I was going to buy a fedora 60" recurve or 64" longbow, 45#, one piece. I have heard they are great to shoot, but I have also heard you either love them or hate them.?? Any views on this ?
Fedora bows are a work of art and great shooters! I think that where people might either "love 'em or hate 'em" is with the grip. The Fedora grip is an extreme "high wrist".
I have a Fedora 52" Stalker one-piece recurve. My other bows are a Hill with a straight grip (extreme low wrist); Apex Predator with a locator grip(low wrist) and a Shrew Classic Hunter (medium wrist). The more I shoot, the more I'm tending to like the low wrist grip. Because of that, I've had my Fedora in the classifieds... but I'm really reluctant to sell it. It's a beautiful bow and shoots so well... but it's so extremely different to handle than my Hill bow.
It's totally a matter of personal preference. My personal opinion is that if you like a high wrist grip, you'll love Fedora bows.
Shoot before you buy. The grip is the most important part of the bow. If it doesn't fit your hand or your style you'll be an unhappy customer. This is not a knock on Fedora. This is true of any make or model bow.
I'm waiting on my H560 one piece, LH. Been shooting a LH Fedora for a few months now that my hunting buddy lent me. Built in the mid 80's, dacron string, this bow is smooth and fast. 52# at my 27" draw, handles my 2117's(535 gr) and 610 gr barrel tapered ash real well.
Mine will be 60", 52#, Bamboo limbs, Charcoal riser with limb tips built up. I really like the grip and thumb rest. Hand placement is exact every time. Mike required a "hand sketch" to custom fit the grip.
Fedora also offers a "test drive" so you can shoot one prior to ordering.
Fedora will shape the grip to suit your desires-just ask. You don't have to be bound by the regular one.
I have bought 3 Fedoras in the past year used. 1 stalker, 1 560 TD, 1 LB. They all are great shooters and the handles there wasn't any issues what so ever and all lookers. Mike puts together a great bow and super fast even in the lighter weights. Uses pretty woods. Some like them and some don't to each their own.I like mine.
You simply cant go wrong with any Fedora bows.
Not the best pics...but this is the Fedora I have been shooting...LH...
Front view...
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a281/sf1oak/PC270006.jpg)
Rear view....
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a281/sf1oak/PC270003.jpg)
Riser...
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a281/sf1oak/PC270004.jpg)
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a281/sf1oak/PC270005.jpg)
I don't own one, but I always stop by Mike and Jason's booth when they're set up at a shoot just to marvel at their work and pic their brains on bow building. You won't find better craftsmanship anywhere. I guess that's why they've been in business so long.
I have a 560 60" 53#@28". It has bamboo in the limbs and draws very smooth, and shoots fast. It has a large grip.
It was bought new and it came with Dacron endless string that Mike Fedora recommend. He said you could shoot FF string but the bow would last longer with dacron, why wear your bow out with FF when Dacron worked better( his words not mine).
With Dacron string the bow has a lot of hand shock ( which Mike told me they wouldn't). I tried a FF string and very little to no hand shock.
IMHO nothing shoots as fast and hard as a Fedora
Some say they draw a little stiff
Fedora bows are truly custom made, so Mike will make any grip you desire - period.
Mike will use the handprint from your bow hand to ensure a perfect fit, and if you leave it up to Mike he will make you a medium to low pistol grip.
Of the 100+ pre-made bows currently in Mike's pro shop, none of them have a high or extremely high grip. So the "love/hate" comment made in the previous post just cannot be true, because if Mike crafts you a custom bow to your personal specifications, using your handprint as a template, the only thing you will do is LOVE that bow.
I own three Fedora bows (traditional one-piece longbow, one-piece recurve, and take-down hybrid longbow), and none of them have a high grip.
After almost 2 years of seeing this post pop-up on Google, I had to set the record straight.
Shoot 'em straight
WMM