Important Arrow Info For Traditional Bowhunters 

went to a 3D shoot last year, & grouped up with some fun guys that all shot target recurves. I had my Schafer recurve with me, my fav hunting bow. I held my own against them, but was almost constantly getting tips and coaching from them, which I didn't mind-none of them were hunters. towards the end of the round, one of them asked why I wasn't changing my shooting based on their instructions. I mainly hunt from the ground, so i said, "let me show you. let's you and me try 1 shot each at 15 yds-you pick your shot, & i'll shoot the same way, then it's my turn." He picked the classic upright target shot, and got closer to the bullseye than me. then it was my turn. I stood with my back to the target, and knelt down on both knees, then turned around as i drew, holding my recurve almost perfectly horizontal, just a couple of feet off of the ground, and drilled the heart on the target. He missed the target completely! "I said-I'm a bowhunter-that's why i shoot the way that i shoot!"

I just shot a tournament with guys shooting metal risers and longbows with perfect vertical form and draw and stance....... But I won with drawing from low position, canting my bow, single Nock point and 52 lb of draw weight has 32 inch draw. When they were shooting 35 lb metal riser bows three fingers under with perfect form. My bow is my hunting setup

“ I do not shoot in a perfect world! I do not shoot with perfect form”! Amen

I have shot Bow for 56 years, and I AGREE with EVERY THING you said in this Video 1000%. I will continue to watch all your video's. Great Job !!!!!!

I agree with you. Everyone has to find their shooting style and what works for them. That's where the fun starts!

Good stuff! I’m just getting into bow hunting and I like learning from an actual seasoned bow hunter not a target archer. Same tools, completely different applications.

Watching your videos like this one makes me realize I could use a more forgiving setup and need to work on/play with tuning more.

Been a compound shooter my whole life, just started traditional recently to reignite the fire and learn something new, this is probably the 3rd trad bow video I’ve ever watched, but this has to be the realest damn thing I’ve EVER seen on RU-vid. HELL YEAH DUDE! Awesome video

Watched several of your videos and what you are saying makes perfect sense to me. I'm 70, still able to pull a 60 pound bow and shoot in the old traditional style. Why? It fits me and it's fun. I've tried compounds and even crossbows. They don't fit and I'm going to shoot the way it works for me and the bow that works for me.

Just started watching, but I love your channel. I love the fact that you’re focused on what works, not what everyone tells you should work. 👍😎

I noticed on my first deer I ever shot at with my longbow that I should have practiced with a cant. I went home and practiced it and immediately realized that I was shooting all wrong before. I love how informative your videos are and that you have thought about everything. Like the video where you have a pin in your grip so the arrow doesn't fall off in high wind. Like who thinks of these things lol keep up the good work man.

Awesome, finally a truthful bow hunter !

Finally, a realistic hunting shooter. Right on bud... love it.

To go a step further, I practice shooting left handed for animals coming around from behind and to the right as well as flying targets without a good anchor with any of my bows,but I've been shooting bow for 72 years!

Ever since I had to quit hunting cause I’m old, I’ve used your explanation as my defense for my target performance. Our club has one “hunt” style shoot a year. Tree stands, 8 yd shots. Knees, under branches, the whole routine. Every club oughta have at least one for perspective.

Jason I agree 100% too many people watch the hunger games and think that’s the way to shoot a bow for hunting. Great real world knowledge being dropped. Thanks as always for sharing.

Another great video with a real world perspective and not following the crowd. Real world in the woods!!! Practicing like that makes harvesting game achievable. Thanks.

Awesome video. I am a compound archery hunter, but find a lot of your information priceless and cause me to think in different ways for my setup. . Also, The energy and passion you have for archery and all-things-outdoors is astounding. Haha great job.

You have a lot to say and you get it done. I learned some things and enjoyed watching. Thanks.

All I can say is if it works do it ! I watched your practice videos , and I must say you are an awesome shot , very consistant shooter , hope to be that good some day !

Tell it like it is and do what works for you. That's my way of shooting just as it is yours. Great philosophy.

back ground is b e a utiful! great info aswell

Good video. I can use back tension everytime when I'm practicing. But when I'm in the moment hunting I never think about back tension. So after a couple of seasons I've just quit practicing that way and know how my arrow flies as it would when I'm hunting.

hell yeah brother!! stiff is the only way to go! if you want penetration you dont want jiggle. only a steady straight shaft can deliver so much power! alot of people neglect the importance of shooting at distances like 3 meters to work on how clean and straight you can let the arrow leave the bow before anything else! im shooting a 50# @31" on abut 32 and a half inches of draw and the only arrow that can leave the bow straight is something close to 350 spine

Late to the party here but, im smiling all the way through it because, i feel your frustration with the Keyboard Warriors and unsolicited experts. As the late Mrs Fern Meigs used to say, " I dont care if your shooting, standing on your head, if you are hitting your mark, your doing it right"....

Excellent video Jason. I think a lot of the shooting gurus are well intentioned but are geared towards newbies and people crossing over from compound bows. Or, competitive 3D guys. It's funny the way those courses are laid out, 99% of those guys will be deer hunting 18' off the ground😁 Try getting back tension when a deer is 6 yards from your tree and you're 20' off the ground! It's too much.

Fundamentals are what's truly important if you are learning how to shoot any bow , that is if you think consistency is important and yes I am a bow hunter.

Haha, you had me busting up! I love it, "I'm not a target archer, I'm a bow hunter!" And to that I say, amen! Yes I target practice, but for me it is all about the meat! Thanks for the great videos.

kustom king barrel tapered cedars & maple have worked great for me.

Good tips! It looks like you have a great working system. Nice heavy arrows too.

My dad was hunting with a recurve in the 50s and 60s when l was a teenager he taught me to shoot just like you do crouch down bend at the waist a little bend in bow arm l can't imagine shooting any other way

The brutal honesty! Lol learning so much from you.

Most excellent bowhunting advice, and I could not agree more. As a tournament archer for many years, I can assure you that it is very difficult to "unlearn" that style of shooting. For one thing, my mind is so finely trained to hit center that It's all I can do to force my shot down to hit the heart or low in the lungs. As you know, a hit that's a little high of center can cause all kinds of problems. Shooting at game is a whole different ballgame - just take a look at the techniques of Fred Bear or Howard Hill to name just a couple (of bowhunting legends). They took more animals than I could ever hope to take, with equipment that most people would not know what to do with. I'm "just" a bowhunter now, and I wish I could shoot more like you do...

I believe my form is much worse than yours. I am 66 and have been shooting Traditional for around 55 years. I was always a bowhunter first, foam shooter second. I always cant my bow, no back tension to speak of. Sometimes I hit full anchor and sometimes not, I am known to snap shoot on occasion etc. etc. Meat hunter first and have been blessed with 76 whitetails in the freezer over my life. I have tried correct form and so forth but think at my age I will just stay with what works for me. Loved the video, thank you!

Great video. I shoot my bow the same way as you at a canter. I’ve been shooting that way for about forty years. I’ve been laughed at too. I tell them shoot the way that they are most comfortable. I’m sure not going to change now.

Love this video and informative information!!! Makes sence. I know what works for you may not work for onther archers as everyone is physically built different. If you are getting great results and hitting where you want to, dont change.. Acurrate shot placement is the key to sucsess!!!

Your viewpoint was well presented.

TB , your the Man! your speaking all truth. keep it coming!! 👊

Thanks for what you do.

"Pinch a bear can... I'm not doing that." I agree.

Fit for purpose, great.

I agree with you 100%. I see comments where guys ask if they should hold for two or three seconds to get back tension. I'm thinking, shit in two or three seconds that animal could be out of the shooting lane. One question though, do you find the heavy foc "reduces" the importance of the spine of your arrows? I'm just starting to dabble with a high foc.

I am so grateful to finally meet someone , who I can totally understand ... Your a lefty, I am a lefty.. You don't conform to the social archery styles of archery that are dominant on videos or in archery clubs....you have your own adaptable style that works for you, for what you need (hunting). 11:47....Bwhahahahaah....OH MY GOD !! laloololol

Very sound advice 👌

That torque thing (khatra) is an advantage for thumb draw in which we dont care a lot about spine and stuff

Houghton lake! Glad you're still here brother.

Just use a smaller horsebow and thumb release with khatra and you can avoid so many of these issues 😛 All joking aside, great info and points here. You've definitely done the work to figure out what works best for you and what is impractical technical distraction. Also, with the back tension stuff, you may just be strong enough to where you dont have to put extra focus into engaging the back. I'm a skinny guy, so I need all the focus I can get to keep from tearing out my already crappy shoulders.

I've always shot Doug fir arrows in my recurves and longbows. Nothing against carbon, just haven't been able to get a good carbon to fly like my fir arrows with Pope & young cut feathers. I did just order the American from Steve at NM. Thx for the gr8 info.

Thanks for your common sense videos for real hunters

Archers!! This man knows of that which he posts!! 🏹🏹🏹🦌🦌🦌

Hello from Siberia, Baikal lake area. A good content your videos.

Thanks - appreciated

I shoot similar to you when I hunt when I shoot paper targets in a league or 3D then I shoot more of a vertical bow for me it's not hard to switch back and forth some people that's the curse of death

Ive actually got in the habit of leave my arrows a c-hair weak spined to help with this to i run 4 x4" fletch, loses a little foc with the extra feather but works well for me and im never thinking about the cock feather

This was a good one, couldn't stop laughing. Just to much "You Gotta Do This" stuff out there. I have never been able to get the bare shaft thing down, but feathers are your friend. Keep em coming

You would make a great preacher lol thanks for your work

Awesome video I do test my tune for hunting situations and all I care about is the end result meat in the freezer. And again awesome video

The real deal! Glad to have found your channel.

100% buddy!

Extremely good video, slam packed with the truth. Good stuff.

Good stuff man

Greg video! I also get really annoyed by everyone acting like you’re going to be able to shoot a stick bow like you’re shooting at the range in hunting scenarios. Plus the fun of shooting primitive bows is the fact that it should feel natural and it should be your own style……..shoot however your comfortable shooting and build off of it. I ain’t looking at any diagrams of how my back and arms should be.

I experimenting with your shooting style versus what I have been doing, shooting bow vertical. So far, I find your style way more comfortable and natural. I am using a recurve and I am wondering whether you see advantages with shooting a longbow.

People think they should be as precise and repeatable as an 85 % letoff compound with a release. It's like trying to shoot long shots with a shot gun. These bows have diffrent advantages. Light quite shoots ok in any position.

I shoot a 52” 60 lb bow . Here in the PNW we don’t hunt out of a tree stand . We are waking 100s of Miles a year . And we need a small bow beacuse the brush is so thick

I never could get a bareshaft to fly straight, nothing I ever did, best I can figure is I have a major form issue. I shoot well and typically place high but dang bareshaft I h drives me nits

Love your vids. Unorthodox like me. 😁

I cant the bow as well I’m a hunter not a target shooter I hunt for meat I don’t worry about horns my form is horrible and I don’t use back tension either my style works for me

Love this video! Thank you for posting

I disagree with a lot of what Jason says but I also understand what he's trying to convey.

Great info, do what works for you and the perfect it! Enjoy your videos very informative. One suggestion, slow down and take a breath every now and then you’re gonna pass out one of these times bro! Lol!

Great 👌

Great, very informative video. Thanks

Love your honesty.

Jason, What is the maximum height of your high back feather configuration?

If it works for you it’s right for you

Dude, you gotta focus on back tension and expand through the shot !!

Im the same way i bareshaft paper tune and then use 4" feathers with poor form too

That’s what I’m talking about 🤩

Lmao glad somebody finally said all of this!

I’ve been trying to find a high back chopper. Which one do you use?

You speak the truth!

Sometimes people get so caught up in the gear that they forget their own bodies and instincts. I'm really enjoying your advice, attention to sensible gear, but not neglecting what makes sense to you and you alone. Not everything you do will work for me, but some of it will. Jeet Kun Do...

Also what do you call a release device / glove like that? I am a beginner traditional bow hunter. I have a 50 lb grizzle bear bow. I am looking for a limb quiver like the one you have. I currently have a neet 3 finger glove and shoot split finger. I a really like your glove.

My best friend has his own style. We call it Crouching Tiger. You shoot upright compared to him. He too only cares about hunting. I shoot 3d tournaments and got caught up in the "perfect form" crap. It adversely effected my hunting. I went back to how I shot when I started 30 years ago. I am shooting better than ever. I now shoot a 60 inch longbow and have a 2'oclock cant while bending at the waist. It's how I shoot from a stand or the ground.

When I started40 yrs ago an old guy asked me, “ do you want to hit the 12 ring when your with your friends or do you want to kill the deer and elk?” Since then I have shot the way you just explained. In the last 40+ yrs I have since then killed a bunch of deer and elk, my friends they can hit the 12 ring.

That straight up and down shooting holding the bow like a compound must come from watching tournament archers. Guys getting into into traditional complain about not being able to shoot a long recurve or longbow because the bottom limb may hit the stand. I practice shooting my longbow in a lot of positions and one of them is almost horizontal. It can be done with practice. Some guys are amazed when they try canting and that it can be done.

People r going to see mistakes, but is good tha u don't care , for me what u said it make sense, only one question u said that u use hight feathers couse u use big Brodhead then if i use small Brodhead. Is fine with regular feathers?

26" draw? How tall are you? This really stuck out - as I'm only 5'6" and I might draw 25" or so - and it's always felt like a limitation becauseI need more draw weight to get decent energy. What draw weight are you shooting for hunting? Good video, thanks!

The Bow is an ancient weapon and as such, there is no wrong way to loose arrows so long as they hit where you want them.

That's why I shoot a traditional bow, simplicity and versatility. Compound shooters are locked in to a rigid form and must install their trelease aid each time. I find it very limiting to a hunting situation.

Good stuff. I'm a hunter & just looking into learning on a trad bow. Haven't even found a bow that I wanted to buy. But anyhow I was wondering what poundage of bow do you use?

Are there any reasons why you shouldn't use lighted nocks?

Thanks for your vidoes

If you have marks on your arrows and riser your arrows are overspined. Try adding more weight up front….😅

This was awesome.

Jason I have a similar draw length as you, and my first Trad Bow is a Bear Montana 64 inch, 60lb. I bought 400 spine arrows, and got them finally tuned with a 75 grain insert and a 300 grain broadhead. However, the trajectory was rough after 15 yards, about 8 inch drop at 20 yards. When I tested it at a local archery shop, the poundage on my bow actually ranged from 40-46 pounds. (Apparently this model is very "stacky". ) I'm having luck killing three pigs and three deer this year, but I would like a bow with more poundage to improve my trajectory. Right now instead of "20 yards and in" I'm more like "12 yards and in." Question 1. Seeing how my draw length can't be increased, how did you find bows allowing for higher poundages? I think I remember you saying you used as much as 70 pound trad bow, but now you are about 55 pounds. Question 2. Spine charts now say I should shoot a weaker spined arrow, 500 or 600, would a drop in spine improve my trajectory in the 15-20 yard range? Have you found the spine of an arrow affecting trajectory much? By trajectory I mean "drop" with increasing distance.

Great video Jason!! Can you tell me what bow grip is on your bow? It looks absolutely straight. I have never seen one like that. Looks much more natural to me but I’m a hack....haha.

When will the wide cut head from Tuffhead be available?

Great info.Plastic fletching suck