Just curious what everyone's favorite features are in a bow that will be used primarily in the backcountry. A hypothetical might be something like, traveling on foot, carrying camp on your back and hunting larger NA game like elk or moose.
Is your ideal bow short, long, fast, forgiving, takedown, one piece .... what do you want in a bow for the backcountry?
Thanks, Josh
short with a takedown option.
I like a takedown recurve bow, 58-62" long that is not delicate (in case of fall) that I am use to and shoot well and carry an extra string.
I use a Bob Lee 60" TD recurve bow and hang it on a bow hook attached to my pack's hip belt for a quick and easy draw. I usually fly to those backcountry destinations and require a takedown.
I use a one piece longbow, 60"&62".For packing in on foot I just carry it and as I get older I use it as a walking stick more then I should. :rolleyes:
With horses ,I mostly just tie it on a pack horse and over the years they have made it in just find although there have been a few :scared:
A take down might be nice once in a while,but I don't like the weight of them and I probably wouldn't take the time to break it down,too lazy I guess :rolleyes:
Take a look at the video on the Robertson Stykbow website of their new Wolfer bow...Dick Robertson explains how that bow is designed for exactly the use you are suggesting...just noticed that you are in Montana...if it was me I would give the Robertsons a phone call and go visit them...they, and their friends, are serious backcountry hunters
DDave
Yes, the Wolfer is exactly what you are looking for but for the money you could buy two T/D bows and an extra set of limbs. I hear they are over $1500. I would say a 3 piece T/D, 62"s or less with an extra set of limbs and a couple shot in strings. I would get the extra set made exactly as the first, that way the same arrows, string etc. could be used. I would hate to take a tumble and break a limb and end my hunt altogether. Risers usually don't break as easily as a limb. Shawn
I believe a 3 piece with an extra set of limbs and string is the way to go. Expect the unexpected. I can't see you breaking a riser but you could beak limbs or cut a string. Oh and limb bolts so you don't need tools
If it is a true Bivy-style hunt (camp on back all day), you won't be carrying an extra set of limbs. Every ounce will count.
T/D's are nice when climbing through gnarly stuff where handholds are critical (sheep and goats), and for the trip to and from where you are hunting. Two or three piece is a personal choice.
A two piece sleeve or bow-bolt is the ultimate in simple, while a three piece packs down smaller, and you can find spots in a pack for it easier.
For elk and moose once you are where they are, the bow is assembled and ready to go, so a one piece really is fine. There is no crazy climbing involved for those animals.
Above all, it must be a rugged, forgiving bow that you shoot well and have every bit of confidence in. That means overall length, draw weight etc. is a PERSONAL choice.
Yeah the wolfer looks ideal, but the price and besides I tend to use the hunting tools that I own. The Robertson bows are so pretty I would be scared to use the thing.
(http://eaglewingarchery.i8.com/images/SEphonlic/SEphenolic1.jpg)
this Storm Eagle ought to work, Solid Phenolic riser, 56 inch, carbon foam core limbs, static recurve. Way under the price of some bows mentioned and really a tough bow. Get two sets of identicle limbs like everyone has said. The riser should be pretty much bombproof. It can also be considerably lighter in profile and shaping than the one pictured. Speed is 202 fps at 28 in draw with 9gpp arrow. Three shot average. 55 lb, 495 gr arrow. on a hooter shooter.
I used to back pack hunt a lot in my 20's and 30's and and Bear's magnesium riser take down seemed like just the ticket.The truth is,I can't remember packing it as I always wanted it strung and ready on the hike in and out.For those type trips,almost any bow would work but the take-down still has advantages,like when climbing in really rough stuff,as mentioned or when packing game out after the hunting is over.It would also be a great think for traveling on horseback.
I've also never needed a 2nd set of limbs in 40 plus years but having a spare set in the truck wouldn't be a bad idea.I still have that old Bear TD and think it is one to consider for a back country recurve.It takes down without tools,lengths range from 56"-64".There are 3 styles of grips,they are good shooters and durable.You don't have to baby that riser.
The suggestion about extra,shot in strings is a good one.I haven't had a string break in the back country but it could easily happen and that is cheap insurance.
The old Bear got a recent face lift and new 5 arrow quiver.
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/jbrandenburg/MagnesiumTD012.jpg) (http://s10.photobucket.com/user/jbrandenburg/media/MagnesiumTD012.jpg.html)
Seems like a Hill style longbow would be just the ticket !
Light in the hand, very durable and certainly capable.
Agree with JimB, but if I was gonna be a day from the truck an extra set would be a great reassurance to me. Put in plastic sleeves and strapped to my pack the 1.5#'s or so in weight would not kill me. Shawn
For me a 2 pc. longbow that I was very familiar with and could shoot with confidence!!
Sixby: Does that bow have longer limb options to accommodate longer draw lengths? I cannot find that bow listed on your website.
Never break, never miss, light weight, a stout bottom tip for use as a walking stick, a built in compass and bottle opener.
For back country I like one piece longbows. Less can go wrong (I think) and they are as light as it gets.
ChuckC
Wannabe I think with the static tips unless you draw like 30"s you would be fine. Maybe not but on 58" Tuktu EX with static tips Abe said I would be fine out to 30" and I only draw 28.5"s. Shawn
For me it would be one of my 2-piece Shrew Classic Hunters with the BowBolt system that requires no tools for assembly/disassembly. I prefer a 56" length for my 29.5" draw length, but I have several 54" Shrews that are fine for me. Light, strong, easy to assemble/disassemble, easy to pack, and have all the construction and shooting qualities that Shrews are famous for. Gregg Coffey, who makes Shrew bows, also produces the Javaman bows that can do the same thing. There are many other bow options that would work well, but I know my choice, and I have hunted all over the world with my Shrews, as have other trad hunters.
Allan
One piece, heavy, bright shiny limbs and accessories that can be seen from miles away in case you need help, inconsistent shooter, ugly, uncomfortable to hold and last but not least - loud.
But really the opposite of everything above. ;)
Everything that Daz said. I carry a 58" osage widow TD and it is tough as a boot. Sometimes toss it ahead to have both hands to get thru alders, rock hand holds, etc, and the finish is also tough enough that there really aren't many scratches. I don't often take it apart to pack it in or out but when I do it takes up very little space and frees up both hands. I like the extra weight of the riser but I've often thought about a take down shrew or Big Jim bow to save some weight in the hands. Nice looking bow sixby.
Light and one I shoot good :thumbsup:
Great input, thanks.
One thing that might be interesting to address is how you strike (or not) the compromise between performance and forgiveness.
Performance?
Performance is getting a 10gpp arrow with a razor sharp broadhead where it's gotta go. Doesn't matter 'how fast', or 'what KE' it's getting.
Doing this when dog tired but amped on adrenaline with too little sleep and not enough food six days into a hunt five miles from the trailhead is not a function of the bow.
On a side note: fifteen hundred bucks for the Wolfer? Wow. That made me pause and think of the better boots, tent and sleeping bag that could be had with the money NOT spent on it.
Interesting. For a "backcountry" bow I'd take a slim 58" one-piece recurve for light mass weight (30 oz +/-) with still acceptable draw (I draw a relatively long 29-3/4"). Probably a bow quiver as I'd be wearing a backpack.
Ahhh.
One of my favorite subjects ever of all time, and why I don't hunt a compound anymore. For me, and the hunting I do, it doesn't get any better than a 3 piece recurve. In my younger years, when my family had ponies and I didn't work 50-60 hour weeks right up until bow season kicks off (nor did I have a mortgage or ex wife, or piles of bills) I didn't think twice about grabbing my compound, throwing a saddle on Whiskey, and grabbing a pack horse. I got really good at fixing broke parts on a wheelie for a few years there. Well, as happens with stock, they got old and lamed up, but I never lost that desire for the quiet and solitude that backcountry the size of The Bob can bring to wanderers soul like mine.
For me, the next logical step was to get into backpacking. By this point in my life, I'd long since given up on compounds and gadgetry. In fact, it was the explosion of "bowhunters" buying their way in with compounds that made me continue to find ways to get away from the crowds. The way I see it, genuine backcountry bowhunting is an extremely low odds, high effort endeavor. Which is great, because it should keep the penis measurers away from the best way to spend weekends in September and October.
Last fall. The Bob. Brad was there too.
(http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL152/10882229/20647066/404337319.jpg)
(http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL152/10882229/20647066/404337318.jpg)
My Silvertip came to me, used and abused, by a close friend and supervisor at the mill I work at. That bow has quite a history between us two, and has seen a lot of hard miles. I wish I could say it's killed a pile of game. I'm working on it :D
One of the best advantages of a 3 piece takedown, the way I see it, is the ability to put on a set of lighter limbs to shoot the part of the year that's not hunting season. Fletch them the same and play with weights until both sets of limbs send both arrows through the chronograph the same FPS. The reason is that your brain doesn't have to learn two different trajectories. I keep my "girl limbs" in the truck with a half dozen arrows just in case I bust a limb (which hasn't happened in the 8 years I've been hunting my Silvertip) Other than that, I keep a spare string in the pack that's been "shot in" and I mark my brace height with a sharpie on all the arrows in my quiver. Keeping a recurve running in the backcountry is as simple as it gets, and usually pretty far down my list of crap to worry about.
QuoteOriginally posted by Huh:
Great input, thanks.
One thing that might be interesting to address is how you strike (or not) the compromise between performance and forgiveness.
Here's how I do it....
Buy a bow from Dave Windauer or Dick and Yote Robertson. I'm sure there's more bowyers that are die hard backcountry enthusiasts. But those are just the 3 that I know.
QuoteOriginally posted by Dan Adair:
QuoteOriginally posted by Huh:
Great input, thanks.
One thing that might be interesting to address is how you strike (or not) the compromise between performance and forgiveness.
Here's how I do it....
Buy a bow from Dave Windauer or Dick and Yote Robertson. I'm sure there's more bowyers that are die hard backcountry enthusiasts. But those are just the 3 that I know. [/b]
A while back I got the idea to buy some bows made by Montana bowyers...the first one I bought was a 62 inch longbow made by Dave and the second one I bought was a 60 inch Fatal Styk made by Dick and Yote...nothing about either of those bows would lead me to disagree with you in the least...they encompass pretty much all the attributes referred to in this thread
DDave
DDave
Daz can you clarify your statement. I read it literally as bow designs are all created equal, such that the bow doesn't matter. However I think the sentiment is more along the lines of: speed and all that other stuff is not going to help when you when taking shots in the real world.
I agree with the latter while the former has not been my experience at all. The bow can matter a bunch if it gains performance in a way that is critical of your form.
I don't have to compromise performance to have forgivness. When the bow is designed right that is not something the bower does. You can actually have it all.
Yes the 56 in bow will handle 29 in with no problem.
The 58 will handle 30 to 31
The 60 , they do not make arrows that long;
This model has one size limb. different risers;
The Talon 11 has three limb sizes.
I do not do a lot of limb size changes but I change the interior design and taper rates for different draw lengths.
Another back country hunt bow would be a two piece longbow. preferable locket socket style for dependability. Still the three piece short D and r or recurve would be best IMHO; I would carry a spare string, spare set of wrenchless bolts. Riser choice would be Aluminum or phenolic for me.
God bless you all, Steve
i'm with DAZ
For me its the bow I shoot most accurately and have the most confidence in regardless of length or weight. With the work involved in getting a quality shot at an animal on a backpack hunt I can not imagine the possibility of missing a shot simply because I carried a bow I didn't shoot as well just to shave off a half pound or couple inches in length.
I hunt with a 3 piece takedown recurve but carry my bow already put together 99% of the time.
This may sound contradictory to my first statement but I also wouldn't even consider carrying an extra set of limbs on a backpack hunt. To me, one and a half pounds extra on my back is HUGE, especially when I know the likelihood of me using that weight is so slim. The weight would basically be like carrying an extra sleeping bag...just in case. If I break a limb, well it just wasn't my day and I have a long walk ahead of me, it's a risk I'm willing to take. I pack a spare string and that's it.
QuoteDaz can you clarify your statement. I read it literally as bow designs are all created equal, such that the bow doesn't matter. However I think the sentiment is more along the lines of: speed and all that other stuff is not going to help when you when taking shots in the real world.
I agree with the latter while the former has not been my experience at all. The bow can matter a bunch if it gains performance in a way that is critical of your form.
What bow do YOU shoot well? What works for one is not for everyone. That is the only place where design matters.
Sure a certain bow may be critical for YOUR form, but not necessarily someone else's.
I've seen some archers that can out-shoot 90% of the guys on the line with their own bows, regardless of make or style.
I'm not one of those guys. I shoot low-wrist longbows well. Pistol grip recurves just don't cut it for me.
Personally, i would rather shoot a "moderately performing bow" (whatever that is) consistently well, no matter the conditions than shoot the latest "ooh, that's fast, isn't it?" bow well some of the time. But that is a personal choice.
very simple
two piece recurve-- no wrenches-bolts-BS to lose
strap on GN quiver--there again No wrenches-bolts-BS to lose
My John McDonald 59 is exactly that, fits inside my pack, string it with out a stringer, shoots exactly where I look everytime
Daz, Everytime I read a post like yours I think , Why do many people think you have to shoot a slower bow in order to have the quality and attributes you want? Why not have a fast bow with all those shooting qualitys?
God bless, Steve
I think the 'speed' mentality in a trad bow is kind of funny.
What is 'slow' anyway?
If it was so important, why would Dick Robertson show the self bow he hunts with in his Wolfer video? Why wouldn't he talk about the "so many fps" his bow gets?
He doesn't. Why? Because a lot of us don't care.
BTW, my Harrison DOES do all of that (and more). But is it mandatory?
Daz:BTW, my Harrison DOES do all of that (and more). But is it mandatory?
As a bowyer it is; I have not had a single customer , ever not ask how fast the bow is; If its important to the customer its important. When a customer believes he is going to get all the attributes of a great bow when he buys he does not want it to be a slow bow. You may plead that it doesn't matter but it does.; It matters even in the self bow community. Some bowyers are absolutely famous for building self bows that will smoke most glass bows. Marc St Louis, Badger Some of those bows are awsome performers.
God bless you all, Steve
Ok, so let's look realistically.
Let's say that the average bow as tested by Blacky Swartz is getting 185 fps.
You mentioned a speed approaching 205 fps. So, for the sake of easy math, a ten percent increase in 'performance'.
What does it give me in terms of terminal gain? Does that give me 10% more penetration? Sure, it flattens trajectory, but at 25yards what does that mean?
How does it translate in real boots on the ground hunting terms?
I can see from a bowyers perspective it is a selling point. It is a yardstick in a crowded field of fine craftsmen that may garner some attention.
But if speed was all there was to it, wouldn't we all just shoot 'one of those' other kinds of 'bows'?
any bow is fine does not matter
Thanks for clarifying Daz.
Insightful comments Sixby, thanks.
I don't do any backpack hunting where I would want to carry my bow in a backpack. But if I did, I think an ILF bow would be a good bow to take. It is compact and no tools are needed to assemble it. Just snap the limbs in, string it up and you're ready to go....Dave
OK I have only done a few elk hunts so far but I learned quickly what I don't want: excess weight, high maintenance, and lack of durability. For awhile I thought I really wanted a 2 PC. but in reality, I ant my bow available to shoot at any moment. I really love my shrew classic hunter as it just does what I ask of it anytime, anywhere.
The same bow I've been shooting all year. Backcountry doesn't need a different bow. I'd be concerned with all of my other gear before the bow. But thats just me :)
Ditto on Steadman's comment. Nothing against fancy bows...I do appreciate the craftsmanship, but I just prefer to have a bow that will be fine with spending all day in the woods regardless of weather. I have a 3 pc takedown and a locket-socket style and both are tough, light, fast bows. The foam/carbon limbs on the Shawnee are not supposed to be affected at all by weather changes, so that is a plus, but the plx is tough as a tank and has such a simple take-down system. I think overall bow weight is an issue, too, if you are on foot above 9K feet. I would not be included to carry extra limbs for sure. Good thread topic, btw.
QuoteOriginally posted by DarkTimber:
For me its the bow I shoot most accurately and have the most confidence in regardless of length or weight. With the work involved in getting a quality shot at an animal on a backpack hunt I can not imagine the possibility of missing a shot simply because I carried a bow I didn't shoot as well just to shave off a half pound or couple inches in length.
I hunt with a 3 piece takedown recurve but carry my bow already put together 99% of the time.
This may sound contradictory to my first statement but I also wouldn't even consider carrying an extra set of limbs on a backpack hunt. To me, one and a half pounds extra on my back is HUGE, especially when I know the likelihood of me using that weight is so slim. The weight would basically be like carrying an extra sleeping bag...just in case. If I break a limb, well it just wasn't my day and I have a long walk ahead of me, it's a risk I'm willing to take. I pack a spare string and that's it.
totally agree... the back pack hunts I have been on, i have never torn up a bow or a string that i can remember, but i always carry a shot in string. not much to add to the above, just keep it as simple and bombproof as possible..
sorry.. triple post, dang it
The bow you own and shoot the best. I only own one trad bow that the one I will use.