What is the best hunting bow ever made?

[PAPALAPIN]

Anyone that knows me already knows what my answer will be, but to not prejudice your answer I will hold my opinion for now.

So, in your opinion, what is the best traditional hunting bow ever made...and why?  What factors shape your opinion?

[Blackhawk]

Jack, I think your question has to read "What is the best hunting bow ever made...for you?"

I believe there is no ONE bow that exists for everyone.  We are all different so we have our own ideas about what makes the perfect bow.  Some like longer bows while others prefer shorter ones.  There's recurves, longbows, selfbows with each having their own fans.  Grips are different too.

However, I would venture to say there is one bow being made today with universal appeal to "most" hunters that gives good accuracy, speed, forgiveness of poor release, durability, ease of tuning, availability, good looks, and value.  That bow is the Black Widow recurve.

[Ray Lyon]

Fred Bear Wood handled take-down.    

[PAPALAPIN]

I asked for your opinion.  Certainly "your Opinion" will be shaped by "Your Preferences".

So, just to make it clear, Longbow, Self bow, Recurve, Reflex, Deflex, all wood, composite of wood and glass (or carbon), bamboo, solid class (or carbon), etc...  what in "Your Opinion" is the best traditiona hunting bow ever made?  

Note:  Wheelie bows are not traditional.

[PAPALAPIN]

Whatever flips yer switch.

[59Alaskan]

Ahhh...I just had to edit my post...so if you read it in the past 15 min it's changed...I have re-thought this...

My opinion is it has to be a take down for travel purposes.  My opinion is it has to have the ability to go to 64".  

Once you get past those two assumptions I feel you need a take down with a great variety / ease of limb choices (large market availability of limbs) and a bomb proof limb attachment system.

That leaves 2 bows...Bob Lee and Bear Take down.

Either one could easily classify but I will put my vote in on the Bear Take Down B riser.

[zepnut]

The Bear Wood Handle Takedown.
The takedown system. The different bowyers that make limbs. The ability to drop down in weight and still have the same riser. Hard to beat the looks of the early 70's risers.
 

[PAPALAPIN]

So far, the Bear wood handle takedown is in the lead.

[jeff w]

Another vote for the Bear Takedown: 3 riser lengths, 3 limb lengths, no tools required assembly/disassembly, and offered in a wood or magnesium riser.  Hard to believe it was invented around 1971(?), over 40 years ago!

[ron w]

For me.......The bear Grizzly of the early 70's. Good price for the working man. Shot well and still does. Great grip, light in the hand.....just a great hunting bow! I still have my Uncles bow from about 72', a 45#'er.

[jrbows]

In my opinion and not my preference (because I've never owned one) the all wood self bow is the best hunting bow ever made. My reasoning and again opinion is that the users used them to help keep from starving by hunting.

[mahantango]

Such a personal thing... Hard to argue with the vote for the Howatt Hunter. Personally I never have, and never will understand the attraction of the Bear Take-down. To each his own.

[59Alaskan]

Ron,
My "go to" bow is my 1972 Grizzly.  It's actually my personal favorite to hunt with, but my vote was more based on the masses than me personally.

I don't even own a B riser and I voted for it!  Go figure.

 

[59Alaskan]

Why the Grizzly personally?

it is bomb proof.  I shoot it with a weather rest and it's just consistent and I don't have to worry about it at all.  My confidence is greatest with it across all hunting circumstances

But I read the question as not personal preference but across the masses so given that I stick with the B riser

[TRAP]

hard to argue with a Bear take down system

DD

[Hobow]

I would vote for the magnesium Bear takedown.  Besides all of the features of the Bear takedown already mentioned, it's cheap, numerous grip and rest options and super easy to tune with the adjustable arrow plate.

That said, I left it home and took my Gamemaster Jet!

Brad

[bamboo]

at the risk of heresy I believe the best hunting bow ever made is the mild R and D long bow--shelf cut to center -1" to 2" above center-grip straight or slight locator-equal length limbs--64"-66"-even or slight positive tiller-450+ 8 strand endless loop

my reasoning is this--with this type of setup and heavy [10-12gpp]arrows you can get arrow speeds that are more than adequate--no limb contact from the string [near silent]and a very forgiving/stable shooting bow

forgiving and quiet to me are most important attributes of a hunting bow IMO

I shot and loved my pearson and bear recurves and they killed quite a few deer--but as my hunting evolved I found a hybrid longbow quieter but it was not as stable as I liked and while shooting bows at joe skipps renegade archery shop he put a hill style bow in my hands and I've never put it down------------

[oldbohntr]

I agree with Hobow.  I sold my wood and mag risers, and kept just one A Mag and one set of limbs.  It shoots every bit as well as the woods and is pretty literally bomb-proof. (not completely: strip a screw hole and it could come apart.) Even though I seldom have reason to take down a bow, it is surely an advantage.  

That's logic speaking, not my heart though.  When hunting with an old bow(often)it's nearly always a Wilson Bros BW from the mid 60s.  

Bamboo, you're no heretic. I shot Hill style bows for years, and they are-to me-the last word in stability and durability. To me the "best" hunting bow is one you can carry on a month long sheep hunt, drop or fall on it a couple of times and it'll still be intact to shoot your animal. Lose your balance while crossing a rock slide above tree line and you can stick that sucker down as a walking stick...criticize that if you want, but it's better than falling. It'll still shoot and scratches on the tip are better than damaging your body up there.  

That said, I have become a fan of the hybrids, or a radical r/d, especially with carbon. I don't find them to be unstable, noisy, or any other negative. They give up some durability, but improve performance and hand shock significantly.
As I grow older, and shoot less and less weight, I choose to be more demanding about performance.

[PAPALAPIN]

OK... as anticipated, the factors determining the Best Hunting Bow ever made are dictated by personal preference.  What you hunt, where you hunt, and how you get there have a definite bearing.  Air travelers seem to prefer a takedown for obvious reasons, but a takedown will probably be preferred by those that horseback or backpack into a hunting are also.

A ground blind or tree hunter will probably prefer a mid range bow where length is concerned. and guys hunting in tight brushy areas will prefer a short bow. Longer bows my find more acceptance in western open country.

My preference is my Jack Howard GameMaster Jet Camo (Surprise- HUH?), even though I hunt from tree stands in the Georgia piney forests.

No surprise that many will say that the best bow in the world just happens to be the model that they use personally.  That's because it is the best...for them.

It is a good thing that we have so many various models to choose from because picking a hunting bow is almost as tricky as picking a wife.  They all may look pretty, but pick the wrong one and life is just not as good as it could be.

HAPPY BOW HUNTING!!! ...  By that I mean  "hunting for the right bow".

[highlife]

As stated earlier, the answer to this question is always personal preference.
But .... I will say this, I am going to Hawaii on Christmas day and plan to be there 3 weeks and will be deer and boar hunting with traditional equipment.

I have been shooting my B handle takedown lately which I have three different poundage limbs for it. (50/60/65) I also have a Norm Johnson Blacktail takedown. I was taking it apart to pack for my Hawaii trip and had to hassle to find the allen wrench and then wiggle the limbs off the riser. Then it dawned on me ... Freds takedown invention truly is amazing because its so easy, so fast and so secure.
Again, answering your question is personal but the beauty of the Bear takedown is hard to beat for ease of operation, breaking down for air travel or  inside of your pack while sheep hunting and the beauty of different limbs makes it where others can use your bow on the same hunt. My daughter will be using the 50 lbs limbs!!!