all wood laminated bow vs fiberglass backed

[mmbruce]

Just bought my first all wood laminated bow. How do they shoot compared to the fiberglass laminated bows?

[Bowjunkie]

Equal, at least. Depends on woods used. Fiberglass is heavy.  I once compared, by flight shooting, two 70lb d/r glass lam bows, maple and cherry cores, with two like-profiled 70lb d/r all wooden bows... a bamhoo backed osage and a bamboo backed yew. The bamboo backed yew shot cosiderably farther than any of them, with the bamboo backed osage next. Both glass bows shot the same distance, which was just slightly less than the osage bow.

[old_goat2]

That's interesting, always figured the fiberglass made them faster, guess it just makes them more stable.

[Hud]

Unfortunately, unless you compare the best bows by a single bowyer, it is hard to be completely impartial. Read the article on this forum about John Schulz, there is a copy of the interview Gene Wenzel did in 10/1994 with John. He made some interesting observations about longbows, bowyers and his own bows. Keep in mind, he switched to all wood, and bamboo because of what Howard Hill said, about string follow bows and for health reasons.  He stopped making laminated bows the last ten years he was making bows. You may find the answer there.

[mmbruce]

That's good to hear. I bought one of Buckley's Bamboo and Osage bows. Can't wait to try it. I have hunted with a production recurve for the last couple of years but I have just really wanted to try the the long bow.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

IMO I feel the all wood bows are smoother shooting and nicer to look at but I shoot and love the fiberglass bows to. Here's one of my all wood bows copied from a bow Mr. Schulz used to make.

 

Tracy

[Steelhead]

I have had 3 Javaman all wood/bamboo bows.2 were recurves called a Duoflex and one was called an Assyrian.The other was a mild R&D longbow called Sweetgrass.I also had a couple Vinson Minor (Bows of Wood) called Cane Dragons of Wood/bamboo and they all shot very well and pleasantly for me and held thier own against glass bows.