Anyone thought about why some guys will put so much importance on having just the right custom bow with just the right woods, while others care more about how the bow performs?
To me the biggest disapointment is to order a nice custom bow and then get a bow that shoots only fair to average. I'd much rather have a no name plain jane bow that shoots great, than a great looking no shooter. (It also makes it easier to slip up on the competition.)
What is your opinion? (Keep it nice.) Do you prefer looks to performance, vice versa, or do you think they are all important?
:knothead:
I'll build you a plain Jane bow real affordable and you'll like the performance.
Heck I'll even make it look sort of nice if you want.
Actually I'm with you, personally I like good performance overall.
performance first, looks second but...
w/ most good customs today you can easily have both
Bad looks can alway be covered with a nice dip job (like my plain Jayne Bob Lee Signature). It has tons of performance, but the laminated look is just not for me.
I won't order a bow unless I know it'll perform up to my expectations... try before you, borrow a friend's for a week, get one off the classifieds, read one of non-biased reviews... lots of ways to try out a bow or get reliable info before dropping the string and a load of cash on a custom "tricked-out" bow.
What do I know, most of my bows are from the 1950's :)
Function over form for me. I'll take one in camo.
I prefer a plain jane that I can shoot well, it does not have to be fast,just shoot where I am looking. I also like a bow that is soundless and shoots a heavy arrow well.That being said I usually like either black or brown glass on the limbs and a darker riser wood.
With so many bowyers building bows today that shoot great, and look great too.....why not have the best of both worlds?
Check out this bow, carbon/foam w/ real thin purty over the top. Your kidding yourself if you dont think you can have both.
(http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/savannah1221/tamoashoutdoor001.jpg)
(http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/savannah1221/tamoashoutdoor008.jpg)
(http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj302/savannah1221/tamoashoutdoor006.jpg)
It took me years, and lots of bows before I figured out who i wanted to build me a good lookin, great performing bow.
This was sort of my point in a recent thread I started, on whether a fancy bow delivers performance any more than a plain bow. And to be fair, this really can't be answered because of the number of great bows out there.
For years I thought my plain GN Ghost was it for me. But now my Dale Dye recurves, both awesome to look at and even better to shoot do it for me. In a few days I'll be getting foam limbs for my Cheyenne. I know they will look killer but I really hope they perform.
I see no reason why you can't have both. That being said my longbow is all Indonesian rosewood without any ornate swipes, antler buttons etc., just some buffalo horn that's partly covered by the leather grip. Very understated. It's arguably not as purty as my recurve of the same make but it's performance is nearly the same (speed) and it blends in better with the hunting environment with no need for limb skins, etc. No more ornate bows for me.
And then how many of you really see a huge difference in performance between bows anyway.
I've shot more than a few "custom" bows and to be honest, I have not been blown away by any of them. Some were better looking and I just liked some over others.
I think people just like to buy a new bow now and then. Just my thoughts.
I like both, but I would choose performance way above good looks.
I perfer both performance and looks in a bow and there are several bowyers out there that offer bows such as this. As far as performance goes I have/had bows same weight/draw range that had as much as 20 FPS difference shot through my Chrony. If you think 10 FPS will not make any difference why do people shoot high at range when they go from there old bow to a new faster bow. You have to learn POI at range all over again normally takes a few weeks to adjust.That said about any trad bow will work great for hunting the most important thing is practice,practice,and more practice!
I've shot a lot of old traditional and a lot of the custom bows. Out of an estimated 200 bows, about 100 of them were just ordinary, 50 of them were good, and only about 5 of them were like "WOW". "Wow" may or may not be fast but it is forgiving, and groups tight and consistent. If it's fast then you are double blessed, and if it looks great too then you have found a lifetime keeper.
I doubt I will ever own just one bow, so I'll just buy some pretty ones and some "ugly" ones. I seem to like how a bow looks in it's profile and lines more than just a bunch of pretty wood. If you have pretty wood and great lines, then all the more better.
I also like metal riser bows and think they look great as well. Different, but still great.
As far as performance, you can get good performance and good looks easy enough, not like you have to settle for one or the other.
Performance - I always ordered the most simple version of the best bow. Now even when I am buying used it seems like the simple ones work out the best for me.
I probably build as simple a laminated bow as there is around... a dead straight Hill style off a flat form, with a one piece, non-laminated straight riser. Like Howard, I don't use any tip overlays. No power lams; if I want more poop in the inner end of the limb, i get it with the riser length and taper. I'm not after super fast, just good performance with, above all, a smooth draw. The few people I've let have one have all claimed to like them and feel the performance is good.
Now, all that said, a bow is, to me, a wood product. The wood deserves to be seen. Every bow I've made has clear glass so the wood becomes part of its character. I've used quilted maple, curly maple, walnut, elm, locust, hickory, zebra, osage, yew, cherry, oak... anything that appeals. If i couldn't enjoy the woods, i wouldn't be bothered building the bows. So, for me, I guess the looks are really important. I know i can get satisfactory performance from a given layup... It's how it will look that keeps me working at it. Heck, sometimes i can't even bring myself to put a riser wrap on because it covers the wood...
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h186/CaptainDick/cimc126.jpg)
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h186/CaptainDick/stevenspass1.jpg)
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h186/CaptainDick/wolves2.jpg)
I like that zebrawood limb. Looks really nice.
I figure most bows will shoot better than I can actually shoot them, so to me it's better to miss with a pretty bow than an ugly one :)
Performance is first for me-meaning it shoots consistently. I've owned a lot of pretty bows, but none of them shoot as well as my hoyt gamemeaster
Sure performance first,but on these days most bowyers make great performing Beauties
I want both and I've found both.
I prefer to have both looks and performance. If I dont like the looks of the bow, I wont keep it long. If i dont like the performance of a bow, i wont keep it long.
Nice looking bows Dick. I know a guy who said there's nothing worse than sitting on stand for hours on end looking at an ugly bow.
I have owned a lot of bows and I can't say that I was unhappy with the performance or shootability of any of the really nice looking ones.
QuoteOriginally posted by Irish Archer:
And then how many of you really see a huge difference in performance between bows anyway.
I've shot more than a few "custom" bows and to be honest, I have not been blown away by any of them. Some were better looking and I just liked some over others.
I think people just like to buy a new bow now and then. Just my thoughts.
well said grasshopper ! its the indian not the arrow
mabey just mabey / i have a widow in my future
quite some years ago I expressed an interest in shooting a bamboo limbed longbow here on the Tradgang. Well; I immediately got a bow offered to me for just over $100 dollars. It was a Quillian bamboo hunter; with a cracked riser that had been glued up by Dean Torges.
Not a beautiful bow to look at; as some are; but it tossed an arrow perfectly. The guy who sold it too me sent me an email that if I ever wanted to sell it- he would buy it back; and the same happened with the original owner.
Both missed how the bow shot: over the looks of it.
I think most people have a 'shiny go to church' bow; and a bow that never fails them.
I think there are people that just live for the 'arch' in archery; and love to see how different bows toss arrows; and the feel of the bow; and the looks too.
They shoot a bow; sell it and buy another and have a blast....err 'twang' doing it.
I think though -that when I fall down hunting and check my bow for scratches; its to make sure it will still shoot: not if I can still cuddle it while sitting in front of the fire :archer:
If a bow shoots good for you you can learn to like its looks. If it looks good but doesnt shoot good for you you will never really like it. But like said above you can have both, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Don,
What bows were the "WOW" bows. Thanks. Ken
Ken,I have shot two Beeler bows and two Hummingbird bows that "wowed" me. For the sake of mystery I won't tell what the others were.
Ever wonder how subjective it is, how a bow shoots for you? Some things like draw weight, smoothness of draw, hand shock, and speed are all things we mostly agree on. They are either within our perameters of acceptability or not. There seems to be some other intangibles though that are harder to define. I guess this is good though. Otherwise we would all want the same bows.
It is all about the shooting for me.I wind up spray painting most any bow I hunt with so could care less about pretty woods in it.A bow is just a tool to me.If it don't make it work better I see no need in glueing extra stuff in it that paint or dipping is going to cover. jmo
Don,
Now if you only want one of the two options. By the ugly bow that shoots lights out. But dang it!!
What the heck is wrong with a pretty bow that shoots lights out?
You can have both from a bunch of different bowyers. You just have to spend the time finding the bow that fits you and then buying it.
Seems you have played with one fo ours for years and just end up walking away. Maybe if you'd bought it, you wouldn't have started this thread.
LOL
Mike
You might be right Mike. I shot one of your bows and it was shooting great. It could have been one of those "Wow" bows but I didn't shoot enough to qualify. I had made up my mind to get it after the show, but the show was a flop. I sold one bow (that I didn't take to sell) and broke another one. After that I decided to just try to get home without anything else happening.It's against my principles as a vendor to go home with less money then I started with.
Happy Thanksgiving Mike, Jason, and everyone!!
:clapper:
My wife, my dog and my bow are all beauties. They all perform wonderfully. One of them is way better than I deserve. Didn't test drive the wife, but she's been beyond great for 37 years. The dogs the prettiest setter I've ever owned and I got her for free after following a pickup into the Humane Society parking lot. She loves me almost as much as she loves birds. My favorite bow is a work of art and it shoots great. I guess I want the best of both worlds. Like they say, beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clear through to the bone.
I've been down that road. Order a bow that cost over a grand only to have it off in some way. Now that I've found one that's perfect it's going to be hard to duplicate. But I'm still tryen!!
All I want is a bow that is smooth, quiet and easy to shoot. Don't need alot of performance, I'll camo paint it anyhow.
I never look at my bows really I want performance!!!
I'm not sexy or pretty, but I work hard to put food on the table for my family. Thats all I expect out of my bows, to shoot great and put food on the table. If its a plain jane then thats what I'll use. I would like to have a new bow but I think it would be a plain jane. I have bows that are older, plain and shoot great for me....Roy
Give me a fairly plain looking bow that fits and shoots well and I am happy. Each to his own, but I don't quite understand why some want a half dozen different woods in the same bow. They appear far too busy, sort of like a woman blessed with natural beauty wearing too much make up. I call them floozy bows. But then again, if that floats your boat, go for it.
The beauty of my Quinn Stallion is how well it performs for what I paid for it.
Any dings or scratches to it only enhances its character.
First off, I don't buy any that don't shoot good. Thats why I only have Morrisons. I have a bunch of purdy ones and one thats so ugly it's my favourite! I'm done with all the fancy stuff - I hunt hard with my bows and I'm forever makin a mess out of all that purdy stuff. My newest one is all black phelonic with black carbon/foam limbs and it's fantastic. Every time I ding it or scratch it I get out some wet and dry and a little spit and it's fixed. No more skins and fancy stuff for this guy, been there done that.
Well, I haven't seen many ugly bows. To me, some of those customs with fancy woods do nothing for me, and are not beautiful in my eye.
I have some nice prints on my walls that are great to look at.
I think there is nothing more beautiful than a nice 1960's era Kodiak, or 67 Kodiak Magnum...or a 1960 Grizzly...none of which have clear glass and grainy exotic wood running everywhere. If you can't see beauty in an old vintage bow, you will probably think Ansel Adams photography was plain. Some of those "beautiful bows" that guys rave about give me a migraine if I look at them for more than a few minutes.
Beauty is still in the eye of the beholder, and one must have an objective look to recognize it when he sees it.
Tell me this bow isn't beautiful, and we will need to have a discussion 8^).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v134/oldearcher46/grizzlya.jpg)
Performance will draw my attenion, Looks will open my eyes, Durability will peak my intrest and all three will open my wallet. :bigsmyl:
im pretty partial to my route 66 firefly... great performer, great looker...... blends in great with the woods....
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/jacobsladdergrice/P1050411.jpg)
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/jacobsladdergrice/P1050410.jpg)
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii152/jacobsladdergrice/P1050407.jpg)
I'm still thinkin' about an answer...... :rolleyes:
... mike ...