For The Love Of Widows

[Etter]

Anybody else on here into nearly no other bows but widows?  Dont get me wrong. I love trad bows of all kinds. I started with a damon howatt monterey (which I think may be the best production bow ever), but Ive owned bows by zipper, black canyon, RER, bear, kanati, stalker, etc and I just always go back to widows.

My first one was a 60” PA and I fell in love. After that I bought a 60” ptf off of here and loved it equally but recently sold it to a buddy so I could have Toby build me a 60” PSA.  I had him build it with a custom grip and extra glass for added mass weight. Man is it sweet! 

My last widow will be a super short 52” kb for treestand hunting but I think Im done messing with other bows. These things are just the tops and the guys who make em are too.

[Mike Bolin]

I am in the same boat as you. I have tried a lot of the custom bows out there and almost with out exception they were well made and great shooters. However, when push comes to shove I have always gone back to Black Widows. Started with a MB back in the 80s and bought a MAIII in the early 90s. Took a long ride with their longbows, both the LAG and the PLs as well as several bows from other bowyers. I picked up a used TF last year in a trade and enjoyed that bow so much I ordered a new PTF. The new PTFIII is my all time favorite bow! With the low wrist grip and light physical weight it feels similar to a longbow and it just "fits" me!
I recently picked up an old Bear mag handle takedown as a back up bow to the PTF. I've owned one before and it is a fine bow that I shoot well and it's a classic. Pretty please overall with my very limited collection, but I still find myself checking the classifieds every evening hoping to stumble on another lefty PTF or PSA.
I think to some extent, it is the Black Widow Bow Company and their customer service as much as it is the bows themselves. When I had shoulder issues in 2016 I couldn't handle the weight of either one of my PL longbows. I called Black Widow and asked them if they knew of anyone that might have a lighter weight PL that they would be interested in trading. The answer was "no, but what weight are you looking for?" I told them 40-45#@28" with a standard grip. Roger said he'd "do some checking around." 3 days later I received a package from Widow with a brand spanking new PLX takedown with a note saying to send it back to them once I got healed up! In 2003 I had was Widowless and had a Canadian hunt planned. A month before the hunt I had an "issue" with the bow I had planned to hunt with. All of my "fun money" was tied up with the hunt and I was thinking I may have go with my muzzleloader. I called Ken Beck about "renting" a bow and he said he couldn't do that but he would send me a bow to use as long as I needed it...an people wonder why Black Widow customers are so loyal!

[MCNSC]

I have several different bows , but always have a Widow. I bought my first one used , it was before they were doing the custom work. I actually thought they were ugly but wanted to see what the hype was about fell in love with them  Think I’ve owned about 7 now. PSAX Bocote now that I don’t think I’ll ever sell.

[McDave]

I too have explored many fine alternatives, but the bow I shoot every day is a Widow, a 60th anniversary ASA.  The more I shoot it, the more I want to.

I had a 50th anniversary Widow that I donated to the St Judes auction a few years ago. But that one never really suited me personally; the ASA fits me like a glove. But the feeling of making a difference in a child's life was priceless.

The bow I killed my first deer with, the one you can see in my avatar, was a 65# SA.  The days when I could draw a 65# bow are in the rear view mirror, but I could never bring myself to sell it, so I eventually gave it away to a fellow ex-marine. I used to shoot with him frequently, and hope to resume doing that whenever I get a COVID vaccine, but it was always such a pleasure to see him draw that 65# bow like I draw a 40# bow now.

I also have fond memories of visiting the BW shop in Nixa and attending Fred Asbell's seminar there.  So my memories of BW are not simply limited to their bows. Like other people, the best memories are of events that evolved from their bows.

[beemann]

I started with an MAIII in 91 I could barely afford it.  Somehow I scraped up enough cash to get another MB with identical specs..  Those were the only two bows I shot for twenty some years.  Sometime later I found this site and started trying all the bows that eluded me.  I tried a lot of different rigs but when it was time to get serious I always had a widow in my hands.  I have since ordered a bunch of new widows with the same custom grip as my originals.  The beauty of them is that I can grab any of them and they all feel and shoot the same....  Widows are the best bow for me. 

[JamesD]

I have yet to shoot a Black Widow (It's on my to do list).  It was their advertisements in Bowhunter Magazine in the late 80's and early 90's that gave me the traditional archery bug that led to me giving up the training wheels.

[ed lash]

Same deal as many of you. Have had many bows...many nice bows. But the Widows are my "go to" bows. If I had to only use one bow it would be a PMA. The PSR was my fave for many years.
Gotta love the Widows and the folks that make them. Ken Beck is a great guy too...I admire him (the newer guys also).

[ed lash]

I have yet to shoot a Black Widow (It's on my to do list).  It was their advertisements in Bowhunter Magazine in the late 80's and early 90's that gave me the traditional archery bug that led to me giving up the training wheels.

Yeah. Wasn't Maggie's Meanderings in there...he had a beautiful one piece Widow as I recall.

[Dave Lay]

I have to second everything Mike said. I have had a lot of different brands of recurves and longbows but keep going back to a widow. In fact Mike and I have bought and sold each other widows. I have a very close friend who makes a fine longbow so I now shoot his but otherwise I’d be shooting a 64” PLV . I’ve owned a few PL’s of different weights and they are a outstanding longbow .
     Recurves, I’ve had PSA,s , PA,s and my current SAV that is the smoothest bow I’ve ever shot . I can’t imagine a better hunting bow for me.
   I have a story similar to Mikes , I had a hunt planned to Mcalister depot in Oklahoma and I broke my bicep tendon on my drawing arm, I could still draw my bow but it hurt and at the time I was shooting a 63lb PSA2 , I also called Roger to see if he had a lighter set of limbs made up he’d sell me, he said no but he had a set he’d loan me for my hunt and until I healed from the upcoming repair surgery.  I was able to kill 3 deer with that bow before my surgery, which I had put off until my Oklahoma hunt .
  Widow recurves are not the fastest or maybe prettiest but they are bullet proof tough and the best drawing bows Ive ever drawn And the customer service is absolutely second to none   Yea I am a VERY loyal widow shooter
Seems this old ad shows Myles Keller did pretty well with one as well.

[Bowguy67]

To each his own guys. I’ve owned a few. Still have 2. I’ll be honest one stays cause it’s got my daughters names on it and it’s the last bow I got before I became divorced. My kids were tiny but gave me bday money towards it. That bow is going nowhere. Truth is though I have to force myself to shoot em. There’s other bows I’d way rather shoot or hunt with. I shot one this afternoon with the intention of really trying to hunt tomo w it. I tried all summer practicing too but it just wasn’t fun.  Just couldn’t do it. Unstrung it put it away again. Kinda reminds me of bear bows. They’re all gone too. Way better bows out there imo

[buckeyebowhunter]

I've always liked my widows, but I had one unstring on me once when drawing it. Maybe it was my fault with too much torque. But maybe those tips are a little too narrow. I have other bows I shoot just as well for a lot less cash. Not bashing at all, and as mentioned their customer service is fantastic.

[Huntschool]

I will herald what those above with positive reply's have said.

I have had a number of bows since the mid 60's but have found the Widows to be the best for me.  I have an old MA frost finish that just shoots on auto piolet.  Then I have three PL's.  All of them are custom PLX bows and they shoot like fire for me.  I had a PF but loaned it out and never got it back....  Oh well...

As others have, said their customer service is second to none.  I am comfortable ordering over the phone talking to Roger or Toby any time.  In this day and age this kind of customer service is something to be cherished.

I am old now and my shooting requires a lower poundage bow.  The last bow I ordered at low poundage came in right on the numbers and looked beautiful.  These are just great bows.

[Long Barrel Colt]

I reckon I have a fair start to my Bow collection  I'm just starting out and I bought a new a Bear Kodiak 1959 reissue 40 lb. Then I ordered a Black Widow PSR V one piece Ironwood Recurve 60" 45 lb that arrived a couple weeks back. Right after I ordered the PSR V back in June I found  mint near new Black Widow PL V Ironwood Long Bow 64" 51lb on ebay. I'm the same way with firearms. Two safes full with no idea how many I own

[KentuckyWolf]

Love widows.


Had a desire for a widow after seeing the old magazine ads for the SA II & III. Finally got to shot one in high school when my uncle came over with a brand new SA II. He had stopped by Nixa on a side trip during a vacation in Branson. He was super impressed and treated like family by Ken and crew. He order it that day. Which knowing my aunt was an honest to God absolute Biblical level miracle that she “let” him spend money on a new bow. Anyways, I shot his. I shot it almost instantly better than my production recurves (PSE, Browning, Bear). It hit harder too. I was hooked.

Took a few years for me to get the spare capital to get my own. However, I love it and will never part with it. Got a few widows now....and will be other eventually.

Before anyone chimes in...yes I have shot lots of other bows, by many different bowyers, but for me widows are it. What I shoot daily, what I hunt with, what I would trust on a out of state or country hunting trip....my widows.

[stagetek]

I like mine.

[bucknut]

My first traditional bow was a Grey Bark MA II in 95 and have a PCHX now.  I have had or have almost all the top end bows since.  I love everything about widows except that I find them much louder than some of the other top end bows even with 2 sets of silencers and brace height set everywhere you can imagine. Maybe that's the price to pay for making them bullet proof?? However, they shoot right where you are looking.

[MCNSC]

Talking about customer service. I had a SAV that I bought used , during hunting season I started noticing a crack along one edge of a limb. I kept using it until hunting season was over and it did get a little bigger. Called BW and told them that I bought it used and described the problem. They wanted me to send in the limbs. I discussed also sending in the riser to have it refinished , they gave me a price on the refinish so I packed it up and sent it in. Got a call or email ( it’s been a few years) saying they were going to replace the limbs. Got the bow back a few days later , invoice for refinishing said no charge.
 Compare that to another well known bowyers customer service, bought one of his bows second hand and the finish seemed to just be going away. I called him and he admitted he had had a problem with his finish holding up. But only warranted to the original owner.

[Burly]

Over the years I've shot a lot of bows, but none fit me as well as my old MA III.  I was simply lights out with it. I've owned several Widows ,a couple PLs ,PSR,TF and a SA III. Just love them.

[kskickapoo]

Dry fired my 72@28 MA three times in one day once while breaking in a new glove.  No problems and limbs are straight & true...

[Warden609]

one of my favorite bows!