Trad Gang

as all of you know, i was suprised by my wife a few days ago by her giving me lots of money to buy my dream bow in which i thought was going to be a black widow but here is the shocker of the year.... i didn't like the black widow..  :scared:  ...  :saywhat:  

had a chance to shoot some of them and for some odd-ball reason in which i can't figure out, the bow just seems not to fit me; i know that i will be dogged,made fun of,shot-down,laughed at and just plain railroaded, but i can't spend 1100.00 on something that won't make me happy; now let me be very clear on this next statement, nothing wrong with black widow or the people that operate the company; they are top notch in anybodys book but the longbow doesn't fit my hands for some crazy reason;

so with that being said, the good news, i still have the money, my wife stills want me to get a bow, but now i am in the search for a different "dream" bow;

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated; and yes, i am thinking about admitting myself to the funny farm..  :knothead:  

thanks tradgang, i need some help....  :campfire:

ACS

Don't feel bad....I shot a friends SAG I think it was several times and did not like it. Each to their own....Why not try JD Berry, or Mohawk etc.?
Good luck with the lynching!

IMO,if it don't feel right for ya,it most likely ain't!

Shoot more bows before buying!!

I certainly won't shoot you down for that. I went through several bows before I found the right one. My 52# Kanati fits me perfect and it was a lot less than $1100! If the money is burning a hole in your pocket, you could try a Shrew. They are a lot like the Kanati (from the pictures, I haven't shot one) and they are closer in price to the BW. My cousin had a BW and didn't care for it either. That doesn't make them bad bows; they just aren't for everyone.

Or...you could buy a Kanati, a quiver, a bunch of new arrows, some good broadheads, new hunting duds, and still have some money left to take your wonderful wife out to dinner!   :archer:

Good luck and hope you get the right one. I would get two mid priced bows ones or four used ones.

Another option is to have make a custom grip for you. I never got really comfortable with the PL grip, but I really like the old LAG grip. Not sure how close you are to the widow shop, but if you are truly wanting your dream bow you might give them a call. BUT there are a lot of fantastic bows out there. I am really liking the looks of Rose Oak Creations new longbow, the Companion. Big Jim's bows look awfully good too. A guy can spend hours cruising thru the tradgang sponsors links! Lewis Hollow is another! I'd better stop before I start shopping. Good luck! Mike

Firefly. You can buy 2 for the price of one Widow.

Pronghorn or Great Northern Critter Gitter

i feel ya!  i wanted a silvertip longbow so bad for so long.  i found a guy that had a brand new one and shot it.  it shot no better than the one i had--looked better, but it did not make we wanna jump up and spend $1000+ for one.  i was so disappointed.  now--i am having big jim build me one to match my old longbow!  he has great bows and they are very reasonable.  keep looking, you wil find a perfect match soon!

If you post what you don't like about it, or better yet, what you DO like about other bows you've shot I'm sure folks will have more suggestions than you can absorb.   :)

I could never shoot Black Widows well either.  They aren't for everyone, and you should stay smart and shoot a bunch more before you decide.  Whatever you do, don't buy one because we may tell you it's the best ever made.  You may go to a shoot and find a $150.00 used bow that fits you like a dream.   Anyone who would chastise you isn't very knowledgable about bows...period.

BW longbows never quite felt right to me either. Although I will admit I had a 62" t/d recurve which I wish I had never sold.
I have found that Monarch Imperials seem to fit me like a glove, have 2, one is 66",62#@29 the other 62",80#@29. both shoot like an extension of my mind.
Also have a 66" Wes Wallace "Royal" t/d 57#@29 which also seems to fit me extremely well.
You could almost buy 3 monarchs for the price of the BW you were looking at!   :archer:

i have shot the bear montana for years and love the way the bow shoots; it has been responsible for alot of homecooked venison; the bow is 55 lbs@28 inches and i have a 26 in draw; the grip of that bow fits me very well and with my arrow setup, i am very comfortable out to 25 yards{the max distance that i will shoot at an animal};

decisions,decisions,..how i hate trying to make decisions on bows;

thanks tradgang.....  :campfire:

Treadway!!!
I DO like the Black Widows I've shot,though.
Turkey Creek longbows are hard to beat, too.

I like the Widows for various reasons. I like my Shrew also. 2 diffrent bows for sure. There are many great bows right now. If you want a longbow try to find a Shrew. If you like that style there are many close to it. If you don't there are other ones you may like. Main thing is don't by a bow that everyone else says is great if its not right for you. It will be wasted money. Good luck in your search, you will know its the one at the first shot. Out Door Dan

Amen Brother...
I guess ya got built up instead of shot down, huh?

You did the right thing and went with what felt right or not so right.  Most of us here went ahead and spent the money first then decided we didn't especially like the bow.

It is early in the year.  Take the little lady on a trip to Compton's or Denton Hill and shoot all the bows you can find.....you will fall into something good for you personally.

You can have a trip away and still buy a bow and have a trip for the same money.  For what it is worth, I will be at Compton's Monday thru Sunday with my family and friends and if you need a place to get out of the weather (tent) and good food and cooking we got you covered....
Come and get it!!!

I love their recurves and am trying to find out how much I can get for a kidney so I have money, but their longbows never really impressed me that much.  Nice bow, just not for me at that price.  If you like the Montana, there are a lot of mild R/D bows that fit the bill.  You could go a little more hybrid and find literally dozens of bows that you would like.  Griffin, Dwyer, Shrew, Kanati, MOAB, etc.....

$1100, this is easy.. shoot them all till you find the one you like

Barry if you live anywhere near Little Rock there is an Archery shop that has a BUNCH of (50-70) trad bows. Great shop great people. Archers Advantage 501.663.2445, they have a web site. It would be worth a drive to feel the grips on alot of bows. Its a two hour drive for me, and I go a couple times a year just goofin off!>>>>------>

Chupa has the best plan.  Use some of the money to attend Compton or Denton Hill.  So many great bows to shoot it will make your head spin!  And many of them are far less than the BW's, so you can have a great trip and still end up with a new bow that fits you perfectly.  :thumbsup:

Why not build one youself?  :goldtooth:

You're already in Arkansas.  Why don't you take a run over to Little Rock and try out one of Rick Welch's bows?  You'll kick yourself later if you don't at least try one out!

I won't shoot you down for that, I never really liked the Widow longbow either... to each their own...

Morrison Shawnee is my choice, and the ACS-CX is another one of my favorites...  

If you're going to drop a load of $'s on a bow, make sure it is one you shoot well!  Because no matter how pretty it is to look at the prettiest part of any bow is watching the arrow hit its mark time after time...

JD Berry makes one heck of a bow. I have an Appolo thats super sweet. Also just got a Fedora
560 Brazilian Wood recurve which is super nice.

I don't hear them mentioned alot and have no idea why but Hornes archery makes an outstanding high quality bow...

You could get takedown made with bamboo and still have some money let... plus a great guy to boot.

The ones that seem to fit me best have Lee or Wing somewhere on them. Not to take anything away from a BW, as I don't know if I have ever shot one.
I sure would like to try a Predator though.

No question at all.. Bob Morrison

In my opinion, you did the best thing.  Shot the bow before putting down your hard earned cash.  Too many buy bows based on the brand name, or on the recommendations of others.  If a bow doesn't fit you'll never be truly happy with it.  I love BW recurves, as well as Toelke longbows.  I haven't found anything that I shoot better.  I don't think I ever tried a bad bow, just a bunch of very nice bows that didn't work for me...Mike

Something to consider. When students show up to Rick Welch's shooting school they bring every type of bow you can imagine. However, almost without exception by the end of the 2 day shooting school they almost all order a custom DAKOTA bow.True story.

Were you trying the recurve or the longbow? The recurves that I've shot seem really heavy to me. Thats probably why they feel good when you shoot them. I'm just wondering if the longbows are heavy too.I really like the look of their longbows but I prefer lighter bows. With all of the great bows out there,I guess I'm wondering why you thought you wanted one to begin with.  Especially in that price range. Like most have pointed out, there are some absolutely amazing bows out there for a lot less bling bling.Good luck in your search!

HEck you can get a fully loaded 3 pc Orion with two sets of limbs for the money you have.

Check out the Fiberglass collection on our webpage.

Mike

I'de give Bob Morrison a call.

I know who I'd be calling......

Mine will be here, today.

 (http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/SBGobblers/Traditional/mybow.jpg)

I love BW recurves, but I have never been a fan of their longbows.  

Try a Treadway for @ $500-$600 and use the money you have left over to surprise your wife in some special way.

Robertson Sykbow.  Check out the website, I believe you can shoot his without payment for a certain amount of time.  I have a longbow built by a guy trained by Robertson and love it.

QuoteOriginally posted by wingnut:
HEck you can get a fully loaded 3 pc Orion with two sets of limbs for the money you have.

Check out the Fiberglass collection on our webpage.

Mike

I don't know where in Arkansas you are but, if you can make it over here to the Northeast corner of the state, I'll gladly let you shoot my Dryad Orion!  This is the bow that is the perfect fit for me!

check out northernmistlongbows.com I have a couple an they shoot very nice  .have a good day an good luck ....

i like greggs idea find a nice one you like but save a little for the wife and suprise her

Fox ROYAL CROWN.

I've been to the BW factory in Nixa, Mo., and shot all their trial bows. Wonderful people, great tour, just didn't care for their bows.
Have owned a Morrison, many Bear bows, Wings, a Griffin, etc.

Best bow on the market that fits me, is a Quinn Stallion ! 1/4 the price of a Widow and other custom bows.

Keep shooting as many bows as you can, you'll find one that fits you. Good luck !

confused yet?? if you can make it to a good shoot with some venders shoot what they have then go to the warm up area and shoot everyone elses bows lol

there are so many fine bows and bowyers and bows it will blow your mind!

best of luck with your search,Ralph

QuoteOriginally posted by gregg dudley:
[QB] I love BW recurves, but I have never been a fan of their longbows.  

Ditto..I stopped by BW and shot all the bows..the longbow and I didn't get along  :thumbsup:

ACS or Morrison

Buy a Pronghorn and have enough money left over to buy a new arm guard, hand full of tabs, and enough arrows to last a life time.

I love my BW PSA-X one of the best overall bows I own but am not crazy about their longbow design myself. I like my Morrison,Centaur,Shrew longbows better but everyone has different taste in bows.

I shot over 10 different bows at the H H shoot  this weekend including a black widow longbow. None shot better than my ACS but i did order a PSAX recurve with copperheads, sweeeeeeeeet.

If you're looking for a longbow, why not try a classic D - a Hill or something.  For that kind of money you can get any Hill you want, a bunch of arrows and things to go with it and you'll probably have enough left over to do it again.

welcome to the club, I have never liked them either, Go to lots of trad shoots  and shoot as many bows as you can , dont be in a hurry if you are going to spend that kind of money! you wont regret it later.

PS  Kudos on the wonderful wife!

ha ha oh boy
how about a shrew ever shot one of those
also really like the morrisons

SURE LOVE MY MOWHAK !

Bow preference is an entirely individual matter. Find a gathering with lots of vendors and try a bunch of bows. Compton is a great place to try bows and its coming up soon. You may find as I have the your preference may change over time and you will change bows. Hate to admit how many truly fine bows I've owned over the years. Now I just don't feel right unless its a self made selfbow in my hand. I still shoot other bows, even hunt with them, but always go back to a self bow. Good luck in your search and have fun.

Funny how your "dream bow" was one you never shot prior to wanting to buy it.  I had this same experience about a year after I switched to traditional.  I thought I wanted a widdow, Seeing all those colorful FULL PAGE pretty ad's. I'm not nocking widdows or those that shoot them or the company at all, but it taught me the power of ADVERTISING.  when I finally shot them I realized it was NOT what i was looking for. I endeed up buying a pronghorn funny how those little 2"x2" ad's that herb has in magazines never caught my eye... But it was a real "eye opener"
Good luck on youre search But I think alot of people here will agree it will be a LOOOONG road to finding youre Dream bow...

Go to Denton hill in July try out all the vender bows and while your there at the practice range there may be somebody there that has something else that may be willing to let ya try a few shots.

It won't cost ya to try any of these and there will be many.The only cost would be to get into Denton which isn't really that bad

Good luck

MOHAWK OR CENTAUR   :readit:

I'm going to get me a Big Jim's Buffalo Bow Tulipwood and Purple Heart in the handle with Tulip veneers.  For what is about 525 out the door it's hard to beat and these bows shoot.  You might not like the grip but Jim will do everything in his power to make the grip you want even if you need to send him one of your existing bows and an example.

You might also try Lee Hoots.  He makes some great little longbows very similar to a Super Shrew for about 500 (last I heard).  That's the short longbow that I will get in the future.

When it comes to longbows you can't really beat those two for the price, quality, and shoot ability.  They are just what I'd make if I was making longbows for a great price.

I just looked and it would take ya about a day to drive to PA from Arkansas.

Shooting fee's are as little as 15$ for Sun and as much as 36$ for Thur-Sun shoot till your arm falls off LOL

Only "you" can say whats best for you and hands on is the best way...get a couple buds and drive up,heck I brought my wife the first time I went and she enjoyed it even though she doesn,t shoot

For longbows my first two choices would be a Shrew Classic Hunter and a Morrison ILF Mini-14 riser with Dakota longbow limbs. The ACS CX is very good too.

But those are MY choices. They may not be the best for you.

Allan

shrew, tomahawk both are good

You arent alone. I can't shoot a black widow grip. Odd, uncomfortable, and just...different. Thats my opinion. They are great bows, great people, but I also dont see a reason to pay 1100.00 for one, no matter the exotic woods.  

Kid

make sure you try a morrison...

I didn't think much of black widow either.

I never liked the BW bows. I've shot plenty of them and just don't like them. My buddy in PA collects them and at last count has over 60 and I don't like any of them. Never understood the hype. But hey to each his own. The last three longbows(2Mahantango's &1Marriah) I bought new combined would not pay for a new Widow but I wouldn't trade any of them for  a Widow. Maybe I'd trade my old Robertson Mystical, but I kind of promised that I would toss that one in a fire.

To each his own . I have a Widow longbow on the way and have owned a few Widow recurves and loved them. In reality out of all the bows I`ve owned and its been a bunch, none shoot much better then my homemade bow "Mojo" that I got less than 200 bucks in and I`m far from being a "Bowyer".RC