Starting off, I'd like to say that I have never cared for bows with a forward riser, they just never pleased my eye. In spite of that, a few weeks ago I found myself shooting a Bear SuperMag 48, and really liking it. I purchased the bow and after shooting it for a while I find that I shoot this bow better than my Hoyt or Centaur. I'm not talking about warmed up and ready, but ice cold, I haven't shot in two days, and it goes where I want it. I just wanted to know if you folks that shoot forward riser longbows like the Shrews experience this after changing from a more straight riser.

A lot of folks tend to find the forward handle bows easier to point and hit with, especially shooting instinctive inside 25 yards. I like them, but of course I haven't met many bows I didn't like. lol

I think they provide for better and more consistent hand placement. I like them but then again I am partial to the appearance too so that influences me. - Jwingman

I'm (1yr) new to this trad game...can you post a picture of a forward riser.  I've got an image in my head but my thought is that the limb would pull away (separate) from the riser then, no?
 :confused:

I've never cared for the looks either, except in Shrews, perhaps because the inside of the grip is so ergonomically designed. In any event, one thing forward risers allow is a better performing short bow. This is definitely in the category of personal preference, not black and white.

my duo-flex Meigs is such a bow.  i shot her yestrday-first time in 2 years.  She is right on.  I can't say she is easier or harder to shoot than my other bows

Bret---My first longbow was an old Bear with a straight grip---and I shot it well enough to make a tree rat jump and laugh at me.  It broke, much to my chagrin, so my wife bought me a Northern Mist Whisper, which has a forward grip, not as radical as that posted by Vermonster, with less of a shelf.   I found on the first trial I hit more frequently---the squirrels don't laugh as often now.

Deflex risers are more forgiving than Reflex risers. Most people shoot them better.

Treadway Black Swamp


Bill

"Thunderhorn Heartstopper"

Check out a Black Widow for a good example of a "forward riser". Supposedly more forgiving.

ok..jwilliams...ill let you post your own pics ..this time...lol......

Kanati longbows. They are very fast, accurate and have no handshock...my favorite bows    .

Bill -- That Treadway is a nice looking bow. How does it shoot for you? Have you compared it to a Shrew Classic Hunter? I still can't believe you sold both your Quest and your Shawnee, what I consider to be two of the best shooting bows ever made! It just goes to show that everyone has his own preferences. I can't complain since the Quest is sitting on my rack as I type this. That Black Swamp looks like a very sweet design. I did notice, however, that your stable of bows are all strikingly similar in length, weight and design. Mine run from 54" to 66" and 42# to 70#, and come in recurve, longbow and hybrid designs, so no one can claim I am stuck on anything in particular in a bow other than it needing to be stick and string.

I love bows with a forward riser design. The Shrews do point well for me even when I have not warmed up. My son just took one of the Shrews out yesterday to shoot at a target in the backyard. He put every arrow in his first group into 4 inches, which is good for him with any bow, even after an extensive warm up, and he had not shot a bow in three months and was cold in every sense when he shot that first group.

Merry Christmas.

Allan

Allan,
Your right, I just seem to shoot a 60" bow in that design really well. So, I am not going to fight it, just go with it. I have never had a chance to shoot a Shrew, but would really like to someday soon. The Black Swamp is a very easy bow to shoot, and points very well. By the way, I still have my Black Widow PSA III. And I bet you can guess what length it is too.    


Bill

I would think that forward risered, very short bows would be less stable given that they are putting the center of gravity away from you therefore making it harder to maintain a steady bow arm? Any physicists out there?