Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Even on April 11, 2024, 02:15:34 AM
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Hello all :)
I've just acquired a 66", 60# Sentman Longbow, and I'm really impressed so far. I lucked out with arrows, and had a set of front heavy 340 carbons I made up a few years back that seem to fly extremely well. Further tuning will happen! Its quiet as a mouse, too, with zero hand shock.
What are people's impressions of their Sentman bows? This particular one isn't going anywhere, I tell you that! Its going to make this summer's arrow flinging a lot of fun!
I'm told its a fairly early model of Mr. Sentman's, a reflex/deflex design, cut fairly deep. Is anyone familiar with the names/characteristics of his longbow models?
thanks for any thoughts!
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They had a great following years ago when we started Tradgang in 2003. If I remember correctly there was a model called the moose jaw. He used to post here quite a bit.But it has been over a decade since i've heard from him at least and this is the first time i've heard of his bows in over decade also. You have yourself a gem and don't let it go, but do go and have fun with it.It will serve you well.
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Gary has retired and is no longer making bows. His company was Moose Jaw bows. One particularly nice bow he made was the Razorback a semi-curve longbow. Moosejaw is one of the bows you don't see for sale much. Granted quantity produced many not have been like some of the larger bow makers, just real good bows. You do indeed have a gem. I'm a little jealous!
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Thanks for the info, Gentlemen!
I've shot it twice now, and so far I'm extremely impressed. It may be my most natural "pointer"... it just seems to put an arrow where I am looking, no muss, no fuss.
Its pretty too, with black locust limbs, and a Purple Heart and Wenge riser, divided with a thin strip of Osage Orange. The gentleman I acquired it from was a real class act, too, which is always nice to find.
I've found references to a few Sentman models after I typed in Razorback and Moosejaw, so thanks guys! Its hard to tell, as there aren't many pictures out there, but He had older models called the Competitor, Icon, and Deluxe apparently. I'm thinking it might be one of those. The evolution of his design would be interesting. Now I want a Moosejaw, LOL!
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My leanings are toward the Razorback or perhaps the Strikeforce. I like the semi-curve of the Razorback, but the riser on the Strikeforce looks like the mass would be good. We'll see what I can get my hands on.
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It seems, looking at the few pictures I can find, that Mr. Sentman's early models were a milder deflex/reflex, and he gradually moved to more and more deflex/reflex as his models evolved. It is neat to see the progression.
One thing I really like, in comparison to my other longbows, is how deeply its cut. Nearly center line, for the arrow. I imagine that contributes a lot. I'm curious to see if his arrow shelves became deeper as the models progressed, too. I imagine an archer of Mr. Sentman's skills, had some very specific reasons to develop his line the way he did, over the years. Its neat to see the lineage, if that makes sense?
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From what I understand Gary started out with John Schultz making Hill style bows. Not sure if he still holds the heaviest bow pulled record, at 176# ? It was nice that he waited until Howard passed to break his record.
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Can we see some photos?
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I did a search on Sentman Moosejaw and came up with some threads here. Gary stopped making bows in 2008, so I didn't look hard enough to find bow pics. Many of the pics were Photo bucket and gone.
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I'll try and get some photos up when I get a chance, its been a busy day or two, and grey weather. Been hoping for some sun for better pics.
Yeah, I've dug up a few threads, here and over on another site or two. Its nice to see his bows remembered. There are a few pictures out there, for sure, but not too many!
That is one hell of a poundage. I found his account of how that contest went, and looks like it was his second try, first time the arrow came off the shelf! Sheesh.
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176# would be good for Texas hogs, we do have some big ones!!!
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A few pics for you all. Today was a better day, snow nearly all off the ground now! Bear in mind, I'm about the world's worst photographer.
(https://i.imgur.com/FPvhUUN.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/2gD9cWn.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/HHc94gf.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/zrs3mVA.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/CcmF5c4.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/VmkiKc5.jpg)
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176# would be good for Texas hogs, we do have some big ones!!!
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My friend was down your way a few years back, hunting hogs, and yeah, he said the size of some of them was damned impressive. Seems to me he was down near the coast somewhere. The buggers haven't made it up this way yet, winters still get too cold, and too many wolves, but they're not all that far south, over in AB. Maybe in a few years, I'll have to learn to stalk hogs. Seems like it would be a challenge, and a lot of fun.
I'll have to get a wee bit stronger if I need 176 pounds though ;)
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Anything you use for deer will be fine on hogs, just have to shoot them a tad different.
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I'm thinking a 60# Sentman, which should be 63#-ish at my draw length, should be just about perfect ;)
I'm thinking I'll need to wring out some new/different broadheads though. More blood is better, and that shield seems tough to get through. Got any recommendations or broadheads you KNOW work well? Terry might want to chime in too. Coastal Blacktail and hogs seem a mite different...
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I like big 3 blade heads, but heavy 2 blades work as well. Sharp is the key. I try to hit them low and tight to the front leg. That seems to work.
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I'm going to sit down in the next couple months, and properly figure out building wood arrows, to match this Sentman. I can already tell its going to be my main squeeze for quite a while.
Learning to build woods properly has been on the agenda for a long while, though I've built plenty of carbons, and some aluminums. I think I'll find a good broadhead, for hogs, to base the arrows around, and get them shooting right. Should be good for anything I'd want to hunt these days anyway.
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Start with good quality shafts and the rest is not hard to figure out. I personally like tapered and footed shafts, great arrow flight and good FOC. Usually, add 10-15# of spine weight to bow poundage at 29" arrow, which works pretty good for me. Recurves are Dacron strings and longbows are FF. All bows are pretty good performance wise. Broadheads are 160-250 grains. YMMV
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He also made the "Mountain Bow". I have one and like you said, it's very quiet and spits an arrow.
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Currently, tracking one.
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I also found a vague reference to a model called the "Recon", but haven't been able to find out for sure if that was one of Mr. Sentman's. Anyone know, or remember? Sounds like he made a fair few models over the years.
If you or anyone has a picture of the Mountain Bow, I'd love to see it. Sounds like another great Sentman model!
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I seem to recall the "Recon"
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There are posts, pictures and comments on Stick*** by Moosjaw aka Gary Sentman and others, including pictures of the Razorback, Gary and John Schulz. It is best to enter keywords, as there are many posts. In Oct 2021 Gary moved back to SW Oregon.
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Yeah, that seems to be the place to go for Sentman information, but so far, for some weird reason, I can't get registered properly on there. I'll have to contact the admins, I suppose :/ Gotta be some weird cookie setting, I think.
On another note, I found reference to another Sentman/Moosejaw model called the "Black Moose". Intriguing!
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You'll see Gary over on the other trad site once in awhile
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being a sentman fan ive found little articles here and other places he is very interesting mine is 60@28 and is 68'long the model is competition. the interesting thing to me is it says "last bow" on the upper limb the righting looks a lot the writing on the lower limb .there was abow shop on here that stated his bows were heavily influenced by gary sentman too
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The "Last Bow" thing is interesting. I wonder if it was a request on a custom job, or if it was a departure by Mr. Sentman? I know at a couple points he moved or stopped making bows for a while, according to the bits and pieces I've read.
I'd love to see pictures of your Competition. I see reference to one called a "Competitor" too, but not sure if they are the same or two different models.
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I have had a few of Gary's bows including the Classic, Competition, and Icon. All were well made and solid shooters. I would think a guy could not go wrong if he picked up any of Gary's bows.
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I'm sure enjoying this one. If you look at the pictures I posted above, do you have any guesses as to the model, by chance? I think it has to be one of those...I hope.
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I have a line on a 66" Razorback 60#@28" that I'm seriously contemplating. Never shot a bow that long before.
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Mine above is 66", and so is my 62# McBroom, and its not as unwieldy as you'd think. Just gotta get creative with cant from time to time ;)
I think you'll find it less sensitive/more forgiving than the lengths you normally shoot, as a positive.
If you get it, and don't like it, I'd happily buy or trade it from you, Mike. I'd love to try a later Sentman, and he seems to regard the Razorback as his best. I've become a huge Sentman fan this last couple weeks, with the one I have.
Great find, man :)
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Have hunted many years with 62" Damon Howatt Hunter recurve. More recently as you can see my preference is 60" bows, recurve and D/R longbow. The bow I'm considering is a 66" semi-curve "longbow". I'll let you know.
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Just joined here, I purchased a 56# Moosejaw 2 years ago in the spring from a friend who had 5 built for them long time ago. At that point in time I had never shot a bow in my life. I deer hunted that fall but was not presented a shot opportunity. The next deer season I scored a nice buck at 10 yards with it. So I didn't have any history other than I also shot a 35# recurve a bit through that time, just a box store purchase, can't remember the brand. But I know this, the bow won't ever be for sale...
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Welcome, Trendal!
Thats a beauty, both the bow, and the buck!
I can definitely see more reflex on the tips, in comparison to my own Sentman, so I imagine its got a good turn of arrow speed. I know what you mean... my Sentman bow isn't going anywhere. The more arrows I put down range, the more I love it.
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Thank you! Like I said, I have very little prior experience. I know that coming from the 35# recurve the Sentman feels like it just shoots straight and flat to 30 yards. I know that isn't true though because I nearly missed that buck high at 10 yards due to not practicing enough at close range. He was standing about 2 feet higher than me and I was sitting on a 3 leg stool, the arrow entered too high, bounced off the bottom side of his spine slicing that artery open, and ricocheted back down into the ground 20 yards away. He went about 20 steps and tipped over. Luck shot, 10" too high due to not compensating enough for close range.
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Nice bow and I like the character in that buck.
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Thank you! Like I said, I have very little prior experience. I know that coming from the 35# recurve the Sentman feels like it just shoots straight and flat to 30 yards. I know that isn't true though because I nearly missed that buck high at 10 yards due to not practicing enough at close range. He was standing about 2 feet higher than me and I was sitting on a 3 leg stool, the arrow entered too high, bounced off the bottom side of his spine slicing that artery open, and ricocheted back down into the ground 20 yards away. He went about 20 steps and tipped over. Luck shot, 10" too high due to not compensating enough for close range.
I know what you mean. I've had a tendency to practice at 20 out to 60 yards, at home here, and neglect the closer stuff. Lately I've been working the close in stuff a lot more, in case I get back to hunting this fall. My Sentman shoots nice and flat, but its definitely very easy to go too high, in close. Practice, practice... The long shots are fun, but the close ones are going to be the only ones made while hunting, for me, anyway.
I lost an arrow the other day, down in the woods, when it blew through the upper part of my backstop. Admittedly, the straw up there is pretty deteriorated at the moment. I found the bugger just last night, about a hundred yards out, and pinned into the loam under a poplar, so just the fletching was showing. Bright colors, for the win!
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At my range by the house in town 18 yards is probably my long shot. Would love to get some long shots, but can't with the neighbor kids. Benefit is this helps me focus for hunting.
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18 yards is a good range :)
Last night, I had to stop shooting for a few mins, as six whitetails wandered through, coming from the other end of the drive, which I ranged at about 120 yards. They passed my targets, meandered across the hillside eating the grass (just greening up now), then dipped below the fence at about 20 yards. One young, curious one, came nearly to the fence to see what I was up to, which would be about 15 yards downhill. They were heading to the creek way down the hill, to water up at dusk, I suspect.
If I didn't enjoy them wandering around here so much, I'd be tempted ;)
Maybe the moose will come back this fall, and try the Mulberry tree leaves again. She did NOT like them last fall. LOL, she leaned over the fence, took a mouthful (they were the only green visible anywhere by the end of October), and then went "Blecch!" and spat them out on the ground. Not like tasty willows, I guess...