I bought one new about 6 years ago. Unfortunately the top limb broke after 2-3 days of shooting. I liked the bow, great craftsmanship, very smooth to draw and really quiet. Speed-wise about average. I don't want to sound negative about Bob Lee however, they took care of it immediately(I opted for a takedown) with no problems. Since then I have had several BL bows, longbows, TD"s and their 1-pc recuves. Personally, I think their best bow is the Falcon, a 1-pc recurve. Very smooth to draw, maybe the quietest recurve I have ever shot, and just a good all-around performer. If the Thunderbolt was offered today, I would still pick the Falcon. I don't know if this was much help, other than if you can't find a Thunderbolt you may want to consider a Falcon as a good solid 1-pc recurve.