more durable glass or laminated

[buckeye_hunter]

Which bows are more durable for hunting type conditions?  Glass or laminate, or does it even matter?....Charlie

[Jeff Strubberg]

Eh?  Glass bows are laminate bows.....

[buckeye_hunter]

See how little I know about this!!!!

[buckeye_hunter]

I had heard people talk about them as if they were two different thngs.  I'll keep the rest of my dumber questions to myself....Charlie

[Jeff Strubberg]

Not at all, Charlie.  Only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask.

A laminate bow is any bow that uses more than one "layer" of material in the limb.  For a glass bow, three to five layers of wood laminate are sandwiched between two layers of fiberglass, front and back.  the result is very consistent and extremely durable.

All wood laminates are around, too.  Most folks refer to them as "composite" bows in order to distinguish them from laminate (fiberglass) bows  Matter of fact, we happen to have a couple of the best wood laminate bowyers around hanging out here...

There are also solid glass bows, although they are becoming very rare.  They don't perform as well as a wood/glass combination and generally aren't quite as pleasant to shoot.  I suppose they are more durable, although that's like being more durable than an Abrams, IMHO.

[buckeye_hunter]

Thanks Jeff...I just went to Amazon and ordered a copy of the bowyers bible.  In addition to your reply, I hope this book will give me some better background.  I appreciate your input.  I'm  really tring to take my time and learn all I can before I order a new bow.  I currently have a 58in R/D hybrid longbow, but want to get a longer one of the same type for a smoother draw and less finger pinch.  I'm thinking around 62-64 in.  I am going to shoot some bows in WV the last weekend in March at the expo there.  Since I'm planning on spending a good amount of money I want to order the right bow. The bow I have is great, I just don't like the finger pinch.  Which, I think puts me in the market for a 62-64 in R/D longbow. I really like the longbow vs. the recurve, just my preference I suppose.....Charlie

[Jeff Strubberg]

Here's a silly suggestion for you...my solution to finger pinch.


I have an ape-armed draw.  On a recurve I draw pretty darn close to 31".  I also like short bows, even though they can be finicky to shoot.  One of my favorite recurves is a 56# Browning Wasp.  I've gotten in the habit of shooting a two finger release rather than a three finger release any time I shoot a recurve.  I start my draw as normal, but let the finger above the arrow drift off the string as I draw.  By the time I hit anchor, there's only the two fingers below the arrow on the string.

Feels a bit odd the first half-dozen times, but it becomes natural really quickly.

[buckeye_hunter]

I'll give it a try...Charlie