Best Bang for the Buck?

[Konrad]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Previously, I posted a question on a number of sites regarding what folks thought was the “Best Bang For The Buck” in a bolt action rifle. I received a broad range of opinions but in the end there was a clear consensus (Savage).

Today I ask the question: What do you believe is the Best Bang for the Buck in a recurve and/or long bow?

Thank you in advance for your participation,
Konrad

[koger]

Without a doubt, the Quinn Stallion, smoooth, no stacking, fast, bomb proof and under $300 new, used often for around $200. It shoots like a lot of higher priced bows should.

[Bjorn]

The one you shoot the best is the best bang for the buck.

[rastaman]

I agree with Bjorn.  i've "banged a lot of bucks" trying to find my best! Good luck in your search.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Konrad:
...

Today I ask the question: What do you believe is the Best Bang for the Buck in a recurve and/or long bow?

in essence, this is a trick question since there are LOTS of dependencies and the very first is, what's the primary proposed use of such a trad stick bow?

[bolong]

I don't think there can be a correct answer to that question., too many variables.

[SveinD]

I've not shot to many bows, but will vote for the Samick Lightning!
It is cheap and good enough for everything practical you need a bow for..
It is certainly not the best bow out there, no matter what your standards are.
But at around 220$ new, who cares?
Of the bows I have shot, that is the cheapest one I would put my faith in!

[thunder1]

I'm with Bjorn.

[DeerSpotter]

I'm just going to assume, it's for hunting or practicing.

 I made my choice this week, in the past two months I have purchased one bow from Chad Holm, it is a very good bow the limbs are a little bit more forward of the riser when it is unstrung, so it makes it a little bit faster, I have also just purchased,(and waiting to be built) a second bow from Chad Holm, so that tells you the value of his bows and the quality, otherwise I would not order the second one.  They are a little bit faster, and very are quiet, and I'm able to hit where I'm looking.  His prices start out at $450.00 I think there's a lot of value in his bows, and you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for them.

I also purchased a whip 1 1/2 months ago, and I was surprised chad's bow was a little bit faster in the crono, it was only 8 - 13 fps faster, but the bows are identical poundage.

Chad's a great person to work with, he gave me the woods I wanted in the bow.  And to talk to him about your shooting style and the type of bow that you need(length size weight) is actually a lesson in archery.

When you're selecting a bow, price can't be everything.  What you want to accomplish with that bow is a very big factor.  The second bow I purchased from Chad, it is for practice, it is a lower poundage than my hunting bow.  The value factor in Chad's bows, is that you get a good quality bow for about $100 $150 more than you would with a used bow.  And don't misunderstand me there is a lot a good value in some of the bows on the classifieds.  But if a bow doesn't fit its purpose, or your style, or accomplish what you needed it to do, " it's no bargain"

Just my opinion, take it for what it is
Just the thoughts of a person that is happy with his bows.


Carl

[ron w]

The one you shoot well and can still afford.....but that leaves a bunch of doors open! Hard one to answer!

[LimbLover]

Longbows: Bama Bows and Maddog Archery are two of my favorites. Elk Ridge Archery makes a great bow as well.

Recurves: I've tried several Samick takedowns and they all shot beautifully

[Bowwild]

It depends what you're wanting out of the bow.  If you simply looking for a well made and designed bow that will shoot really good for a lot of people,the (hold your nose my fellow Predator, Blacktail, Fox, Widow, and Bear TD friends)Hoyt's Gamemaster is a good one.  Many wouldn't think (and I wouldn't argue) with it's metal, high-tech riser that it is traditional enough. However, I have one (and 8 recurves of the aforementioned brands)and it is very durable, is super easy to shoot, and is above average in performance. I keep it to bowfish with. I might also use it on a hunt if I thought the going was going to be super rough and I didn't want to bang up a custom job. I guess, with no disrespect intended the fine folks at Hoyt, I consider the Gamemaster dispensable. However, if you're like me, best bang for the buck means a lot: well-designed, beautiful craftsmanship, exotic woods, easy to shoot, quiet, and relatively fast in traditional circles. Personally, I am drawn to the sweep of a recurve's limb tips like a white-tail hunter to the drop-tine.  Frankly, it is really tough for me to find these things at a price that wouldn't have scared the bejeebers out of me 40 years ago.  So, "best bang for the buck" isn't part of the equation for me. If you pinned me down, I think the Predator (Classic) by Pittsley is underpriced by at least a couple hundred dollars.  You can find a mint used one for $400-450 some times unless you are an elite left-eye-dominant shooter.  A lot of guys are getting very good deals ($100-250) on vintage Bear recurves of the 1-piece variety -- they are very common at 3-D shoots.

[nightowl1]

Most bowyers have entry level bows starting between 450 and 550. As covered in numerous posts there really isn't too big of a difference in performance between most bowyers, a few ft. per second here or there but alot of times thats negated by fletching choice, string silencers, size of string, release, Grains per pound shot, arrow tune, draw length, and blah blah blah.

To find the best "bang for buck" in bows I would bet you would have to find a bowyer who sells an entry level bow at a even lower price. Again, there probably isn't going to be a huge difference in performance, just fit and finish. I'm not too experienced with this realm but I have heard great things about both maddog and quin bows, and they have entry bows between 200 and 300 dollars.

I'm sure sammick and other imported bows are fine, but I prefer to support North American bowyers when I can.

I bet if you looked through the sponsors and found a bowyer who made an entry level bow with a few options for less than 300 you would have a good guess.

BTW I agree on the savage also ahah

[Bowmania]

The higher the price, the more it hurts, the better the bang.

Actually, when it comes right down to it, bows don't bang!!!  lol.

Bowmania

[amar911]

I would have to agree with Carl (Deerspotter) that a Holm-Made bow from Chad Holm is the best bow for the money that I know of. I have an Osprey, and it performs as well as or better than most of the highest priced, best known bows on the market. And Chad will custom build the bow for you, which isn't what happens with a lot of the bows that cost double or triple the price of a Holm-Made. I own a lot of the expensive, well known bows. They generally shoot extremely well and often look as good as they shoot. But there is no way to justify the extra expensive of one of those bows over a Holm-Made on the basis of performance or quality if price is a major factor. Don't get me wrong, I am not going to sell all my expensive bows and only shoot my Osprey, but if the Osprey were the only bow I could own for the rest of my life, it would serve me well, despite its relatively low price.

This question is much like what is asked of Consumer Reports. The winner might not necessarily be your favorite, but it will be a very good product at a reasonably inexpensive price point. Chad's bows exceed that test.

By the way 8 to 13 feet per second is a huge speed advantage in a traditional bow. Using both carbon backing and foam cores will rarely create a gain of that velocity. Chad's bow are fast!

Allan

[Lefty]

Easy!  Quinn Archery!!

[LBR]

For a total package--performance, looks, durability, price (low price doesn't mean it's just a "starter" bow), warranty, selection, etc. I don't know of any that can beat Chek-Mate.

[stickbow2442]

I think it all comes down to personal choice. I think the Bear Montana is a good longbow for the money. But my favorite bow is the Tomahawk longbow Diamond Woodland hunter. Is it the best? For me it is and that is what matters most.

[Brock]

I have helped a few people get into traditional archery/bowhunting....and for a new bow I still recommend Owen Jeffery's bows out of Columbia SC.  I have a Royal Hunter I bought in 1993 that I am shooting this year and only thing I have done is add my second or third snake skin to the limbs....and change strings....solid performer.

I also quite often push people toward the used bow classifieds looking for a Howatt/Martin Hunter recurve or some other solid performer that will maintain its value in case it is not wanted in a couple years when they decide to buy a new bow.  It also can now serve as your bowfishing bow or other....plus it is always good to have one like that laying around in the 45-50# range for turkeys or just introducing someone else to the sport.

My vote for cost and performance USED is the Howatt/Martin Hunter.....NEW is the Jeffery Hunter.

[woodchucker]

For performance-price ratio.....

The Bear Montana longbow