trad versus primitive

[Little John]

It has been years since I have shot a glass bow but took out my old 65# centershot traditional recurve and shot a few and was impressed with how well I shot as I have not been too proud of my shooting lately. Don't know if I just had a good day or if the center shot  bows are that much easier to shoot well.    Kenneth

[sailordad]

not sure you want to listen to me as i havent shot a glass bow since i was teen ager and i am not a great shot or bowyer
but i would think that a center shot glass bow is going to be more forgiving just for the fact that there is
less paradox to come into play with the arrows.
i would,and currently am,try and make a center shot self bow and see how your shooting goes from there.
i cant believe that a glass bow is just "BETTER".i would think that its more about being center shot vs non center shot
where paradox has more of an effect.

[Little John]

Yep and I think it also goes back to what Jay Massey wrote about the heavy handled bows, probably just the weight makes them more stable just like a heavy barrelled rifle. Too bad they have just about the same personality as a compound device.   Kenneth

[Justin Snyder]

I make a lot of my bows near or at center shot. I have even made bows with the old FG style handles. I think they are more forgiving and easier to shoot. Even when I don't cut a shelf, I round the handle to within 1/4" of center shot on most of my bows.

[zenmonkeyman]

I think it's really critical that arrow spines are both correct and consistent for a non-centershot bow.  Much less so for the centershot.

[Kegan]

I don't think it's a matter of centershot. I think it's more a fact that the bow's heavy handle is easier to hold on target and harder to flinch on release. If your arrows are perfectly matched to the bow, then it would just be that the bow is more stable and the fact that fiberglass can be held back for 100 seconds or .01 of a second the speed won't change.

We have a 58" Kudu, but it's too short for a good clean release- especially at my 29.5" draw. Likewise, the arrows we have aren't matched for it so it doesn't shoot any better. Actually, I bareshaft tune all my selfbows, filing down the arrow pass so the match up is perfect. And so far none of them are centershot

[Grunt]

The more bows I make the closer to centershot I seem to make them. Even the D bows are getting arrow passes slightly cut in and then built out. The re/de's are getting 1/4 shelfs cut in. The more center shot the wider varity of spine the bows seem to handle. The D bows seem to group better when I cant the bow.

[hawkbow]

A bow is a bow.. If it bends and looses an arrow I will shoot it.. I don't think my self bows shoot any better or worse than my traditional bows.. In fact one of the simplest most primitive self-bows is my favorite shooter. In a hunting situation I would say that some hunters should stick to compounds and re-curves, I have seen too many hunters lately wounding animal after animal simply because they want to hunt "primitive"! Without extensive practice and a good knowledge of your equipment and it's performance there is far more chance of lost game with primitive equipment.. penetration, jumped string etc.. don't get me wrong, I have taken every critter within my home range with primitive equipment.. It can be done.. Just saying that too often lately it seems that the quest for a primitive harvest can override the simple essence of the hunt.. which is in my opinion ethical harvest through honorable hunting practices..I will get off my soapbox now. simply put I believe there is no real difference between primitive and traditionl bows in a hunting situation..other than the obvious advantage of traditional "Glass".. being slightly faster and less likely to have malfunction.. like breakage and warping on long wilderness adventures..And the primitive bows having the advantage of being smoother, quieter, and filled with big medicine and the romance of smooth wood bending to your will.  it is a personal choice , not a public one!Hawk         

[Justin Snyder]

Mike, I appreciate your views. Let me throw in that it isn't the primitive or traditional bows that are the concern. It is the choice of the hunter to practice and become proficient. According to statistics, traditional shooters have a much higher shot recovery rate than compound shooters. I believe this is because we love shooting much more than hunting. Because of this we spend a lot of time shooting because we want to shoot, not just practicing for the hunt. Because of this time spent shooting we become more proficient with the equipment and more aware of our abilities. Until we know our limits, not the bows, we are going to loose game.

Having said that, I think a center shot bow is more forgiving, not better, just like long limbs and mass placement make a difference. That is why competition shooters of both compounds and trad equipment have stabilizers and other mass altering attachments along with vibration dampening attachments. Many of these attachments are simply to get the feel of the other bows back as close to the primitive bow as they can. 

[hawkbow]

Well said Justin..  My son just came upstairs very upset... he is getting ready for some bunny huntin.. and his self-bow blew up when he strung it... what are the odds .. he has shot thousands of arrows through the bow and it just snapped mid limb.. guess it will be a good opportunity for him to build his own..     

[Justin Snyder]

Well said Justin..  My son just came upstairs very upset... he is getting ready for some bunny huntin.. and his self-bow blew up when he strung it... what are the odds .. he has shot thousands of arrows through the bow and it just snapped mid limb.. guess it will be a good opportunity for him to build his own..     

Odds are pretty good from my experience. It isn't shooting the bow that hurts it, most times it is something we did while in storage. 

[hawkbow]

I think he over extended the top limb while stringing it.. great learning lesson..

[Tsalagi]

Here's my criteria for judging a bow be it traditional or primitive, based off how it shoots, feels in the hand, looks, and works:

1.) Me like!

2.) Ugh, me no like!

[hawkbow]

LOL

[Josh]

Here's my criteria for judging a bow be it traditional or primitive, based off how it shoots, feels in the hand, looks, and works:

1.) Me like!

2.) Ugh, me no like!

NICE