The top is a Bear 50 lb long bow
The center is a 55 lb Bear Super Kodiak Recurve
The bottom is a 1978 Ben Pearson Compound (Adjustable 50-60 lb - 50% let off)
I love Archery, but especially traditional stick bows. I got fairly good and then bought two books.
I got even better after reading those two books. Traditional Bow hunting is great, and I tucked my compound bow away. "Become The Arrow" is the fisrt book I recommend as it teaches you to see the trajectory of the arrow before you let it go. Instinctive shooting is more of a book on technique. Both are good books but "Instinctive Shooting" is either expensive or hard to find. I have shot my friends new Cam compounds and they will throw an arrow like no other bow, but I still like the traditional stick bows better. I have gone back to wooden arrows, do my own fletching and points as you can see in the picture (click to enlarge) Being right handed and left eyed dominant it was a problem at first, but I learned to compensate. Most things I ever read say that it is easier to change hands than to compensate for eye dominance. While this may be true somehow I managed.
There is nothing as fun as starting traditional, going compound then back to traditional. This is what I did. When the first commercial compounds came out I had to have one. I put sights and noise suppressors and was stepping in high cotton, or so I thought. Years later I went back to traditional because I was bored or something. I wanted the challenge and won't ever go back to aluminum or carbide arrows and compound bows.
I don't think there is anything like stringing a stick bow and walking out with bow in hand and wooden arrows slung across your back. Shooting traditional is like learning to walk or ride a bicycle. Seeing the arrow go before you let it go is an empowering feeling. It becomes as easy as pointing your finger. No sites to hassle with, no range finder needed, just you and the arrow.
Making your own arrows and tuning your bow is fun. I'll take traditional archery every time, or you can pay almost $2,000 for the latest greatest Titanium Whapper Zapper and buy $9.00 arrows and bend or break half of them sighting it in. Or you can learn to shoot traditional bows and make your own arrows from stock. It is a great hobby.
