New Liberty Bow Review & Test Drive Opportunity for ALL

[Bluegoose]

Mike thanks for the heads up on Allen's web site revamp. It really looks great. Its nice to see the bows from multiple angles.

[Tajue17]

thank you for putting me on the end it will be the perfect time to check this bow out.

[Bluegoose]

How is she shooting boys?

[Stump Buster]

Bluegoose,

I talked to Allen a couple of days ago and he said Nala has had some bad weather out where he is, so his testing has been hampered. He also sent him a Sherwood to try out and hopefully Nala will give us a side-by-side report when he's finished and has shipped the English prototype to Fletcher.

Allen also glued a little something up for me on Friday, so maybe I'll have something to share with everyone in a few weeks.      

All the Best,

Stump

[mark Willoughby]

Add my name as well looks awesome

[AkDan]

I know I shouldn't do this but can you add me to that list stumpbuster?    I already own 3 of Allen's chiefs and had to debate whether or not to grab one...

I'd like to shoot one.  If anyone has it  in the SC pa or NC md area apr 1-15 and 20-28 I can meet up with ya, or in MN the 15-20.  

Otherwise put me at the bottom and I'll wait.

[Stump Buster]

Hey Guys,

I just got word from Allen that Mark and Dan are the last two to make up the test team, so we are no longer adding names to the list.  

THANKS ALLEN for the opportunity to try the new model out and thanks to the testers for keeping this test drive rolling!        


Stump    

[Bluegoose]

Thanks for the updates Stump! And thanks to the reviewers as well!

[Stump Buster]

Hey Fletcher,

Nala will be shipping the bow to you shortly. If you don't hear from him by tomorrow, send him a PM/E-mail as he asked me for your address and I didn't have it. It will soon be in your hands for more testing!!!


Bluegoose,

My pleasure, just stoked I could help and be a part of this opportunity.


Stump

[silent sniper]

Stump Buster, could you please give my spot to someone else? I would love to try this bow but I have recently been having elbow problems that I suspect are from my low wrist longbow grips. I am finally getting healed up and I don't want my pain to flare up again. Please let someone else enjoy my spot. Thanks.

[Stump Buster]

silent sniper,

No worries, I'll bump up the list so we can get the bow into the other tester's hands sooner and back to Allen. Take it slow and I hope you heal well.


Here's the new order...

STUMP BUSTER
TRADCAT
PHEONIXARCHER
HERMON
TRAXX
SACRED MT
DREWSBOW
NALA  
FLETCHER
BIG ED
MUD_SLIDE_SLIM
DRY CREEK
LONGBOW1953
BLUEGOOSE
SACTOBOWMAN
DANIELB89
KYARCHER
TAJUE17
MARK WILLOUGHBY
AKDAN


All the Best,

Stump

[Roadkill]

Hard to believe this bow is better than my original model, but it surely is.  My English has been in my hands a lot since I shot the new model, simple elegance in wood....but it has me wondering if the new model might be in my future!

[Allen Boice]

Skip:

I'll be at Western States. If you and Todd are going I'll have a few bows for you try out.

[Roadkill]

We are scheduled to be there, and bringing a couple of other guys.  See ya there

[Nala]

Hey all,

Fletcher sent me a message and the bow is at his Post Office awaiting his pick up.  I'm excited for him and the rest on the list to experience this fine bow, especially if you, like me, have never had a Hill style bow and this will be your first.


I think I'll go ahead and post my thoughts on my time with the English.

As I just mentioned, I have never shot a "Hill" style longbow. I've always wanted to shoot one, but until now, never had the opportunity.
When I opened the tube up, I was pleasantly surprised.  It was a sleek and attractive bow at 68 inches and 46 pounds it was longer than any bow I had ever shot.  I strung it up and as my luck would have it, the weather was terrible.  For the first week I had it I think I was only able to shoot it 1 or 2 times.  From the first time I put arrows through it, which were all 500 spine carbon and aluminum, I really liked this bow.  What I did find kind of strange at first was the shape of the handle.  Go and look at it on his website and you'll see what I am talking about.  It is not like a "normal" Hill style grip.  I wasn't crazy about it at first, but the more I shot it, the more I grew to like it.
I found it was very smooth to shoot.  Before I shot my first arrow I was telling myself "I wonder what this shock is going to be like" but it never really showed itself.  This bow had no real hand shock.  Sure, there was a bit of a jarring, but not much at all.  Jarring is probably not the right word to use, but it's the only one I can come up with right now.  It wasn't unpleasant at all, not even a discomfort.
The bow is also quiet as a mouse.  That's what really impressed me at first, the total lack of string noise upon release.  This was the case with all my arrows, even the lightest carbon arrows I had in my quiver.
This bow prefers the heavier arrows I had in my quiver which would be the GameGetter II 500 spine.  All the arrows flew really nice and grouped well.  My GGII arrows have a white wrap and yellow feathers 4 fletched.  When I loosed those arrows I just stood there and watched those arrows spin and arc right down into the place I was aiming.  It was a beautiful sight.
My target is a 3'x3' foam block made up of 9 individual 1'x1' foam blocks.  One day I went outside with the bow to do some shooting and I had probably had 5 or 6 sessions with it up till then.  I took a stance at probably 17 or 18 yards and thought I would try and play a little game to see how I would do.  I started thinking of a place to see if I could hit it in an individual block.  The first time I tried it, the arrow landed right where I was wanting it to land.  Beginners luck I thought.  Then I done it the next time and the next and the next.  This went on for 6 or 7 straight arrows.  I was just standing there with my mouth open wondering what in the world was going one here.  I have never been able to do that with any bow I have ever owned or shot.  For a second I thought I might've been channeling Byron Ferguson!!
At each successive shooting session I would find myself getting more and more impressed with this bow.  The "strange" grip I thought it had in the beginning now wasn't an issue at all.

As luck would have it, I had a chance to compare this English bow with one of his other longbows, a Sherwood.  This was his Hill style longbow that has the standard Hill style grip that everyone is familiar with.  This bow was 66 inches and 48 pounds.  I was really eager to compare them.

As expected this bow too shot great.  There was just a slight THUD when I loosed an arrow.  Nothing harsh at all and very easily handled by anyone.  I would find it very hard to believe that anyone would find this bow unpleasant or would say it had hand shock.  I didn't experience one bit of it.  I don't know if he knows something these other Hill style bowyers don't, but this was the 2nd Hill style bow of his that I had a chance to shoot and neither had any Hand Shock.
This bow was 2 inches shorter than the English and I think it made it just a little bit less smooth.  It too liked the GGII arrows over the others I had.  They flew just as pretty in this bow as they did in the English.
This bow, the Sherwood, did deliver the arrows with a bit more authority than did the English, but I wouldn't feel underbowed with either heading into the woods on a hunt.  I would've liked to see what wooden arrows performed like in these 2 bows, but I have never had a wooden arrow.
One thing I did notice with the Sherwood was that on occasion I would get some string slap on my wrist.  I have never had to wear an arm protector with any bow I have ever had.  I would get bit maybe 1 out of 3 arrows and it puzzled me as to why.  The only thing I could figure out was that the standard grip on this one was thinner at the back end and that caused me to rotate my wrist around a bit.  At least that's what I changed and never had it after that.  If I were to own this bow, the Sherwood, I would ask Mr. Boice to round it off just a tad at the back for me.

I wish I didn't have to give up either one of these great bows, but I did.  Even today I don't know which one I would take if I were allowed to keep only one.  I can make an argument for both.  I think if I were to pick a bow to just shoot from now on for enjoyment sake...I'd take the English.  If I were going to have a bow that I was going to hunt hogs with, I think I'd take the Sherwood.  I shoot both equally well and accurate, maybe the English very slightly more so.

I am very glad I signed my name up to try this bow.  I can see now why so many shooters love these Hill style bows.  I find myself now wanting one too.
I want to publicly thank Alan Boice of Liberty Bows for giving me the opportunity to spend time with his beautiful bows.

I am eager to see if the rest on the list enjoyed the English as much as I did!!

Nalajr

[Big Ed]

It is on its way to PA, next Saturday is our Turkey opener! Might have to see what kind of Mojo she has!!!

[Allen Boice]

Anybody have an update on where the bow is? Do you still have it Ed or has it been forwarded on to the next person in the line up?

Thanks, Allen

[Mud_Slide_Slim]

Allen,
I was wondering the same thing.  I have not heard anything as of yet, but I knew my turn was getting close.

Bill-

[Allen Boice]

Maybe Big Ed will chime in sometime and give us an update.

Allen

[KYArcher]

Hope those Turkeys don't have Big Ed pinned down.