Looking like I might be shooting a recurve again.

[dirtlooter]

About 4 years ago, I found myself struggling to shoot my longbow and my recurves. In fact, I was struggling with even my Martin Slayer compound. The compound was the weight of the bow and the draw. The stick bows was being able to see to shoot. I thought that I had cataracts really bad so I went to the VA and got my eyes checked out. I have shot instinctive for years and was pretty darn good at it and being able to focus on a small spot was the key. Anyways, they said that I had cataracts alright but that was the least of my problems.

Turned out that I have Wet Macular Degeneration in the left eye and dry in the right. So it has been shots in the left ever since. I take the Areds vitamins twice a day plus several others to help with the problem. The extra vitamins etc that I have been taking have actually improved my eyesight somewhat. I have 20 50 in the left and 20 20 in the right now. So, I had given up shooting the bows for the most part and given away all but my favorite 50lb recurve. Today, just shooting 10 yards, I was able to focus good enough to shoot, not perfect by no means but able to shoot.

The recurve is very light to carry and I had previously customized it for me by a better fit for my hand as well as lowering the shelf as low as possible. Won't be any more long shots but that is okay, 10-30 yard shots are just fine with me. My favorite was the longbow but I no longer own one. This is like a second chance to shoot again, even if limited and I am totally thankful to be able to. It is funny, I have a torn rotatory cuff that kills me detecting and yet I can still draw this bow, different muscles affected. Getting old has a lot of things that for a lot of us just suck but it could be worse. Perspective is everything. In spite of everything, I am a very blessed man indeed. Jerry

 

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[Oregon Viking]

I have diabetic Retinopathy and eliminated my peep sight with this.
So easy compared to a peep.



Instinct still works for recurve shooting.

 

[dirtlooter]

Being willing to adapt to required changes in life, can enable one to keep participating in something. Life isn't fair, far from it and we have to learn to deal with it or be willing to modify/make changes. Those with perfect health and in great shape, enjoy it while you can, t can be taken from you in a heartbeat. I used to be one of those "Get out of my way, I'll do it" guys, for years. Now, I am in the way and I am the one needing help more times than not. A has been health wise but not out, not yet. Just have to find a different way to do it, that's all. It's either that or find something else to do. Perspective.

 

[Grizz12]

I love my bows, glad you get to use them again!!

Please list all the vitamins you're taking to help your sight, I could use some help in that dept. You can PM if thats easier

 

[dirtlooter]

I love my bows, glad you get to use them again!!

Please list all the vitamins you're taking to help your sight, I could use some help in that dept. You can PM if thats easier

AREDS 2 (twice a day on all of these), Lutein 20mg, Bilberry Extract 150 mg, Beta Carotene 7,500 mcg, DHA 450mg and Zinc 50mg. The zinc is also for helping to dry up the fluid behind the retina that causes the wet macular. My Retina specialists are blown away by my progress as I am showing some reversal. they told me not to quit whatever I am doing. The distortion in my left eye is still distorted but not like it was. I probably won't ever get my eyesight back to being good in that eye but it is so much better. They just try to slow down the process of Macular with the AREDS 2 PreserVision. I am reading two lines better with my left eye than I was before the extra stuff. Hope this helps you like it has me. Jerry

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Good for you. I shot recurves as a kid and in college for target. Then when I got married I bought a compound for hunting. After two years of being unable to connect through various errors and misses (wrong pin, noisy draw, fumbling with release) I went back to sightless recurves and a finger tab. That was 1982. Haven't owned a compound or bow with sights since. I did MUCH better. I now have about a dozen old recurves from the 1960's and early 70's I picked up cheap that I use for hunting and stump shooting. Port Orford cedar or, more recently, Douglas fir shafts. The buck in the lower image fell to a 1960 Mowoc Dot broadhead from a Wing (Bob Lee) Red Wing Hunter of about 1965. I shoot off the shelf with a seal fur pad (don't tell PETA).

This is my favorite. a 1966 Browning Explorer. Fast, quiet, and pretty (Brazilian Rosewood - now protected).


Red Wing Hunter - the ultimate hunting recurve.

 

[huntsman53]

I haven't shot a bow since the early 2000's because of having arthritis in both elbows and carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. My short range vision has suffered much from astigmatism but my long range vision seems to be fine most of the time. There are times when my vision gets somewhat blurry at all ranges and especially so if I am tired, had too much coffee and don't eat right. I found the information at the link below very enlightening and informative and will likely follow a lot of the advice given on the website.

Age-Related Vision Loss Episode #9

 

[BC1969]

Being willing to adapt to required changes in life, can enable one to keep participating in something. Life isn't fair, far from it and we have to learn to deal with it or be willing to modify/make changes. Those with perfect health and in great shape, enjoy it while you can, t can be taken from you in a heartbeat. I used to be one of those "Get out of my way, I'll do it" guys, for years. Now, I am in the way and I am the one needing help more times than not. A has been health wise but not out, not yet. Just have to find a different way to do it, that's all. It's either that or find something else to do. Perspective.

I'm pinning your comment on my motivation board!

BC

 

[dirtlooter]

Good for you. I shot recurves as a kid and in college for target. Then when I got married I bought a compound for hunting. After two years of being unable to connect through various errors and misses (wrong pin, noisy draw, fumbling with release) I went back to sightless recurves and a finger tab. That was 1982. Haven't owned a compound or bow with sights since. I did MUCH better. I now have about a dozen old recurves from the 1960's and early 70's I picked up cheap that I use for hunting and stump shooting. Port Orford cedar or, more recently, Douglas fir shafts. The buck in the lower image fell to a 1960 Mowoc Dot broadhead from a Wing (Bob Lee) Red Wing Hunter of about 1965. I shoot off the shelf with a seal fur pad (don't tell PETA).

This is my favorite. a 1966 Browning Explorer. Fast, quiet, and pretty (Brazilian Rosewood - now protected).
View attachment 1700070

Red Wing Hunter - the ultimate hunting recurve.
View attachment 1700077

I too have a long story with the stick bows, years ago I would go to the bigger cities to the pawn shops and buy them for $10 -$50. they were usually all painted up so I would strip them to find out what kind or who made them etc. Then I would customized them to fit me and my style of shooting. I "harvested" a lot of game from squirrels and fish up to deer. I made my own arrows for years but recently had gone to carbon arrows. I learned how to focus my aim on bees sitting on flowers from 3 ft away then moved farther out. this led to shooting them before they landed. This enabled me to take squirrels on the run etc. I shared this method with several others but quit the bees and used peas and beans for targets. used a blunt and a rock free area of land. After learning to hit such small targets, a deer is like an elephant LOL. My first good longbow was a Dan Quillian Bamboo Long Hunter, wish I still had it. It was always a joy to take a factory made recurve and turn it into a custom fit bow with the leather pad barely above your fingers, you could tilt and shoot nearly like a longbow. Yeah, loved Howard Hill and Fred Asbell. Fred's book got me started on making bows fit me. Now it is all crossbows and they have their place. Jerry

 

[huntsman53]

I too have a long story with the stick bows, years ago I would go to the bigger cities to the pawn shops and buy them for $10 -$50. they were usually all painted up so I would strip them to find out what kind or who made them etc. Then I would customized them to fit me and my style of shooting. I "harvested" a lot of game from squirrels and fish up to deer. I made my own arrows for years but recently had gone to carbon arrows. I learned how to focus my aim on bees sitting on flowers from 3 ft away then moved farther out. this led to shooting them before they landed. This enabled me to take squirrels on the run etc. I shared this method with several others but quit the bees and used peas and beans for targets. used a blunt and a rock free area of land. After learning to hit such small targets, a deer is like an elephant LOL. My first good longbow was a Dan Quillian Bamboo Long Hunter, wish I still had it. It was always a joy to take a factory made recurve and turn it into a custom fit bow with the leather pad barely above your fingers, you could tilt and shoot nearly like a longbow. Yeah, loved Howard Hill and Fred Asbell. Fred's book got me started on making bows fit me. Now it is all crossbows and they have their place. Jerry

After having shot a few recurve bows and shooting as well as owning a few compound bows, I settled on a hybrid of both. While I could drill a bullseye with most bows after some practice, I couldn't hit squat while out hunting and missed quite a few deer. I believe the problem was both the equipment and confidence in the equipment but more so the latter. However, in 1986 I picked up an Oneida Eagle H-500 Bow with a Bow Scope on it at a Divorce Sale at the Randolph County Sheriff's Department in West Virginia and never looked back. Took my very first deer at 35 yards through brush two weeks after purchasing the bow and took many deer in the following months and years up until I sold the bow to a friend in West Virginia. I was so good with maintenance on the bow and with making modifications to make it faster and have more power that Oneida Labs, Inc., the maker of Oneida Eagle Bows made me a Factory Repairman for their' Bows. Many folks found the Oneida Eagle Bows frustrating to setup and maintain and would throw them around in frustration. I have taken somewhat damaged and heavily under-maintained Oneida Eagle Bows and made them worthy for Competition Shooting as well as for hunting. Once repaired, setup correctly and given back to the owners with correct instruction on maintaining their' bows, most of the owners of these bows became die hard Oneida Eagle Bow shooters and even purchased the newer bows when Claude Pollington bought Oneida Labs, Inc. out of Bankruptcy and created C.P. Oneida Eagle Bows. At the (I believe) 2002 or maybe 2004 Shot Show in Nashville, Tennessee, I met Claude Pollington, one of his' sons and their' main Design Engineer and pointed out some problems with the new C.P. Oneida Eagle Bows. Mainly when they moved from the bolt on Pylons to secure the Cams and Timing Wheels to a riser built-in Pylon, they had the Cams too close to the Power Limbs which caused loss of power and tons of maintenance issues. I believe they corrected the problem by the late 2000's. Pound for pound, the Oneida Eagle Bows exert more torque (release energy) on a arrow than any other bow produced because torque is exerted on the arrow through the entire release curve, not just the 4 to 6 inches of power or energy exerted upon the release with traditional compound bows. I don't know if Claude and his' sons own the company anymore as I lost track of them and their' bows but the name has been changed back to just Oneida Eagle Bows.

 

[releventchair]

Congrats on the second chance dirtlooter! Some of those are well worth celebrating...

Now , get thee out there and break an arrow. Or two. (Wait , where'd that one go?) L.o.l.

 

[Kace]

Glad to hear this Dirt! After a car wreck I had to go to a Crossbow so I get the 'change' thing.

Turkey Season Is Almost Here!!

Kace

 

[dirtlooter]

After having shot a few recurve bows and shooting as well as owning a few compound bows, I settled on a hybrid of both. While I could drill a bullseye with most bows after some practice, I couldn't hit squat while out hunting and missed quite a few deer. I believe the problem was both the equipment and confidence in the equipment but more so the latter. However, in 1986 I picked up an Oneida Eagle H-500 Bow with a Bow Scope on it at a Divorce Sale at the Randolph County Sheriff's Department in West Virginia and never looked back. Took my very first deer at 35 yards through brush two weeks after purchasing the bow and took many deer in the following months and years up until I sold the bow to a friend in West Virginia. I was so good with maintenance on the bow and with making modifications to make it faster and have more power that Oneida Eagle Bows made me a Factory Repairman for their' Bows. Many folks found the Oneida Eagle Bows frustrating to setup and maintain and would throw them around in frustration. I have taken somewhat damaged and heavily under-maintained Oneida Eagle Bows and made them worthy for Competition Shooting as well as for hunting. Once repaired, setup correctly and given back to the owners with correct instruction on maintaining their' bows, most of the owners of these bows became die hard Oneida Eagle Bow shooters and even purchased the newer bows when Claude Pollington bought Oneida Eagle Bows, Inc. out of Bankruptcy and created C.P. Oneida Eagle Bows. At the (I believe) 2004 Shot Show in Nashville, Tennessee, I met Claude Pollington, one of his' sons and their' main Design Engineer and pointed out some problems with the new C.P. Oneida Eagle Bows. Mainly when they moved from the bolt on Pylons to secure the Cams and Timing Wheels to a riser built-in Pylon, they had the Cams too close to the Power Limbs which caused loss of power and tons of maintenance issues. I believe they corrected the problem by the late 2000's. Pound for pound, the Oneida Eagle Bows exert more torque (release energy) on a arrow than any other bow produced because torque is exerted on the arrow through the entire release curve, not just the 4 to 6 inches of power or energy exerted upon the release with traditional compound bows. I don't know if Claude's sons own the company anymore as I lost track of them and their' bows but the name has been changed back to Oneida Eagle Bows.

Ah the Oneida, Yes, the totally best of both worlds. Being a stick shooter at heart and loving to shoot instinctive, the Oneida was like a dream come true. Owned several and took a lot of game with them. the absolute best bow for bowfishing, I could short stroke for close shots etc. I passed the three that I had to my son, son-n-law and a grandson when I could no longer shoot 72 lbs nor hold it up anymore. I wish that they had a lighter model both physically and in bow weight. I waited several years to buy my first one to make sure that they had the bugs worked out of them and boy they did in my eyes. I shot of the shelf bowfishing and a simple rest for hunting. it was just a heavy bow for me at times as I struggled with arthritis over the years. Glucosomine later helped with that but I had already given them away. To me it was an instinctive shooter's dream bow, especially for deer or fish. Alas, the actual stickbow weighs so much less but I am also forced to shoot less poundage now so 45-50 recurve is it now. And to me, the stickbows can be so beautiful and so simple. of course I thought that the Oneida was very simple and well made. Thanks for reminding me of those years as well. Love those broadheads that require a file to sharpen. Release? Tab, glove or if need be, fingers!

 

[Grizz12]

AREDS 2 (twice a day on all of these), Lutein 20mg, Bilberry Extract 150 mg, Beta Carotene 7,500 mcg, DHA 450mg and Zinc 50mg. The zinc is also for helping to dry up the fluid behind the retina that causes the wet macular. My Retina specialists are blown away by my progress as I am showing some reversal. they told me not to quit whatever I am doing. The distortion in my left eye is still distorted but not like it was. I probably won't ever get my eyesight back to being good in that eye but it is so much better. They just try to slow down the process of Macular with the AREDS 2 PreserVision. I am reading two lines better with my left eye than I was before the extra stuff. Hope this helps you like it has me. Jerry

PM on the way

 

[dirtlooter]

Glad to hear this Dirt! After a car wreck I had to go to a Crossbow so I get the 'change' thing.

Turkey Season Is Almost Here!!

Kace

I know several diehard bow shooters that used to knock the crossbows until they were forced to go to them to keep archery season alive. Life happens and seasons change but for some, there never was the ability to draw and shoot a bow. so it is what it is.

 

[dirtlooter]

Congrats on the second chance dirtlooter! Some of those are well worth celebrating...

Now , get thee out there and break an arrow. Or two. (Wait , where'd that one go?) L.o.l.

another reason to own a metal detector LOL

 

[Grizz12]

another reason to own a metal detector LOL

LOL

I had a chocolate lab that just started bringing my lost arrows back to me one day, without any training... He was my buddy and is missed dearly

 

[huntsman53]

Ah the Oneida, Yes, the totally best of both worlds. Being a stick shooter at heart and loving to shoot instinctive, the Oneida was like a dream come true. Owned several and took a lot of game with them. the absolute best bow for bowfishing, I could short stroke for close shots etc. I passed the three that I had to my son, son-n-law and a grandson when I could no longer shoot 72 lbs nor hold it up anymore. I wish that they had a lighter model both physically and in bow weight. I waited several years to buy my first one to make sure that they had the bugs worked out of them and boy they did in my eyes. I shot of the shelf bowfishing and a simple rest for hunting. it was just a heavy bow for me at times as I struggled with arthritis over the years. Glucosomine later helped with that but I had already given them away. To me it was an instinctive shooter's dream bow, especially for deer or fish. Alas, the actual stickbow weighs so much less but I am also forced to shoot less poundage now so 45-50 recurve is it now. And to me, the stickbows can be so beautiful and so simple. of course I thought that the Oneida was very simple and well made. Thanks for reminding me of those years as well. Love those broadheads that require a file to sharpen. Release? Tab, glove or if need be, fingers!

I am totally elated that you were once an Oneida Eagle Bow shooter like me! Once you learned the ins and outs of maintenance, setting them up and keeping them tuned which was really easy, IMHO no other bow could come close to the force and accuracy of the Oneida Eagle bows. They were and still are one of the only bows with power cams that can be repaired in the field and go back to shooting/hunting. I always carried an extra bow string, nocks, power cables, yokes and all of the allen wrenches needed to repair my' Oneida Eagle H-500 Bow in the field. Repairs made and a few practice shots and you are back in business. Sure, it would not be perfectly tuned and setup but good enough to hunt until you could get home and do the fine tuning. I purchased two Oneida Screaming Eagle 600 Bows a few years back in hopes of returning to bow shooting and hunting and still have them. One is a medium/long draw and the other a long draw. I even had a Screaming Eagle 689 (Experimental) Bow and could kick myself for ever selling it. It seems that a lot of folks just never understood how a bow with less speed and shooting less poundage could sink arrows in a target or bale of straw deeper than their' faster bow shooting much more poundage. I proved it to a friend in West Virginia with my' H-500 which was setup at a 53 pound draw weight which originally shot at 160 FPS but with modifications, was shooting about 180 to 190 FPS at the time. Steve was shooting a top of the line Golden Eagle Bow set at a 75 pound draw weight and I believe it was slinging arrows at 220 FPS. We both shot the same Easton 2117 aluminum arrows at the same 31 inch length and shooting Wasp 125 grain 3 blade broadheads. At 35 yards, my' H-500 sunk the arrows 6 to 7 inches deeper into the tight bales of straw than his' Golden Eagle Bow, shooting in turn at the same bullseyes of the target panel I had on the bales of straw. Steve could not fathom why I had 15, 25, 35, 50, and 75 yard pins on my' Browning Crosshair Bow Sight until I showed him that I could hit the target at 95 yards, hee...hee...hee. After mis-judging a shot at a massive 300 pound heavy racked 8 Point Buck at 30 yards because I was standing below the road bank of an old pasture field road on the Elkins-Randolph County Airport property, I stepped up on to the top of the bank, nocked another arrow and put the arrow between his' legs at 100 yards. I was trying to put the arrow up his' poop shoot since he was running away and not giving me a quartering away shot. Even though the shot was little low, the broadhead still shaved some fur off of his' testicles and put him into high gear. LOL!!

P.S. You might want to seriously look into the new Oneida Eagle Osprey Bows. They are nothing like their predecessors and probably what you have been waiting for all of these years!

https://oneidaeaglebows.com/pages/osprey

 

[dirtlooter]

it is amazing how quickly your form is lost and you are reminded that you need an arm guard again. yeah, big bruise, used to never hit it or need one.

 

[huntsman53]

it is amazing how quickly your form is lost and you are reminded that you need an arm guard again. yeah, big bruise, used to never hit it or need one.

Ouch, that had to hurt! When I began bow shooting in 1985 after moving to West Virginia with my' job, I almost got blood poisoning due to the bow string hitting my' forearm so much. Found out the hard way that I needed to install and use a bow sling and not grip the grip on the bow.