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In defence of the compound bow.

9K views 48 replies 27 participants last post by  blakey 
#1 ·
First off,,,please step away from the pitch fork:p

I've read so many threads on so many different forums about where the compound bow sits in this thing called archery, and if it's on a "trad" site it usually turns into a bash fest where some people often end up showing their true colours.

So it's had me thinking for a long time, which of course usually leads to long rambling posts about the true meaning of life and other stuff I really know bugger all about, but this time I think I'm on a winner so please listen up.

People are rather fond of saying the compound is "to easy" but I've never heard a top level shooter from any archery discipline say this.

So we need to ask ourselves honestly, are we a top level shooter or are we an average shooter ?

100% of us knew the answer to that question before it was even asked.

Ok, I agree the compound bow does make it easier to become average, I was a pretty good average with my compounds an getting there was easy enough, but getting good took some real work and I never got good.

To me,the compound bow is a search for mechanical excellence.
Once that excellence has been arrived at, there are no more excuses left.
When the bow is excellent the results will always be about the Archer, not about the bow.

Those people that talk about preserving one part of the sport while putting down another side of the sport, to me they are totally missing the point because I feel the only way to advance archery is to support archery.

There will always be those lovers of the old ways who will not let them die out and these people are as precious to the sport as a whole as any others involved are, regardless of the equipment being used.

The man making the self bow with his own hands and skill is keeping the flame alive at it's very source.
The man shooting perfect scores with the perfect bow is fanning those flames with the possibilities of excellence.

John.
 
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#2 ·
Personally, I would not argue against anything you said.

The compound really doesn't need any defending. It is undeniably a great machine, and it takes great skill for an archer to be equal to the machine.
 
#3 ·
Nor will I, the compound definitely has it's place and it's followers. I shot one for north of 3 decades. I probably shot as many arrows in practice as I do with my stick bow. Just got to a point where I enjoyed the stick bow more....
 
#5 ·
It didn't take me long to see there's elites't snobs in all camps. What's funny to me is if they're hunters sitting in a tree stand over bait,wearing scentloc,shooting deer they've scouted with cameras with a longbow. Then tell the guy who stillhunts with a compound to take off the training wheels. I have no problem if one does those things,but you get the point I hope. Y'all have a great day!
 
#6 ·
Our club has twenty yard indoor spot shooting. You'd think that the compounders would shoot perfect 300's with ease. Few ever do.

Some people, and I've noticed this a lot among 'traditional' archers, forget that shooting anything well takes practice and effort. Doesn't matter if we're talking stick bows or heavy barrel rifles or 10-pin bowling for that matter.
 
#7 ·
You are of course absolutely right.
No need for defending the compound bow - it is indeed an excellent bow and when it is perfectly optimized, matched to the archer and arrows etc. it will show how good the archer really is - any flaw in technique and lacking focus revealed.
I just personally feel that the same goes for the traditional longbow and recurve, though a perfect score is even harder to achieve (among other reasons, because the equipment is more easily affected by weather and wooden arrows change over time, etc).
Using a compound bow, with all the bells and whistles, you can achieve higher scores on most distances than with say a longbow (especially on known distances). However, I personally find that I chase the "zen feeling" more than the score. Maby I'm a hippie or just a bad shot ;-) but I actually don't find much pleasure in a good score if the shot didn't "feel right".

I respect that lots of people feel different and prefers using compound bows or other modern bows and chase the perfect score - competition is a natural part of archery and therefore also using the most optimized gear.
In the big picture: To promote archery in general, I believe we need the modern archers to impress the crowds and attract sponsors. Lets face it - traditional archers are a niche and therefore we have an interest in modern archery as much as the modern archers do.
 
#8 ·
From a competitive standpoint I would argue that the stickbow is easier. Just about anywhere you can find a lot of really good compound shooters who are shooting either perfect or near-perfect rounds whether it be indoor, field or 3D. They have to shoot every arrow perfectly and there really is no recovery from a bad shot.

Until you start travelling to the larger shoots it's tough to find stickbow shooters who are actually using the equipment to the limits of it's potential accuracy, if we've even really found them yet.

From a hunting standpoint the compound is vastly easier. You can put a bow in someone's hand and provided it's adjusted and tuned even halfway decently they will be hunting accurate to 30yds within a month. With a reasonably quick bow you can shoot that distance with one fixed pin, sure takes a lot of the guess work out doesn't it.

-Grant
 
#9 ·
"" From a hunting standpoint the compound is vastly easier. You can put a bow in someone's hand and provided it's adjusted and tuned even halfway decently they will be hunting accurate to 30yds within a month.""

Absolutely, but that assumes that a bow is only a 30 yard weapon. A really -good- archer can make clean kills much further. (Personally, my range is much less. But I believe I can improve over time ;^) )

Again using the rifle as an example, a 30-'06 or other modern rifle can kill deer cleanly at much further range than most shooters could hit well at. (Without a solid rest I doubt many gun hunters could hit reliably at 150 yards.)

The weapon does not make the shooter. Getting the full range and accuracy from any weapon is what separates the shooters from the rest.
 
#12 ·
I'll do nothing to advance mechanized archery. It doesn't need me and I don't need it.
Well said. In the context of hunting there's no question that compound bows and mechanical release aids have made it much much easier to kill deer, and with a much shorter learning curve. But to be fair, the portable tree stand is an even bigger factor in hunting success.
 
#13 ·
I disagree when it comes to hunting. Trad bows are quicker and easier to use and are more reliable. Much less hassle tuning them and very in expensive to "set up" each season. I've used both and trad bows are simply more efficient in the hunting situations we often find ourselves in.
 
#15 ·
I don't have a problem with compound bows. The fact is that very small percentage of hunters have enough time and or dedication to become, and stay proficient with a stickbow. I don't think there can be any reasonable argument as to which is a more efficient tool....aside for maybe wing shooting.

That said...I make enough time and I prefer to shoot without wheels and plan to do so for a long, long time.
 
#16 ·
My own experiences with compounds is a lot like a lot of bowhunters/archers of my age.
I started shooting recurves,there was nothing else.
The recurve was to the longbow what the compound has become to the recurve today.
I shot curves from the local Bowyer Jimmy Hinchco,Jim had travelled the world and built and designed bows with people like Ben Pearson,Earl Hoyt,Gail Martin and the Brothers that became Black Widow.
One of Jims most popular bows was an early Black widow look alike.
My first target bow was one of those models,,,shot like a dream.
Jim was also a member the the original World Master Bowyers Guild before it folded due to dropping standards.
Around 1975-6 was when compounds really started showing up in big numbers in NZ.
Ugly as a bucket of ugly things,sounded like a sceen door slaming shut,but easy to hold heavy draw weights,an somebody said they were fast,but I never saw much fast in those early Bear and Martin compounds.
So, I ignored them an just kept shooting my Ben Pearson hunter when I could get the time.
Bow hunting took a back seat to rifle hunting for a few years, mainly because I was doing so little hunting that any trip I could get in had to produce, an nothing in NZ gets up or runs away when a 3006 is involved.
Then in about 1985 I drove past an archery shop ""I'd never seen an actual shop before,before then you bought archery stuff out of some guys shed or workshop.
Walking in the door there were no stringbows on the wall,just two rows of Hoyt and Martin compounds.
Two days later I walked back out of that shop with a brand new Martin something or rather and got back into bow hunting.
Well about 4-5 trips away with my shinny new bow I'd missed shot opertunities on 3 or 4 deer because they'd got bored with waiting for me to get my act together loading an arrow on the rest then trying to remember which pin went where,,, and they'd just decamped on me.
I did manage to kill one Red deer hind that must of been real slow on the up take or something,but I blew a few more and it was always because I couldn't get it together fast enough.
So I traded the compound back to the shop an had them bring me in a the first of my two Martin Mambas.
The first trip out with that bow I had an old Hind run across a track 10 yards in front of me and I knew there would be a yearling close at hand so I nocked an arrow an waited the three seconds or so before it stepped out on the track.
As it stepped out I said "hey" and as it stopped to take a look I shot it just in front of the shoulder angling out behind the last rib on the off side.
It went 30 yards and I've never tried to hunt with a compound since.
I have used the compound in 3D and Field archery but I could never match the dedication or the equipment to shoot like the freestyle crowd do.
So once again I returned to the recurve.
It's simply the best bow for me.

John.
 
#17 ·
I have to go negative on the compound,simply what it did to bowhunting. My first experience with a compound was in '73', a gent came in the bow shop w/ an Allan bow and I thought this mechanical device will go no where, I was wrong. From there the bowhunters were few in Iowa and never had a problem to knock on the door and hunt. Now zip it to 40 yrs forward and the knock on the door is gone and the public is saturated by the device and private is leased. I can really care less what one's shoot in field archery , but bowhunting it has been the biggest factor for the blue collar hunter. I used to live around about 260 sq mis. of public land in Wi. for 20 yrs and witness the hunting saturation from a good deer herd to poor. The access to private land is very difficult also. I heard from many bowhunter that if they had to resort to hunting public land they would quit. Had some told me to go buy land, not with a family and kids college tuition, now I could only if I lived on it. When I bow hunt I have to figure out where the bowhunters are first before the deer. I have spoke-out at the state conservation meetings about regulating the technology and now the DNR look at the compound as a game management tool, just like the gun. I know it is a done deal with the compound, but I do not have to like it either. This is like to get me rev-up on what happen to the muzzle load hunts w/ the inline and scopes, just a 1 shot rifle that can knock the ace of spades out at 200 yrds, the season was never made for that and it was taken away by bastardization by the special interest. No different from what happen to the bow and now the crossbow is making heavy inwards. What is the difference between the new compound and the crossbow, one is vertical and the other is horizontal that still have to squeeze the trigger.
The only game changer with the compound is to ban the release and even the playing field. There is one quote that have stayed with me made by Jay Massie, "We do not need more bowhunters just better ones."
I think the best way to experience what I am describing is to move to Monroe/Jackson Co., Wi. and hunt the public for several season and come back on here and tell how great it is; take in what ever weapon of choice you want. The pharmacy is not far away to get anti-depression meds.
Good Hunting and Lord Bless-JJ
 
#18 ·
I have arrived at a point after talking Crossbows,,Compounds,,aiming methods,,snap shooting,,Instinctive,,,,,,,,and everything else so much for so many years that I could care less if you shoot at half draw,,on your head,,hunched over or with your thumb up your nose with a Compound or an Atlatl with forward hydraulic assistance.

I have my own thoughts and beliefs on other subjects but if whatever it is a person shoots or who they hold hands with,,,,,,matters little to me anymore for the sake of arguments.

There is no need to defend anything archery or whatever else is defined by Law as a legal method or practice unless it boils down to morality and that is not even close to this subject so it doe's not count.

Ethics and all that is defined however you want as long as it is legal so who cares anymore?:crawfish:
 
#19 ·
It is fine you shoot compounds. It is your right to shoot them. Compounds are just not for me and it my right to hate them. I do not hate archers who shoot them, some of my best friends shoot compounds, including my roommate who is my best friend. I consider them as much as a archer as me.
 
#20 ·
I shoot a compound, but I do not shoot with sights or a release.
I shoot trad style but use a compound.
The class I shoot in, here in So. Ca. is called bowhunter, not barebow, I have a 12" max stabilizer and a rest, thats it.
Because of a hand injury I can not shoot a bow without a high let off, I have to pull all the weight with my ring finger so for me this is what I shoot.
I started off shooting a fiberglass longbow 50+ years ago as a kid and have always loved shooting a bow. I think it is more than what you shoot, but just that you do shoot a bow of some sorts.

I do belive that kids should be tought how to shoot a bow non-sights and fingers first though, because archery is an artform, one that is being lost because of sights and releases.

I don't know why people have to bash others that enjoy and support our sport just because they don't shoot one way or the other. just be happy for that person because they are out in the fresh air and having fun and keeping archery alive.
Don.
 
#21 ·
I too have no problems with compounds. I'm interested in trad, olympic and compound bows. Somewhat of a problem, actually,:). I've had several compound shooters comment on how difficult it is to shoot a trad bow well...I always reply that I believe it to be just different. In some ways the compound is more difficult. Much highedr expectations on a compound shooter= shooter pressure= more target panic.
Whatever works for you.
 
#22 ·
LOL,,,,,PEOPLE POST QUESTIONS,,they post how they shoot and what they shoot. This is a Trad site per the Name which would lead one to assume it is about one string bows. There are lots of Compound sites,,go there and discuss the Compound. Shoot what you want,,10-4?;)
 
#25 ·
Compounds are cool precision tools. I like to shoot them.
But the bigger challenge to me is the fight with trad gear and the good form I need to shoot it well.
But like said in some posts before: If you want to shoot a compound in the upper scores, you have to do a lot of work as well.
So make your choice and have fun!! Its all archery!
tj
 
#27 ·
Never liked the compound from the first one I had in hand back in '73'. As far for archery shoot what you want, but in bowhunting the compound change the hunt dramatically to a negative. We do not need more bowhunters just better bowhunters.
I am not a traditionalist just a fundamentalist.
 
#31 ·
No. :)

Here's another question. Both "the wheel" and "the bow" are among the very oldest of human inventions dating back to prehistoric times.

The comprehension of mechanical advantage dates back at least to the days of ancient Greece and even much before that into the prehistoric age.

Why did it take soooo long to incorporate two well known inventions to provide the mechanical advantages of the compound bow?

Was it truly invented in the 1960s, or did it have a much older origin that failed to catch on for some reason?
 
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#32 ·
Everything is OK these days you know,,some even run "Diversity" into archery too. Nobody gives Dam whether anybody shoots a C Bow or not! There seems to be a hypothetical that since this is a One string site that C Bow shooter need to come here and "Assemble to justify" what they shoot when nobody here cares. People run X Bows and flaunt them here on this site like it is almost like a "Demonstration" to fight for the right when there are multiple like minded X Bow sites on the web. It is almost like the Goth people and tattoo people expecting everyone to get a frigging tat and dress up too. Really is a waste of time here with most, besides, I want your old compounds so I can make recurves out of them!
 
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