# Shot my first real compound...



## kegan (Aug 28, 2006)

Oh my lord! To those of you who've never shot a real trad bow, my word is there a difference! 

Aiming with a rear sight and a pin was excruciating for someone who aims with just the tip of the arrow!

The release scared the willies out of me. Velcro? A trigger? Not actually holding the string? I was in no way used to it and it really scared me.

As did the rest. Balancing the arrow on the fallaway rest as it came up was hard. The let off was also unlike the lighter bows I'd shot before. Didn't like it. 

Even when I shot, I missed three times. His bow wasn't sighted in perfectly and his peep moved- along with me being scared of it- didn't help me hit anything... even at 7 yards My buddy was accurate with his within 48 hours, but man alive- if it isn't set up perfectly...

The bow, as seen shot from the side, didn't really hit the target that much sooner at 20 yards than my brother shooting a rather slow selfbow. 

For all of you compound shooters, more power to you. For those of you who've shot both, maybe you know what I mean. Geeze oh man. For all that money? I'd be too afraid to even use it. Great weapon but has several drawbacks that, for hunting, don't outweigh my longbows.

Anyway. Just thought I'd share my little experience. Hopefully someone who shoots compounds all the time can relate a similiar time to when they first shot a trad bow. I'm sure they'd have alot of stuff to say about trad bows along the same lines. I'm sure practice makes up for alot of this, but WOW


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## N7709K (Dec 17, 2008)

They sure are different arn't they.


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## Sighting In (Feb 5, 2009)

Sorry you didn't like it, Kegan. I know that I sure do...

Maybe you are just so used to the light side that you completely reject the dark side. 

Well, at least you tried it once. Good shooting to you, man!


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## kegan (Aug 28, 2006)

Sighting In said:


> Sorry you didn't like it, Kegan. I know that I sure do...
> 
> Maybe you are just so used to the light side that you completely reject the dark side.
> 
> Well, at least you tried it once. Good shooting to you, man!


No! Don't get me wrong, it's an excellent weapon, but boy was I caught off-gaurd. I've jsut been shooting one type for so long that all those little nuances scared me. Having heard horror stories about dry fires and what not, having to keep track of all those little things...:embara: That, and I think the draw was too short for me. It hurt my shoulders.

And I still have no issues with them. I'm very convinced than an archer shooting with fingers, or at least barebow, could out shoot and out-hunt any longbow, recurve, or sighted compounder out there with some practice. The weight was perfect for accuracy, but not so heavy it would be hard to carry. And even though it did make some noise, my friend didn't have any stabilizers and used the lightest arrows. Between barebow shooting and the speed of a compound, a practiced finger/barebow compound shooter would give a rifleman a run for his money, I'm positive. I'd still like to try a longer, slower compound with less let off this way someday.

In the mean time though, I'm happy with my longbows. They work for what I want. New compounds certainly are beyond my skill level though.


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## x-force hunter (Apr 10, 2009)

When I tried traditional it didn't feel strange to me at all, I just drew back picked a spot on the target and sent the arrows on their way.


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## LooMoo (Jan 30, 2007)

I don't blame you kegan... even going from just a recurve to a compound was completely weird. One try, and I said "no thanks!" :embara:


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## Jared Les (Jun 22, 2008)

LMAO 

That was great. You sound like me when I tried my first back tension release lol. I drew back took my thumb off the saftey and pulled back with my elbow. BAM it went off and was like oh **** where did that one go.

Switching from compound to traditional or traditional to compound is definately different.


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## No.1 Hoyt (Mar 11, 2007)

LOL:nyah:


No I had a similar experience when I started shooting longbows. It took me forever to get get accurate and I still couldnt hit a milk bottle cap at 30 yards like I could with my comound. Softball sized groups were good for me and as soon as I started to get pinpoint accurate my bow broke and it was all back at the beggining again.


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## Robinhooder3 (Jun 18, 2008)

omg I remember the day I first shot a real compound. I acctualy almost screamed the first time. It felt like a gun lol. A few shots after I began to get used to it though. The speed of it was awsome (from what i could tell). wow this thread just brought back alot of memories lol.


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## I'm Not Ted (Feb 12, 2009)

Aren't you always in trad forumn? Kegan, be strong. Don't go to the other side.  JK. Too bad you didn't like it. I shot a compound once and couldn't hit a thing. For me, it's the weight that I can't get over.


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## sawtoothscream (Apr 19, 2008)

i shoot both and love both. started with compounds than got my recurves. it was weird at first to learn how to shoot fingers and aim down the arrow but i got it down and i love shooting trad gear.

i can deffinatly see how a all trad guy wouldnt like all the technology and devices that are used with compounds. it was weird for me to lose them.


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## Sighting In (Feb 5, 2009)

By the way, Kegan, what bow was it? It might not have freaked you out if it was a little quieter...


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## Ignition kid (Oct 7, 2008)

Yep, they are different, my dad had problems when he started to use a release with his compound bow, he didn't have faith in them, but once he started to use releases, he loves them so much. After a few years of compound bow shooting, when I got our Bear archery recurve, I had to rethink the way of aiming a little bit, but after alittle of practice, the best I could do with a recurve was hitting a basket ball at 20 yards.


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## kegan (Aug 28, 2006)

Sighting In said:


> By the way, Kegan, what bow was it? It might not have freaked you out if it was a little quieter...


A Bear... Element? Don' recall. It wasn't really as loud as some I've heard. It was about as loud as the old FG recurve we had.

The stop on the draw messed my shoulder up though. It was definately too short, as I was pulling against myself. Owie

Suffice it to say, I'm not going to be going out to buy a compound of my own anytime soon. My longbows may not be the best, but at least I like them.


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## Sighting In (Feb 5, 2009)

kegan said:


> A Bear... Element? Don' recall. It wasn't really as loud as some I've heard. It was about as loud as the old FG recurve we had.
> 
> The stop on the draw messed my shoulder up though. It was definately too short, as I was pulling against myself. Owie
> 
> Suffice it to say, I'm not going to be going out to buy a compound of my own anytime soon. My longbows may not be the best, but at least I like them.


That's cool. I do think, however, that you might like it a bit better if you had one set up for you (right draw length, lbs, etc.). At least you are happy where you are.


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## kegan (Aug 28, 2006)

Sighting In said:


> That's cool. I do think, however, that you might like it a bit better if you had one set up for you (right draw length, lbs, etc.). At least you are happy where you are.


Oh I'm sure. But I have no money.


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## Sighting In (Feb 5, 2009)

kegan said:


> Oh I'm sure. But I have no money.


If there are any pro-shops near you, I am sure that (if they are any good) they can set one up for you quickly just so that you can try it. Tell them that you are a proficient trad-shooter, and you want to try you hand at compound. 

Oh, well. Good shooting to you, Kegan!


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## Xcreekarchery1 (Aug 7, 2007)

LooMoo said:


> I don't blame you kegan... even going from just a recurve to a compound was completely weird. One try, and I said "no thanks!" :embara:


i switched from compound to recurve last year mabye the year b4 with great results. i peicked up my compound the other week and coudnt hit the broad side of a barn from the inside. the let off dosnt work for me... plus wher does my load anchor transfer come in


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## cody roiter (Jan 31, 2005)

kegan said:


> Oh my lord! To those of you who've never shot a real trad bow, my word is there a difference!
> 
> Aiming with a rear sight and a pin was excruciating for someone who aims with just the tip of the arrow!
> 
> ...




Kegan where are the pics you told me you had.... 

O buy the way man I sent out your new Compound to day.. Thanks for your order man.....

u can pay me when you get it................................................................................LOL


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## kegan (Aug 28, 2006)

cody roiter said:


> Kegan where are the pics you told me you had....
> 
> O buy the way man I sent out your new Compound to day.. Thanks for your order man.....
> 
> u can pay me when you get it................................................................................LOL


What pics? New COmpound? I think I'm missing something?


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## gunner77 (Jan 24, 2009)

i think it's harder to shoot trad all your life and then shoot a compound versus shooting a compound all your life and then shooting a selfbow.


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## kegan (Aug 28, 2006)

gunner77 said:


> i think it's harder to shoot trad all your life and then shoot a compound versus shooting a compound all your life and then shooting a selfbow.


I think so. The fluidity from shooting well with trad stuff, as well as the freedom and mobilty isn't carried over to compounds well. However, you can still try to shoot trad bows in a straight up, mechanical manner.


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## JPNorth (Jun 7, 2009)

I shot a compound for 2 years and then bought a recurve. I couldnt move my head to the left for 2 days afterward my first day of shooting, completely different set of muscles for each.


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## kegan (Aug 28, 2006)

Sounds like you are way over-bowed there


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