# Loneliness and the 3D finger shooter



## dragonheart II (Aug 20, 2010)

Probably pick up a recurve if you want competition. Most people shooting fingers are migrating to the single string...


----------



## granite14 (Nov 10, 2014)

Write to Hollywood and get it into a movie. Or a viral video


----------



## grantmac (May 31, 2007)

Barebow compound is more like an evolutionary dead end then anything else.

Plenty of single string competition in Canada including a few shooters who can hang with the best.

Grant


----------



## T2SHOOTER (Feb 26, 2014)

It's lonely but it's fun. Not going anywhere. Sure, I'll pick up the recurve or longbow later this summer to make a few of the rendezvous, but for now, the naked, so you say, compound is the only bow for me. It's just plain fun. No extra crud or weight; just bow. On the practice range I hear all the time, "How do you do it?" I just say, I've tried it all and this makes archery fun, so why stop. In our area where promoters, mostly, don't allow for Traditional markers, the compound makes sense. While I've shot a few tournaments with the recurve using the long distances, It just makes more sense to use the compound. It's fun. If you think we're going, get over it.


----------



## shadowhunter (Oct 12, 2003)

"It's lonely but it's fun" That's the best reason right there. I remember one fun shoot that a young kid joined our group with his bare compound and shot REAL GOOD FOR FREE!, keeping up with us even on long shots. So do what you like and compete with yourself.


----------



## dragonheart II (Aug 20, 2010)

One suggestion would be, if possible, to travel to other events to find competition. Shooting indoor at Las Vegas shoot, you got competition in barebow. If you enjoy that style, you have to accept that you will have no local competition or change styles to have more people to compete against.


----------



## zestycj7 (Sep 24, 2010)

Here in So. Ca. we have a real nice group of non-sight finger compound shooters. 
Granted we are all getting older and not many new young shooters around, we still have some real good and hard competitions against each other.
I love shooting this style.
Don.


----------



## T2SHOOTER (Feb 26, 2014)

While it's lonely and without much competition, standing indoors pounding a twenty-yard target won't be on my list of tournaments to attend. Smile. I know we have finger shooters here, but between BB and BH and the age groups, we barely make a class. Only three in class at Redding, but I did shoot with six finger shooters that was great fun. Going south anymore isn't on my list either. Smile. After years of travel for bike/kayak/stand-up board/outrigger races, I'm done with that traffic. Plenty of events to do, and fun people to do them with.


----------



## grantmac (May 31, 2007)

Canada doesn't fall under NFAA rules so any travel would have to be international since the FCA doesn't offer the class. 

I know for a fact there are a number of very competitive barebow recurve shooters in Ontario.

Grant


----------



## Windrover (Jan 6, 2012)

grantmac said:


> Canada doesn't fall under NFAA rules so any travel would have to be international since the FCA doesn't offer the class.
> 
> I know for a fact there are a number of very competitive barebow recurve shooters in Ontario.
> 
> Grant


Recently talked to John Chapman a champ from the nineties. We are planning to go shoot with him at his place, Apsley Ontario 3D. Am really looking forward to shooting with someone who knows a thing or two.


----------



## Windrover (Jan 6, 2012)

granite14 said:


> Write to Hollywood and get it into a movie. Or a viral video


That would do it.


----------



## Windrover (Jan 6, 2012)

T2SHOOTER said:


> It's lonely but it's fun. Not going anywhere. Sure, I'll pick up the recurve or longbow later this summer to make a few of the rendezvous, but for now, the naked, so you say, compound is the only bow for me. It's just plain fun. No extra crud or weight; just bow. On the practice range I hear all the time, "How do you do it?" I just say, I've tried it all and this makes archery fun, so why stop. In our area where promoters, mostly, don't allow for Traditional markers, the compound makes sense. While I've shot a few tournaments with the recurve using the long distances, It just makes more sense to use the compound. It's fun. If you think we're going, get over it.



Like you I got lots of bows (10) but for the last 8 months I only want to shoot bare compound. Easy and comfortable to shoot, challenging to shoot well. 
Do you shoot your Supras without sights, 3 under or split? I tried a Supra about 3 years ago and couldn't make it work with split so |I sold it. Now I am using 3under and I am sure a Supra would work.


----------



## rsarns (Sep 23, 2008)

I target what I am going to shoot based on where the competition is going to be. Most of this year I have shot "Trad" for our State NFAA tourneys, because that's where the majority of the people were at. The next shoot, our State NFAA Field will have more in BH class, so I'll shoot in that.


----------



## T2SHOOTER (Feb 26, 2014)

I shoot the Supra three under and no sights. I just added a side bar, and after adjustments it's working great. It's 50# and I using GT 500 with blazer vanes and 85 tips off a Timberdoodle II rest. I've been trying to get the Tribute set up, still working and getting there. Smile. The Supra is just a fun bow. I'm going to shoot the Eugene Safari shoot this 4/5 July, and after that it's back to recurve and/or longbow. I have to shoot the Anarchy, set up BHFL, split finger so I can clear the sight with arrow on rest. Smile.


----------



## Paul68 (Jul 20, 2012)

I think we can just keep showing up and performing. I tend to garner a lot of informal attention at the range when I shoot. Nobody is impressed with my groups, but the ''57 Chevy curves and weight on the ProTec LX 4000 with fingers makes a lot of younger shooters wander by for a look. You can tell several are itching to try it. 

I'm optimistic we'll make a comeback like Trad shooting and Double Edge Safety razors. Both were headed to mothballs 15 years ago, and now going for a premium. Obviously the bow manufactures aren't helping our cause, but one can hardly blame them considering the small market. 

If Hoyt can build a Tribute, though, they an build it with an old school LX 4000 recurve limb.


----------



## T2SHOOTER (Feb 26, 2014)

Most who say they want to try, won't. I have many tell me they don't know how I do it. Last weekend had two say they want to go to fingers because they started with a recurve, and the compound with fingers just looks like fun. We'll see. We're not the only lonely class. My wife shoots alone at almost all shoots. The most she's had is three in class--BHFS. We just tell them at registration to give us our pins/ribbons now. Smile. I think, like other sports we've done, they should just join classes. Don't need another pin/ribbon. Smile.


----------



## wa-prez (Sep 9, 2006)

For our Washington State 3D Championship, 20 out of 96 participants were finger shooters of various categories (BHFSL, FSL, BB, BH, TRAD, LB <none of our FSL/R archers showed up>)

Yes, lots of those were 1-2 person categories, but so were some of the release categories.


----------



## Old Sarge (Sep 9, 2008)

I switched from Trad to Barebow Compound in the late 1980's. Shot all over the area in SC, NC, Ga almost every weekend. There were always lots of BB compound guys and plenty of competitive events. Then around the late 90's it just started dying off and by the early 2000's I was lucky to ever see anyone shoot that way. I last shot my BB Compound at a shoot in NC around 2007-08 held under ASA rules. On registering for the shoot I was told they don't even have a class for that anymore. So I shot with the Hunter class guys, went home and hung up the bow. Switched back to Trad so I at least had a class to shot in. 

Still shoot the compound in the back yard because I think it is the most fun way to shoot, and to keep sharp for hunting season. I can no longer pull my recurves with legal hunting weight so it is so great reason to pull out the compound and fling arrows.

As others have mentioned I would love to see a revival of Bare Bow Compound shooting but seriously doubt it will happen. Kind of sad really because if some of the younger shooters tried it I'm sure a lot would really like compound archery without all the gizmo's. Perhaps someone should start a Traditional Compound Class!!


----------



## Windrover (Jan 6, 2012)

Old Sarge said:


> I switched from Trad to Barebow Compound in the late 1980's. Shot all over the area in SC, NC, Ga almost every weekend. There were always lots of BB compound guys and plenty of competitive events. Then around the late 90's it just started dying off and by the early 2000's I was lucky to ever see anyone shoot that way. I last shot my BB Compound at a shoot in NC around 2007-08 held under ASA rules. On registering for the shoot I was told they don't even have a class for that anymore. So I shot with the Hunter class guys, went home and hung up the bow. Switched back to Trad so I at least had a class to shot in.
> 
> Still shoot the compound in the back yard because I think it is the most fun way to shoot, and to keep sharp for hunting season. I can no longer pull my recurves with legal hunting weight so it is so great reason to pull out the compound and fling arrows.
> 
> As others have mentioned I would love to see a revival of Bare Bow Compound shooting but seriously doubt it will happen. Kind of sad really because if some of the younger shooters tried it I'm sure a lot would really like compound archery without all the gizmo's. Perhaps someone should start a Traditional Compound Class!!


Exactly. If it made sense to go from bare recurve to bare compound back in the seventies for reasons of speed/power for hunting... then it still does. I fact the added speed /power is much greater now.


----------



## T2SHOOTER (Feb 26, 2014)

Heading to Oregon for the Greater Oregon Safari shoot this weekend, and I checked the pre-registered list. Wow, there is going to be a bunch of BH/BB shooters there. They even have three targets signed up for to accommodate the group. Smile. I guess I won't be alone at this shoot. Nobody in my class yet, MS BH, but at least like style shooters. Smile. Maybe I can sign up with them when I get there that is if they don't mind a SF BHFS shooter to tag along.


----------



## rsarns (Sep 23, 2008)

T2SHOOTER said:


> Heading to Oregon for the Greater Oregon Safari shoot this weekend, and I checked the pre-registered list. Wow, there is going to be a bunch of BH/BB shooters there. They even have three targets signed up for to accommodate the group. Smile. I guess I won't be alone at this shoot. Nobody in my class yet, MS BH, but at least like style shooters. Smile. Maybe I can sign up with them when I get there that is if they don't mind a SF BHFS shooter to tag along.


The majority are there for the money team event, BB/BH group. Some of the best in the style will be there.


----------



## T2SHOOTER (Feb 26, 2014)

That's funny because there's no $ sign in target box. I didn't even see the team event mentioned on the flyer. If I can't shoot with them, the world won't end. Smile.


----------



## rsarns (Sep 23, 2008)

T2SHOOTER said:


> That's funny because there's no $ sign in target box. I didn't even see the team event mentioned on the flyer. If I can't shoot with them, the world won't end. Smile.


Not saying you can't shoot with them, just letting you know.


----------



## rsarns (Sep 23, 2008)

They are a great group, talk to Boyd, the $ amount is not big, and well worth getting in to shoot with them. You can learn a lot and you'll meet a bunch of great guys/gals.


----------



## T2SHOOTER (Feb 26, 2014)

Just heard back from Cascadian, and they said I can sign up with them when I get there. Smile. Shot with a mainly BH/BHFSL group at Redding--great fun. Great weather, good turnout, and fun/beautiful course--what's not to like.


----------



## T2SHOOTER (Feb 26, 2014)

Did shoot with Boyd and his group and did learn much. Still only one in class, but was great to shoot with like style archers. It was an outstanding group, and Bob L's 102 yard Elephant $400 ring shot was pretty special. The Cascadian event is one never to miss. Had to travel a long way, but it will be our regular as long as we can shoot. Camp Serene was a special camp ground. Chuck S. took time after the event and before beer to explain a few changes I needed to make. Since then I've changed rest, aiming process, front/back stabilizer weights and position, learned what a node is and how to check, and how to collapse bow shoulder for more stability. Smile. While it's nice to travel, meet and shoot with new friends at an outstanding even, it's even better to be home. Thanks for a fun weekend.


----------

