Shooting Traditional Firearms and Weapons > Shooting the Bow

"Traditional Archery"

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faithtreker:
It's funny how we use the term traditional archery these days. I have a Black widow takedown longbow
with ratter skins on. Price $1200.00. I shoot carbon arrows that are about $110 dozen. I just stuck $40.00 worth of brass inserts in them to weight the front end. Add a broadhead that averages about ten dollars each. What ever happened to the "stick and string"? [for the pleasure I get, it's worth every penny!]

Fletcher:
By some accounts if it does not have wheels it is traditional.

Others would say the bow should not have any metal and the arrow should be wood with feathers.

I say that I will defend to the death your right to shoot whatever you want.

As for me, I have been there with all the most up to date modern stuff and now in my old age I
prefer my bow to be all wood and my arrows to be all wood including self nocked.  I also prefer Muzzleloaders
to modern firearms.

Just remember Quigley when he blew the bad guy away with the Colt .45.  He said in response....
"I told you I preferred not to use pistols - I never said that I did not know how to use one!"

bluelake:
Although I understand some peoples' strong feelings on labels, I find many go overboard.  I used to shoot a FITA style bow (like those shot in the Olympics) many, many years ago; my bow looked like something that should be orbiting the earth.  When I took up Korean traditional archery twenty years ago, I never looked back.  That was my choice, but I'm happy for those who still shoot FITA (many are good friends of mine).  

I've seen snobbishness on all sides.  In order to join some activities or events, you must have certain equipment (sometimes it's practical, but other times it's just bias).  I have seen it in the States and here in Korea.  To give an example, the WTAF (World Traditional Archery Festival, held annually here in Korea) does not allow non-Koreans to use Korean bows; you are required to use a "traditional" bow from your own country.  I stopped going to the WTAF after two years, even though I was in the original organizing committee, as I only shoot Korean trad bows.  Some countries don't even have their own traditional archery (i.e. Australia).  Also here in Korea, in order to shoot a bow in a competition, it must be from a company approved by the Korea Traditional Archery Association (and it's all political).

Personally, like Fletcher, I think people should shoot what they want to shoot.

prairie dog:
"Traditional" can have a broad definition.

I started in archery as a child with a bow I made myself with no instructions or guidance.  You see, my parents would not buy a bow for me so I made my own tackle on the sly without their knowing.  

I used osage orange  or bois d' arc for the bow with my Dad's trot line for string.  I made arrows from willow shoots, bird feathers, and points cut from tin cans.  I actually killed a few rabbits and one mallard drake with that tackle before my folks realized I was doing it.  They gave in and let me buy a glass re-curve bow and wood arrows.

After college, I got full into the compound modern archery stuff and hunted with that until rotator cuff problems brought that to a halt.

Recently, I got back into archery because of rendezvous competition.  My present tackle is what I call "primitive".  My bow is an English style longbow, osage orange with a bamboo back. I use a linen string with a tied on silk thread nocking point.  Arrows are port oxford cedar with cut nocks and feather fletching.  The only item that is not primitive or natural material are my field points.  Using primitive stone or trade style points is just too hard on the targets we shoot.

I think of "primitive" archery as all natural materials.  "Traditional" archery can include modern glass laminate recurve bows, Fred Bear style broad heads, dacron strings, or anything without wheels and sighting devices. There doesn't seam to be a hard and fast definition of traditional.

Cannonball:
I've been shooting a longbow for over 15 years along with wood arrows (I do use plastic nocks) and I love it. But when I had my super expensive Saluki hand made Turk Horsebow the only arrows that would fly with any consitency were carbons. It was an amazing bow but I got bored with it.

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