Bows that surprise the dickens out of you!

[heydeerman]

Bear Grizzly. I always thought of it as a "beginners" bow. Boy was I wrong! I have a early 70's version. Looking into a Supper Grizzly.

[doug77]

My '59 Grizzly and '64 Kodiak.

doug77

[Red Beastmaster]

I bought a Greatree Solo Black longbow as a cheap "beater". After a little grip rework it turned into a real nice shooting bow. I have bows worth over five times as much that don't get nearly as much action as my Greatree.

I also love my '72 Grizzly. I searched a long time until I found one with the perfect grip, green/brown riser, and brown glass. I shoot it as good as anything I ever tried.

[curtinmo]

I am surprised by how well a red wing hunter shoots for a 58" bow.Kanatis shoot very well also for such a tiny bow.

[gvdocholiday]

I picked up a Sky Trophy Longbow that was made by Jim Belcher for another bow company that has since closed it's doors here in MI...Monster Bows(they made lever bows).  Anyways, I think it was a prototype and the first bow Jim made on the Sky forms.  I think it ended up being a 63" AMO bow.  I sold it to an individual on the *********** who got it for his wife.  I've tried twice in the last 18months to buy it back from him but he says his wife LOVES it.  

It's truley the only bow I regret selling.  It shot right where I looked and actually liked light arrows.  It drew 43@28" and threw a ICS 500 with plenty of authority, and I ran its brace high at 8.75".  I really miss that bow and hope to someday get her back.  The grip on her was very unique and it's hard to explain as well...I also think he used bamboo for the limb laminates as I could see the seams.  I may have to email Sky and see if he remembers the specs for that bow.

[RLA]

Martin/Howatt,   That's why I'm shootin them, the two I have shoot great for me. Think I've found the (bow!!!) bow's

Thanks again for the Saber, Rod in SC

...

[njloco]

A new to me Gordon Morey 3-D lightning LB.

[mmisciag]

Tried an ACS longbow at Denton Hill. WOW.

Martin

[Mike Theis]

Bear Grizzly, have several, but I have a early 70's green and black at 50#. What a smooth shooter. Those maple limbs are not the fastest, but they can shoot an arrow where you look. One lean, mean bunny hunting machine.

[manitou1]

Shot a Dryad Orion at the IBO Worlds.  Wow, what a smooth drawing bow.  It felt a lot lighter draw than it was. Plenty quick too.  I have to be careful thinking about it, as I don't need ANOTHER bow!

[Night Wing]

I've owned a lot of recurves during my 48 years of bowunting. But none of them shot like my first 66" Blacktail TD. It was like......WOW.....for me.

I was so impressed with my Blacktail, I bought a second 66' Blacktail TD. These two recurves are the only trad bows I now own.

[Rustic]

Originally posted by moleman:
Some time ago I purchased a Martin ML-14 longbow at a steal price, 77@28 for a workout bow on the way up to my 80 lb goal, but now that im getting comfortable with it, its turning out to be far more than just a workout bow, its for sure gonna see some field action this yr.
This thing hits like a hammer and shoots where Im looking,and for me thats as good as it gets, no matter the price or name.
Any of you ever bought or traded for a bow ( with mixed expectations) that surprised you beyond your expectations?

My 35# Darton Recurve really stacked, so when I moved up to my 45# Bear Grizzly I was very surprised at how smooth it draws and no stack.

[Kris]

My 66" John McDonald static tipped (reverse lam) longbow.  Smooth, super quiet, fast, zero handshock, accurate...a pleasure to shoot!  New $300, value...priceless!

Kris

[PaddyMac]

I bought two matching 1961 Howatt recurves at an auction a month or so ago. The owners, who are friends, had feather rests on them and on mine, the 69-inch 40#-er I had to get a new string. Just got a new dacron 63-incher from Stone Mtn. I got my wife's and mine set up and she did great with it right off the bat! First time she ever shot a bow. She hit the 16x16 block target five out of five times from 10 yards. Well... I thought it was PDG anyway. 1 happy hubman.

And on mine I was shocked at how accurate I am with it. It really shoots rainbows out past 30 yards, but inside that, I have to admit I am way more accurate than I am with heavier bows. Probably will never take it hunting because it's white glass and pretty unwieldly at that length,  but it's fun to shoot. Might be a bunny in its future, maybe.

[NEB]

Sheepeater Spirit.  It looks and feels like a toy, until you pull it back and let an arrow go.  It is truly a unique feeling bow that is the most fun to shoot of any bows I own.

[Jeff Roark]

As far as ease of shooting and accuracy, my old Pearson Pinto and my Browning Nomad Stalker. It goes without saying that my Martin/Howatts shoot like flame throwers, but the other two, they are a big surpise.

[Bernie B.]

Boy, this is a timely thread for me!  My son gave me a '69 Bear Super Kodiak (45#) for Father's Day this year - great gift!  

I hadn't shot a Bear bow since I sold my Bear Grizzly in 1970.  I sent my "new" bow to John Rafferty at The Bow Hospital to get it refinished.

I just picked it up at the post office two days ago and wow am I pleasantly surprised!  I love the grip on the bow and it's absolutely dead in the hand.  I love shooting this bow!  It's going with me to the deer woods this fall.

Bernie

[Bowhunter4life]

About a year ago I was looking for a shorter bow for certain hunting situations.  Tried a lot, and ended up with Big Jim's Thunderchild, actually have five 56"ers now and another on order from Jim.  Shoots like a much longer bow for me, great manners, quiet, and plenty of performance.  The T/D system is the bomb too!  

Another that I have been pleasantly surprised with is the Toelke Kestral.  That 52" little recurve is awesome!  Similar shooting characteristics as the Thunderchild, but in an even smaller package.  Probably a little quicker pound for pound also.  Mine has the Whip's grip on it rather then the medium recurve grip it usually has... Love it!

Once I get my new MOAB in a few weeks and Thunderchild come November'ish... Next bow I order will be a heavier Kestral w/the Whip grip...  Oh, and my draw length is right at 30"... Super smooth bows with no finger pinch for me!

[AdAstraAiroh]

Two Bows have been so much better than I had expected:

1.  Fox Triple Crown Carbon: the finest longbow I have ever shot.  Fast, accurate, and craftsmanship that must be seen to beleived.

2.  Dryad ASC-RC Legend: Stability and accuracy in the fastest recurve limb on the US market. And the dryad company has customer satisfaction as their number one goal.

Mark

[sawtoothscream]

my old bear kodiak is awsome. Love this bow.  I stopped shooting it after I got my longbows but a few months back I picked it up and it just stacked arrows out to 30 yds. stopped shooting it when my titan set up came in, grabbed it yesterday and its still driving tacks. eventually want to pick up a 55# version of it.