I had a long bow built last year and bowyer didn't think a 40# @ 28" longbow that he made should be any shorter than 60". My draw is around 27 1/2" and bow came out to be 42# @ 28" and is 60" long. I haven't shot it a lot yet, but so are I like the way it shoots. How short is anyone making a longbow in the 40# @ 28" pull range. Thanks, Dave
I love my 56" and 58" Pronghorns. 60" is probably my favorite length though.
I have a couple 58" and a couple 60". I'm probably going to get a 56" to try out soon. I don't think the bow length limits the weight as much as it limits the draw length of the shooter. With the right design, a 56" LB can handle a 30" draw. I love short longbows and I have about a 28" draw.
I think i've seen some shrews and bigjims in that range someone correct me if i'm wrong
I have a 40@28 Bama Expi Hunter, great shooting longbow, very to easy to navigate in tree blind etc!
I'm shooting a Big Jim TC, 56", and 55#@28". Doesn't stack, and Big Jim says that it shouldn't at even longer draw lengths.
I absolutely love my 56" Shrew. It is 50# @ 28".
I like longer (66-68 inch) longbows, for smoothness. But that might not be an issue for a younger/stronger shooter!
I shoot a 54" Shrew Classic Hunter. 46#@25". Will have a 52" CH 50@25 this fall.
I love my 58 inch howard hill badger. Very accurate.
I have a sweet little 50", 50@28" Jack Kempf "Little Grizzly" that's perfect in blinds.I draw it 27", but more than 28" draw on this bow and it needs to be longer. Jack makes them starting at 48".
Most of mine are longer but I do have a Monarch that Monty built that is 57 inches and 60 lbs at 27 inches. Shoots fine.
It's all in the design. Not all longbows are created equally. It is always best to follow the bowyers recommendation - after all he is the one that designed and tested the bow. Just because a 56" bow works great on a Shrew, or Big Jim, or whatever, doesn't guarantee that it will work well on another bowyers design.
I have really enjoyed my Lost Creek from Chad Francis. It is 57" 54 @ 28. I draw 28.
What you guys call longbows, everyone else calls a hybrid.
Yep, all hybrids, not what you would call classic longbows .... but I LIKE SHORT HYBRIDS! :thumbsup:
I shot my black bear last spring with a "hybrid" longbow that can be seen in the thread "I have a story to tell" It is a 50" 57# @28" that I draw to 29 or 29 1/2 on a good day. There is very very slight finger pinch on the bottom of my third finger, Ishoot three under, and the bow does not stack at all. According to the bowyer shaun boyer, from coshocton ohio they are very difficult to build but I love them. That one ended up a little too heavy for my old shoulders and he is building me one a little lighter as we speak. Really nothing but two very radically reflexed deflexed limbs with enough riser for a grip and 2" sight window and thats about it. But man do they shoot!
QuoteOriginally posted by Whip:
It's all in the design. Not all longbows are created equally. It is always best to follow the bowyers recommendation - after all he is the one that designed and tested the bow. Just because a 56" bow works great on a Shrew, or Big Jim, or whatever, doesn't guarantee that it will work well on another bowyers design.
I agree :thumbsup:
Bill
QuoteOriginally posted by killinstuff:
What you guys call longbows, everyone else calls a hybrid.
Maybe, but it still is classified as a longbow. As long as the string only touches the string grooves and not the limbs, then it's a longbow. :readit:
Big Jim seems to make the best looking Hybred Longbows. Here in Georgia I see a lot of his and he comes to several shoots every year as a vendor. I am tending to like the hybred longbows the best, because they all seems to have grips similiar to recurve bows. Thanks, Blairsville-Dave (I need my name changed now that I've moved)
Yeah...Whip has it right...also, it's not so much the draw weight, as it is your draw length. In other words, your 40# is nothing unique to a 60" longbow, but if you had a 32" draw length, you'd likely want to consider going longer with your overall bow length. It's a comfort thing more than anything but it is also a function of design and intended use i.e. you do not want to draw the limbs passed their intended draw range for fear of breakage, overstress, etc. Especially true when considering selfbows.
Kris
Jim at Black Creek Bows builds a Banshee thats short and sweet. As mentiond above the Thunder Child and Shrews come to mind.
I have several Maddog longbows from 48"-54" inches. The are fine to my 26" draw. I'm sure Mike could accomodate you at a 28" draw w/ something shorter than 60"
I sure love my BigJim thunderchild and at 56" it is a rocket . Jim says it will handle a 30 inch draw but I tell ya what I draw more than that and its still great. Drew
Not going to start collecting bows. I made that mistake with rifles. One custom bow will have to do it for me. Thanks, Dave
I have two Lost Creeks that I love. First one is a 54" NAT that is the best shooting bow ever for me. I also have a 58" Lifender. Great shooting bow as well. Not a better bowyer to deal with than Chad.
I shoot a 54" R/D longbow (not hybrid) and 55#@28". The maximum draw lenght recomended is 28". It's a very fast and nervous bow.
(http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/4729/storm08.jpg)
56" Treadway for me, very smooth drawing bow to 29"s...
I shot a Lost Creek from Chad - great bow and workmanship and what a great guy. I shot a 58", but like a little longer with 29.5" draw.
My favorite bow is my 56" 56# @ 26" Shrew
That being said, it's gotten too heavy for me and I have to shoot my lighter longer Shrew and Griffin now.
Hybrids 56"to60" Hill style bows 64"to68"
I shoot a Lost Creek, 50"long,52#s@28" longbow. I draw 27"s and it shoots great!
Centaur! 56" 52# x26" my draw length 27" , one sweet bow. Maxx
I shoot a 58"70@26 Brackenbury Old Timer just aquired recently.It shoots nice i cant notice any stack.Aloha
Ron, glad to see the Brack Old Timer getting shot!
I wish you good luck with it my friend!
Travis
My wife's 54" Lost Creek NAT is about 38 pounds at my draw. It feels and shoots like it is longer, the problem with it is that it shoots the same arrow faster and is just as accurate as one of my Hill style longbows that is over 50 pounds.
Pavan, sounds like a good problem that your wife's bow has. One of the reasons that I'm getting that Maddog with the 40# pull is that I'm 65 years old and I see a lot of people that are coming down in poundage as they are having some physical problems (probably old age). I'm new to archery now that I'm not going to work anymore at a paying job. Got plenty to do though. Dave
Lee Hoots of Hoots bow builds a great longbow down to 56". Buddy of mine pulls over 30" and said no stack or finger pinch. Sweet bows that shoot great and the craftsmanship is second to none. I will have one, next on my list.
The "Yeti" comes in 52", 54" ,& 56"
(http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u301/kirkll/Bow%20building/Yeti%202010/SANY0005.jpg)
(http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u301/kirkll/Bow%20building/Yeti%202010/SANY0011-1.jpg)
(http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u301/kirkll/Bow%20building/Leaded%20Yeti/SANY0014.jpg)
Looking at that Yeti , I call them baby Squatches, I just don't see for the life of me how in the world you can keep feathers on the arrows for more than one shot.
God bless you, Steve
Out of curiosity on average how much shot forgiveness do the shorter bow designs (48-58") have compared to the longer bows (66-72")
I've got a 62" 75@28 R/D bow that isn't anywhere near as forgiving (by forgiving I guess I mean consistent in accuracy) as my 70" 76@27 Hill bow, I don't know if this is because my arrows aren't spined right or longer bows are more consistent/forgiving
That looks more like a recurve to me.
I can say the Yeti is a great little bow. Mine is 54" and I draw to 28" with no problem.If you like a short bow, you should give a Yeti a try. You will be impressed with how good it shoots.
My favorite bow is a 70" 70#@31" Hill style longbow . But I recently bought a Kota Nomad 3 pc Longbow 62" that's marked 55@28 but draws 59# on my Easton bow scale at my 31" draw length. Its much more comfortable to shoot and smoother than I imagined it would be. I halfway expected I'd end up putting it back up on the classifieds but I'm keeping it. I shoot the darn thing well too...
I like to hunt with a short bow 56inchs, but I like the feel of a 60 the best.
Shrew bows have the short long bow figured out. In my opinion, they set the trend.
I have a 58" LB that is fine and a 60" bow that is fine too. However 64" is ideal for my 27" draw IMO. From a blind or stand that may be longish; I only hunt on the ground and 64" is perfect.
to me 60" is a long hybrid, and 60" is a short longbow.