insights. I'm confident they'll take root with him. He appreciates wisdom and is patient enough to take advantage of same. He does love to be in the woods and hunt. Shooting comes very naturally to him. I'm not sure he finds much challenge to gun hunting deer.

Regards

 

[K31]

Get a bow with removable limbs and you can move from #45 to #70 or whatever. They are not cheap (unless you get a ChiCom bow) but neither is a good bow in general.

He might want to look at/test a longbow. They are not that much different in length when you compare the two and having shot both, I'm much happier with the longbow. They can be bought as breakdown types in 2 or 3 piece versions, the 3 piece offering the swappable limbs.

 

[Alea Jacta Est]

Copy all.

Thanks K

 

[montigre]

If he really wants to get into bow hunting and is not going to be able to shoot his new bow on a very regular basis, I strongly suggest he look into getting a compound bow with no more than 60-65# limbs.

A recurve/long bow is going to take a lot of training to develop the muscle strength and sighting coordination to be able to safely draw back and hit an intended target. This comes much easier with a compound because the shooter does not have to hold the full weight of the bow due to the cam system it uses.

I have worked with many strong marines over the years who initially could not pull back a 25# recurve and had difficulty pulling back a 60# compound due to the fact that the muscles used for archery are generally not used for much of anything else and it takes time for them to develop.

If he can, he should try to go to a real archery pro shop (not one of the bog box stores) when he is next in town to be properly fitted for the bow and to get the proper arrows and such.

Planning an elk hunt for this season is probably too soon, but there is no reason he cannot get the gear and practice with it so he will be ready for next season. All the best!!

 

[Alea Jacta Est]

Thanks Monti

 

[outrider58]

Being a compound guy, I'll offer this-

http://www.blackwidowbows.com/

I had a lot of friends who hunted with recurves and most of them shot these. Recurves require total dedication.

 

[Doco Overboard]

Bear Kodiak 50-55# worked well for my youngest son. Decent product for the money and it was drilled and tapped for a Bear bolt on quiver which worked well for packing it in. Once he learned to shoot instinctively he loved the challenge and simplicity. must be a USMC thing with these guys