I am a long time archer. I have loved traditional shooting since the beginning not counting a brief stint in field archery ( which I enjoyed). I have owned a number of bows my last 5 being all Black Widows. BW longbows are the last for me. I have not got to do any shooting or hunting this last two years while I concentrated on finishing my Doctor of Ministry. I have felt that I needed to simplify my life as a part of my spiritual journey in Christ so I am getting down to just one bow. If you could only have ONE long bow what would you have? What do you think of the newest trend with shorter bow lengths and more radical reflex/deflex?
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Monk,
Congratulations on your Doctoral studies. I know how much work and dedication that takes.
I have one of the newer R/D bows. I have a Shrew that seems a bit twitchy and I am still working on how to shoot it well. Suffice it to say, it has been a process that I am not done with yet.
If I had to choose one longbow, it would be the Shrew.
If I had to limit to one traditional bow today, and I could include recurves, I would choose my old, beat up Bear A-mag takedown. By todays standards it is slow, but I shoot it better than any bow I have ever picked up, longbows included.
Again, congratulations on your Doctoral Degree.
Joe
If it could only be one bow?
Simple, for me. I'd shoot a Schafer Silvertip.
The hard part's gonna be when you make me choose between the two.
I don't know yet. But it would be a:
1)longbow
2) at least a mild R/D
3)62-64 inches long
I'm going to be one bow. And deadly accurate shooting it.
Joshua
Longbow, have to go with ACS.
One longbow, you ask?
Howard Hill.
Cari-bow Peregrine
so far for me its the Toelke Whip, Classic model.
Hill X2
One that works.
QuoteOriginally posted by MJB:
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:goldtooth:
Dwyer original :jumper: :jumper:
Blacktail T/D Elite.
Several great bowyers to choose from. My Centaur has it all for me. Most important is I shoot it well. Take the one that YOU shoot best and stay with it. There is not a big diffrence in any of the bows.
Pronghorn.
I have limited myself to one bow. I bought a silvertip! I plan to stay with it until I know everything about it. I don't think there is another bow with a better grip " for me that is". Jason
Howard Hill Cheetah. I had one and traded and that hurt, just bought another one from Scattershot and now I am complete again. This bow defines Smmmmoooth.
I don't have one yet but if I could only have one bow it would be a Morrison Cheyenne 54" t/d longbow or the 52" t/d recurve.
Shrew :thumbsup:
Shrew Scout!!
Griffin by John McCullough!
QuoteOriginally posted by monk:
...What do you think of the newest trend with shorter bow lengths and more radical reflex/deflex?
I consider them great bows but I don't really think of them as longbows. Of course the longbow I would choose does have an R/D design, but going too short with a recurve handle to boot loses that "longbow feeling" for me when I am after that "longbow feeling." (I'm not saying this has to make sense)! :biglaugh: All that being said, I think I would pick my 64", "D" shape, Border Griffon GL. I seem to have no interest in shooting any other bow since I started shooting this one but I use to say that about my Border recurve! It's all FUN! :D
Robertson T/D longbow.
I would beg my friend Tom Cable of Windstorm Archery to come out of retirement and make me one last longbow. Just saw a used one at Jays and if it wasn't so heavy I might have brought it home.
QuoteOriginally posted by Ben Kleinig:
One longbow, you ask?
Howard Hill.
x2
I would have to say it is my 70" 55#@28" Yew Mahantango.
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I haven't tried all of them so I really can,t say. :confused:
Treadway!!! :thumbsup:
Bill
If we have to choose just one why do we have so many choices lol.
So far it has to be a Shrew for me.
One bow? I don't understand...
Well, if forced, I'd take a Morrison.... which one would be to tough to pick... Shawnee or Cougar...
You really mean one more bow right?
if it's a longbow you are asking, my classic longbow from Ron Foley of Texas is the one I shoot....if it's a recurve,it's my Schafer Silvertip....
lee
I think I might pull my hair out trying to figure that one out.
Probably my 50s style Frederick recurve.For sentimental reasons and it also just happens to be one of the most uniquely designed,elegant and sweetest shooting bows I have ever had.
Thunder Mountain Coyote (Jerry Barr)longbow, as far as a recurve, it has to be a Black Widow PSA
Been down the road of many bows, fun but you have finally pic one and get good with it, then buy a few back-ups LOL!!!
GN fireball!
It would have to be 60" Super Shrew, about #57 @ 30". Shoots as nice as a 68" LB and not too short, fits in any blind I can.
If ya only get one it should be a purty one! Make it Osage and Ebony.
Eric
If it could ONLY be one Bow! :confused: :help:
Well....if you are going to put a gun to my head......I'd probably sell all but one of them built by that good 'ol boy from Hamilton MT. that goes by the name of Dale.......but you'd better have a bullet in that gun!!!!!
monk, you raise a thoughtful point. I have one bow. Find one you like. simplify.
if it had to be only one bow then it would be one of the longbow takedown customs built by; THE MAN BIG JIM. totally custom built to your specs from all of the laminates, woods,handle grip tip overlays, dl and # etc etc etc. built with pride and made to stride!!! beautiful bows made for you to match your needs. this way you will always cherrish the one of a kind piece of equipment which is every bit as unique and special as you yourself are and with that in mind i would be hard pressed to be able to choose anything but a big jim bow if i had to only choose one for lifes journey, sort of like an extension of your outreached hand. the forrunners the native americans all made and totally personalize their equipment so that everyone knew when they saw them who they actually belonged to and respected that equipment.
One bow? Easy...Great Northern Jackknife Bushbow...I've got three ;)
Still looking for the ONE ??? Love reading these threads.So far for me it is the ACS CX . Thanks, Randy
It would have to be the one that is comfortable enough for me to shoot over and over again without too much fatigue, yet enough zing to hunt anything on this continent---that weight is about 50# for me.
If you can find a Gila selfbow, your golden.
black widow....
Whatever I shot best and felt the best in my hands.
At the moment have to lean towards the John Strunk "Traditional Spirit" that I acquired just a short time ago.
Howard Hill...
My Schafer Silvertip 3 piece td.
Michael, congrats on your doctorate! :)
At the moment I have two bows. They are both 62" Northern Mist Baraga's 56 and 54# @ 28". So I would probably say one of them as they are great shooters, although the brand really doesn't matter so much as the style-62-64" mild reflex deflex longbow and a locator grip. I have owned a few different longbows, but never saw the need to own more than two. One to hunt with and one as a backup plan or for a friend to use.
My Bob Lee Signature, 3 piece td, L.B.
Habu for me -- I have two and another on the way.
ZIPPER!
The best bow for the individual; for me it is a GN Super Ghost. Still a classic and bet all around bow of the 50 or so I have owned.
I might try to answer this when I've shot all the bows that I want to. I won't go into the future but just the ones that I already know I want to try. There are a couple of Hill styles that are on my wish list. I'm dying to try a Hill style with some string follow.
Shoot who am I kidding.. I seriously doubt I'd be able to make myself get down to one bow even if I had to drag out the shaving horse and build them.
God bless,Mudd
the one that i have now Fox royal crown 60" 48# 28" and it is smooth to shoot and Quick as :archer:
Tall Tines!!! I just picked this one up. There's been alot of talk on here recently about these bows, you can believe it all!! It's without a doubt the finest shooting recurve I've ever owned! Fast, stable, smooth draw, the best grip I've felt, no handshock, and beautiful to look at! What else could you want?
Jr.
my bbo, home made, fast and lots of mojo
My Hollenbeck r/d bocote bamboo longbow 66" amo & 58#@28". The bow was custom-made for me by my long time friend, Roger Hollenbeck, and given to me by my wife Glenda as a Christmas gift.
Probably my Firefly, as I shoot it best. Tough to choose though. There are a few more bows I would like to try out!
If I could be a Bow.....I will be one "Grifo" by Veriano Marchi, very fine Italian Bowmaker....
Carlo
Right now it would be a Morrison Shawnee 58", 50@27". (that could change though!)
I Just hope it never ever happens to me. I don't know that I could get by with just one bbbbbow. A terrible thing to think about. MIKE
:scared: One Bow!!?? I have 3 but they are all Mohawk Longbows. I have owned and shot a bunch. Mohawks do it for me.
I have only one bow. It's a longbow that I use for everything. I wouldn't trade for it. With the amount of hobbies and honey-do's I have, it's all I have time for. I also believe it makes me a much better archer to concentrate my efforts on tuning and maintaining one bow.
You asked about which one LONGBOW people would pick. Apparently, some people misunderstood and suggested a recurve. I would have to say a Shrew Classic hunter, although the Morrison bows with longbow limbs are right up there at the top too. I like the short, light bows. They are great and make for easy shooting in many hunting situations where a longer bow does not work well.
But the idea of only having one bow is like having to choose only one food item to eat every meal for the rest of my life. Neither is a happy thought!
Allan
Well, if I was free to choose any bow in the world, under the premise that I stuck to it, I would definetely choose a horn/wood/sinew composite. If that's not an option, I would choose a man-sized, warbow-style longbow, as the one I have recently ordered.
Another vote for a Fox Archery 2-piece takedown longbow, yew limbs. Classic D-shaped longbow. Quiet, smooth, portable
Going forward under the present conditions, I'd take my 3-piece A&H ACS. Excellent bow for hunting and targets. Fast, forgiving, stable. However, if my life depended on it under dystopic conditions, I'd take one of my Hills. Can use one of those as a spear, club, walking stick, etc., and it will still make meat. :bigsmyl:
Re the radical reflex/deflex designs and the trend toward shorter bows. There's little doubt that the newer designs increase performance without giving up comfort, and usually improve it. Think some folks might be going overboard in their quest for short bows though. Short bows are much more susceptible to string torque -- vertical and horizontal-- than are longer bows, and, of course, the increased string angle increases finger pinch. In the same design, they also stack more quickly than longer bows. I'm amazed by the folks who say they draw a 58-inch high r/d bow to 30 inches and don't feel any stack or finger pinch.
Pronghorn... easy question
I think you should try to make the "one" from scratch. They impart a high degree of satisfaction, are simple, durable, functional, keep it plain with no eye candy. A self bow or bamboo backed osage of your own making would fit the order.
Terry
A CheyenneTalltinesSchaferCrowcreekCentaur would be my choice.
checkmate hunter II would be my current choice.
I picked it up of the add's here and had to put in an order for a new one I liked it so much.
My Owl "hunter" is the coolest and most unique bow I have. Not to mention it shoots like a dream and zips an arrow, for a self bow.
So if only one, I'd have to say my Owl.
I think there's a conspiracy to delete the Pronghorn posts - there has to be more than that. Although, the Morrison Dakota is ridiculous...so Morrison Dakota...no Pronghorn...Pronghorn.
i'd say a bow i built w/ my kids. great mojo.....
A real close friend (Redant60/65) gave me a Hoyt Tiboron recurve and a 50# Martin Bushmaster. I have owned or shot almost every bow made, I still love and shoot these two the best. In the end I really like the Tiboron. If I never get another bow, it would be ok...
Thanks again Larry.....
Longbow: 60" 56# Shawnee/Dakota
Recurve Mini 14 ILF with "skinned" c/f "D" limbs 57#@28
Gene :wavey:
Thanks for the posts. Great variety of preferences.
One bow?
Heresy.
All bows are not alike. All men are not alike. The animals, trees, ferns and fungi differ from each other, even within their distinct species, like fine-fretted snowflakes. Is a cloud ever exactly like another? The diversity of Creation is as infinite as the imagination of its Creator. Who am I to run counter to His ways? Celebrating variation and diversity is celebrating the awesome scope of the vision of the Lord.
At least, that's how I justify it.
Killdeer :archer:
Either of my Bama's. I love em both.
It would have to be my two A&H's and then my Gerlock.
Your welcome Dude. :thumbsup:
Killy's explanation sounds like a winner to me!
Besides, I have three of "The One" bows. Morrison Shawnee longbow.
QuoteOriginally posted by KentuckyTJ:
A CheyenneTalltinesSchaferCrowcreekCentaur would be my choice.
I bet thats a shooter!!!! :D
Actually not a bad idea, would love to see all those guys each have a little piece of their own style in a bow, just imagine what it would be like..... :eek:
Shre4w Classic Hunte
It may change later this week. Right now ACS CX 3 pc. 64". I have a Griffin & a Centaur on the way off the classifieds. Still on the quest for the best as my friend Peckerwood would say. Randy
my kota prairie swift 1 pc. 53# brand new modeled after paul schafers personal 1 pc. recurve
54" Super Shrew!!!!
I posted earlier on this thread and must admit that I just acquired a few more bows.
I'm not going to let loose of the Strunk but the GN Bushbow and Ghost are keepers.
Any RER would be a good choice.
Any 62" 60# longbow that has "Bushbow", "Mohawk", or "Pronghorn" written on it!! ;)
For me it has to be a 68", 60-65@28 American Longbow built by the master, John Schulz :bigsmyl:
One bow???? Hate to have my bows be lonely . . .
Although I've shot mostly longbows the last 25+ years (Fox, Black Widow, David Dowell, and a couple others) and recurves (Bear, Black Widow, Fox) for the first 25+ years, I recently had Brandon Stahl build me a 64" Super Wildcat recurve. It has been an absolute blast to shoot. Everyone that sees it says it's the most beautiful bow they have ever seen - and it shoots as good as it looks. Right now I would have to say the Rose Oak Super Wildcat - but I can promise you it's never going to be lonely.
Craig
I am with TJ and Killdeer on this 1
personally subjective stuff, indeed!
mohawk t/d longbow, 66", 50# @ 29"
Robertson for me
John Jordan Stalker t/d recurve
I'll stay with my Widow!!
You'll have to define L/B, as most mentioned are Hybrids ... Good Luck, All the Best ...
I am with you Lamey "far for me its the Toelke Whip"
Carl
Today, my Morrison Shawnee. Or a Pronghorn.
Tomorrow? Who can say.
My old 21st century