Not too long ago, I posted asking the good people about Robertsons and Widows.... Never hear too much about Great Plains! They look pretty! Not too flexible in the way of custom options, but my mind is open! Who knows about them? Whos shooting, or has shot them? What do you think about them? As far as performance goes, do they stand up to the likes of the Widows and Robertsons and such? Please give me some info!
My first custom bow was a Great Plains "Wolf Creek" recurve that my father bought for me as a college graduation present back in 1996. Got it from Screaming Eagle Archery when they were still in business. It is one of their B-model one piece recurve. Nice bow and all I shot for about 10 years. I've shot thousands and thousands of arrows with it with now problems. Took my first trad deer with it. Never chronographed it and haven't shot a Robertson or Widow of the same weight for a valid comparison. Their prices have risen since then (but so has everything). It was $425 back in 1996 and I see on their price list that the same bow is now $720. Still a fair price by today's for a bow of that quality.
I belive they make the Tomahawk for 3rivers.
Could be wrong but their longbow sure looks close to indentical to the Tomahawk.,,and if that's so,,then they should be a very nice bow.
My first custom bow was a GP. It was around '95, I had been shooting production bows up until then but I was smitten with the longbow bug and ordered a takedown from Bill. It looked very much like they do now with a phenolic/cocobolo riser and tulip veneers under clear glass on the limbs. It was a great shooting bow. A year or so later Bill started offering the recurve limbs to fit that riser so I had him make me a set to match.
A couple of years went by and I foolishly sold that bow but now I have a takedown Texas Longcurve which has that same familiar feel. I like it alot so far. The phenolic makes for good mass in an otherwise smallish riser and it has plenty of pep on the arrow. Fit and finish is good and I know from experience that Bill Foreman is a good man that stands by his customers. You can't get much better IMO.
I had a GP Osagian Longbow and it was really finished as well as any I've owned and performed better than most (too bad I can't shoot a LB as well as I do Recurves - the low wrist thing). I really liked the looks and performance of that bow!
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Glenn
My first custom was just last spring, a SR Swift TD. Very good performance and beautiful to boot. Bill makes a fine bow.
I have since feel in love with hybrid long bows but the Swift will have a home here until my kids part out my stuff when I'm in the ground.
I had a G.P. SR swift, one of the best performing bows I ever had or shot. I traded it off to another Trad Gang member. Sometimes I think I my have been to quick to trade. Mine was 48# @ 28" 58" long. I draw 29". It just smoked 725 GR. laminated Birch arrows. The other G.P. bows I have shot all seemed fast for their draw wieghts......good bows!!!
Great bows! I have had 4 of them and still have three. The only downside I can think of is that they don't hold their value as well as some.
As you can see at the bottom of my post here, I have several very nice customs, one of which is a SR Swift [actually, Bill Foremans "personal" Black Hawk that I was lucky enough to talk him into selling] the other is a 3 piece G/P Longbow. The SR Swift is just that "Swift" in the speed department, beautiful to admire and fits my hand like a glove.
I do have one Robertson Vision Falcon II [ SRV short riser] with 2 sets of limbs. It is a very nice bow, also Beautiful and very fast. However, the Swift fits my hand a bit better.
I have owned 7 widow's in the past [2 MA's, a PMAX, a PTFX and 2 TF's along with a T/D PL] I had heard so much good about them that I just knew I "had to have" one :knothead: :wavey:
Had a "B" model TD Palo Duro and a "B" Model TD Rio Bravo. The Palo was 60" and the Rio was 62". Loved the Palo but didnt like the Rio too much. Wish I still owned the Palo Duro.
I recently picked up a SR Swift and am very pleased with the performance and the looks of it. I got the Cazador model w/bamboo lams. No handshock, and very fast. Bill's workmanship on the bow is fantastic! I gave Bill a call with a few questions, a great guy to talk to.
If you have a 3RA Tomahawk you have a Great Plains bow. Bill Forman makes them. H
thanks for the input everyone, regarding the Great Plains bows!