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Interestingly enough, one of themost exciting developments intraditional archery this season is

the strong growth. In these tough eco-nomic times youd think everyonewould be down, but traditionalarchery growth is still strong. Whatsreally interesting is where the majorityof that growth is coming from.According to the largest suppliers oftraditional archery equipment, muchof this growth is coming from main-stream compound archers as moreand more of them give traditionalbows a try.

Those of us who have been a partof the traditional archery businesssince the 1970s remember well thetremendous growth surge of the late1980s and 1990s. Traditional archerywent from total obscurity to a perma-nent segment of our industry.Through the years there has been aconsistent comment from consumersand dealers alike, This traditional

archery stuff is really catching on. Weagree. Now more than ever it seemsthat traditional archery is poised foranother growth cycle. It depends whoyou ask, but experts agree that the tra-ditional market share is between 10

percent and 20 percent of the totalarchery market. With so many com-pound shooters adding traditionalequipment to their arsenal, the poten-tial for new business cant be ignored.Many dealers are already cashing inon the traditional side of the marketand theyre looking forward to anoth-er big year in 2010.

What about bows? Consumersare always excited to see what the newseason brings for bows and this yearthey wont be disappointed. Recurvebows have come a long way since theearly years and todays recurves arebetter than ever. These new genera-tion recurves are exceptionally fast,easy to tune, and when utilizing theILF (International Limb Fitting)attachment system, all risers andlimbs are interchangeable. An archermight have a new Sky TDX riser and aset of Black Max Carbon limbs fromTradTech/Lancaster Archery, ormaybe a new ILF riser from Morrison

Bows and competition limbs fromWin & Win. The ability to mix andmatch risers and limbs is appealing toretail customers and its an excellentrevenue source. Lee Vivian atTradTech Archery/ Lancaster Archerytells us that the ILF system is beingadopted by so many suppliers andbowyers in this country that the con-sumer is really enjoying their mix andmatch options. They find an ILF riserthey like and get it all set up for 3D

shooting and bowhunting, then sinceswapping out limbs is so easy, theypick up an extra set of lighter limbs fortarget shooting and take advantage oftheir local winter leagues. These guysare now shooting all year long. (Hold

that thought! In the next issue ofArrowTrade Magazine well addressfacilitating the transition of a com-pound shooter to traditional gear. Inthat article well discuss in more detail

156

About The AuthorTodd Smith has been a tradi-

tional bowhunter for over 40 years.After learning the art of handcraft-

ing wood arrows in Alaska from hismentor John Dodge, he builtarrows professionally for severalyears. In 2008, after a 19 year stintwith 3Rivers Archery, he made thedecision to help other businessesgrow and currently offers market-ing services through his websiteToddSmithCo.com.

Todd Smiths Traditional Focuscolumn in ArrowTrade is beingsponsored in part by Alaska

Bowhunting Supply.

New Products Help Traditional

The Black Max carbon limbs from

TradTech/Lancaster Archery will fit any ILFstyle riser on the market.

The Raven longbow from Kustom King

Traditional Archery offers a quality long-

bow at a very modest price.

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the bows that make that transitioneasy.)Have you ever heard of a bow

designed around an arrow/broad-head combination? The new O. L.Adcock longbow from AlaskaBowhunting Supply is billed as a high-efficiency model designed aroundtheir GrizzlyStik tapered carbonarrows and single bevel broadheads.This bow is intended for serious biggame hunting and offers a balancebetween limb efficiency, smoothness,

and stability. O.L.Adcock, who is well-known for his worldrecord flight shootingequipment, designedthe unique limbs. Thechallenge was to cre-ate limbs that wouldcast a heavy arrowhard. They do! Thebows will be manu-factured by Win & Win

because Win & Winsengineering andmanufacturing capa-bilities are producing

the bows that now dominate theworld in target and Olympic competi-tion. The one-of-a-kind carbon riser isperfectly suited for this rugged hunt-ing bow and the limbs will be avail-able for 62 inch, 64 inch and 66 inchbows with standard weights of 50-75plus pounds. (Special orders for heav-ier bows will be accepted.)

There is always a strong demandfor quality longbows at affordableprices and Kustom King TraditionalArchery offers several longbows thatfit that bill. Their Black Forest retailsfor less than $300.00 and the Raven forless than $500.00 but both bows arehigh-energy deflex-reflex designs withexotic hardwoods and clear fiberglass.They have the look and feel of a cus-tom bow without the custom bowprice. These are the kinds of bows tohave on your rack for folks who justwant to give traditional archery a try.They get a great looking bow and theycan take what they saved on the bow

and pick up arrows, quivers, and otheraccessories. Kustom King also hasquite a selection of sensible bows foryoung archers and kids. One bow that

stands out is the Tombow. Its an easyto shoot reverse handled recurve withhardwoods and clear glass thats verypopular with the young shooters.Remember to have some bows onhand for kids, even if its the solidfiberglass kind. Throughout the year,there are many impulse buys onarchery equipment for kids.

When it comes to arrows andbroadheads theres a lot going on butthe line between what has beenthought of as modern or traditionalequipment is no longer black andwhite. We have seen an encouragingoverlapping of equipment. Not onlyhave cut on contact broadheads seenmore acceptance with compoundshooters, the new single bevel broad-heads are really catching on.According to Garrett Schlief at AlaskaBowhunting Supply, We estimatethat over 70 percent of thebowhunters purchasing our singlebevel broadheads are compound

shooters. He found that once com-pound shooters tried them on reallybig game, they were sold. Then theytold their friends.

There have been many newentries into the broadhead marketthis year. The most unusual being thetwo-blade single bevel broadheads.They are creating quite a buzz. Thearrow lethality reporting by Dr. EdAshby for the past 27 years has clearlyshown the effectiveness of single

bevel broadheads on tough tissue,meat, and bone. As more and more

By Todd Smith

Gear Continue Strong Sales

PHOTO

LEFT: The

Tombow

recurve

from

Kustom

King is agreat

bow

priced

right for

young

archers.

PHOTO RIGHT: The new

GrizzlyStik O. L. Adcock long-

bow from Alaska Bowhunting

Supply is the first bow ever

designed around an arrow and

broadhead combination. Hereis the unique riser section.

The new Woodsman Elite in glue-on and screw-in, from

3Rivers Archery, has taken the original Woodsman to

the next level.

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bowhunters share their success sto-ries, word of mouth has been drivingconsumer demand and manufactur-ers have been responding to thatdemand in a big way. AlaskaBowhunting Supply introduced 12new single bevel broadheads includ-ing the Ashby, a design based specifi-cally on Dr. Ed Ashbys recommenda-

tions. This year the Grizzly BroadheadCompany is releasing its re-designedGrizzly broadheads in both right andleft bevel, STOS broadheads is work-ing on their entry into the field andABowyer, Eclipse, Steel Force, Tusker,and Zwickey are already selling theirown single bevel designs. Single bevelbroadheads are available in screw-inand glue-on styles in weights from 100grains to 315 grains. Theyve takentheir rightful place as one of the mosteffective designs ever and as weveseen, theyre not just for the tradition-al bow set-ups.

Several new three-blade broad-heads have hit the streets as well. The3Rivers Archery Woodsman Elite hastaken the original Woodsman broad-head to the next level. The new

Woodsman Elites are machinedfrom a solid steel bar and have noseams or weak spots. Theyreadvertised as hunting sharp rightfrom the package and the flightcharacteristics are reported to beexcellent. Theyre Teflon coatedand available in screw-in or glue-on models in weights of 100 to 250

grains.Speaking of broadheads,theres a new kid on the block,Vantage Point Archery. Theyveintroduced the VPA Terminatorline of 3-blade broadheads. Theyreall milled from solid steel bar stock,but most of the Terminators are notvented. Vantage Point contends thatby eliminating vent holes you have astronger broadhead that wont catchon bone during penetration. Tests alsoshow that the non-ventedTerminators are deadly quiet in flight.All VPA Terminator broadheads areTeflon coated and available in screw-in and glue-on models in weightsfrom 100 to 300 grains. (Note: Vantage

Point Archery is a manufacturer, so ifyoud like to have them create a signa-ture broadhead for you, contact themdirectly for details.)

Small game heads are actuallystrong sellers and there are two newofferings that do double duty as effec-tive stump shooting heads as well. Thehardened steel Hammer from 3RiversArchery is available in glue-on andscrew-in versions from 100 to 250grains and according to them, theycall it the Hammer because it nailssmall game.

Vantage Point Archery justreleased the SGT (Small GameThumper). Its made from durablehardened steel with a hollow-point

nose that magnifies the blunt forcetrauma effect and five sharp talonsthat grab and help quickly dispatchsmall game. The claws also help keepthis head from burying in the groundor grass so as a stump shooting headits excellent. Theyre available in glue-on and screw-in versions from 100 to250 grains

Flemish strings are used by mosttraditional shooters and even thoughthere is a big market for selling ready-

made Flemish strings, many stick bowshooters still like to save money by

158

The new VPA Terminator broadheads with no

vents are stronger,silent in flight, and soon to

be color coded by weight.

The Hammer small game head from

3Rivers Archery nails small game.

The SGT small game thumper fromVantage Point Archery is devastating on

small game and an excellent choice for

stump shooting.

Vantage Point Archery offers custom

broadheads in screw-in or glue-on models.

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making their own strings. To make theFlemish string building process easier,Brownell Archery introduced a totallynew concept in Flemish string jigs.This jig is adjustable with a twist of thewrist and easy to use. The handyupright spool holder keeps your stringmaterial in place and allows easyspooling as you lay out your bundles.The jig can be held in your hands orclamped to a table if you prefer a morestatic working platform. Made fromstrong yet lightweight anodized alu-minum, the Brownell Flemish stringjig will last several lifetimes. Every jigcomes with easy to follow directionsand will be offered individually or as acomplete string making kit.

Here is some great news for tradi-tional shooters and target archers

who like to really match their arrowsto tight tolerances. Bearpaw justreleased a new electronic spine tester.Its the result of diligent German engi-

neering and as you might expect itsthe Mercedes Benz of spine testers.The load-cell quickly and accuratelymeasures arrow deflection and dis-

159

LIONS TIGERS BEARS...

See more

www.huntersniche .com

take the challenge

Nothingescapes

a Predator

and

and

Brownell's radical new

Flemish string jig is the first

of its kind ever offered.

Alaska

Bowhunting

Supply now

offers twelve

varieties of sin-

gle bevel

broadheads

from 100 to 315

grains.

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160

plays the result on an easy to readLCD display. You can adjust the read-out for either pounds, or actualdeflection. No more using confusingconversion charts, or trying to figureout just which line the needle is reallypointing to. With the Bearpaw elec-tronic spine tester youll always knowthe exact spine of your arrows.

Bearpaw is also offering a newSuper Feather Cutter. They take greatpride in their German design andbelieve their Super Feather Cutter isthe most precise feather chopper evermade. The mechanical cuttingprocess is effortless and the cuttingprocess is very safe. Interchangeableblades are available in the following

shapes: shield, parabolic, Indian, andbanana. The Bearpaw digital spinetester and the Super Feather Cutterwill be available from Kustom KingTraditional Archery and TradTech/

Lancaster Archery.DVDs are very popular

with traditional archers. Oneof the most successful seriesever is the Masters of theBarebow collection fromVision Quest Productions.There are three volumespacked with interviews withsome of the top recurve andlongbow shooters in thecountry. From simple selfbows and Howard Hills styleshooting to gap shooting andface walking with the newhigh-tech recurves, its all in

there. You cant talk about tra-ditional DVDs without men-tioning the Primal Dreams

DVD from Brothers of the Bow. Thatsa DVD that anyone will enjoy, evennon-hunters. Its more a documentaryof why we hunt. The footage is spec-tacular and the quality reminds you ofa National Geographic program.

Just released is a special DVDfrom Straight Arrow Productionscalled The Journey Begins. This DVDhas fantastic nature footage and doc-uments the journey of young LucasApel as he becomes a bowhunter andtakes his first big game animal. Everyhunter should have a copy of this DVDto share with any kids that might beinterested in learning to hunt. Thekids love it and its a movie that adultswill enjoy as well. Heres what folks aresaying about it:

A must-have for young huntersand mentors alike, is how this video

was viewed by NRAhuntersrights.org.My son Brian and I watched your

video last night. He loved it, especiallythe Wheres Lucas part and wants toknow when I can take him deer hunt-ing. Its nice to watch a hunting DVDthats not just impact shots and thatgets kids excited. - Brian Spencer,Ohio

This DVD reaches out to all youngkids and gets them fired up abouthunting. If you have a DVD-TV set up

in your shop to showcase DVDs addone of these to your play list and theDVD will sell itself.

With all things considered, itmakes sense that the traditional mar-ket is still growing. When the economyslumps, folks tend to step back to amore simple lifestyle. Archery hasproven itself as a strong seller duringeconomic downturns so keeping asupply of traditional equipment onhand makes sense and, as you can

see, there are many new products for

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2010 Hunting Heartland

Bearpaw's

electronic

spine tester

makes spin-

ning arrows

much easier

and faster!

Bearpaw's new feather cutter, with interchangeable

blades, is a vast improvement over its competition.

8/10/2019 Traditional Focus Column

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161

the traditional crowd in your area. Ofcourse your customers will tell youwhat theyre looking for and with somany of the traditional productscrossing over into the compoundmarket, youll reach more customersthan ever. Heres to a fantastic year in2010!

By the way, if youd like to stay in

touch with whats going on the con-sumer side of traditional archery theInternet is a good source of informa-tion. There are three retail magazineswith an online presence;

TradBow.com, PrimitiveArcher.com,and TradArchersWorld.com. Youmight also try the online traditionalarchery discussion forums like;L e a t h e r w a l l . B o w s i t e . c o m ,TradGang.com, TradRag.com andTradTalk.com.

For contact information on the

products mentioned above you canvisit the company websites by typingin these addresses:3RiversArchery.com

AlaskaBowhunting.comBrothersoftheBow.comBrownellArchery.comCarbonTechArrows.com

(Win & Win Bows)KustomKingArchery.comLancasterArchery.comMorrisonArchery.comSkyArchery.com

StraightArrowProductionsLLC.comTradTechArchery.comVPArchery.com

WHEN YOURE READY FOR

SOMETHING BIGGER! GrizzlyStik ABS Exclusive!

Alaska Bowhunting Supply AlaskaBowhunting.com 888.697.9828

Outdoor Sports Marketing Group 877-483-4942

Dr. Ed AshbyDr. Ed Ashby

The Masters of the Barebow DVD series

is one of the best selling of all time. The

author believes every hunting family

should have The Journey Begins DVD in

their home to share with kids who may

someday become bowhunters.