Recurve practice

[MCgunner]

Some of the larger chacalaca primary feathers make OK fletching, though not as good as turkey or goose.

I'm looking for a good recurve bow, but all of the used ones that I've seen down here on the border are too beat up to trust and I'm too cheap to buy new. The last one that I used was fun, but that was 45 years ago...

Well, no chachalaca's up this way. I shoot a lot of geese and ducks so I'll save some feathers this year to mess with.

Watch the ebay auctions, type "recurve bow" or such into the search feature. There's 7 or 8 pages of 'em on there usually, some decent deals. That's how I got my compound. I just kinda got the hots for that "kingfisher" bow.

 

[nmlongbow]

Actually, I guess I was misleading. I'm podunk, so when I said "target archers" I wasn't thinking of actual sanctioned organizations. Sorry. I meant local shoots where guys win hunting trips and things like that. Most of the time, there aren't even any bullseyes, just moving targets, animal targets, and things like that. You'll find a bunch of them that are using pretty stout bows.

ETA: What is flight shooting? No one does that here.

There are still far less than 1% of archers who shoot 100lbs+ in any type of archery whether it be Field, local 3D, novelty or hunting. I've shot lot's of different events including foam animals, moving targets, aerials etc. and the vast majority have some type of scoring criteria. Most are scoring rings but there has to be a way to judge accuracy.

I often shoot 65-70lbs for 3D and novelty shoots and that's always in the top 5 - 10% for weight. This is usually in prep for hunting elk size or bigger animals.

Flight shooting is held all over the U.S. but it's really specialized.There's many different classes but the goal is launching an arrow as far as possible. Open class shooters will pull 150 - 200+ lbs and shoot the lightest arrow possible, often using overdraws and skinny strings. These bows are hotrods and aren't made to last more than a few dozen shots.

 

[Jason_G]

There are still far less than 1% of archers who shoot 100lbs+ in any type of archery whether it be Field, local 3D, novelty or hunting. I've shot lot's of different events including foam animals, moving targets, aerials etc. and the vast majority have some type of scoring criteria. Most are scoring rings but there has to be a way to judge accuracy.

Sounds like I'm jumping to conclusions then, just based on what I've seen around here. It just seems like there's always one or two guys shooting ridiculous draw weights at the shoots around here. Definitely not the majority, but I would've thought it to be more than <1%. Sounds like you've been around it a whole lot longer, and in more areas, than I have though.

and the vast majority have some type of scoring criteria

Yeah, there is. They usually paint rings on the vitals of the critter targets.

Flight shooting is held all over the U.S. but it's really specialized.There's many different classes but the goal is launching an arrow as far as possible. Open class shooters will pull 150 - 200+ lbs and shoot the lightest arrow possible, often using overdraws and skinny strings. These bows are hotrods and aren't made to last more than a few dozen shots.

Ok. I know what you're talking about now. I just didn't know what it was called (or much about it).


Jason

 

[Coyote3855]

What is flight shooting? No one does that here.

Shooting for distance.

 

[MCgunner]

Well, I got the new PSE "Kingfisher" recurve today. To my surprise, it's set up to accept sights and a rest, so I went down to the bow shop and bought a cheap 3 pin sight, a peep, and a static arrow rest. Got it sighted in and it shot as good as my compound, although slower, at least at 25 yards. I am impressed!

 

[Voodoochile]

Congrats MCgunner, With regular practice you'll be ready for deer season...

As far as heavy bows are concerned, this is my take..
In my younger days I shot competition & was a speed freak shooting my Hoyt Pro Star w/ 80# limbs, tall rockers, over draw & as light an arrow that I can get away with.
It was hard work to keep at the level that that bow required & eventually I realized that it was not for me.
Some people can handle the heavier weights & go for the fastest speed possible but me I learned that my best performance was with a 60# compound or a 52# recurve, it's more because I learned that I don't need all that punch to take a Deer, Elk or Bear or even target shoot & just stay within my comfort zone.

 

[arcticap]

Congrat's Mcgunner!
I never realized how popular bowfishing is in Texas.
I entered "bowfishing" on Google images and a lot of the pictures are of Texas bowfisherman.
Wow, lots of big fish like Gar.
I missed seeing the close up of the bowfishing setup, but the picture shows the camo pattern better and it looks wicked good!
I hope you shoot a monster of a fish!
Jimmy Carter says to just to dip the pieces of fish in your favorite barbeque sauce and flour and fry it up.
That's his favorite recipe for bass!

http://www.pse-archery.com/prod.php?k=52369&u=kfishkit

http://www.freewebs.com/skatefish7/bowfishingpics.htm

 

[MCgunner]

Yeah, today, I have to find a bolt to fit the bow's threads for my Bear bowfishing spool. Then, I'll be in business. Well, I still need a trolling motor battery and a chunk of 3/4 plyboard to make a shooting platform for my boat. Been putting it off.

I live near one of the better rivers in Texas for bowfishing, the Navidad below Texana dam. There are some real HAWGS in that river.

I like gar balls, myself. Those cajuns know how to eat, one of the reasons I married one.

Gar Boulettes

3 pounds gar meat
2 large onions, chopped fine
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup mixed parsley and green onions, chopped fine
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Black pepper and salt to taste
2 eggs, beaten
Flour
1/2 cup cooking oil

Grind the meat in a meat grinder or food processor. Add one large
chopped onion, the bread crumbs, parsley/green onion mixture, cayenne,
black pepper, salt and eggs. Mix well and shape into balls
(boulettes). Roll in flour. Heat the cooking oil in a large cast iron
pan and brown the balls, stirring lightly. Add the other chopped
onion to the pan, add 3 cups water and stir. Cook slowly for about
30 to 45 minutes
Serve over rice.

 

[Jason_G]

I like gar balls, myself. Those cajuns know how to eat, one of the reasons I married one.

They are good. Most folks think of gar as a trash fish, but if you know how to cook it, it's pretty good. I think most folks try to fry it like catfish or bass or bream or something, and it ends up being not so hot. It's pretty good baked too.

I can't see myself eatin' one of those carp that some folks bowfish for though...


Jason

 

[MCgunner]

Carp and buffalo are boney, best used for trot line bait. They have interstitial bones which cannot be removed.

Gar meat is not flaky like normal fish, is sort of the consistency of steaks. Actually, it's a lot like alligator tail. You can cut it in pieces and fry it like alligator, too.

 

[MCgunner]

Took a few pix.

 

[arcticap]

So that looks like it has a metal riser.
That's a great feature for the price if it does.

 

[MCgunner]

Supposed to be a magnesium alloy. It's light, but metal.

 

[jbkebert]

I am rapidly catching the bug too. I taught a advanced bow-hunter safety course this last weekend. When the class was over the students and instructors were playing around shooting. I have always been a compound guy got my first bow when I was 6. So shot compounds for 25-26 years now. always thought that recurves and longbows were kinda cool but just never spent the money. Anyway one of the students brought out a sweet custom recurve and told the instructors we could shoot it if we wanted. I was messing with the guy and said something like oh sure leave the left hander out. I'll be darned if one of the other guys said your left handed blah blah. I'll be back he came back with a bear recurve in LH. Told me that it was given to him a few years back and just sits. So he gave it to me. Went to the pro-shop today and bought a string and a stringer and some fur material for a rest. Went out and shot for a 1/2 hour and man that thing is fun. Not fancy but a solid little wood 55# draw. I may just be hooked no sights but only missed the target completly once. May of found a new thing to shove money at.

 

[MCgunner]

Well, being as recurves are pretty danged simple, there ain't a lot to 'em to put money into. No pic?

The hardest thing to instinctive shooting to me is judging elevation. To that end, I devised a method. I put a nock point about eye level and mark the upper limb with tape. By lining up the nock point with marks on the tape, I can judge elevation. Odd, but it works. I still never got as good with it as using sights, but that's the challenge, eh? I know one can get good at it cause I know folks that are good at it. I guess it takes a lot of shooting.