Bob Lee longbow/recurve limbs - question

[suttoman]

Just wondering if a Bob Lee owner with both of these limb styles could dial-in for a moment.

Out of all the customs I have owned I really like the Bob Lee - it is about all a man needs in a bow.  Silk smooth, whisper quiet, shock free and practical in the t/d.

I just sold it (and my Whip) over the weekend - so now I want to order the same bow in the Elite (Bubinga).  The one I should have got in the first place but tried to save money .....as they say the rest is history.

I will be ordering the R/D T/D bow in the Elite.  I was wondering - whilst I am at it - if I should order a set of recurve limbs for said bow.

I used to have a Martin Mamba and Bear magnum recurve.  That was years ago and I have been into longbows ever since.  They were not very refined bows so I ditched them and sort of spurned recurves ever since - perhaps it is time to re-think?

However if the benefits between these two styles of limbs are substantial/worth it, then I would like to try a recurve again.

Can somebody explain the difference (pound for pound) between the longbow and recurve limbs for this bow.  Are the recurve limbs as smooth as the longbow?  Are they as quiet and accurate??  Which do you prefer??  Are they faster?

I would really appreciate some feedback, otherwise - without spending the dough - there is no way for me to know!

Sutto

[Kip]

Philip  I had a BL 58" sig in recurve and also wanted a nicer bow.I have been using recurves since mid 70's.I quit smoking and after 11 months sold my sig and ordered a 58" recurve Bi-cent with the colors reversed(more bubinga,less micarta) and two sets of limbs 56@28" and 52@28".I decided to order also a 62" set of longbow limbs for the heck of it.Rob told me that to equal the 52lb. recurve he needed to make a 54lb longbow but the recurve came out to 51lbs. and the longbow came out 52lbs.With all that said I hardly use the longbow limbs and have never used them for hunting.I have shot 3-d and aerial targets and feel they are pretty much the same as my lighter recurve limbs and of course less noise.I like a short bow to hunt with so the short limbs are almost always on the bow.I guess Rob thinks longbows are app. 5% less performance than recurves.Kip

[suttoman]

Hey thanks Kip - very well explained and interesting!  Anybody else?  

Yes I can't wait to get my hands on that Bubinga baby - it may not shoot any better than the Dymondwood, but it sure as heck will look great!~

Suttp

[Mike Byrge@home]

I'll echo Kip's commetns.  I have both the longbow and recurve limbs and don't notice much difference between the two.

The RC limbs are little faster and the LB limbs are a little quieter.  I do like the looks of the Longbow riser better but again not much difference in terms of shooting between the two.

[redfish]

When I was ordering my bow, Rob said that he figured that the recurve limbs equaled about 3 # of performance over the longbow limbs. In other words, it would take a 3# heavier LB to shoot the same speed as any particular recurve.
I liked the looks of the longbow riser so I ordered the longbow riser with recurve limbs.
I later got the longbow limbs as I like them better anyway.
Not much difference in performance that I can tell. In my opinion, the longbow limbs are just a tad quieter than the recurves, but not nearly as quiet as a straight, or a mild R/D longbow.
Either way, the Lee is the best shooting bow that I have, and maybe have ever had.
By the way, longbow smooth?...yes.
Longbow accurate?...yes.
Longbow faster?...probably not.
Which do I prefer?...obviously longbow.

[Kip]

Sutto   I posted this morning just before going to my camp to do some work,shoot a few arrows and let my lab enjoy life and plant pine trees for my kids and grandkids.I shot my new 49lb.58"recurve limbs and my second Bob Lee longbow 60" I bought used at 49lbs.Dacron on the longbow and fast flight on the recurve very much diff. on speed but I think the longbow limbs marked 49@28" were a little lighter than the recurve limbs.Both of them very smooth but have to quite down the fast flight on the recurve. Listen to Mike when he talks he shoots like a laser and I shoot like a shotgun.Take care Kip

[suttoman]

Hey Thanks guys - this is really helpful and what I wanted to know.  I prefer the looks fo the L/B, and looks as if there is not much diff in performance - I will save some money and just order the Elite longbow.

Redfish - good explanation and concise - thanks.

Sutto

[Bilbow Bagem]

I bought a L/B elite in Bubinga about two years ago.  Absolutely love it.  It's light as a feather and the grip melts into my hand.  Very quiet and zero shock.  It's a lot of band for the buck.

[jrchambers]

if you are getting the three piece i belive there is no point in having longbow limbs.  fist the lenght has to be longer, if not the stack is great.  i have both but the only difference i can tell is the stack and less preformance.  dont get me wrong i love the bob lees but if im going to have a lb it wont be on a bullky curve riser.

[SuperK]

Just a sidenote, Bob Lee is now making a short riser (15 inches compared to the "standard" 19 inches)so that if you like/want a shorter bow you can use the 58 inch limbs and have a 54 inch bow.  If you have a longer drawlength, you could mate the 60 inch limbs with the short riser and have a 56 inch bow.  Just thought you might want to know....