What's that undefinable quality in your favourite bow - please tell me?

[suttoman]

I have been thinking lately a lot about why I always want to shoot one bow - as opposed to some of the other awesome bows that I have.  I will explain.

My new Bob Lee Elite L/B just arrived.  I sold my standard Signature recently to fund one in the Elite version.  It is a great bow - looks truly awesome.  It is faster than all my other bows (I think, have no way of testing it) and cost the most.

My new Fox Royal is truly the most amazing bow that I could ever imagine.  The finish is second to none, it so quiet and smooth and I absolutely drive tacks with that baby.  I am not sounding smug but just cannot miss with this bow.  Ron did something very very special here and it will never be sold.

However - enter my Turkey Creek.  I ordered it last year off Doug but sold it earlier this year because the grip was not quite perfect for me.  

I immediately knew I had done the wrong thing.  Fortunately for me my friend who bought it is still having trouble with his shoulder (not meaning to sound flippant about his injury), and was unable to shoot it, so I bought it back.

I just can't keep my hands off that bow.  It is just in old Plain-Jane woods and looks nothing spectacular like my Fox or Lee.

On paper the Fox is the best bow by far, the Lee looks gorgeous and is very accurate and should be my main bow becuase I don't have to lump a big tube around everywhere I go - it is a t/d - the T/C is not.

However notwithstanding all of that - I just love shooting the T/C more than anything.  I often sit under the light at night and just admire its lines and the way Doug has designed it - just to feel the texture of the wood and dream of hunts to come.  There is a real mystique about this little bow - maybe the others don't have that!

The Fox is faster - both it and the Lee have grips that fit me perfectly therefore are more accurate - but I am never happier than when shooting my T/C.  The others sit in the cupboard not getting used.

My question is: I would like to hear from others who have this quandry.  What is that undefinable thing in a bow that you just have to shoot it and shoot it - even though some others in your rack are 'better'?

I am going back home to New Zealand shortly for a big hunt - I should take the Lee travelling.  However I know I am crazy but am going to suffer the inconvenience of lugging a big PVC tube around at the airports, just so I can hunt with the T/C.

Sorry this turned out so long-winded, but would love to hear from others.

Sutto

[Arwin]

I am close in your dilema too!!  I bounce back and forth between a T/D recurve (for travel and speed reasons) and a 1 piece longbow (lighter in the hand and I'm more accurate in weird shot positions).
 What I find most desireable is a quiet, stable, bow that will let me shoot both small game and big game. Enough thump to take down a deer or hog, but forgiving enough on the shoulders to shoot at squirrels in a tree or shoot 100 stumps in an afternoon. I don't like a bow that is too heavy to stalk with or carry. I'm not really a speed freak and I shoot a mid-heavy arrow(600 grains). I find that my brain is in tune with bows that are in the 51-55# range at my draw. Any lighter or heavier and my aim is way off. The grip definitly has to be there also. I'm ultra picky about that more than anything.

[Jerry Jeffer]

The best bow I have is my "off the shelf" Mahantango. It is smooth, fast, all around nice bow. The bowyer, Jim martin has the magic touch. Now, I have ordered one that will be more custom to me. I'm sure it will be a dream.

[suttoman]

Arwin - I am so with you man - especially on the grip.  That is why I am totally bamboozled - the T/C has a grip that does not really suit me well at all, not like the Lee and Fox.

However after I managed to buy the T/C back with a great sigh of relief - I forgot about the issues with the grip and just started to enjoy shooting it.  I am actually getting really acurate now and nearly as good as the other two bows.

I also agree with you Arwin about the T/D.  I like aspects of the three piece T/D for stability and travel, but seem to prefer the look and feel of the one piece.

I may curb my bow purchasing desires for a while and just enjoy the bows I have.  I cancelled my Centaur when I was six months into the wait - for financials and also it may end up being a very expensive hunk of wood sitting in the cupboard with the others - whilst I am out partying with the Turkey.

Sutto

[hunt it]

Mines easy, of all my bows, Morrison is the #1!
Which Morrison is the only question as all my bows are Morrisons. They are fast,grip is excellent, they are real purty and they shoot where I look. Last but not least, Mr. Morrison is one fine guy to deal with!

[maxwell]

The grip has to be right, med to low,  checkered if possible, everything else seems to fall into place. It starts with the grip

Bill

[**DONOTDELETE**]

My shrew I got used felt like it was made just for me. I don't feel a stack that others feel with it. That bow picked me when I was looking for a new to me bow at the time My 3pc blow up on me at full draw on a nice 10 pointer. Came close to falling out the tree.

I'm really liking my Red Oak Pyramid board bow ,too... Draws nice and can fling a 60-65# 27"BOP arrow to show slightly over spine.

[ChuckC]

It feels like a part of me.
ChuckC

[robtattoo]

No idea. It's undefinable     :D

[Killdeer]

Too logical for THIS crowd, Rob!    

The bow cast a silent spell on me, and I had to pick it up. There was no end to my hand and beginning of grip, it all just merged. The tentacles reached up through my arm, wrapped around my heart and followed the nerve paths throughout my body. It's a symbiote.

It channels long-dead archers, good ones, who cannot resist taking a shot now and then. I guess it functions as an interdimensional portal of sorts. Sort of an arcade for the Robin Hoods, Howard Hills, Fred Bears and countless, nameless brothers and sisters of the bow. They see the opportunity, belly up to the portal, and take a shot. They let me hold the bow when they do this (not that they could pry it away, anyhow!) and I get to see the magical flight of a correct arrow. Then they go do something else and I try to learn to do the same shot.

I know it isn't ME that did that, it was a REAL shooter, just for a lark. I don't understand it completely, and I am sure that a lot of you are scratching your heads, but I have tried to explain it as best as I can. It is a Magic Bow. Who can define exactly how that works?

Killdeer~God is alive, magic is afoot!

[suttoman]

Wow - Killy!!  Which bow - pray tell - are we waxing lyrically about??

sutto

[Dave2old]

When I carry it to shoots, lovely women follow me around like puppy dogs. Without it, they treat me like the old houndog I am.    dave

[oberon]

No doubt she is talking of her beloved Centaur.
True love.
Oberon

[JEFF B]

i think mabey her morrison.

[JEFF B]

oh yeah my longbow named wolfspirit was made for me by a  brother on here and thats its undefinable quality.
jeff

[Shawn Leonard]

To me it all boils down to the grip. I need a large throat to shoot well, my RER Arroyo fits me perfect and also happens to be very quick and quiet so really no dilemma, it is all the best for me! I have a one of their new recurves on order and Kevin is gonna do the same grip for me. Shawn

[James Wrenn]

Grip ,length and large sight widow for shooting with a vertical bow if I want to are things that attract me to a bow.My rebuilt 21st Century has all the good things and would be hard to replace when it comes to shooting enjoyment.:)I have not found anything better for me yet.

[Orion]

Don't know why, but I really enjoy shooting my Hills over my generally faster moderate r/d longbows.  Seem to be equally accurate with all of them, but just seem to take a Hill off the rack more often than any other.  Maybe it's their simplicity of form.  Like the way they look and feel when I shoot them.  Feel a bit more an extension of me than some of the others.

[suttoman]

You got any fillings left in your teeth Orion?

sutto

[Old York]

My ancient Colt's "Woods Master" and I have a cantankerous "OH YEAH?!" relationship.

When I don't listen to her, she launches arrows into various stationary objects that are beyond my line-of-sight. She thinks I like hunting squirrels a lot.

When I do listen to her, she & I dance like our feet are on fire (you're still reading this?  :eek:  ) and I hit darn near everything within 20 yards. Or so it seems.