# traditional recurve vs barebow



## rambo-yambo

Can someone tell me what is the difference between traditional recurve and barebow? I see both events on the USAA national indoor championship. 

Whaere is the best place to meet great barebow shooter? Most of the time I don't see too many barebow shooters in a tournament. Thanks.


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## tgarchery

Traditional recurve is an older wood handle riser, usually one piece bow. In USAA events, barebow refers to a modern metal handle, interchangeable limbs with no sights or stabilizers.

Tom


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## rpdjr45

FITA bare bow has a wider range of bows. As long as it has no wheels, sights, and stabilizers, it is a barebow. It may be a long bow, an old recurve, a modern recurve, take down bow, these are all bare bows. The NFAA traditional is as stated above, but there is another division which will allow face and string walking in NFAA bare bow, I think they call it bare bow, or recurve free style. As to why we are so few? Depends upon what the nature of the shoot is. If you find a traditional 3D shoot, you'll be in good company. At a FITA 900 or even a NFAA 900 round, you'll see a few, and same for field shooting, although I think FITA Field has more bare bow shooters because the distances are shorter on the average (50 meters max vs. 80,70,60 yards). If you want to play with all barebow shooters, consider a local chapter (or is it kingdom?) of the Society for Creative Anachronism (the dress up like Middle Ages clubs). Their "Royal Round" is two ends of 40 yards, two at 30, and two at 20, and two ends of timed shooting at 20 yards.


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## rambo-yambo

If I have a metal riser bow with interchangable limbs but I don't string walk or face walk, can I enter traditional recurve in USAA? Thanks.


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## rpdjr45

No. There is no traditional in FITA/ USAA. You would be in the bare bow division, string walker or not, as long as you have no sights or stabilizer bars, you're in! And we're happy to have another bare bow shooter, and welcome to the club.


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## massman

Archery history 101... Years ago most archers shot longbows "instinctively" . Idea being allowing the mind to aim the bow. As such to be a decent shot this required quite a bit of practice. Then to reduce the practice needed someone found that they could look while at full draw, at the relationnship of the bow versus the target. This is "GAP" shooting. Then now I'm not sure what happened next but some found that they could change their anchor point up and down their face and use a "fixed" reference point (the point of the arrow). Alternatively someone found that you could use the fixed front reference point (the point of the arrow) and rather than move the anchor point, they found that they could move where they held the string yet keep a fixed anchor point. Moving from under the nock downward on the string moved the relationship of the nock to the archers face in a similar fashion to moving the anchor point up/down the face. However because one anchor point was used they found this could be more consistent. This is commonly known as stringwalking in the USA. Pretty sure this is what is called Barebow in Europe. Kind of sure that this is what FITA calls barebow. This can be so accurate that you count the string wrap on the serving and the stitches on the tab. They too some archers use a tab that is no split to accept the nock between the index and the center finger. The idea is to get the nock directly below the aiming eye and adjust side to side windage using the relationship of the point to the target.

Regards,

Tom


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## Greysides

FITA Barebow in Europe is no sights, no stabilisers. Most BBers will stringwalk but a few will gap shoot. IFAF Field Archery will have more people shooting instinctive or gaping than FITA.


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## Serious Fun

rambo-yambo said:


> Can someone tell me what is the difference between traditional recurve and barebow? I see both events on the USAA national indoor championship.
> 
> Whaere is the best place to meet great barebow shooter? Most of the time I don't see too many barebow shooters in a tournament. Thanks.


National Traditional Championships Equipment and Shooting Rules
http://usarchery.org/resources/rules-regulations/traditional-rules

FITA Barebow
http://www.archery.org/UserFiles/Document/FITA website/05 Rules/01 C&R Book/Book 2010/2010_Book4.pdf
Article 9.3


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## Max_David

Wow! So what class would I shoot in with a chinese horsebow and thumb ring?
My club I'm in just started league up and I'm embarrassed to ask what class i would be in. . ? 

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk


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## limbwalker

Thank you Bob for the infusion of facts.


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## chrstphr

Max_David said:


> Wow! So what class would I shoot in with a chinese horsebow and thumb ring?
> My club I'm in just started league up and I'm embarrassed to ask what class i would be in. . ?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk



Compound. You are using a release aid with the thumb ring. Release aid shooting would fall under the compound division. 


Never be embarrassed to ask a question here or at your archery range. 

We are all new at something and no one knows everything. 


Chris


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## Azzurri

The post with the rules basically covers the equipment differences. Something like a Sage or Polaris would work in both Trad and BB. I did Trad Recurve last year (horribly) with a Red Stag.

The one thing I'd toss in on Trad is USAA downsized the divisions on their end for indoor nationals. I think some categories like the different longbows got lumped all in together. So I think they have you register broadly under USAA's divisions and those will be the basis for the official standings and regional awards. But I think they also have people also saying what they would be in the old disciplines and Trad will hand out its own National awards in the subdisciplines, like Modern Longbow.

In terms of where to meet BB people, a lot of the Texas events (particularly in Houston) have good barebow turnout, and that covers from very good people to people learning. Outdoor nationals for USAA (Indiana this summer) would have several good ones all in one place. Ditto something like Vegas or Lancaster indoors. Maybe NFAA indoors in Cincy. USAA Indoors is tougher because it may come out to dozens of people but each of the 12 sites may only have a handful, and they won't necessarily shoot at the same time.


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## Astroguy

Max_David said:


> Wow! So what class would I shoot in with a chinese horsebow and thumb ring?
> My club I'm in just started league up and I'm embarrassed to ask what class i would be in. . ?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk


The NFAA might make a class. Thumb ring shooters unite!


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## Old School Kool

Just beginning. My wife and daughter are going to competitions and I want to join in on some of the fun. Just bought a Darton Vintage compound SL50. Trying to figure out category for NFAA. No release, sights, stabilizers or anything, but it does have wheels obviously. My wife and daughter are in compound flights at the Vegas Shoot, and I have told I should be in Championship Barebow. I will be using a tab for release, and it has a small arrow rest. This Darton is fun, not looking to win anything at all....just have a blast in Vegas...baby. 

Thanks in advance.


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## FerrumVeritas

edit: ancient thread


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## rsarns

Old School Kool said:


> Just beginning. My wife and daughter are going to competitions and I want to join in on some of the fun. Just bought a Darton Vintage compound SL50. Trying to figure out category for NFAA. No release, sights, stabilizers or anything, but it does have wheels obviously. My wife and daughter are in compound flights at the Vegas Shoot, and I have told I should be in Championship Barebow. I will be using a tab for release, and it has a small arrow rest. This Darton is fun, not looking to win anything at all....just have a blast in Vegas...baby.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


Yes. Championship BB in Vegas.


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## c_m_shooter

Old School Kool said:


> Just beginning. My wife and daughter are going to competitions and I want to join in on some of the fun. Just bought a Darton Vintage compound SL50. Trying to figure out category for NFAA. No release, sights, stabilizers or anything, but it does have wheels obviously. My wife and daughter are in compound flights at the Vegas Shoot, and I have told I should be in Championship Barebow. I will be using a tab for release, and it has a small arrow rest. This Darton is fun, not looking to win anything at all....just have a blast in Vegas...baby.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


Be warned, the guys that shoot Barebow compounds are good shooters and have been doing this awhile.


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## rsarns

c_m_shooter said:


> Be warned, the guys that shoot Barebow compounds are good shooters and have been doing this awhile.


Varying levels of shooters at Vegas, go with the attitude of having fun, shooting with great people and learning. It’s not always about winning. I’ve shot BB championship for at least 15 years at Vegas (not last year though)… finished in the money several times and not in the money as many. Still worth the trip and a great time with great people.


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## Arcus

c_m_shooter said:


> Be warned, the guys that shoot Barebow compounds are good shooters and have been doing this awhile.





Old School Kool said:


> not looking to win anything at all....just have a blast in Vegas...baby.


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