long bows

doc trinidad

doc trinidad

Joined
Aug 29, 2009
Messages
626
looking for a good quality traditional longbow for hunting and target practice that wont break the bank. this will be my first bow so doesn't need to be more than a good basic hunting bow but would like it to last while learning. any suggestions or any bowyers on the board?
 
Hi Shane I really am just trying to find a nice no frills longbow to hunt and do some target practice with that wont break me financially but will last through the learning process. I see some really inexpensive hand made bows on eBay but am not sure I want to trust my chances of getting a decent bow from a site like that. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Do you make bows to sell or only for private use? I am hoping for a traditional wood bow made from yew or hickory can you make a suggestion on the best types of wood? the main thing is that its a good solid well made bow without any frills. Thanks Doc
 
Are you looking for a primitive bow (no laminations) or a traditional bow with laminated fiberglass? I tried making the first without much luck and I bought the second, laminated fiberglass, from a custom maker about 10 years ago ($400). Good used longbows can be had for less, but usually in the $200 and up range.
 
I don't own any long bows yet (still stuck with training wheels ;) ) But two of my buddies own Fred Bear bows, and really like them.
 
Doc I make and sell high performance fiberglass and single carbon one piece and take down longbows and they are not cheap nor can you get the money that they are really worth so should you choose the custom route bring deep pocket :), however dont be mislead but primitive bows can be made to produce the same speeds, smoothness of draw and stability as their fiberglass kin when made correctly and with the right materials so again even then you will pay the same as a high performance glass or single carbon longbow.

If you are looking for a primitive bow, also called a self bow, then you need to decide whether or not you will build it or buy one made. https://rudderbowsarchery.com/shopping/ and http://www.gibow.com/shop/ would be the direction I would suggest as they have fair prices and more variety than most. Alos they are willing to help in most anyway. Gi bow is the newer of the two but I have gone in with their company and done group purchases of 1k strips of fiberglass and everything went very well and smooth.

Doc you need to know a few things when buying any bow and these apply to selfbows too. You need to know exactly where you will anchor on your face, the poundage of the bow, your draw length and your limitations.

I am often asked what poundage should they get. For grown men learning how to shoot a bow I always recommend 40-45lbs. For youth and ladies 30-45. If you will listen to me on this you will enjoy archery much much more and progress much faster as you will be able to maintain proper form and release without being over bowed. I am a grown man, a fire fighter and pretty strong and I choose to shoot 50 -55 max even for all my hunting in North America. I actually love shooting my 45 the most and use it for working on form as well as hunting deer. A 30lbs longbow is legal in my state to hunt with because a properly setup 30lbs primitive bow will kill deer all day if you do your part and place the arrow where it needs to go. Of course your distance will be reduced but this will make you a better hunter as you will then need t learn the lessons on how to get the deer closer too you. Even if you will not be hunting the above lines are examples of how powerful a bow is.

Hope this helps you a bit and if I can help further just "shoot" me a pm. I did not mention any of the fiberglass bows because you said a primitive bow but if you decide that you would like to look at some traditional offerings then just ask as they can be found new for 150-200 bucks and will not have as many "character" traits.
 
LOL I forgot to add I would never buy a primitive bow off ebay unless I knew the seller and maker. Too many things that can go wrong with primitive bows to chance it from an unknown source. Know also there is a break-in period and to draw your bow back steady and smoothly. Dont jerk it back or even the best of them may break. Go to paleo planet, primitive archer, tradgang or pirates of archery(my personal haunt) and ask questions and you will probably find what you are looking for even cheaper from a known source.
 
I made the mistake of ordering my1st custom long bow ($600) at 55-60#. I didn't do my homework and I HATED traditional archery because I was WAY over bowed! I shoot compounds at 80 and higher, but it is NOT the same.
Lesson learned- 45 is were I'm at now-I shoot 3D regularly so I can get comfy shooting at animals. A cheap bow to start is fine, but don't skimp on arrows. buy six good wood or correctly spined carbon arrows and you will be a happy man.

Tip weight makes better arrow flight at lower poundages too. It might take a while, but when you find the perfect set up you will know it.

Custom longbow--It's like buying a car. You get to pic colors and options- I LOVE mine!!!!

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shane wink said:
I am often asked what poundage should they get. For grown men learning how to shoot a bow I always recommend 40-45lbs. For youth and ladies 30-45. If you will listen to me on this you will enjoy archery much much more and progress much faster as you will be able to maintain proper form and release without being over bowed. I am a grown man, a fire fighter and pretty strong and I choose to shoot 50 -55 max even for all my hunting in North America.
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Solid advice. This is probably the single biggest mistake I see people make with their first trad bow - going too heavy. Correct form is absolutely essential for consistent results with a trad bow, and it's much, much easier to focus on correct form with a lighter poundage bow. #40-#45 is a good place to start, and if you decide to step up to a heavier bow after you get the hang of it, that lighter bow will still work great for small game, turkeys, even deer.

All of my bows are between #50 - #57 pounds, and with the proper arrow configuration (the most important part of the equation, imo), are fully capable of taking large mammal found in N. America.

Welcome to the trad world, and keep us posted on what you end up buying and how it goes!
 
Thank you all for this very useful information. I will put it all to good use when I find my bowyer. I have a good lead on a local fella just need to track down some contact info for him and will get the ball rolling. thank you all again and I will post some picks when this project is over. please feel free to continue discussing the fine points of bows and bow making here as I am really enjoying and learning a lot!
 
I think in most cases a self long bow will be slower than a laminated fiberglass long bow. If I came across a nice elm stave I'd seriously consider trying to make a flatbow. If I was going to have a bower make a primitive long bow, I'd go with hickory or elm (if you can get it). I'd also go with a flatbow vs a d-shaped cross section on the limbs. The simplest and therefore least expensive would be an unbacked bow. I think in the early part of the 20th century many hickory bows used to be backed with lemonwood to increase durability and help minimize set to the limbs. Some bowers use bamboo for the same purpose. Bamboo should increase the draw weight and the speed of the bow.
Humidity will affect a self bow.
 
I'm thinking about getting another longbow my self. I like the traditional look with a leather wrapped grip.
 
shane wink said:
LOL I forgot to add I would never buy a primitive bow off ebay unless I knew the seller and maker. Too many things that can go wrong with primitive bows to chance it from an unknown source.
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My wife really wanted a long bow. Knowing her habbits and that she'd lose interest I bought a cheeper fiberglass backed long bow off of ebay. Supposedly the guy would cusomize it for your draw weight. When we got it, it was sloppy to say the least. All he did to lighten the draw was put a longer string on it, only 4 inches from the bow string to the back of the bow so it slaps the crap out of your wrist when you release. Would never waste my money on that again.

Not to hyjack the thread but, Shane, what do you think about take down bows? They seem like a pretty cool idea for packing and what not.
 
I started on a traditional bow at 35# pull. I am glad that I didn't go higher. My advice would be to hit up garage sales, you can find awesome deals on old recurves and long bows, just be careful to make sure there are no cracks, and that the limbs aren't twisted or warped. then go to an archery shop and buy a new string for it, never trust old strings (I almost learned that the hard way, had one snap as I was stringing the bow, apparently sitting in a garage can cause dryrot). You will probably find more recurves than long bows.

bears, pearson, and a few others are good brands for them, I own 3 vintage recurves, and I prefer them to any modern one that I have shot (except the one or 2 super high dollar customs I got to shoot).

good luck with your search
 
I know that your're looking for a primitve bow, but the Bear Montana is a great longbow that won't break the bank. I have one, and it's nicer older brother, the Ausable. Both great reflex/deflex longbows (or flatbows). You may find that a primitive longbow may be harder to tune your arrows to, since most either don't have an arrow shelf or the shelf is rather shallow. IMHO, the closer the shelf is cut to or past center, the easier it is to match your arrows and improve your accuracy and consistency. Just my 2 cents.
 
Nothing wrong with them at all. They will cost more as there are more components involved and depending on if its a 2 piece or 3 piece there will be even more building issues to get the correct alignment.

Many people can build bows that shoot however its the refined details of smoothness of draw, balance of the limbs and timming on the return that set higher end bows and bowyers apart more than anything.

There are terms to know just as there are in making knives that mean different things than what may be commonly understood.

A bow that is SMOOTH drawing can be seen on a force draw curve measuring 2-3 lbs per inch of draw after the first couple of inches.

Stacking is not a function of its limb cores but rather its when the angle of the string in relation to the nock exceeds 90*s. Stacking is a good thing when understood and will allow the custom nowhere to get all the performance from a given design based on the archers draw length. Production bows may be purchased by a broad range of draw lengths so that build a measure of safety into them most times so that they don't stack till 30-33 or more inches of draw. Also the point of stacking can be seen on the force draw curve when there is a marked increase in the lbs per inch like on my bows from 2 lbs per inch at 28" to 5-6 lbs at exactly 29"s. This leaves nothing on the table and allows the bow to perform at its best for its design.

When you judge bows remember to judge them the same every time. Meaning using an arrow that is 10 grains per pound for whatever poundage you choose and at whatever draw you need. This will allow you to see in foot pounds of energy the efficiency and speed of each bow. You wont be able to measure the smoothness of draw unless you own it.

The backing on a bow in itself is to allow the bow to be drawn with out the wood under the backing from coming apart. It does not allow a design to draw farther over another backing other than it just keeps the fibers of the wood below the backing intact. Keep in mind that choosing a heavy backing will add a lot of mass to the limb slowing the return.

There is much more lol
 
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