If you are thinking of taking up archery, you have some choices to make. There are bows to suit the needs of every archer today. There is a vast selection of traditional bows, including longbows and recurves.

There are equally as many choices of compound bows with various attributes that might make them attractive to you.

For the person interested in the highest speed and flattest trajectory of arrow flight, the compound bow is a good choice. Most compounds are made of a cast riser and various types of limbs ranging from fiberglass to exotic laminates and composites. They have a system of cams, cables and pulleys to minimize the exertion required to reach full draw. Most compounds are adjustable to change the draw weight. This is an advantage to a new shooter who may start at a lower d raw weight and progress to a higher weight after the muscles required to draw the bow develop.

It is easy to outfit compounds with sights, stabilizers, silencers, bow quivers and many more devices that can make them deadly target and hunting tools. Due to the cam action, compounds require more effort at the beginning of the draw, and as the cam turns, the effort to hold the bow at full draw reduces considerably. Compound bows commonly have 65 percent to 80 percent let-off (reduction in the pounds required to hold the bow at full draw). This is one of the factors, along with arrow speed, that has encouraged the trend toward compounds.

Crossbows have also adapted the compound technology to make them flatter shooting. The deer hunting regulations that have recently changed will definitely increase the interest in crossbows, as they meet DNR approval for deer hunting for all bowhunts. Grady’s Great Outdoors has recently received a shipment of crossbows for bowhunters. You might want to check them out if you are interested.

Traditional archery still has a strong following. For those wishing to target shoot or hunt with minimal equipment and face the greatest challenge, it is the only way to go. The bows are extremely light, easy to shoot and even though the arrow trajectory and speed are less than the compound, they are very effective.

For those who have doubts about the effectiveness of traditional archery, you need look no further than the exploits of Fred Bear and Howard Hill.

If you view some videos of these two men hunting the dangerous and elusive big game of the world, you will be amazed at the killing power of traditional archery.

Byron Ferguson is one of the noteworthy experts with the longbow and is still active as an exhibition shooter today. He makes appearances around the country at outdoor shows. In addition, he frequently appears in segments on outdoor TV shows. Some of the shots he makes appear to be impossible. Byron shoots a longbow with 90-pound draw weight. Few of us today could shoot such a bow. It requires years of shooting and developing the right muscles to draw such a bow. However, it does illustrate the possibilities if a shooter is dedicated to his sport.

Longbows and recurves can be equipped with sighting systems, but the purists shoot instinctively. Many of them also shun the use of a bow quiver, as it can affect the action of the bow.

I have a compound that I have been shooting for several years, but last fall, I ordered a kit to build a longbow. It was a blank made of hickory, laminated with bamboo. It was rough-formed and all the final tillering and finish work was incomplete.

Hickory is a strong, durable wood and bamboo is very tough and is a great material for bows. Hickory is also forgiving for the new bowyer in his first project.

I spent about 40 hours rasping, shaping, sanding and applying a finish coat of TruOil gunstock finish to protect the bow. The expense was very low when compared to purchasing a finished bow and the sense of pride in such a project is worth a lot.

The bow draws approximately 50 pounds at 31” and shoots like a dream. It is a bow that I will enjoy for years to come. If you are interested in such a project, check out www.rudderbows.com for kits and prices.

They also have good prices on finished bows.

Thanks for all the calls and e-mails. Your response has been excellent and I look forward to hearing from more of you with suggestions for topics that you would like to see covered in future issues. Contact me at lross3871@charter.net or (864) 238-1944 with questions, comments or just a good yarn that you would like to share.