Newbie Questions To Recurve Bow Hunting

[wcsxd9]

Hello, I am new to archery.  Well I guess I haven't started yet.  I just purchased a wooden recurve bow and would like to practice with this and eventually use it during deer archery season.  Here are a couple of questions I have right now.  Bow is 50#

What type of arrows do I use for practice and hunting? Feather of plastic?  Aluminum or carbon?  Also I have a 28 inch draw so what length arrows?  I would like to be able to do all this myself rather then paying for all of this to be made.  Any help will be appreciated.

[Who...me?]

Congratulations of your new bow!!  Who made it? 

Here are a few places to read up on traditional bows.

http://www.stickbow.com/
http://www.tradbow.com/

The choices about arrows are many and a personal choice made from experience.  I use cedar shafts with shield cut feathers w/ a Blue/white/blue crest for my recurve and aluminum shafts for the compound.  I use the same arrows at practice that I hunt with.  By that I mean I have several dozen arrows that are all the same and I take the best ones into the woods.

How did you arrive at your draw length?

The best advice I could give you would be to find an archery shop where you like the people and have them set a nock point for you, check your draw length, buy a half dozen inexpensive arrows and go play with it for awhile.  Decide if it is something that you actually like and are going to sick with before starting to make your own arrows.  You can drop a lot of FRNs on arrow building tools and supplies.

One again welcome to the wonderful world of stick bows and have fun!!

[walker]

"Who...me?" gave you some excellent advice.

I wouldn't advise a new shooter to begin with a 50lbs. bow, but if you can't purchase something more like 30-35 lbs., then do with what you have.  The reason I say this is that learning the shooting techniques properly takes sending ALOT of arrows down-range, and starting off with 50 lbs. of draw may turn into shoulder pain and frustration while trying to learn proper technique.  I often practice with a light-draw bow to work on a specific part of my form, then apply it to my heavier hunting longbow.

Go to a bow shop with a range, have them set you up with arrows and basic tackle, take some lessons, start very cheap/light and work your way into it over a year.  It can quickly become an obsession!

[Aapi-Wahayv]

I kind of like carbon arrows myself, they stay nice and straight. Ultimately, it will be your decision, so I would suggest trying out different types and see which works best for you. A bow can be made out of anything; That bow can be made effective with the right arrow. I like to think of bows a bit like guns, your bow will work best with a well-matched ammunition. Different materials and dimensions will have different weights and behaviors and, therefore, will differ in effectiveness when under the unique force and operation of your bow. That seems to be especially significant in traditional archery.

That's just my opinion; I doubt I have the experience of some of these other guys. 

[redneck]

I like carbons.  For the most part they are either broke or good.  The way to check is slightly bending them like you would to break a pencil only less force.  For the money I don't think you can beat the value.
Aluminum have a habit of getting bent with out you knowing.  If you want to check you can roll it on two know straight parallel objects.  I use two other arrows for this.  If it is bent it will "wobble" when it rolls.
As for the fletching I use what is called a blazer (short tall plastic) vane.  Just so you know the vane is the plastic fletching and the feathers are what they sound like.  The feather are a little more forgiving but the trade off is a little bit of speed.  As a new archer I like the feathers.  Another tip is when the feathers get gaps you can wet them and smooth them down.  If you do go with the vanes the can be straightened with a hairdryer.
As for sizing almost all arrow are a little different.  They will have a chart to calculate what stiffness you need.  I liked Who...me's advise about finding a good bow shop.  If you go when they are not busy I am sure they will give you all the info you could ever want. 
The best thing for practicing is lot of little sessions.  When I was hunting with my recurve I tried to shoot about 10 or so arrows a day.  After about a month you should be drilling skol cans at 25yards. It is easy to burn a shoulder out with the long sessions, plus in the woods you will have a lot of 1st shots.
The recurve is very rewarding and addicting if you have the time.  After about 15 years of avid hunting, my favorite hunt was going after rabbits with a bow. Enjoy!!!!!

[DeltaEchoVictor]

Buy this book:  The Traditional Bowhunter's Handbook.

It will tell you everything you need to know about getting started.  I have a very well used & dog-eared copy that I still refer to when I need a reminder.

If you buy it from T.J. he'll even autograph it for you.

[Soularcher]

Just about any manufacturer will have a spine calculator on their site, you take the bow poundage, and the arrow length, and it calculates the spine (stiffness) of the arrow needed.  Too stiff, or too flimsy, and the arrow will flex too little, or too much (parabolically) when released, effecting your accuracy to varying degrees.  It pays to find the correct spine.  You'll also need to consider the weight of the tips in this calculation (100 grain, 125, 85, etc...).  Good luck!