Didn't want to hijack Got2strum's thread about diversity, so how many of us have settled on one make/brand of bow?
I'm a relative newby to trad, but I'm ready to profess that I'm a Black Widow racist.
Nothing else for me from here on out.
I'll jump in.
Even though I've only had my Hill for a few weeks, I feel pretty confident saying I'm going to be a Hill shooter for quite some time. I have many many more years of archery to enjoy, but for right now, the Hill is fitting me perfectly.
The most accurate bow I have when I'm on my game...
(http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac46/Imnotted/DSC01249.jpg)
This doesn't happen all the time, but when it does... :goldtooth:
There are so many good bows out there. I'd never limit myself to just one.
My son and I have been shooting ACS CX's for the past 5 years or more. Oh bought a few different ones in the meantime too...........and ended up selling them again in no time.
Add another to the ACS CX camp. I have been shooting this one for awhile now and it is the best bow I've ever used.
(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x409/manehonkie/smallacs.jpg)
I have not been in the past, but I am seriously concidering it. Have one now that I shoot better than anything I have ever had. Want to get another one just in case the bowyer ever decides to stop making them. You know how it is when you find something that you really like and then they are discontinued....
Hill bow got my frist one in 86 or 87 also had alot of other bow but always go back to hill for hunting
It took me years of shooting all the different types of bows to end up where I am.
I will be the 1st to say that there are some styles that are easier for me to get accurate with quickly but....
It's not how the bow shoots as much as "how does the bow make me feel when I'm shooting it?"
It's Hill style bows that "just do it!" for me.
God bless,Mudd
RER recurves work for me, with a med-high wrist and made a little thicker than their standard model. My Belcher ILF is getting a bunch of time this year with a set of Border Hex-5H's!! Shawn
I am mad for Fox Bows , as you can see from the pic below. The wife freaked out when I mentioned starting a random collection of Just bows I would like to own eg Shaffef widow blacktail savage Bear ect ect .Heres what I have so far though in the Ron Fox Collection.
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f386/clinglish/010.jpg)
Since I have been shootin' left handed, I have settled on the KANATI longbow by Jason Kendall. Jason's low wrist grip just fits my style, they are light in the hand, no handshock, and I love the finish!
BTW - I have now owned 3 KANATI longbows....
Have a great 2011 huntin' season!
Shoot straight, Shinken
:archer2:
I like them all.... I am kinda partial to Great Norhterns though
I have at least a dozen and half Brackenburys, more than a dozen Shrews, eight or so Morrisons, a few Blacktails, and a bunch more bows in ones and twos, for a total of 40+ bows. The 4 brands I just mentioned are all great, and so are most of my other bows. I know I am spoiled. If I could only own one bow, I could choose almost any single bow on my rack and be a happy hunter. There are lots of great bows out there. If I wanted the best looking bow in the world, I would keep my Blacktail Snakebit. If I wanted the bow that would be the best to carry around with me all day long, every day on long hunts yet be ready to draw and shoot at a moment's notice, I would pick a Shrew Classic Hunter takedown. If I wanted the bow that was the most accurate bow at the range and worked extremely well for hunting, I would pick my Brackenbury Peerless. If I wanted the most versatile bow that did everything well and had interchangeable limbs in both recurve and longbow styles, that could be tuned exactly the way I liked, I would pick a Morrison Mini 14 ILF. And if I wanted the best bow for the money, at half the cost (give or take a little) of any of the others I just mentioned, that was fast, smooth, accurate and stable, I would pick a Holm-Made Osprey takedown. I sure haven't talked about all the great bows out there, but the ones I just mentioned are all already sitting on my rack, so it would be easy for me to grab one of them.
Then there are a couple of bows on my rack that I don't care for much at all, and many more I don't own but have shot that I don't particularly like, even though many people rave about those bows that do nothing for me. Rather than run down any bows, I will simply choose not to talk specifically about them. If you know I own one of your bows and haven't mentioned liking it, don't worry, I probably do, but I have too many to discuss all the good ones here.
It's funny how I will read on TradGang about a bow that someone who is a longtime member says is the best made and greatest shooting bow he has ever come across, but when I shoot one like it, the bow feels like a 2'x4'! In fact, even on this thread there is more than one brand of bow listed that I think is fairly mediocre, although many others claim those same bows are the best ever made. It's probably just me. To each his own, I guess. That is another good reason to shoot a bow before buying if you can. Also, it is a good idea to shoot lots of different bows to figure out how various makes and models compare to one another. Then you can start figuring out what characteristics you like and work well for you.
Allan
BW PL longbow was the cure for the HHill bug for me. I am done buying bows as my system is complete.
I like several different bows, but for now my favorites are my Morrison Shawnee and ILF longbows. Especially with carbon/foam limbs.
Ihave weeded everything out. one bow is best for me.1silvertip-1northernmist long bow most people dont shoot 1 bow long enought to really get to know it.I have had a lot of bows an thats is all I had a lot of bows.my shooting did not improve alot because I jumped around too much.you can learn alot from a bow over time. you will find the perfect set up an with pratice an a good bow you will be hard to beat.owning a lot bows is a lot of fun also there is nothing like a nice colection
No favorite brand here but I do have a favorite style--Hill style longbows. Currently I own 13 of the buggers (six are actual Hills) and would not be at all hesitant to add more. I love the style of bow and enjoy owning various makers' interpretation of the style. When I shoot any other type of bow, I always find myself wishing one of my Hills or similar style longbow were in my hand.
There are certainly a number of excellent custom bowyers in business today. That said, Dan Toelke has made me a number of bows including Whips, one piece and t.d. recurves and Hill style or D bows which have become my favorites. Every single one of them has been superbly crafted of beautiful woods. They are stable and forgiving, the Whips provide good speed and his recurves and Super Ds are extremely quick. Across the board all Dan's bows are exceptionally quiet and I know this because numerous other shooters have commented to me about it. I believe this is so because of the efficiency of their design and the rigorous r&d phase each model goes through before Dan makes them available.
There are NEVER any problems with Dan, I don't think I've ever known any one as commited to customer satisfaction. I'm sure I could find another bowyer but I can think of absolutely no reason to try, I find that I have developed a pretty strong one brand preference.
I have not been able to shoot all the different styles or brands yet. I do know that I prefer a Long Bow more than a Recurve. And I currently own 14 of them. Some I shoot very well, and the others pretty well, and a couple so so. But their are so many beauties being built today and in the past, I am not done looking yet. Too much fun.
For a recurve the Tall Tines, a longbow a Shrew Classic Hunter Carbon/Foam takedown. I have one of each that fit well and I think they will be staying, the other bows all have a price.
I second Amar911,there are so many excellent bowyers with great bow design and materials.It is just the time you spend on a single bow that makes it magic.
I`m a loyal Predator fan.
I`m trying to think of a bow that I DID NOT like, and can`t really come up with one. It is better to say, I like them all, just some more than others.
use to be OL Adcock bows, I shot a lot of different bows, always went back to the pre-ACS and original ACS's but slipped into Zippers and now, I own 3 Zippers and no others
dont plan to own any others either, though if a Silvertip built just right came by ... no, no, NO I'm staying with what I got ! :bigsmyl:
I'm pretty much a one bow type of guy.
My bow since 1987: a Brackenbury T/D Drifter, 60# @ 28", 62" with XX75 2018 or 2117. I do have a 45# 1976 Grizzly, too (for bowfishing).
Zwickeys or Snuffers on the front end. Been using a Delta quiver up til now, but will be getting a Great Norther soon.
The bow can always get it done. It's me who falls short at times.
Whether it's a bow or gun, I tend to be loyal to one brand and one model, and to be intimately familiar with it. Just me. But never say never!!
No telling how many different brand bows I've owned. All were good to great bows.
Anyway, everytime I build one I seem to like it better than anything I hav ever bought or had given to me.
Guess I'm just one of those that would rather build it than buy it.
My best so far is my latest recurve. Nothing fancy, 55# at 29" td recurve with simple laminated riser and black limbs.
Troy
Troy,
Among the various makes of bows that I only own one of and did not specifically mention in my earlier post is a beautiful 3 piece longbow built by a fella named Troy Breeding. You may have heard of him. ;) It is a heck of a nice bow that feels great, looks great, is incredibly smooth, and shoots where I look. The trouble with that Breeding guy is he doesn't produce many bows, so not many archers have had the privilege to shoot a bow that he made, much less own one. I am one of the lucky few. :notworthy:
Allan
Tom,
After shooting bows since 1957, when I was 5 years old, and never seeing anything other than what we now call "traditional bows" until the 1970s, I bought my first custom bow ever in 1984 from a guy who had recently started producing bows on a part time commercial basis out of a little shop behind his house in Oregon. That guy was named Jim Brackenbury, and the bow I ordered was his least expensive model (because I was poor at the time) called the "Drifter". It was a great bow that I loved shooting. Jim and I stayed in constant contact over the years, and in 1987 I ordered a second Drifter that was meant to be almost identical to the first one so I would have a backup bow or could have one at the place I hunted every weekend during the 3 month deer hunting season and a similar one at home during the week to practice with. In July 1991 I called Jim to get him to make me a third bow that would have been a different model for other purposes, the Sidekick, which would have been my ideal treestand bow at the time. Jim's ex-wife, Linda, answered the phone, and I said hello to her since I had spoken to her on many occasions, and then asked to speak with Jim. She then told me about Jim's boating accident a few days before when he had drowned. That was a huge loss of a wonderful guy, a great friend and an outstanding bowyer. Although I own many Bracks today, I still have never owned a Sidekick. Some Sidekicks have come up for sale through the years, but I have been reluctant to buy them because a Sidekick would always remind me of the day I heard about Jim's death.
The Drifter, like all of the Bracks that Jim and his employees (including Wes Wallace -- another great bowyer) built, is just as great a bow today as it was in the 1980s. I gave a Drifter to my best friend, Doug Burns, who is the featured hunter at the top of this page (Doug also owned a Drifter that Jim had built for him back in 1985), and he used that Drifter on our recent hunt to Oz that I have written about here on TradGang. In fact, Doug is holding the Drifter I gave him in the picture at the top of the page. That bow did everything any similar bow made today could do. You have a great bow with a rich heritage in that Drifter. I have half a dozen Drifters on my bow rack right now and love them all. Don't let yours get away.
Allan
Ive owned prob, 143...no bs.., but ever one Im shooting , last 3 years just one, cant afford a new one, really...60 inch hummingbird, 53#@29
Pretty much a one bow man now, I own two Brackenbury Quests. I have owned almost every top end bow out there and the Quest is what I choose to keep always. For a longbow I have a Cari-Bow Silver Fox. Only other bow I have on order is a Brackenbury Peerless but will not see it for about two years. For me the Bracks are it, I shoot them better than anything else. Therefore all the others are gone and I am very happy with that decision.
I have shot Bear's , Bob Lee's, Massie's (wished I'd never sold those 2) . I then discovered Dan Toelke, and I haven't looked back. Not only the man himself, but his craftsmanship are awesome. I have owned 4 of his Bows , and I have 3 right now. All Recurves, his Regular 1 Pc, a Chinook, and a T/D Curlew. I am looking a T/D Whip for the future. So, yes I do have Brand Preference..... Tu Compadre, Sutty
Wow, I'm really envious of you guys regarding all the different bows you've owned. I've only owned about a half dozen different makes. I don't have the resources to be a bowaholic, and I'm pretty much a one or two bow man anyway.
I just feel really blessed to have one Black Widow and I'm thrilled with it.
Danny,
I haven't forgotten about the comparison of the Peerless with the Quest. I decided to do a thread in the reviews forum.
Allan
Over the years I have tried alot of bows. At times I have searched and switched so much that nothing ever really could take hold. I have settled more on one "style" of bow than a brandname. I like "Hill" style longbows. All of them are not the same, that is for sure.
Today being wiser, the fit of the grip, the smoothness of draw, the quietness of the bow, are far more important than the brand. I believe that my trading and buying days are simply gone. Been there, done that for too many years. The quest for the Holy Grail of a bow is simply an unfulfilling endeavor for me. I just want to shoot the one style of bow, and the "holy grail" is found in getting really confident in your shooting form. Once you find the bow style that works for you, I believe most traditional archers would be far better off the stick to it, no matter what the brandname is.
QuoteOriginally posted by COLongbow:
So how many of us have settled on one make/brand of bow?
For the last couple years and forseeable future it is Timberhawk recurves. Haven't come across anyone that makes a grip quite like Scott's. If he would make me longbow limbs for my takedown, I KNOW there would not be any need for another brand.....
Yup, I am a one brand man, Pronghorns for me.
Realizing I'm pretty much a "Bow Hoe", I have several including Morrison's, Schafer's, Tall Tines, Great Plains, Bighorn Custom TD's [old and new]and Jack Kempf Kwyk Styks..
I have tried most all including a Habu, 7 different Widows, several Bears, Howatt's, Wing's, a couple Cascade's, Brackenberry's, plus many more I have forgotten... These are just part of the re-curves I have owned over the years...
Longbows I have had include Widow's, 3-4 Shrew's, 4-5 Griffin's. 3-4 Pronghorns, and a few Great Plains T/d's, a couple Morrison 1 pieces, Cari-bow Silver Fox, Kanati's, Thunderhorns, & Whips.
I still have a Bezelle, two Fred Anderson "Hyaks', A V-archer, a Osage sinue and raw hide backed self bow, a beauty built for me as gifts by a good friend, a Shawnee/Dakota Morrison along with two of Bob Morrisons ILF's set up with many different limbs including L/B's.
For a recurve, I shoot my 56" static tipped 55# Kwyk Styk the best :wavey:
In my lifetime I've owned Bear, Wing, Pearson, Herters, Shakepeare, Groves, Belcher and Bob Lee. Except for the Belcher Longhorn hybrid longbow, all the rest were recurve bows.
I only own two bows now. Both of them are 66" Blacktail take down recurves. For me, they are the finest, accurate and smoothest drawing bows I've ever shot.
If I would ever get another recurve bow, it would be a one piece, 66" Blacktail.
After having about 5 big name bows I've found my bow,Kanati longbow.I now own two of them.
to me, life's like a box of chocolate's so i like sampling as many longbows as possible. :D
Bear TD for me. Enough variety to satisfy me while still shooting that one bow. I do like to change up between A and B risers but do seem to prefer the #1 length limbs.
While I've got several makes of bows, I think it is best to stick to one bow, or closely matched bows of the same make and model. We all eventually learn some degree of accuracy within our limitations, which means that we learn to do the same things RIGHT and the same things WRONG consistently and repeatably. (Ever watched a guy shoot the nocks off his arrows but badly plucks the string every shot?) Adding the variable of a different bow changes the equation.
I know a lot of guys are content to shoot 15-20 yards, but many shoot no further because they can't. I work to have consistency at variable ranges, and that requires consistency in equipment, unless both me and whichever bow I'm shooting are perfect according to the laws of physics, aerodynamics, and the like.
Now, I'm not a very good shot. I am sure that many who post here could flat embarass me in a shootout. But I idealize myself as someone who wants to emulate Howard Hill and Ben Pearson (sp?), and Byron Ferguson as role models. These, and many others, set a high standard as repeatable accurate archers and bowhunters. And I doubt they were using different bows every day. I think that in our "lust" for some new, prettier, different bow, we end up with a safe full of different bows that won't shoot for us if we get out beyond the 20-yard range.
Also, I'm a gap shooter and don't get much into the "instinctive" thing, and that says a lot. I'm not comfortable shooting a bow simply by feel, because I want repeatability, and don't want to have to be "dialed in" in order to shoot accurately. The instinctive shooter probably has a different opinion on this than me, but I want to be confident that if I get one 45-yard shot all season, I've got both equipment and a technique that are consistent enough that I can make that shot... the first and only chance I get.
That being said, I shoot Black Widow bows. One recurve, and one longbow.
Hands down JD Berry Appollo, for a lot of reasons.
(http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z267/horatio1226/jd%20berry%20apollo/IMG_4351.jpg)
(http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z267/horatio1226/jd%20berry%20apollo/IMG_4346.jpg)
(http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z267/horatio1226/jd%20berry%20apollo/IMG_4344.jpg)
(http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z267/horatio1226/jd%20berry%20apollo/IMG_4355.jpg)
I might be slightly partial to Bigriver Bows :bigsmyl:
Thunderstick bows for me MOAB, Nothing shots better for me. :archer2:
I've bought alot of bows,but the zipper l/b have proven to be the best for me.
Sarrels Archery for me!
http://www.sarrelsarchery.com/
The Blueridge takedown longbow is my go-to bow.
Bisch
Morrison.
Bob has yet to build a bow I don't like.
My 2 go-to bows are book-matched Shawnee & Cheyenne. Even my 'throw-in-the-bottom-of-the-boat' bowfishing recurve in a Morrison ILF.
I have & have had many very nice, high & low end bows, both custom & production & the Morrisons are bows I'l never part with.
Collecting-
Bears
Shooting-
Blacktail Bows (Norm Johnson)
I have had and still do have alot of different brands of custom bows, I love the looks of all types and brands of bows, but the only ones I shoot anymore are my Bob Lee bows of which I have around 10 and will be adding more in the future no doubt!
I'm sure there are alot of fine bows out there that I have not tried, but to this point of the bows that I have owned and tried, any of my Bob Lees have no hand shock, and are very, very smooth drawing to my full 32" draw no matter what they are marked as far as draw length goes.
Also their small family owned and run shop from one end of the business to the other including customer service is second to none in anyone I have ever delt with no matter what type of business I have delt with.
So for me there is no reason to look any further.
I like several brands of bows -- all recurves. I agree with the points brought up by Amar and Caccitore regarding getting to know the bow. I've been remiss in that department. After being away from recurves since 1975 I started shooting them again in earnest 1.5 years ago -- for the 2010 hunting season.
I did stick with one bow from August through deer season last year. However, I feel like I have several years catching up exploring recurves. So I've watched these threads, tried some at shoots and shows and have been through a couple dozen, keeping about half of them.
I think Widows and Predators feel super, perform well, and are very dependable. The wait time if bought new isn't too bad either.
Bear Takedowns remind me of when I started in archery and the Supreme risers are my favorite, especially the very RARE A riser.
All my bows and limb combos are 45-49# at my 26" draw. I can pick up any of them and hunt with them. I am most confident in a couple more than others though.
Without a doubt my favorite two bows right now are a Silvertip and a Habu.
I have two customs that I like very much but never seem to shoot them; Robertson Fatal Styk and Rose Oak Super Wildcat.Both well made beautiful bows that could be the only bow I owned if need be.
I intend to buy only one more bow. It is a BT Snakebit that should be coming up for build this month. It has been on order since May 12, 2010.
I'm not a collector--of anything, but I do love beautiful exotic woods and smooth drawing and shooting curves. I should get rid of 2-3 (5-6?-ha)of my current bows but I can't imagine parting with them.
I've owned a couple bows or risers that some folks dearly love that just don't suit me.
Toelke for me, Dan is the best IMHO.
I wouldn't say I'm limited to one brand. There are so many great bows out there. I profess to being a longbow though. I don't plan on going back to recurves unless the are 50s style with a longbow handle.
If I had to pick one bowyer though - I'd choose Bama Bows. The two I have are absolutely amazing and they fit me perfectly. I see many more in my future.
That being said - I'd love to own a Holm, Thunderstick, etc. Too many bows, so little time.
I have a number of custom bows...Wallace, Holcombe, Bruin a couple of Super Ks, KHs, a Grizzly and a Mohawk. I love them all and shoot them regularly, but several months ago I picked up a '56 Kodiak which was an entirely new thing for me. It's weird, but I shoot that little bow better than any of my others and I'll probably hunt with it this Fall.
I have a number of custom bows...Wallace, Holcombe, Bruin a couple of Super Ks, KHs, a Grizzly and a Mohawk. I love them all and shoot them regularly, but several months ago I picked up a '56 Kodiak which was an entirely new thing for me. It's weird, but I shoot that little bow better than any of my others and I'll probably hunt with it this Fall.
So many different worthy bows -So many gifted bowyers.
How blessed are we that it may only take the experience of a few to find a favorable match that is far more adequate than our own shooting ability.
How blessed are those that have the opportunity to try the vast numbers and then decide which will be their choice.
How blessed are we to have so many different bows by gifted bowyers that in themselves we may find a completely different enjoyable experience all their own.
How blessed are we!!!
Friend I tell you VERY,just the wallet is crying!
This is the gold age of traditional bows.
QuoteOriginally posted by Orion:
There are so many good bows out there. I'd never limit myself to just one.
Just got back from Denton with a new Zipper and Treadway. I can not stop. :dunno: :dunno:
Love shooting different makes and models, comparing, contrasting....
If I had to pick just one, shootability, performance and price would force me to Thunderstik. My MOAB is a rock solid performer and didn't break the bank.
I've bought new, used,and traded a bunch of bows! Always go back to the Centaurs with the ACS running a close second. It just depends on what any given individual likes. I like my Centaurs! :archer:
Black Creek longbow for me. Jim builds a great bow that just seems to work for me, not to mention hes a great guy to deal with and a good friend.
The bowyers of today are very talented and are making the best bows ever. Trying as many as you possibly can.
Martin Hunters and Bushmaster's
One brand prefference??? Um.... No! ;)
I have owned a lot of different bows over the years, but have settled down a bunch. Basically it was a journey to find out what I like and don't like.
For longbows I shoot Morrison Shawnees, 62", A-riser/E-limbs and prefer the carbon/foam limbs. Also like Bob's Cougar, but for a one-piece longbow it would be the Thunderstick MOAB.
For Recurves, hands down Jack Kempf's Kwyk Styk, also like the Black Widow PSA.
I'm sold on Black Widows. I have a MAX 53@28 and a PSAX 49@28. I have the MA set up with a bowquiver and the PSA I use when it's nasty outside.
I havent shot as many bows as some here, but so far for me it's my lost creek judge.
Will never settle on one. Love Schafers, Blacktails, etc.
Surprising, Black Widow has such a strong following...I don't much like them at all. Nice looking and well built but I cant get the accuracy/consistancy of other bows out of them.
CANT BE ME!!!!!!! heh, heh
Been Robertson only for about 7 or 8 years now.
God Bless,
Nathan
Yep, right now I've got one each of seven different brands.
I guess since my first real bows, a 1968 Bear SK and then a 1969 Super Mag 48 I have owned and shot a ton of different ones. Even went, as many of us here have at one time or another, to wheels. Since I discarded the wheels There were some more bows but I always had a Bear in the closet and admired Black Widows.
I finally tried and bought a Widow PF and fell in love (loaned that bow to a friend and have not seen it for about five years. Would love to get it back but cant find him). Then bought a used MA and so on and so on... right through the PL's. I am very happy with my Widow bows. They shoot well for me. That being said, I have acquired a 1968 Super Mag 48 and am now looking for a 1968 SK. They are old friends...
Longbows for me. Deep core, narrow limbs and a straight handle. Heavy wood arrows. I have a Northern Mist that fits the bill. I have a Sunset Hill on order. I want to try these bows and go from there: Howard Hill, Sunset Hill,Northern Mist and Miller. They all have what I like in a hunting bow.
Pronghorn...Kanati...Crow Creek...my "go to bow" is my first Pronghorn though...
J.D berry, best bows i have ever shot
Talltines
In that quest to find the "perfect" bow for myself, I chanced up on Bear's Paw Bows. Now there are others I would like to shoot some day, but for the most Bear's Paw, for me, with an occasional walk with a selfbow!
Thanks,