Short bows? really? don't you want more?

[riverrat 2]

I don't like a short bow. Why are so many nice,nice,top end built bows so short! Serious. Centaur = 62" max. Shrew = 56" max. Thunderchild 58" max. MAN! I've owned all these bows at there max lengths. And they were decent. BUT I KNOW that if they were 64" or 66" They would be that much better.  GUYS!! more is more! BUILD LONG LONGBOWS!!!! rat'

[wooddamon1]

Love me some long bows. Amen.

[riverrat 2]

PLEASE!! Don't post about High Tech design vs. draw length info. Don't care. Spent thousands on trad bows,and won't listen to ANY bowyer telling how they have a pinch free,non-critical SHORT design. PLEASE don't post. Olympic shooters shoot long for a reason. I just want a LONG longbow. Am I alone?

[Morning Star]

Olympic shooters don't have to bend over and shoot behind a tree at a deer trotting past at 5 yards.  Send those 56"ers my way.    

[riverrat 2]

You can have em' all Morning Star. I will cut a branch or 2 and pull/hold smooth all day long. More is more bro'.  rat'

[Mo0se]

A longbow should be a minimum of 68" that's just my opinion. That said, I've been told that 64" delivers the best returns. I don't care...I know how a proper longbow "feels" and if it means I lose a few fps I don't care about that either!

[riverrat 2]

MoOse...My hat is off to you. It/they really do FEEL good the longer they get. I cant be swayed. Been there,done that sort of thing. MoOse knows. Me to.  rat'

[Mo0se]

I'm with ya, it seems Longbow has become an oxymoron to some builders Lol!

I have yet to find a bow under 62" that I really like!

I'm with ya on this one!

Bisch

[McDave]

I hear you, Riverrat.  If I were hunting in the bushes at 15 yards or from the back of a horse, I would probably want a short bow too.  But where I shoot and hunt, longer is generally better. Within reason. Fortunately, there are plenty of top line bowyers making 64-66" longbows and 62-64" recurves.

[nineworlds9]

Rat,  start with a high performance smooth short design, and THEN, its all in the mass weight man...

I totally get where you are coming from.  I was a 'long' bow guy for a while, my main hunting bow was 68" and then I started shooting short bows with heavier risers.  Its the key.  

Don't lament a 62" Centaur.  Try one with a Dark Matter riser.  Having the extra mass weight in the riser (30% heavier than phenolic) makes it behave like a bow 6" longer IMHO.  I agree the standard bows are featherlight and need a steady hand, but man Dark Matter just does the trick, ohh boy..

Same deal on my Elkheart, 56" but with Bow-bolt takedown and phenolic in the riser feels like a bigger bow and is smooth enough to get the job done.  I have seen the f/d curves Gregg has plotted.  

Try any Toelke bow in a 2pc, with Bow-bolt and phenolic riser, they also shoot superbly at shorter lengths.  

Add a forward handle into the mix and its gets even better.  Big Jim's Thunderchild for example doesn't have the mass of the other bows I mentioned, but the forward riser with swept back limbs is taken to the extreme so the stability is still there.  I remember the first time I shot a TC in a draw weight I liked I was shaking my head how well it did for me with very little practice.  

IMHO the Olympic comparison is a non-issue here.  Are we taking 90 yard shots on game like Howard Hill anymore?  

I gave up on longer bows like the 68" one I had largely because these heavier mass short bows just are SO much more enjoyable to hunt on the ground with in thick woods and swamps where I live.  

To each his own.  These bowyers out there are making hunting bows not target bows.  At the end of the day everyone's biomechanics are different and your mileage may vary,

All I know is after trying a lot of shorties and LONG bows too in the last couple years, IMHO a bow like a 2pc Java Man Elkheart or a Dark Matter Centaur, or even a Big Jim Thunderchild to me are the pinnacle of the hunting stickbow.

The cool thing is there's some bowyer somewhere always working on the next best thing.  

I love bows period, like women they come in all shapes and heights (lengths!)  LOL  

[Friend]

Providing quality shorter bows satisfies the desires of the many.

My own preference is but a whisper among the cries of the many.

We are most gifted to have a host of premium bows to select from that satisfy the desires of all.

Surviving as a bowyer is likely most challenging.
My hope resides with their continued success.

[tzolk]

I concur with your sentiments on longer longbows for my personal use. Have had 60", 62", 64" and 66". I prefer no less than 64" in an R/D design like the Toelke Whip HS. My go to D bow is a 66" Toelke Super D. Certainly have nothing against shorter longbows though.

[riverrat 2]

nine9 a lot of your post I agree with. A lot I don't. I hear you on the long game shot vs. Olympic comparison. BUT with a long bow....I have the option within reason, They ARE more stable,and consistant. DUDE.... I've had a lot of bows in my hands to. I know. I've owned a heavy 62" Centaur. Loved it. Needed to be lighter in draw weight,and...LONGER. I currently own a Phenolic risered 66" Whip. I really dig it. Closest bow to a Centaur IMO. MORE IS MORE BABY!!! rat'

[nineworlds9]

   No worries brother!  We all gotta find a shoe that fits.  You gotta see some of the nasty bush I hunt in, going from 68" to 56" really helps me!  Won't be the last time I own a 'long' bow though.  I had a 70" Triple Crown for a while earlier this year and that thing was a shooting MACHINE.

[Mo0se]

So I get the best of both worlds with the bow in my sig...it's Long and has Micarta in the riser! I hunt with it, in places I shouldn't but it's never cost me a lost shot in the woods.

[Pete McMiller]

Hey Scott, your succinct prose begs a haiku.  Are you up for it?

[riverrat 2]

Friend...I love your posts. I do. You are a man that has great intellect. Always learn/look at things different after reading what you have posted. Bless you. I admire. rat'

[WESTBROOK]

Well if your looking for a long bow dont go to a short bow store.

HHA, Northern Mist, JD Berry, Robertson

[Jack Hoyt 75]

I guess we need sub classes to describe our trad longbows???  Maybe borrow some terms from the car industry like  heavy duty, light duty, mid-sized,  crossover, compact and sub compact to more accurately describe them.            

I tried some short longbows and did not feel the mojo.  Great bows but they found a better home.  I am about to recieve the best of the best IMO at 58" just because i had to have one.  It will be loved but will be the one and only shorty in my collection.   I have nothing against them, I just shoot targets more than game and hunt from a tree stand.  Looks like I prefer 62-66" being 6'1" with 29"plus draw.

To me the only thing better than a short bow with mass in the riser is a long bow with even more mass/wieght in the riser.

One thing I love about trad archery is how personal the connection between the archer and bow is.  It all comes down to personal opinions and to each their own man!