I recommend a compound to start with

by bj , Sunday, August 24, 2014, 20:53 (3685 days ago) @ stonewalrus

I recommend a compound to start with because it will be easier to shoot than a recurve. Not easier so much because of the complexity but because it takes less strength to operate it. A recurve for hunting will need to be at least 45 pounds and this takes a lot of practice to be able to shoot well. With a recurve you are holding 45 pounds or more while aiming. With a compound you will pull through a high poundage at first then when you get the string back to where you are holding and aiming it will reduce to much less and will be easier to manage. And that bow will actually give higher arrow velocity as well.

You don't need to buy an expensive bow, and might be better off to find a reasonable quality used bow. Then when you get some skill and strength, buy a good new bow.

It is essential that your arrows be matched according to their length, your draw length, the weight of the bow, and whether it is compound, recurve, etc. You can't just go into a store and buy arrows of the correct length, they may or may not be accurate for you. In some ways it is less criticial if you are using a mechanical release vs. fingers but it is still critical.

Lots of people like compounds but there are lots of people that like recurves and lots of people that like traditional long bows. A person should choose what they like and go with it. This is somewhat like people that prefer lever actions and single actions over modern autos, or even people that like black powder. Everybody can pick what they like.

I will make 3 big observations relative to archery:
1. You can shoot the arrows, pull them out of the target, shoot them again. Once you have bought all of your gear to a great extent you don't have to keep spending money on "ammo".
2. I've been involved in a lot of shooting sports, archery was one of the most captivating for me.
3. Archery takes a lot of time. I can go to other types of shooting competitions and have fun even if I never practice. Archery takes a lot of practice to gain skill to the point where you can enjoy it. Until then it can be frustrating. But after you gain some skill the practice is very enjoyable. I will guess that most people can easily practice at home.

I got involved in archery in college many years ago. We shot recurves with target sights, olympic style, and I think the styles and equipment have not changed that much to today. Back then there were very few compounds, but I eventually got one after college and started field archery. I was never interested in longbows or shooting without sights, but I've seen videos of Byron Ferguson doing amazing things with a longbow.

Years ago I was talking to some old timers at the local pistol range. They said that at one point the pistol range was located near an archery range and one day the pistol shooters and the archers came up with a contest. There was not a clear winner of the contest, and two of the pistol shooters were standing in the parking lot talking about how they never thought that the archers would be that good. About that time two of the archers walked by talking, and the pistol shooters overheard them saying that they didn't believe the pistol shooters could be that good.

Based on my experience- I would suggest that a good archer is about as accurate as a good offhand pistol shooter in terms of the size groups they can shoot, maybe a little better, but a good offhand rifle shooter can shoot groups about 1/2 size or better.