I'm far from an expert on this but I can offer a few suggestions.
Do you need to spend a small fortune to try this sport out? Absolutely not. Look on Ebay for a good used bow in the 50 lb. range and give the sport a try. Bear Kodiaks and Grizzlys are a couple good ones to check out. Try for ones from the mid to late 60's and early 70's. Early Groves are a great find if your lucky enough to find one. The Ben Pearson's, Brownings, and Wings are also ones to check out.
If money isn't an object, go for a semi custom like the Black Widows. They are great bows. One thing about this hobby is there are more brands out there now to choose from than there was in the 60's when I got started. There is no shortage of bows. There are members on this site that are custom bow builders also. Matchedset, Silvertip and Bowmaker are the ones that come to mind easily.
An important thing to remember.......if it was made before there was fast flite string, don't use fast flight string. It will fail. Stick with dacron.
If you are wanting a long bow, the Cabelas Sequoia is a heck of a bow for the money. Bears and Martins are also great choices. If you really want to get primitive, get a selfbow from Joe or if you are realy creative try building your own. In this computer age there is a wealth of information out there for doing all this.Like Joe said, go to a trad shoot and shoot some. You'll know the one you want when you shoot it.
There are more ways to shoot "Traditional" than there is room here to write them down. There have been tons of arguements on other sites over this very subject. Big thing is....shoot what you like and shoot it to the best of your ability. You aren't going to see the constant nock breaking groups that is the norm with modern equipment, but you will, with practice, make great shots consistantly.
If you have questions, ask all you want. There's enough of us here that can help put you on the right path.
