Bob Lee vs. Palmer

[String Cutter]

Well, its about time for me to get the itch again and pull the trigger on another bow order. Has anyone here owned and shot both of these bows?? How did they shoot ,handle and compare to each other?? Is the Palmer really worth the $1200??... $500 more then the top of the line Bob Lee??
How is the Customer Service with both of these Companies???

[limbow]

Pop some popcorn!    

[ozy clint]

bob lee are great to deal with. nice bows too. as for palmer, i don't know.

[Indie]

Just mentioned it on another thread:

Had bought a second hand BL Recurve, and after some months one Tip broke of, whilst full draw.

I sent it in and Bob Lee repaired it free of charge, even though I was not the original owner and it was older than two years.

They fixed it the day it got there, as well!

That´s what I call great customer service.

Did I mention that I really like that bow?

Stefan

[DJTJR]

I have a lot of bows some well over the $1000 and honestly so far i almost always back with my bob lee for consistency and feel.  it always surprises me but it is what it is.
s

[jrchambers]

i have a couple bob lees, i dont know anything about palmers but it would be hard to belive that they could preform any better, and as mentioned the service is great.

[bayoulongbowman]

I agree with Jr , bob lee has great service , but I love to try a Plamer , I tried to contact Plamer but had trouble calling them. There both great choice.

[stick hunter]

BOB LEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Awesome bows and great people!!! I heard Mr. palmer is very moody and bad customer service you might want to do some research!

[bsigal]

I own a Bob Lee Bicentenial.  Had a small problem, sent it back and it was taken care of immediately, no questions asked.  My warranty was also extended for two years from date of repair.  They're great to deal and the bow is a joy to shoot.  I would gladly own another.

Service is great, and the people are a pleasure to deal with.

[frassettor]

Originally posted by limbow:
Pop some popcorn!        

   

[Covey]

Palmer has a bad reputation for customer service, I never had one of his bow's but I've heard it from several people. When I meet him at K-zoo a couple of years ago he would'nt give me the time of day,that turned me off his bows in a hurry!!! just my 2 cent's, Jason.

[Diamond Paul]

stick hunter is very close to the mark.  Pm me if you want my personal experience w/ Palmer.

[Clint Russ]

I went to Denton Hill about 15 years ago with my Palmer bow. Had a fist full of money in my pocket & thought I needed a NEW bow. I shot almost every takedown there. None were BETTER than what I already had. I still shoot my Palmer.Both are top of the line bows. Try both if you can.I don't think you can go wrong with eather one.

[frank bullitt]

They're you go string cutter. sounds like you  have an answer! Bob, Rob, and Charlotte are good people, over 50 years in the archery business, thats says alot. I have a signature bow, new in 1995, still shooting strong. I always considered Bob as one of those  "Fine southern Gentlemen"!

[Bill Turner]

No longer own a Lee but not because of lack of performance or poor customer service. Just can't own them all. Would not hesitate to buy another Lee if the need were to arise. Good company, great customer service, and a long history. No way I would pay $1200 for a Palmer bow. Morrison, Black Widow and others in that price range might be considered but not a Palmer.

[limbow]

Does the BL bow have the performance that the Palmer's are known for? I know there have been quite a few folks here that have had a few structural issues with limbs/riser on the Palmer bows with not much help from the bowyer. I really want to shoot a Lee just to see how it performs.

[maxwell]

I recently got a used bob lee off the site and am loving it.  62" 48# @ 28" really throws an arrow.   Bob Lee my choice.

[bro-n-arrow]

I own 5 palmers and love them. Their customer service stinks but they make a great bow. I have also owned Bob Lee classic and it shot well but I like the Palmer linb attachment system alot better.Their customer service system is much better but the Palmer is better for me.As far as the price, there some good used one's around.

[Moon]

I've owned three Palmer bows for several years without any problems whatsoever.  They shoot great, have a great grip, draw real smooth and NO recoil after the shot.  Did I mention they are plenty fast.  I believe they are an outstanding recurve bow.  

I have also owned Bob Lee recurve bows and they too are great bows.  They are very accurate and consistent performing bows.  I don't have any at the moment but hope to own another some day.

My experiences with Mike Palmer and his wife have been nothing but good.  I have visited his shop in Sabinal, Texas on several occasions and once  he treated me to lunch even though he was busy building bows.  I'm no one special just a regular guy that likes to shoot traditional bows.

In the end, if you get a Palmer I believe you will be extremely satisfied with the performance of the bow.  If you get a Bob Lee you will get the same results.

FYI, occasionally you will see a Palmer or Bob Lee bow for sale on this and other sites.  You might consider getting a used one of each to try out since I'm sure there is an abundance of shooters that will be more than happy to buy them back from you if you don't like either.

As a matter of fact, today I received a used but very unique Palmer bow that I bought recently.  It has a classic riser made of osage/modark and the limbs are osage.  Believe me the bow is immaculate and looks new.  It's 60" 53@28 and shoots just like you would expect a Palmer to shoot; AWESOME.  

My point is this, there are plenty of good used bows out there that people hardly use and if you look hard enough you may become the recipient of one of those bows.  I'm sure you will be very happy to own either one.

Good Luck.

[A.S.]

Tommy, get the Lee. Preferrably the Bicentenial  Elite, 60" 50@27 (or there abouts). Shoot it for a while, then I'll be glad to buy it from you at fair market price!!

I'm pretty serious.

Allen