Ultimate Longbow?

[Arwin]

Tracey at St. Joe River Bows just built a new longbow for me, entirely different from their norm. I got a chance to shoot it prior to being finished and it's a rocket launcher!!

 Came out to 58#@28, 60 inches long and nearly all walnut. The laminates were matched on the back and belly, this had to be meticulous!!

 She also built the limbs completely custom, making them deeper and more narrow. Pics to come soon!!-

[Atennishu]

The one in my hand at the time, I have shot bows that are older than I am to brand spanking new ones, and I just love them,  There are so many great bowyers out there, I would love to have an endless line of bows to shoot, Not that I don't have a special bow or 2 , but if the other bows find out they might get jealous and smack me a little.

[curlis]

It is a newbe on the scene but the Legends cyclone is not only the nicest longbow that I have shot but is one of the finest BOWS that I have ever shot!

[Zradix]

The next one....


 

[Birdbow]

Another vote for Big Jim Thunderchild!

[Rob DiStefano]

there is absolutely no such thing as an "ultimate bow" of any pedigree.  that's pure nonsense on way too many levels.

[swamprat26]

Acadian Woods Tree stick

[SilentArcher]

Jim Jones' Firefly Longbows.   I took the 2012 Oklahoma State Indoor championship with my 36lb Firefly and the 2012 NFAA Southern Sectional championship with the same little bow.  I finished 10th at my first Indoor Nationals this year shooting the only wooden bow off the shelf against the olympic metal riser, elevated rest, plunger buttoned bows.  Very accurate bow that literally shoots itself.

 www.braveheartarchery.us 

 http://www.braveheartarchery.us/new_page_20.htm
(the embedded video is me shooting my 55lb bow at a standard NFAA 300 target)

They are one of the quietest, smoothest and dead in the hand longbows you will ever shoot.

As for speed my 55lb Firefly will launch a 584 gr.  Beman 400 MFX Classic at 191 FPS and my 36 lb. bow will shoot a full length Carbon Express 2040 Predator with a 145 gr. tip at 172 fps at my draw length of 29 1/2.


You can't find a better bow for the money.

[Tron]

The Whip. Hands down. Dan is an artist.

[Chromebuck]

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:
there is absolutely no such thing as an "ultimate bow" of any pedigree.  that's pure nonsense on way too many levels.

X2 Rob.  It entertains me how often this post cycles through and always receives a slug of responses.

If it aint a D it aint for me! Hill #1      

Feels like the traditional NASCAR circuit...

~CB

[jbat73]

there is absolutely no such thing as an "ultimate bow" of any pedigree. that's pure nonsense on way too many levels.

X3

PS- I couldn't miss anything letting arrows fly from a Dean Torges self bow of my Buddy's, but I do Love my first Custom Hill "Wesley Special" with string follow!!! J      

[longrifle346]

My short answer is "yes". Longbows, I've found are  alot like my kids. I love each one of them better than the other one....

I really do not like to agree with Rob to often, I have more fun arguing, but really there is no recurve or hybrid or longbow that fits every job for every person. I prefer D bows, but still I have made some of my best shots with a Super K, including 5 tossed quarters in a row at 10 to 12 yards. I still on the whole do better with D bows and at times with my Robertson R/D bows outdoing everything. Naming things as 'the best' can at most be a fad thing per individual decision. Now saying all that, some bows from the past are junk and don't belong in a category that could get someone thinking they just may be 'the best'.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by pavan:
... I prefer D bows, but still I have made some of my best shots with a Super K ...  I still on the whole do better with D bows and at times with my Robertson R/D bows outdoing everything. ...

once again, without qualifying WHAT "D" bow, these kinda statements are meaningless.   :D   afl "D" or hybrid r/d "D" or both?

Okay then, there are of course the self D shaped limbs, the r/d that load into a D braced position, and then there are my Schulz and Pete George and my own bows that are deep cored AFLs. The answer is all of the above.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by pavan:
Okay then, there are of course the self D shaped limbs, the r/d that load into a D braced position, and then there are my Schulz and Pete George and my own bows that are deep cored AFLs. The answer is all of the above.

imho, the longbow build doesn't matter one bit,  in this case, whether the hybrid r/d is composite or self.

[Sant-Ravenhill]

I'm old, so when you talk longbow I think of a self bow or a Hill style laminated bow.

Of those, the ultimate longbow is a "slight" string follow laminated bow for smoothness and durability.

Now in hybrids there are dozens of bows out there. Many first rate!

I had the opinion that the aggressive hybrids just had to be as tricky to shoot as a narrow limbed touchy recurve, until I shot a couple of nice ones, then I changed my mind. A well tuned and tillered bow can be any style and get the job done very nicely, I am not one that thinks a bow has to be a particular shape to be forgiving, stable, and accurate, perhaps my release is better than I think it is, but I really don't see a huge difference of sensitivity from my Robertsons to my string follow longbow. I like longbows for the fast handling and point ability, regardless of exactly which form it comes out of.

[Gapmaster]

I agree that no matter what bow your shooting, if you work with it long enough you can make the arrows go where you want them to go. But, when I shoot some of the old popular bows built in the 60's, they shoot well, but kinda beat me up doing it. Shoulders and fingers hurt, teeth feel rattled, stuff like that. Then, when I shoot an awsome design like the Cyclone, I feel like I can shoot all day and I don't feel like I was in a car wreck when I wake up the next morning. If I pull a 45 pound Bear Kodiak compared to a 45 pound Legend there is simply no comparison. I know people will say that 45 pounds on a scale is 45 pounds no matter what bow it is, but I can tell you there definitely is a difference. Some of the top marketed ILF limbs react the same way. With a bow design like Mike Rash's, even though it's 45 pounds on the scale, it just doesn't feel like 45 pounds. It feels like much less weight. No shock or vibration coming back down your arm to your jaw, neck, shoulders, and doesn't feel like it wants to kick sideways or flip over when it leaves your hand. There is definitely some great things to be said for these new great designs. I admire the old bows, but much prefer to shoot these new better designs that were made so the bow will perform better. It's not a speed thing for me, nor cosmetics, but the way the bow feels which makes me more confident. Everyone has their own preference. Not one bow will fill the needs of all of us. I don't think there is one ultimate longbow that can fill the needs of everyone. But I agree with Curlis, my choice is a Legend Cyclone. For me, it just fills the needs I want in a longbow.

[Rob DiStefano]

and in reality, the arrow is far more important than the bow.