If you went to Denton, which bow where you most impressed with.
My own, a Hoyt Buffalo. I also test drove a friend's Wes Wallace Mentor. Very sweet.
I'm probably going to order a Holm Made River Runner
Wallace and Holcombe and sometimes not in that order.
Only there for one day, I didnt have a chance to see the vendors.
Wayyy too many things to do if you want to do them right.
I would have to answer, My own bow
68" Big River Long Bow.
I liked the Hill Country recurve. But I am with reddogge I love my buffalo.
My new 47lb Palmer Recurve. Man does that bow shoot!
Griffin. I bought a camo dipped prototype "CG" 2 days before going to Denton. Got a pretty good deal on it so I thought I'd sell it at the blanket swap. Well that didn't work out and I ended up really liking the bow anyway. John McCullough was great to talk to and answered all my questions about the bow while I drooled over the rest of his offerings. Now I want another one but 2 years is a loooong wait.
Of course everyone's opinion will vary depending on what they look for in a bow. I was specifically looking for a recurve and handled all of the ones I could find. (Bob Lee, Hummingbird, Stryker, Palmer, Hoyt, Kota, Foley, Holm, Tortelli, Hill Country, Zipper). My biggest issue is the grip - it has to be comfortable for me. The only one that worked for me was the Schafer Silvertip, and only the A riser (the smaller one). I went right to Dave's booth as soon as I got there on Friday. He had one that met all my specs and shot great, but while I was walking around thinking about it, someone else bought it. Hey, you snooze, you lose.
I did stop and talk with a guy about his Cari-bow Taiga and the grip on that felt very nice, even though I don't normally care for a bow with a thumb rest. It isn't as pronounced as say a Fedora. I would love to have tried a Wes Wallace or Tall Tines, but couldn't find one to try out.
very impressed with the hill country bows, The k-2 in particular. So impressed I ordered one. Roman is very accomadating and I should be shooting it before rut kicks in. Pics will follow when my new baby is born. Macassar ebony and cocobolo with hard rock maple accents and macassar limb veneers.
Ummm..... this one-
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/migrabill/640StickBowMan1.jpg)
Story will come later. Just amazing...
Zippers new longbow,shoots like a rocket and feels good in the hand!!
I want to be like you Bill, when I grow up...sweet find you lucky dog! just don't tell Jim about it...
Zipper's new prototype is awesome! The bow smokes an arrow like a scalded dog. I go back a ways with the Zipper line of bows and find it pretty amazing how Bill and Tracy keep refining their craft. They also build one heck of a quiver (Thanks again for stepping up for me Bill!). Chompin at the bit to get me some of his evolution limbs for my Zipper TD curve...
I had my Wallace Mentor at Denton Hill and a couple folks danced with her. Most guys who shoot her come back and say "How much?" Ah, I can't cut her loose. Besides, Bill just built me a quiver for her...
JL
I had a great time at Denton Hill and shot every bow that I could get my hands on. As far as the recurves go, believe it or not the Hoyt Buffalo was the best in my opinion. Got a great deal on the bow and quiver together. Man can I shoot that bow good. Smooth as butter, no shock and quiet. I also loved all the Timberhawk bows. Scott's recurves and longbows are awesome. I ended up getting one of his longbows and will definitely be ordering a takedown recurve from him in the future.
I was really impressed with Hill Country Bows, but left ETAR ready to order a new Fedora 560 take down.
I have shot most of the vendors bows @ Denton at one time or another. (Didn't shoot Zippers or Shaffers yet).
I like Ron Foley's bows, Mike Palmer's bows and Ben Graham Hummingbirds but the bow that impressed me the most was Dryad's Epic ILF. So much in fact that I bought a 17" riser with 38-42 lbs long recurve limbs and then tried out a second pair of long recurve limbs 53-58 lbs and took those also. The bow is 62" amo but with the radical recurve hooks the strung bow equals the length of a normal 60" recurve.
The thing that sold me on this bow is the riser (good grip, small shelf in just the right location) and better yet the lighter wt limbs set at 40lbs shot my 29.5" GoldTip 55/75s with 200gr field pts exceptionally straight, as well as shooting 30" 75/95 GoldTips with 250gr field pts acceptably well. These arrows should have been way overspined but they flew like darts. The cast of the light weight limbs seemed to equal the heavier recurves I have been shooting. When I get the chance I will run various arrows through the chrono and try to post a review.
I also shot some of the ACS CG longbow limbs and I will soon have some of those.
Absorb this - I shot a 13" riser with a set of ACS CG limbs that made the bow length 58", set @ about 36 lbs at my 29" draw and it shot my 55/75's perfectly well. Yes to say I was impressed is an understatement. Mike Westvang and John Havard were very patient with my questions and my trial shooting so a big KUDO to those guys.
I almost hate to say it.But the best shooting bow i shot all weekend was the hoyt excel with short tt limbs.I shot alot of beautiful bows. But this combo just worked for me.
This one that I brought home. A Holm-made River Runner, silent and dead in the hand, awesome craftmanship.
(http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt195/cougar6/bow/bow013.jpg)
(http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt195/cougar6/bow/bow012.jpg)
(http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt195/cougar6/bow/bow.jpg)
(http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt195/cougar6/bow/bow011.jpg)
Chad makes a nice bow at a reasonable price. That one sure is a great looker! :thumbsup:
I think my son and I shot every bow in the place. His fingers still hurt. My favorite was a Northern Mist 66" Classic. Just drilled the target, shot after shot. That said, nothing IMO quite measured up to my Hollenbeck 50's style recurve.
I can't say yet came back with a Zipper R/C and a Treadway Black Swamp L/B both are good lookers and good shooters!! For my first actual long bow the Treadway shoots nice exspecialy Quiet. Just have to get used to the low grip.
Great time as always and got to meet a few more TradGangers. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
I was impressed with the Hill Country bows. I Ordered a Harvest Master and I had no intentions of buying a bow when I headed to PA. I walked thru the tent on Thursday after doing 9 mile and Roman was just setting up. Superb craftsmanship. Even his bow rack was stunning! :thumbsup:
I went there specifically looking for a 3 piece TD longbow. I shot just about every one there in the 47 - 52 pound range. My favorite by far was the Hill Country Wildcat with hybrid limbs. It came home with me. Roman does some great work.
Sure was a good shoot for Roman. Denton was good for him last year but not like this year. Thank you all for your purchases and for your positive posts. I'll make sure to pass this on to him.
i would have to say the Northern Mist Shelton i brought home. however i did drool over the ShrewHill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
QuoteOriginally posted by Migra Bill:
Ummm..... this one-
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/migrabill/640StickBowMan1.jpg)
Story will come later. Just amazing...
OMG, can life be any better? Once in a lifetime find there
I must say that Zipper sure was gorgeous when I picked her up to look at her however Big Jim Buff tulip wood gloss was purty as well.
Next Bow built for me is going to be gloss no matter how much the bowers dislike doing gloss. Its so hard to say which bows are really the best with so many out there so I guess thats why some of us have to have so many bows that we get addicted easy.
I was most impressed with my own bow. Never before has such a weapon been able to shoot so close to so many targets without actually hitting them.
Bill Dunn always seems to amaze me!!! :thumbsup: Still really impressed with his carbon/foam Evolution limbs as well.
Was also very impressed with the 60" 51@28" Griffin longbow by John McCullough that I shot. Just couldn't put that bow down. :banghead:
Bill
Those Dryads are SAWEET!
Shot a Big Jim TC and really liked it but came home with the bows I brought a Silvertip and a Fedora 560 but on way home called a member on here and got a fantastic one piece Silvertip :)
In this order: Big Jims Thunderchild (which I ordered), a Foley T/D recurve....smooth as butter...
and the Timberhawks.....
Wish I could have em all, for sure!
Better than shooting the bows, was meeting the bowyers. Couldnt ask for nicer people!
I was most impressed with my friend Keith Zimmerman's Morrison ILF Recurve. So much so that I am ordering one today. I was very impressed with the Leon Stewart Bows. Truly works of art.....Randy