Recurve Bow Question

jkbrea · Post by **jkbrea** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 2:28 pm

This year I shot a lot with my younger brother's PSE compound and was surprised how accurate it is. I've been wanting to take up bowhunting since I retired.
My older brother is giving me a Martin Hatfield takedown recurve bow that is brand new. It has 60# @ 28" AMO 62" hand painted on it in what looks like a gold colored paint. Each piece also has thecserial number hand painted on it. I know nothing about it. Is it a decent bow?

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 2:39 pm

I have never owned one but a friend has one. It is a very good bow.

Lassiter · Post by **Lassiter** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 3:53 pm

I have one in 60# and a set of 55# limbs as well. It's a great bow. Not so fast as a compound but a great bow, none the less. I really enjoy mine and look forward to getting back to hunting with it. I had shoulder surgery back in July and some complications since. Hopefully I'll be back shooting before bow season ends in Arkansas.

BrentD · Post by **BrentD** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 4:22 pm

60# is way more than enough for bowhunting if deer is what you have in mind. Even if you are an NFL linebacker, you would be well served by 45# or 50# bow. They will kill deer and bears just as dead. I have an old Bear that I really like.

Brent

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 5:22 pm

Yes it is a good bow.
You will develop upper body strength.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 5:23 pm

NEVER attempt to string it without a stringer.

MacEntyre · Post by **MacEntyre** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 5:28 pm

Mescalero wrote:NEVER attempt to string it without a stringer.

^ this is correct.

I shoot a 52# long bow... anything over 50# will keep you young!

Les Staley · Post by **Les Staley** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 5:43 pm

Picked up a Bear Kodiak Magnum 45# recurve at a garage sale for $8... They wanted $10, but, you know, ya gotta try...settled on $8.. Took it up to a traditional bow shop in Cour de Alene and he showed me one in the same shape he was asking $300 for.. Bought a string, a stringer and some arrows from him..haven't tried it yet..plan on it soon..

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 6:36 pm

NICE bow.
I have one of those Les,saw the guy at a gun show; he had been carrying it all day, no interest.
He said $75.00 and a deal was made.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:32 pm

JK, IMHO Martin makes about the best bow out there,I have 2 of them. I have a 50# and a 60# both are Vision longbows. My 60# has sent a 550 grain arrow thru the chrony at 217 fps. If you want to shoot aluminum arrows thru it try a 2016 as a starting point.

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:53 pm

Great bow. My recurve is 60# and my longbow is 74#. The 62 is now length. Nice length. Won't pinch your fingers on a long draw length. From the beginning, force yourself to pause at FULL draw before releasing. This will teach yourself consistency. Pick your target and focus on it. Start with only as many arrows as you can pull to full draw and hold momentary. Each day will be a couple more arrows. I shoot about a 100 arrows a day this time of the year from my longbow. Enjoy.

4t5 · Post by **4t5** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 6:41 am

Your brother is a nice guy to give you that bow, as said it is a EXCELLENT bow, however it is different than a compound because you hold peak weight with no let off at full draw(which you already know). 60# is a lot to start with, take it slow(short shooting sessions) as to avoid developing bad form, if you can locate a bow around 40# to develop form, and work into the 60#er. Bad form is akin to moving a rear sight on a rifle each shot, not good for accuracy. The bow is 60# at a 28" draw, if you draw longer the weight will be more, less than 28" the weight will be less. .Good Luck

MacEntyre · Post by **MacEntyre** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 7:39 am

rjohns94 wrote:...force yourself to pause at FULL draw before releasing.

I do that, but my daughter does not.

She has taught herself to release as soon as she reaches full draw, when her knuckle touches the reference point on her jaw. She acquires the target while drawing. That way, she is purely instinctive.

She can beat me with three arrows, about half the time.

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 7:59 am

I hear you on that and I would say after 4 decades of shooting instinctive, that I too do the same in hunting situations but when I notice my groups opening up, I go back to the drill of pausing at full draw, pick the spot, follow through. Also, the back muscles strengthen faster when they are strained dynamically and statically. The pause at full draw goes along way in early shooting to strengthen those muscles. Having shot FITA and with back release releases in compound shooting, the stronger and more powerful form is the pause method I described. Releasing immediately upon reaching anchor is instinctive and has to be developed. Lots of frustration can be eliminated if one starts out anchoring solidly, stare at a tiny spot on target and concentrate on not dropping the bow arm in follow through. Just my observations.

Nath · Post by **Nath** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 8:13 am

I miss my bow hunting

The only Martin bows I had were compounds and they were mustard! (Mustard= Limey English for very good

).

N.

MacEntyre · Post by **MacEntyre** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 2:05 pm

rjohns94 wrote:Lots of frustration can be eliminated if ...

True is that... my daughter is not one to shy away from a challenge, so she has focused on developing her purely instinctive skill. I, on the other hand, do just as you described. I intend to make a careful, one shot kill. I want to be more deliberate. I shoot bottle caps for practice.

Ok, I shoot at bottle caps.

BTW, food is just a vehicle for Mustard!

jazman · Post by **jazman** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 3:42 pm

I have an old Damon Howett I found in an old archery store years back. Original owner had painted camo on it for turkey hunting. He found holding #55 lbs a bit much so traded it in for a compound. Not much to look at in camo, I offered $45.00 if the shopkeeper would remove the camo. Picked it up a couple weeks later, has outstanding wood, beautiful. Many a good day shooting arrows until lately since tearing my rotator cuff. Be a while until I can use it again. To me a recurve or long bow is much better looking than a compound.

6pt-sika · Post by **6pt-sika** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 3:56 pm

Nath wrote:I miss my bow hunting

The only Martin bows I had were compounds and they were mustard! (Mustard= Limey English for very good ).

N.

I was on a British forum and they got rather p...I...s...s...y when anyone brought up anything about bow hunting .

Nath · Post by **Nath** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 5:43 pm

Yep, a lot of dumb idiots over here! Gotta be real sneaky sometimes!

mack · Post by **mack** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 7:31 pm

Nice piece of wood! What is your draw? 60# @ 28" could stack pretty high if you draw 30-31". May take some conditioning, but will be worth it. Compound guys may poke a bit of fun at you at first, but when you learn to snap shoot well with a recurve they will wet their pants, while they try to hook up their release gizmo.....

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Sat Oct 11, 2014 10:38 pm

I have the the Holy Grail........... Bear Super Magnum 55#,s @28".
So Jerry, what do you think me and it can do?

wvfarrier · Post by **wvfarrier** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 7:43 am

I have a handmade osage recurve with bamboo backing.
(Made it myself)
Draws 55 @ 28"

I dropped my first primitive deer this season. Used a cane arrow with turkey fetching and an obsidian head (125 -/+ grain)

BrentD · Post by **BrentD** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 8:30 am

wvfarrier wrote:I have a handmade osage recurve with bamboo backing.
(Made it myself)
Draws 55 @ 28"

That gets my attention.

I dropped my first primitive deer this season. Used a cane arrow with turkey fetching and an obsidian head (125 -/+ grain)

But this really is impressive. I have always wanted to do this. I may yet. In the meantime, congratulations on a deer well earned!

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 10:45 am

Awesome on the primitive deer on handmade bow and arrow. Well done.

TWHBC · Post by **TWHBC** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 12:39 pm

wvfarrier wrote:I have a handmade osage recurve with bamboo backing.
(Made it myself)
Draws 55 @ 28"

I dropped my first primitive deer this season. Used a cane arrow with turkey fetching and an obsidian head (125 -/+ grain)

That is as close to perfect as is possible.....CONGRATULATIONS ON BOTH THE BOW AND THE ARROW!

2571 · Post by **2571** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 2:13 pm

MacEntyre wrote:
Mescalero wrote:NEVER attempt to string it without a stringer.
^ this is correct.

I shoot a 52# long bow... anything over 50# will keep you young!

Both good pieces of advice.

Don't let anybody dry-shoot it.

I know 2 guys who have taken deer with 37# recurves. That's about the minimum for deer, though.

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