[GilV]

Here in AZ it is pretty much unheard of shooting trad. Some older folks are into it and that’s that. No one dares try it for legitimate hunting, most folks are under the impression you need a 70+ yard archery shot on all game.

That all started with compounds. Before compounds hunting bows for medium big game were between 40 and 45#.

Then compounds came out and since everyone could draw past the peak of 70# and hold 40# they thought they needed that to kill. So guys like me shot 70# to 80# trad longbows trying to achieve performance of compounds. All that did was teach me to short draw and snap shoot.

The compounds back then were shooting 180 fps with an aluminum arrow (game getters, xx75 and xx78). Today's trad bows are faster than compounds of the '70s due to design and materials.

I shot a friends compound by accident with one of my trad arrows at 659 grains. I shot his arrows with a sight and drilled an indoor target at 20 yards around 4' off the ground. I grabbed one of my 659 grain arrows and shot it by accident. The base of the target was a 2x6 at ground level. I put the arrow in the 2x6 and it cost me $5 plus the cost of a stainless 250 grain field tip, since the club fined you $5 for shooting the base.

I find many guys shoot trad all year and love it, but when hunting season comes they revert to a compound, since they are not confident in their shooting trad. I was one of them. If I am going to hunt I am going to kill.

Now I am committed to trad and will be selling my compounds, since I have found the secret. Those sneaky, cheating 3 under shooters.

 

[stevelong]

not fading at my place. GIL I YAM a sneakey cheater.

 

[redfin]

In CT and NY to a lesser extent I see cery little interest in the sport. I think crossbows have pushed alot of archery guys that way.

 

[Grantmac]

I actually see a huge uptick in Barebow locally and a slight waning of Trad. Which is a good thing, I believe that the connection to hunting generally holds archery back. Places without a recent history connecting hunting to archery have stronger more vibrant and diverse archery communities.

 

[giegs]

Everyone is more into compounds here, but it's less unusual to see a single string than it used to be.

As for the classifieds, I've got some things I could post there but haven't gotten around to take pictures and such to get that going. If those CH limbs are really needing a new home I might be able to help 😁

 

[GilV]

not fading at my place. GIL I YAM a sneakey cheater.

Me too now. It should be illegal!

 

[Remote]

I actually see a huge uptick in Barebow locally and a slight waning of Trad. Which is a good thing, I believe that the connection to hunting generally holds archery back. Places without a recent history connecting hunting to archery have stronger more vibrant and diverse archery communities.

Barebow was definitely rising in Paris when I was there for much of last year. Many people from Oly, some newcomers too. I agree with your comment on diversity. Many women, many colours. Awesome.

Wood stick and string trad is in many places I've travelled to generally a white guy club, a lot of alpha sorts. Pretty boring from a distance. Know it all dudes more authentic than everyone else, tassles and all. Not exactly welcoming to most. We need to do much better in trad, as people do reach for wood bows, stick and string. I've helped as many women to the sport as men, and of many colours. I for sure don't only want to hang with people that look like me at the range. Boring.

 

[TradRat]

Due to aging and a disability, my hunting days I think are now gone, archery wise that is. But, because I love shooting bows so much, and not ready to quit, I discovered Barebow. Putting together an outfit now that should keep me going for a good while longer. From my searches, I'd say it doesn't look likes it's fading away. Perhaps certain locations but, as a whole, I don't see it.

 

[Leviw96]

There’s not a lot of trad or bare bow where I am. I wanted another bow to tinker with but I can’t justify another compound and ilf gives me the option to do that.

I shoot a wood recurve at Cabela’s today at 45lbs. Very easy to draw to anchor. The aiming was shaky as I had to hold.
So I’m glad I went with 30lb limbs to start.

 

[Pmringer]

Why would the classifieds be a metric for interest? There is a surge and decline of gear being sold around the fall seasons but it doesn’t accurately indicate a decline or growth in interest.

 

[TheMachoManOhYeah]

Barebow was definitely rising in Paris when I was there for much of last year. Many people from Oly, some newcomers too. I agree with your comment on diversity. Many women, many colours. Awesome.

Wood stick and string trad is in many places I've travelled to generally a white guy club, a lot of alpha sorts. Pretty boring from a distance. Know it all dudes more authentic than everyone else, tassles and all. Not exactly welcoming to most. We need to do much better in trad, as people do reach for wood bows, stick and string. I've helped as many women to the sport as men, and of many colours. I for sure don't only want to hang with people that look like me at the range. Boring.

Hanging out with people that look like you is boring?

 

[Remote]

Hanging out with people that look like you is boring?

Nope. Hanging around only with fellow white dudes is boring. Why would I want to do that? Less interesting, less culture, less to learn. I've been round the world a few times, many countries due to work. Lived in several countries. I'd like way more of that mix at the local archery clubs.

Trad is less diverse/mixed/open than Oly and Barebow. I'm not into either tho. Lack of diversity in trad will have a sustained negative impact on the trad market and the future of the sport in general. Sure it's growing, but it could grow a lot more.

 

[Carboniac]

I would choose who with and where I shoot on the basis of weather or not the people there had common interest with me.

If you are choosing on the basis of diversity then your objectives with traditional archery are quite different from mine.

 

[Hank D Thoreau]

I think the problem is that the hipster fad is fading and that is making it more difficult to find fedoras.

 

[c_m_shooter]

It seems that looking at classifieds, interest in traditional archery is in a slump.
Do you think it is a trend or seasonal and will pick up with better weather?

The same people are coming to the local shoots as have been the last few years. The slump on the classifieds I think is just tied to the tightening economy. On same note, guys are listing a lot of high end bows they haven't been shooting much, trying to get some cash back. The lower priced stuff gets snapped up pretty quickly.

 

[Carboniac]

Ya I dont think prices tell us anything expect people wont pay as much as sellers hope.

The prices on sporting good like bows guns and muzzleloaders rose much faster than so called "core inflation" which means when the economy cools they get a big reverse swing.
This month I saw essentially the same question asked on a muzzleloader forum. People wondering if its the end of the sport because prices are falling in the used market.

At least to most archers credit they dont imagine that the bows are investments. A lot of gun guys do that and they are usually disappointed.

 

[portlylawman]

Not at the shop I shoot at. Some days they have more recurve and longbow shooters than compound folks. This might be that they also sell new and used traditional gear and that this time of year shooting outside is miserable. I like what I see.

 

[GilV]

Based on the classifieds, I think it is that guys are no longer doing the bow of the week, trying then trading or selling.

I noticed the classifieds are much more static.

Also there are specialty groups on Facebook that have classifieds.

I think we are just getting settled on bows and limbs we like and are sticking with them.

 

[Tracker1]

That all started with compounds. Before compounds hunting bows for medium big game were between 40 and 45#.

Then compounds came out and since everyone could draw past the peak of 70# and hold 40# they thought they needed that to kill. So guys like me shot 70# to 80# trad longbows trying to achieve performance of compounds. All that did was teach me to short draw and snap shoot.

The compounds back then were shooting 180 fps with an aluminum arrow (game getters, xx75 and xx78). Today's trad bows are faster than compounds of the '70s due to design and materials.

I shot a friends compound by accident with one of my trad arrows at 659 grains. I shot his arrows with a sight and drilled an indoor target at 20 yards around 4' off the ground. I grabbed one of my 659 grain arrows and shot it by accident. The base of the target was a 2x6 at ground level. I put the arrow in the 2x6 and it cost me $5 plus the cost of a stainless 250 grain field tip, since the club fined you $5 for shooting the base.

I find many guys shoot trad all year and love it, but when hunting season comes they revert to a compound, since they are not confident in their shooting trad. I was one of them. If I am going to hunt I am going to kill.

Now I am committed to trad and will be selling my compounds, since I have found the secret. Those sneaky, cheating 3 under shooters.

Very interesting 🤔. When I started hunting it was with a 50# recurve. I doubt my 50# recurve was shooting 180fps. Now years later shooting 45# ILF riser, carbon glass limbs, shooting a 560grn arrow at 27.5” draw and I can barley hit 158fps🤔.

 

[pavan]

70+ yards. Around here if you are good liar, you can get a doctor to sign a form that says your shoulder hurts and you then use a cross bow. Once i saw a short arrow come flying across a field at a deer, then another, then another. 5 in total. The deer kept feeding. Then a guy marched out, the same guy that earlier told me that he could draw my longbow further than I could. While he was looking for his darts, another, older man, with a cross bow came out and they commenced to having a name calling contest about stupid long shots.