What Bow to Buy? What is the Difference?

[GRIZZSLAYR]

Good evening,

I know you guys get this alot but here goes again. I am trying to figure out what if any is a "Best" bow to buy. I haven't shot a traditional bow in about 18yrs. I'm 36 now. I have been looking at Toelke, Centaur, Hoots, Kota, Shrew, Bama, Black Widow, Mohawk, Wes Wallace, Blacktail,Whisperstik, Thunderstick, Big Jims, Tall Tines, etc. So many that my head is spinning from all them adn I'm more confused than when I started. Is a Blacktail or Black Widow better than a Kota TFX? Is there a huge difference between the above longbows? Anyone shot a Kota Prarie Swift? Are they good? What is the difference if any main between Recurve or Longbow other than preference? I am assuming longer equals easier pull right? I am stationed at Fort Wainwright in Alaska and there isn't much for traditional archery shops that carry anything other than Samick or Bear to try them out. I am partial to getting a quality product to begin with. Any wisdom you great archers can impart would be a great help and if anyone knows any superstar traditional archers in Fairbanks, AK feel free to contact me.

[skilonbw]

I think each bowyers is good in their own right. Being in Alaska it maybe hard to test drive a lot of bows unless you can get to a trad gathering with vendors. I think when it comes to bowyers it starts with how much of a custom bow you want and how much you are willing to spend on that. After that then talk to the bowyers themselves. After all its sort of like an interview process if where there seems to be a good fit between the 2 of you then you will want to buy a bow from them.

Man, every bow you listed is a good bow in it's own right! Once you are at the level of all those bows it is really personal preference and what feels good to you. Some people will tell you recurves are smoother but that is hogwash. SOME recurves are real smooth as are SOME longbows. With todays designs there really is not a performence advantage to either. Thus, it is all back to personal preference and what feels right to you.

Are there no clubs or shoots you can go to to see and try what other guys around you have? If not, then I guess you are going to have to draw a straw and pick one out.

I'm very biased here because that is all I shoot but you might look at a Sarrels longbow or recurve too.

Good luck getting your new bow!

Bisch

[Bjorn]

The more you get to shoot the better. Just 'cause I like something does not mean you will. Today's R/D longbows from your list shoot about the came as recurves...IMO anyway. Longer is not easier to pull 50# is 50# regardless of length.
Longer bows are often smoother and easier to shoot accurately. If you tree stand hunt you may want 56-60" though. Shoot some bows and decide what YOU like.

[LBR]

Along with what's already been said, I strongly suggest looking at the warranty--a written one, not promises made over the phone.  If something looks fishy in the warranty or you can't get a written warranty, I would move on.  There's way too many great bows on the market with great warrantys to worry with it.

Chad

[legends1]

Its been said,but all the bows you mentioned are good.Is there one bow best for everyone No! Thats why its so great that there are so many choices.Really the best way to find whats right for you is the opportunity to shoot as many as possible .

[Crotalus]

Thank you for your service Sir.

I would decide between recurve or longbow first. Then grip shape.
Because you have not been shooting for so long you can most likely adapt your shooting style to any bow you choose. But some shooting styles work better with certain riser designs.
Olympic recurves and Hill longbows are very different but both great. One will be easier to hit bullseyes at 90 meters, and one will make hitting birds on the wing a bit more likely. Both will need a high level of dedication to do either feat.

If you have a style of bow picked out then all the above bowyers make great bows.
Get you one and shoot it to death.
Some of the bowyers have test drive programs that will let you shoot a bow for a couple of days to see if you like it.

Now if you just want to know what the cat’s pajama is, that’s easy.
Robertson Stykbow, Vision Falcon. Everybody knows that.
LP

[Whip]

Good questions, with absolutely no correct answer.  Is there a best bow for you?  Yep, probably.  But what is best for someone else will be of no help in figuring out what it is.  The only real way you will find your own "best" bow is to try them out.  And you may not be able to tell just by shooting them one time.  I can't tell you how many bows have come home with me after shooting great on a tryout and then lost their magic after arriving home.

You are searching for a top end bow, and all of the ones you listed qualify.  The best thing I did when going through that process was to buy and sell a bunch of used bows.  Watch the classifieds here - there are great deals listed every day.  You should be able to buy a bow and resell it with little or no loss of money, so all you are out is the shipping.  It's a great way to really try and become familiar with a bunch of different bows.  And then when you fine the "right" one for you, go ahead and treat yourself to a custom one made specifically for you.

An enormous question--it may take you years to find the answer if there truly is one. I envy you this process of discovery! Start anywhere on your list, and go from there. Don't "overbow" yourself, a mistake I think a lot of us make and which can result in you deciding that somesuch bow is not a good one for you. Enjoy!

[Craig]

Do you get any leave? If so I would check some of the large Trad shoots that have a lot of bow dealers and go shoot them. You would also have a great vacation. Make up your own mind, Maybe call Alaska Bowhunting Supply. He might know where in Alaska you could try some bows.

[LongStick64]

You probably should ask that everyone that responds to this thread tell you
1. How many bows they currently own
2. How many they have ever owned
3. How many of those they either sold or traded, they wish they had back

There are so many good bows out there, it's hard to get a bad one. Only advice I would give is to stick with a bowyer that has been in business for a while and that there is probably a good reason you see so many of their bows out there.

[Raging Water]

There are a few pass arounds going on. Hittman, Legends, Rainy Day, Zipper.

Ask if you can be on the lists. In Alaska, you might need to pony up a little on shipping to and from, but, you can try some really nice bows out.

Matt

[Stinger]

Listen to Whip.  He knows what he is talking about.  I too have bought some nice bows that shot great at a show and then a week or so after I got home I couldn't shoot them for beans.  Those end up as good deals here in the classifieds.  You will find a lot of folks in the classifieds that buy and sell bows regularly looking for "the one".  Buying used and trying them out for a while and getting rid of the ones you don't like is pretty low risk.  A used bow on your list should hold their value; the new one won't.

[Night Wing]

When I went looking for a custom recurve, I had several criteria.

1. I look for a bowyer with a solid bow building reputation.

2. The recurve has to be a 66" length. (Not too many bowyers build a 66" length recurve)

3. I want the riser to be 19" long. (Longer limbs give a smoother draw in my opinion)

4. I want the shelf to be cut 3/16" past center. (The recurve will  be able to shoot a variety of different aluminum spine sizes)

5. The bowyer will build the pistol grip to fit my small hand with a narrow throat. (I get better control which gives me better accuracy)

With the above said, my final three choices came down to:

A) Blacktail
B) Wes Wallace
C) Brackenbury

As you can see in my signature, in the end I went with the Blacktail. BTW, not much separated my three bowyers. It was a tough decision and I talked with all three bowyers via the phone before I placed my order.

[Mojostick]

Another bit of advice to consider is to start with a much lower weight than you anticipated.

Many people, myself included, bought bows thinking you'd "build up to the weight". Don't do that.

You should never struggle with draw weight. If you do, it's too much weight.

You want to be able to draw the bow back and open up the limbs so they can "work properly".

Meaning, if you draw 29", you'll get better performance and accuracy shooting 40lbs @ 29" draw than you will struggling with 50lbs @ 27" draw.

[old_goat2]

Originally posted by Mojostick:
Another bit of advice to consider is to start with a much lower weight than you anticipated.

Many people, myself included, bought bows thinking you'd "build up to the weight". Don't do that.

You should never struggle with draw weight. If you do, it's too much weight.

You want to be able to draw the bow back and open up the limbs so they can "work properly".

Meaning, if you draw 29", you'll get better performance and accuracy shooting 40lbs @ 29" draw than you will struggling with 50lbs @ 27" draw.

x2 and all the other advice too on here, check out  www.rmsgear.com  they are a sponsor on here and have a great bowshop and large selection of bows in their inventory. If you see two bows in their inventory you like and can't decide, give them a call, they will shoot both and give you an honest and informed oppinion of each bow.

[Blackstick]

Just wondering what's wrong with Samick and Bear? I've never shot a Samick but the new Bears I have seen and shot were pretty nice.

With that said, I also agree that the used market is not a bad way to go.

[Easykeeper]

Originally posted by Whip:
Good questions, with absolutely no correct answer.  Is there a best bow for you?  Yep, probably.  But what is best for someone else will be of no help in figuring out what it is.  The only real way you will find your own "best" bow is to try them out.  And you may not be able to tell just by shooting them one time.  I can't tell you how many bows have come home with me after shooting great on a tryout and then lost their magic after arriving home.

You are searching for a top end bow, and all of the ones you listed qualify.  The best thing I did when going through that process was to buy and sell a bunch of used bows.  Watch the classifieds here - there are great deals listed every day.  You should be able to buy a bow and resell it with little or no loss of money, so all you are out is the shipping.  It's a great way to really try and become familiar with a bunch of different bows.  And then when you fine the "right" one for you, go ahead and treat yourself to a custom one made specifically for you.

I was going to post, but this Whip's post is my opinion too.  Not only can you try most anything used, most of the bows you posted have a long waiting time for a new one.  I would be a shame to wait a year for a bow and then have it not be "the one" when you get it.  After many, many, years and lots of bows I finally ordered my first new one about a year ago...still waiting for the call.

[Bjorn]

Many bowyers have a demo program-ask them. Schafer, Fedora, Black Widow, Toelke, are just some that come to mind. And some are sending bows around right now! Legends and Zipper and some others are sending trial bows around the country to Trad Gang members.

[DeCurry]

Originally posted by Blackstick:
Just wondering what's wrong with Samick and Bear? I've never shot a Samick but the new Bears I have seen and shot were pretty nice.

Some great advice here so far, but I'll go with the above to offer a different point of view.

I started with a Samick Sage (3-piece recurve takedown, only costs about $129 new).  It's not a bad place to start, and you can get multiple sets of limbs for cheap (extra set of limbs costs around $60) to practice at various weights.  Take the recommendation of someone with bow and guitar addictions: Don't go 'custom shop' from the start.  Get in on the ground floor, get used to shooting again, and as you're doing so, note the things about your current bow you'd like to see improved.  (See Night Wing's personal criteria for a great example; he had specific requirements that I'm sure he discovered over time, not over night.)

Then, as the Fender Custom Shop motto says, "When You're Ready," take your list of likes/dislikes to a custom builder or seek out a known model of bow that fits your criteria.  You'll save a lot of time and money by doing so.