One piece bows really that bad to lug around?

[Matabele]

Hi all,

Getting closer to pulling the trigger on a new bow (terrible pun, my bad!) and am trying to decide between a two piece or one piece. Don't like the idea of a two piece though, seems prone to wear and some guys reckon you lose a bit of performance.

So just wondering if a one piece is really that much of a pain to transport in the car, on hunts etc? Only bows I've owned have all been three piece.

Any input appreciated, thanks!

[Brock]

I do most of my hunting with a longbow that is a one piece... 66" so not too long but longer than my recurves.  I have no issues at all in stand or in a blind...or in vehicle.  I put it in front passenger seat with my quiver unstrung...and go to the woods.  When I traveled for hunts with it or similar longbow I had a piece of PVC with one cap glued on and the other a slip on cap with a metal screw in it to keep it from coming undone...and an air vent hole in one end or you will never get it off from the suction. LOL  Ask me how I know.  I put it in the fleece sleeve...foam in bottom of PVC...foam in lid...and bow in between.  I have a shorter one for arrows with broadheads and then I tape them together so they will lay flat on conveyor and not roll around...and fashion a handle out of tape or 550 cord as well.  Makes it easier to carry when you also have a duffel over your shoulder and a carry on bag.  TSA wont let you hand carry a bow onboard anymore anyhow as I found out on my Bear Hunt last year with my two piece Wolfer....so no real advantage other than if you want to stick it in your checked baggage with your clothes.

When I have traveled with a takedown recurve the case was large anyhow and held arrows and spare strings, nocks, etc.  So that might have been easy...but so is the pvc tubes lashed or taped together with duct tape...then I throw my soft quiver, spare strings, spare tabs, spare heads and judos...in my checked bags in a little plastic case and never look back.

I typically pick one of my bows each year as the one I am going to shoot and hunt with...never worrying about whether it is takedown or one piece....I really dont like taking them apart and then back together to be honest.  I treat them as 1 pieces 99% of the time.

[Straitshot]

We used one piece bows for years back when there was no such thing as take downs. That being said I suppose if you hunt somewhere far away and have to fly the take down is ideal.

Like, Brock, I seldom ever take my take downs down. My main reason for buying take downs is for the additional physical weight of the bow compared to a one piece and the option of having an extra set of limbs.

[Bladepeek]

I have no trouble carrying a 66" bow in my SUV. In a car, it would have to stick up between the front seats I imagine. The flip side of that is if you ever want to transport it on a train or plane, my 54" Java Man takes down into 2 pieces, each of which will fit in my quiver and are shorter than my arrows. Three-piece bows are even more compact, but you have to carry a hex wrench with you. It would be a disaster to get out in the woods and find no wrench.

I have a bow bolt type takedown, but have owned a Sparrow Hawk with a hinge connection. Neither would see enough take-down/assembly in my life time to wear them out. My Elk Heart (Java Man) has been taken down 3 times - mostly to show people how compact it really is.  Nice to know I can do it if I want to, though.

[yleecoyote23]

I really like one-piece better....but like Louis (Straitshot) said, a take-down is sure nice if you are traveling...

The only situation I can think of where a one piece bow is a pain in the rear is if you have to fly somewhere. Never had a problem with a one piece bow when traveling in a car to hunt.

Bisch

[Homebru]

Do you fly to hunt?  If so, that might make a difference if the transport company can't handle a long case.  

Can you afford to pay oversize baggage fees?  If so and it doesn't bother you to pay those fees, then it's up to you, whether you prefer a takedown or one-piece bow.  If you cannot afford oversize baggage fees or don't like to pay them, then takedown.

I've traveled a couple of times to hunt. I carried my 3-pc in luggage and mailed (USPS) a one-piece bow to my destination.  Staying within the Continental 48, it was only a couple of days for the mailed bow to arrive.  I could easily have mailed my primary bow without concern.

Up to you and your preferences.

Hope this helps.
homebru

[shedhunta]

I think my bowbolt two piece actually makes my bow better.  I love the added weight.

[The-Talon]

I'm not a huge fan of a takedown bow just from a romantic perspective. There is nothing wrong with a take down bow and they perform very well. I just prefer having my bow in one piece.. It seems more natural to me and it just feels right. It comes down to what you want in a bow and what kind of things you want it to do!

[Longtoke]

I carry my 60" bow on my bicycle with me from time to time. Point being, you can make it work if you want to.

Sure wouldn't mind one of those 2 piece sleeve take down bows though.  You could tuck that into your back quiver and be on your way.

[Shadowhnter]

Anymore, I dont want anything but a one piece.

[Ouchigan72]

The 65" flatbow I carry around through some pretty thick woods has never been a problem. I've never dealt with a 2pc. bow.

[fnshtr]

Originally posted by shedhunta:
I think my bowbolt two piece actually makes my bow better.  I love the added weight.

This is a good point! I have a 54" Elkheart one-piece and it goes through the woods wonderfully, being so short. Love it, however I've heard the additional weight adds to the bows accuracy. I'd love to shoot the bow bolt and see.

I can only imagine how convenient it would be to travel with a 2 piece 54" bow. Taken apart it wouldn't be as long as my arrows! So, I'd say it depends on which bow and what you want to do with it.

[fnshtr]

Sorry, double post.

[Archie]

I took down my 2-piece longbow several times while on my 13-day float hunt in 2013.  It was very handy in a raft, and in a pack, taken down.  A lot easier to fly with the airlines and bush plane as well.

I took the same flight the next year, from Chicago to Fairbanks, AK and back, to play in a hockey tournament.  On the return trip, the airlines broke both of my $250 hockey sticks, in spite of them being taped together and in a special container.  I like the shorter package of the take down bow, as I feel it is less likely to end up in a nasty situation on baggage handling machinery.  I won't buy a one piece bow.

[jonsimoneau]

I've had mostly take down bows but I'm primarily a whitetail hunter and almost never actually take them down. A takedown is great because you can get different limb weights while keeping the same riser but that largely depends on the bowyer. For example...if I order a 55 pound takedown from Black Widow....and then decide I want a set of 35 pound limbs I know I will have them very soon. But if I'm buying a bow from a guy who maybe has a longer turn around time then it's wise to order both sets of limbs at the same time. When traveling on a plane a takedown has obvious advantages. But overall, a one piece bow is just fine with me.

[Stumpkiller]

I have one three-piece (a Wing Presentation II target bow - the first three-piece take down recurve) and all my hunting bows (13?) are one piece.

I like the simplicity, weight, silence and looks of one piece bows.

[die_dunkelheit]

I actually prefer one piece bows. My take downs even are almost always put together.
I'm actually working on a window rack of sorts for my Pathfinder to hold my bows while in transit (oriented along the length of the car at the large rear side window). That being said, I've never flown with a bow, and if I did I'd probably take apart on of my take downs.

[hybridbow hunter]

If you plan to travel in airplane a 2 piece TD bow is a must to avoid extra size luggage issues. Other than that there is no interest. And yes, there's is a ( very) little lose in performance between 2 piece versus 1 piece bow

[Bow man]

A one piece is fine unless you have any plans to travel by plane. There should be no change in performance between a one and two piece. The bowbolt will add weight as said most other system only add a couple ounces.