newhunter1
03-06-2006, 12:56 PM
Lets see...I started bowhunting three years ago with a compound and loved it!!! Last year (my 2nd year) it seemed that shooting deer was getting semi-easy with a bow. Now don't get me wrong...I had missed a couple of deer within the two years of hunting, but after the 2004 season I decided to buy a recurve. I got one off of ebay to learn from...it was a shakesphere root master bow 47#'s @ 28". I learned how to shoot this bow but was not happy in the least with it. It was loud, and there was a lot of hand shock within the bow. I thought I was stuck with this bow, because I didn't see buying another trad. bow to tinker with.
Then this year my wife expressed an interest in shooting. However, she did not want a compound. She wanted a longbow...a light bulb went off in my head.
I remembered meeting a gentleman from the UBI (United Bowhunters of Illinois) event that I went to in 2003, named Bill Smith. Meeting him and talking to him I realized that we were both brothers in Christ, and shared the same passion...the gospel and hunting. So I called him up when my wife gave me the green light and let him know of our interest. He met us at Town Hall Archery (in Bellville, IL) shortly before the start of hunting season this year and let the both of us shoot his bows. Jennie fell in love with the bow he made for his daughter (he wouldn't sell that one though) and I fell in love with a longbow that is 51# @ 26". Since he would have to make a bow for Jennie we let him make her one for after the season, and I would purchase the one that I fell in love with when Jennie's bow was completed. That way I wouldn't go out in the woods with a weapon that I was not familiar with. He let us know around January that the bow for Jen was completed. I also ordered arrows from JP enterprises and those arrows are just beautiful!!! Since my arrows are the arrows that I'll also hunt with I asked him to make them in the 525-550 grain range. Well mine came out to 539 to 550 grain finished weight.
This past weekend I came to this years UBI event and paid for and received both bows...Jennie's is 42# @ 28" and since she's got about a 24" draw that makes the bow about 30 to 36#'s at her draw lenth. Well I started to shoot the bow yesterday and let me just say that this bow is just as quiet or quieter than my compound (which is pretty quiet), and Jennies bow is also quiet. What is amazing however is how fast her little bow ZIPS her arrows into the target!!
All in all I am impressed with the speed (of Jennies bow), and the quietness of both our bows. I will be hunting this year with both bows, but I can see the longbow getting more hunting time this year. Now I need to find an arm guard for a lady and some back quivers. Anyone know where I can pick up an arm guard for my bride and some back quivers?
I will post pictures later this week...I've got a paper due for my graduate class later this week.
Thanks for reading this and I'll be back to ask plenty of questions. Let me just add that Jennie said after shooting her bow that she wanted to get or 15 month old son a longbow when he's around 3 to 4 years of age. Man I love this woman!! Later on I'll post websites to Bill Smith (bowyer) and Jim Pyles of JP enterprises.
Paul Merioles
Then this year my wife expressed an interest in shooting. However, she did not want a compound. She wanted a longbow...a light bulb went off in my head.
I remembered meeting a gentleman from the UBI (United Bowhunters of Illinois) event that I went to in 2003, named Bill Smith. Meeting him and talking to him I realized that we were both brothers in Christ, and shared the same passion...the gospel and hunting. So I called him up when my wife gave me the green light and let him know of our interest. He met us at Town Hall Archery (in Bellville, IL) shortly before the start of hunting season this year and let the both of us shoot his bows. Jennie fell in love with the bow he made for his daughter (he wouldn't sell that one though) and I fell in love with a longbow that is 51# @ 26". Since he would have to make a bow for Jennie we let him make her one for after the season, and I would purchase the one that I fell in love with when Jennie's bow was completed. That way I wouldn't go out in the woods with a weapon that I was not familiar with. He let us know around January that the bow for Jen was completed. I also ordered arrows from JP enterprises and those arrows are just beautiful!!! Since my arrows are the arrows that I'll also hunt with I asked him to make them in the 525-550 grain range. Well mine came out to 539 to 550 grain finished weight.
This past weekend I came to this years UBI event and paid for and received both bows...Jennie's is 42# @ 28" and since she's got about a 24" draw that makes the bow about 30 to 36#'s at her draw lenth. Well I started to shoot the bow yesterday and let me just say that this bow is just as quiet or quieter than my compound (which is pretty quiet), and Jennies bow is also quiet. What is amazing however is how fast her little bow ZIPS her arrows into the target!!
All in all I am impressed with the speed (of Jennies bow), and the quietness of both our bows. I will be hunting this year with both bows, but I can see the longbow getting more hunting time this year. Now I need to find an arm guard for a lady and some back quivers. Anyone know where I can pick up an arm guard for my bride and some back quivers?
I will post pictures later this week...I've got a paper due for my graduate class later this week.
Thanks for reading this and I'll be back to ask plenty of questions. Let me just add that Jennie said after shooting her bow that she wanted to get or 15 month old son a longbow when he's around 3 to 4 years of age. Man I love this woman!! Later on I'll post websites to Bill Smith (bowyer) and Jim Pyles of JP enterprises.
Paul Merioles