Always liked the Montana longbow and have had more than a few over the years. They were always on the money with their listed draw weight @ 28" and always pulled smooooth with little to no hand shock as long as the arrow weight was in the 9gpp and up.
Just received the newer Montana (45.6lbs @ 28", same 64" ntn length, riser looks like a black dyed Dymondwood) with bamboo limb cores instead of maple that are under clear glass instead of black. I pulled off the leather arrow plate and replaced it with Teflon tape and Velcro loop rugged the shelf.
As a fan boy for bamboo, this bow was worth the added $75 to the price tag (paid $500/shipped - ouch!). The supplied string was too short so I spun up an endless with BCY 652 Spectra and got the brace height to my liking, a low 6-5/8". The lowered brace height shows more emphasis of the mild r/d limbs. Is it better than the maple core version? To me, there's a slight edge to bamboo cores but that might not be appreciated by other folks. Either Montana version, maple or bamboo, are fine American made longbows.
Appears to be an improved gijp and the dymond should have added some mass wt. Both are big plusses per my desire for improvements over the previous Montana design.
Hope you find that she is a gem after you two have had time to get acquainted.
Nice looking bow rob! Will you be shooting alluminum wood or carbon? Is it cut to center.?
As with all Montanas and most other longbows, the shelf is cut 1/8" proud of center shot. This has worked well for arrow paradox with 35-40lb spine shafts.
Strictly Surewood 11/32" Doug Fir shafts with plastic nocks - 420 grains (28", 3-1/2" feathers, for World Archery and 3D games) and 525 grains (29", 5-1/2" feathers for hopefully killing kritters).
So far this longbow is the cat's meow for me. Life is good. :thumbsup: :campfire:
Quote from: Rob DiStefano on February 17, 2024, 05:54:59 AM
As with all Montanas and most other longbows, the shelf is cut 1/8" proud of center shot. This has worked well for arrow paradox with 35-40lb spine shafts.
Strictly Surewood 11/32" Doug Fir shafts with plastic nocks - 420 grains (28", 3-1/2" feathers, for World Archery and 3D games) and 525 grains (29", 5-1/2" feathers for hopefully killing kritters).
So far this longbow is the cat's meow for me. Life is good. :thumbsup: :campfire:
Awesome Rob!
For a stock USA built 1pc longbow with bamboo cores under clear glass, I don't think there's any choice available other than the Montana Bamboo.
This bow is quite perfect on a hunt or World Archery Longbow 3D comp.
I'm also a huge fan of bamboo cores. I bought a Bear Ausable longbow in 2022 specifically for that reason. It was before they started using bamboo in the Montana. All but two of my bows have bamboo limb cores, and I love the way they shoot.
Nice looking bow Rob.
Thanks Rob my nephew is looking for a Longbow I think this bow will fit the bill.
According to the Bear Archery website the handle is made from black phenolic. That should be an improvement over the original actionwood material. I like my black glass Montana, looking forward to getting one of these.
Quote from: Kelly on February 17, 2024, 11:47:08 AM
According to the Bear Archery website the handle is made from black phenolic. That should be an improvement over the original actionwood material. I like my black glass Montana, looking forward to getting one of these.
Whatever material used in that riser, only the arrow plate side shows definite striated layers that are indicative of a laminate of some type. Works well!
Looks good.The grip appears a more indexed.
I saw you were using Spectre Rob.Are you still using B-50 and or B-55 for strings?I remember you liking it awhile back.
Phenolic is a laminate, could be paper or fabric.
Quote from: Kelly on February 17, 2024, 03:42:16 PM
Phenolic is a laminate, could be paper or fabric.
Yep, phenolic can be either solid or laminated - I've installed laminated phenolic limb tips on longbows. That kinda laminate is just for show/looks.
Quote from: Steelhead on February 17, 2024, 02:49:42 PM
Looks good.The grip appears a more indexed.
I saw you were using Spectre Rob.Are you still using B-50 and or B-55 for strings?I remember you liking it awhile back.
Pretty much a typical longbow "locator" grip, which I've always preferred.
Yes, I prefer B55 Flemish strings and will twist one up for this bow. It was just faster to spin up an endless to get a lower brace height and better check out the bow.
It is good that Bear is practicing their clear glass skills on a cheaper line of bows, instead of their high dollar Limited Edition Series.
Quote from: Blackstick on February 18, 2024, 06:35:59 AM
It is good that Bear is practicing their clear glass skills on a cheaper line of bows, instead of their high dollar Limited Edition Series.
Agree! I often wondered why they didn't venture in this direction.
Great looking bow, glad Bear brought out another model of the Montana. Now that you have been able to put a few arrows through it,what's your opinion compared to other production longbows?
Quote from: Brockett on February 26, 2024, 11:36:22 AM
Great looking bow, glad Bear brought out another model of the Montana. Now that you have been able to put a few arrows through it,what's your opinion compared to other production longbows?
In terms of mass produced production line mild r/d longbows, I dunno for sure, haven't sampled them all. However, for those I've had or tried, from both onshore and off, I like the BMB best for smoothness of draw, really good cast of heavy arrows that are well over 10GPP, and little to no hand shock.
Beautiful Bow Rob !
Longtime Bear Montana owner myself . EXCELLENT Longbows imho.
I've been emailing Bear Archery for something like this for a good number of yrs. Just a little nicer riser wood or green glass would have been nice ;^)
This one looks really nice and fixing to get one soon as I can find one ;^)))
I was in wheeling Cabelas a while back , and they had about 8 or 10 Montana's , in what must have been a special build for Cabelas...standard black glass , but...with a Micarta riser (like these New Bamboo Montanas)and standard maple cores. It was hard not to buy one of those ,and waiting for a New Bamboo Montana ;^'
Don't know who the "grip guy"(or gal;) is now for Bear Archery , but everyone of those Montana's I picked up not only looked GREAT , but the grips felt excellent !
This thread has me "itchy" for my New Montana ;^)
Thank you for the post/review my friend ..... :campfire:
I must say that new bow is a vast improvement over the original. Is there anything saying one couldn't make that riser more center shot? Like we did with the original model modifying the grip and those God awful limb tips? Enjoy.
Quote from: M60gunner on April 02, 2024, 08:31:39 PM
I must say that new bow is a vast improvement over the original. Is there anything saying one couldn't make that riser more center shot? Like we did with the original model modifying the grip and those God awful limb tips? Enjoy.
The riser is a solid hefty chunk of Dymondwood or micarta that should pose no problem rasping and sanding down past center shot ... dittos for modding the grip as well.
The limb tips on this bamboo version aren't as pronounced as the maple version, but any limb tip of most any bow can be bobbed down for sure ...
https://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=108895.0
That's the link I followed sort of when I reworked my Montana years ago. I was retired by then, taking wood shop classes at local JC. Took me only a few minutes using the sanding machines we had. Used good old Tru-Oil to seal it again. Lent that bow to a gentleman visiting here for the winter. He liked it so much he bought it. Your new bow is close to being a custom bow IMO. Materials used rival those from a custom bowyer. Enjoy.
Too bad this upgrade came along when it did, my stable is full. Actually starting to down size..
:campfire: :coffee: :archer2: :campfire:
Beware the archer who has only one bow! :archer2:
Oh, I don't have just one!!!
:campfire: :coffee: :archer2: :campfire:
Quote from: Wudstix on April 04, 2024, 04:05:38 PM
Oh, I don't have just one!!!
:campfire: :coffee: :archer2: :campfire:
Join the "too many bows" club! :thumbsup: :laughing: :wavey:
The NEW Boo Montana is working pretty well ... or rather, I'm learning to work well with it @ 22yds. :campfire:
"New"? Yes, sold the first, a month or so ago bought another, silly me.
42lbs @ my draw length, 28" BloodSport 500 carbons w/200 grain field points, 4.2" burnt feathers.
Nice shooting, Rob. Did you alter the grip-remove the square corners?
Never heard of teflon tape being use as a strike plate. Cool. Cool bow too.
Quote from: Kelly on April 23, 2025, 02:24:20 PM
Nice shooting, Rob. Did you alter the grip-remove the square corners?
For whatever reason this one has slightly rounded corners that work well with how I grip this bow. Hockey tape double wrap for a solid grip.
Quote from: Terry Green on April 23, 2025, 04:03:55 PM
Never heard of teflon tape being use as a strike plate. Cool. Cool bow too.
If there's some radius to the sight window then teflon tape makes for a more center shot riser. On this second Montana I laid down the teflon tape to protect the sight window and used a small piece of Velcro loop as the pressure point. It works well.
Spun up a dual color B55 string and managed to plop some carbons (2 with feathers, 4 without) nicely into the butt @ 22yds. These are Big Jim's Dark Timber 600 shafts @ 28" and with 250 grain points for a total arrow weight of 505 grains out of a 42lb holding weight. Doing the math, that's a 12GPP arrow ... nice.
Looks like you have the arrow spine dead on there Rob... the bare shaft showing slightly weak, and the fletched arrows perfect....
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Does Hockey tape leave any goo on your hand? Nice bow I like bamboo too. I remember reading when Howard Hill started making all bamboo LB, he was surprised by the lack of performance, compared to his Yew LB. That was pretty early in his carrier, but he contacted Winston Rod Co, in MT and they told him to temper the bamboo and apparently he like the results. It made me curious if Frank Eicholtz put fiberglass on one of Howard's early bamboo or later tempered bamboo bows.
Quote from: Hud on May 03, 2025, 02:18:03 AM
Does Hockey tape leave any goo on your hand? ...
Nope, not at all. On the removable ILF Barebow grips I use a small piece of skateboard tape as a non-skid thumb meat locator. I need to try that with the longbows, too.
I almost bought one of these at Compton's last year - still on my hit list.
Quote from: Burnsie on May 03, 2025, 10:38:14 AM
I almost bought one of these at Compton's last year - still on my hit list.
It's not a speed demon, but neither is it a slouch. It's stable and somewhat forgiving. It'll put critter meat in the freezer, no doubt.
Great looking bow Rob !
Lots of ways to skina cat ...err tune a bow and arrows eh.....
On the speed thing...The Montana Longbow is plenty fast enough , and when using 11-13 gpp and a well made string...they are not only feather quiet..but very deadly weapons ;)
:campfire:
The Montana is a very good longbow for newbie or seasoned archer/bowhunter. I spun up a 32 strand BCY Mercury 100% SK99 Dyneema string and that upped the arrow speed a tad whilst still allowing good release and shot stability. I also moved the pressure point back a bit over the grip pressure point and replaced the hockey tape with a pinking shear cut of skateboard tape. Both changes are keepers. Next up will be to spin a 20 strand BCY 652 100% Spectra string, just outta curiosity.
Good stuff Mr. Rob !
Twisting a good string for my bows I usually jump 1 or 2 spines on the chart ;) But as you know , lots plays into that...center cut--shelf/sight window material--shaft dia.---etc..etc..
..... but removing all the variables minus the string material (and string builder;) I usually am 2 blocks above recommended spines for a given bow weight/draw etc...so never underestimate the ability of a good string , or underestimate the ability of any bow with a BAD string , once it is fitted with a proper one . JMHO :readit: :campfire:
The BCY Mercury is very small diameter, so it takes 32 strands for a spun string (which makes for a very round cross section). 32 times around the posts is a bit much compared with 14 for B55. The BCY 652 requires 20 strands, so it's definitely a fatter fiber, but a bit thinner than B55, for a more rounded string. Once I set the brace height and nock point the Mercury string is as stable as kevlar fiber (well, minus the bow blowup, thank you very much! :saywhat: ). I'm liking the Mercury a lot and will spin one up for the Au Sable longbow, too. Only problem is the color - I've got five 1/4lb spools in flashy Barebow games colors of hot pink, magenta, purple, neon orange, and mountain berry.
Now I've gotta go buy another spool of Mercury in a more tradbow-centric color. :dunno: :campfire:
Have you tried the Mercury 2 string yet Rob? I just had a few flemish strings made with 12 strands with .025 serving size with a net of serving diameter of .110. Great string material . Kirk
Yes, but Mercury and not the later and thicker Mercury 2. Spun up 3 strings, 32 strands each for the AuSable and Montana longbows. While Mercury didn't work well for me with other bows it works quite well for these two Bears. Due to Mercury's thinner diameter the resulting strings are perfectly round. :thumbsup: