Tuff as Nails Bow?????

[TheGreatWhiteHunter15116]

Hey gang I’m looking for a new bow and need your help! I have a 31.5” inch draw and that really beats up on bows. Out of the 4 bows I have 2 now have broken limbs and my current bow is showing some signs of wear that are starting to scare me. I was considering Black Swan bows because I’ve seen their ads with the bows drawn to something like 45 inches. Can anyone recommend a bow that’s as tuff as nails?

[Arwin]

I dropped my St. Joe off the side mirror of my van as I was going down the road. Sorta forgot it was there, LOL!
 It skipped a few times and I thought for sure it was toast. Just a couple scratches!! They are built like tanks.    :cool:
 They will handle your draw even with a 56 inch recurve.  

[PEARL DRUMS]

Bow length is more important than toughness in my opinion. I have a solid 30" draw and If I stick with recurves of 62" min, and r/d long bows of 64" min I have no issues. Short bows can get overworked limbs with a long draw. Just my personal findings. Once I shook off the desire for a short hunting bow my shooting and comfort level have gone thru the roof.

[stevewills]

black widows are tanks,i dropped one hard from pretty high up and it had some forcee because i threw it down.string popped off and i thought i was screwed...long story short stung it up and its still going

[Jeremy]

BobW should be along shortly.  He draws 32+" and has gone through a fair number of bows.  If he doesn't see this thread PM him.

[rnharris]

hard to beat a bamboo limb longbow of decent length widow plv,any hill bow,too many to mention really my choice would be a 66" plv widow longbow,recurve 64" widow ma 3! good luck!

[lpcjon2]

A Hill

[Steelhead]

I like ther widow longbow as well.Its very tough and well made or the PSA in  62" or MA.

Big Jims buffalo bow stands out as a very tough bow.

Pronghorns all fiberglass limb that has 5 laminations of fiberglass and no wood in it is a very strong limb.

I agree with the suggestions of shooting a longer bow at your draw to reduce stress and have more working limb.

[chopx2]

I'm pretty sure Toelke makes a bow for long draws...call him 406-253-4949 he has a reasonably short wait as bow building is his full time job so he is always reachable.

[STEVE R.]

Although your draw is an inch longer than mine, I would still go with a Black Widow. You should atleast test drive one. That pl is one smooth drawing bow.

[Wannabe1]

A Hill  

Yep, I'd stick a longbow with a draw length like that. Just my $.02

[GrayRhino]

I draw 32.5" and shoot a 64" Widow PMA.  Widows are tough, and their customer service is second to none.

[BobW]

Yep, my turn.  At 32"+ of draw, it took me a bit of time talking to numerous bowyers, so here is my list of ones I either own, have successfully shot, or have spoken with a bowyer that is more than confident:

Own:

ChekMate (68" Crusader LB)
ChekMate (62" Hunter RC)
Griffin (64" LB)
Shrew (56" Classic Hunter)

Shot/Discussed heavily:

Blacktail (Snake Bit RC)
Hill Country Bows - forget the model LB - check with 4runner(Ken Yoder)
Chiesse's Bows - LB
Big Jim's Bows - LB
Black Swan RC & LB

Keep in mind, for the most part, you are looking at a minimum of a 62" bow, and likely longer.  Nothing wrong with that.  The power stroke due to the limb travel is the same as shooting quite a bit more weight.  My bows range from 55 to 60 pounds, and nobody likes pulling my arrows at a 3-d shoot.

Feel free to PM me of my experiences.

There are others too, and I mean no disrespect to anyone I didn't mention.  I hope to get a chance to shoot more of them....  Many time I have chosen to pass on shooting someone's bow (non-bowyer) because of having blown them up in the past.

BobW

[tukudu]

Give me one bow and put me out in the bush to survive and it will be a Leon Stewart Slammer.

[Morning Star]

I would think the majority of traditional bows would fall into the tough catagory.  As long as there is durable finish and quality glue lines.....what else can there be other than maybe some riser laminations to ad to the risers overall strength?

That being said, as far as personal experience with bows I can only tell you about the one brand I've used.
I've hunted with Black Widows for 14 years.....their finish is great. I use mine like tools, they have held up very well IMO.

[GMASIUK]

I have a 30" draw and have had great luck with black widow recurves and longbows. I am currently shooting a pchx 60" that is smooth as butter. I have owned most of their models both recurve and longbow and you'd be hard pressed to find bows more durable. You can do a try before you buy. The BW guys are great to deal with and they always answer the phone(a huge plus in my book). Good luck with what ever you choose.

[ron w]

I would lean towards, Black Widow, Great Northern, Hill all 64-66" long. A longer Zipper would work also I would think!

[HATCHCHASER]

Kohannah, Mohawk, Toelke. Any d-bow is gonna be more durable than a hybrid or recurve. Ymmv.

[Ben Maher]

a 70" or 72" Hill bow is tough as nails and will accomodate your draw .
I have "thumper "...an all osage Hill that is nigh on indestructible .

Black Widows are built like tanks as well .

[MikeM]

Besides the Widow and Hill bows which I still own and shoot you might check out Keith Chastain's Wapiti bows that are designed for long draw archers.