Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Recurve

CRS
I like the looks of that Sky TDX 17 riser as well. You will need to check on grip options for both it and the 17" Titan. I'm nearly sure a low grip is offered for the Titan which you may like coming from a traditional longbow.

I would not go shorter than a 17" riser and with a 29" draw not shorter than medium limbs which will give you a 60" bow. I draw 29.5" and prefer a 62" or longer bow though I can shoot even shorter bows fairly well I would only choose one if I was shooting from a blind.

As far as limbs, if I was going recurve, I would get Win & Win Winex. For longbow you will have to research and choose but my choices would be between the Sky, Dryad, and Border limbs.

I always find it funny how scared people are of ILF - all it is - is a universal attachment system that has a little adjustment. It allows for many different limb options on the same riser, that's it. IOW if it were called a Traditional Limb Fitting if it would be more readily accepted.

I really like the TDX 17 that I owned but just could not get it to quiet down - so I sold it off. The grips are interchangeable so you should be able to find something that fits your needs. FWIW I have a Titan Grip that I sanded flat - if you end up with a Titan and want to try it, I'd make you a good deal on it.

I am not scared of it, just realize that adjustment=tinkering. If it is mechanical things can go wrong.

All of that is fine on the archery course, but for my hunting bows. I want to get them set up, dialed in, and practice, practice, practice. Spend the rest of my time scouting/hunting.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I had forgot about SKY and the TDX looks good. I know Morrison is good quality, but do not like the looks of their risers.

Just wish I could handle and shoot a bunch of different risers.

I will go with a 17" riser and long limbs for 62". The majority of my longbows are 60-62".

I will research the other limbs you listed R H.

They really aren't more mechanical than any take down bow. just think of them as take downs but each limb can be tightened to a different degree. It just gives you some small amount of flexibility as to preload and tiller. After that they can be as complicated or simple as you want. You don't have to use sights rests, plungers or stabilizers. The riser is just drilled in case you want to. I have mine set up to shoot off the shelf.

I build up the shelf to a radius with thick two sided 3M tape and add a layer of velcro over it. I use a large flat headed screw covered with velcro into the plunger hole to adjust the level of center shot to fine tune and that's it. The big advantage is that I can fine tune the bow to the arrow instead of swapping heads and cutting arrows in small amounts, or I can do both for the best tuned bows I have ever shot. I have tuned mine so well that when my form is on I can shoot bareshafts 40 yards that group with fletched shafts. I've also punched clean holes through hanging skeet without busting them. The advantage of such a good tune is better penetration. When you have to use huge feathers to get good flight you are loosing penetration.

I am a tuning fanatic for the exact reason you listed. Perfect flight gives maximum penetration.

There are lots of tricks for building up the shelf or building out the side plate.

I like to use wooden or cardboard matchsticks, carved tongue depressors, strip of leather. Minimizes arrow contact. Cover with tape then velcro or thin leather. That way I can also leave a gap for the inside fletch to have more clearance.

CRS, all the reasons you don't like ILF are what makes ILF a great system. Easy to tune, Easy to use, Reliable, no tools required to put together (Not so with a Bob Lee or many other custom take downs) - add in a rest and plunger and tuning that takes a day or two with a conventional bow can be done in minutes.......I have had more issues with stick on Velcro wearing out and poking toothpicks and matchstick behind the strike plates than I have ever had with any elevated rest and plunger combo. Whatever you want to use is fine with me, but you might just want to take a closer look at ILF before totally writing it off. Some of the IBO rules are a joke when it comes to rests and strike plates - putting bolts in with felt on the head is fine, but a plunger is not? Properly tuned and shot there is darn little difference in accuracy between them. Some folks just have a hard time admitting that it's the shooter not the equipment.

BTW, that "Scared of ILF" is a quote from a major custom bow maker explaining to me why they even have another attachment system for their take down bows.

I think CRS is strongly considering ILF. Yes, it's the rules "funny" that dictate how my rest is set up. I prefer an elevated rest and plunger. It makes tuning even simpler and seems more forgiving across a larger parameter to me. Equipment does "not" turn you into a better shooter. It simply makes tuning easier IMHO.

Could not have said it better RH Clark - get the darn thing tuned ASAP and go shoot. Thank goodness we go by NFAA rules around here - not really enough Trad shooters to get too picky about it anyway.

CRS if you like a low grip give a Hoyt Dorado or Buffalo a try. They are not ILF but the Dorado can use ILF limbs if you change out the bushings (easily done). My Dorado has a great grip (Rubber low grip) on it. I attribute that to part of the reason that I have been shooting it so well this year. 5 of my last 6 NFAA 300 rounds have been over 270 with 3) 277 or better. That is about 10 points better than I have ever shot before. I'm shooting a 40# Camo Hoyt Dorado Hunting bow w/ 6 arrow quiver, short stabilizer, T-300 rest and Tradtech Shorty Plunger w/ GT Traditional 15/35 (600's) 30" long w/ 3) 4" Feathers and 125gr points.

CRS, I just read back through some of the posts on this thread and noticed you were looking for a longbow. At on time I owned a Dryad Orion 64" 45# ACS Longbow limbs with bamboo cores - that was one nice rig, one I should not have sold. It was Fast, Smooth and stable with the extra weight of the riser, pretty to boot with Pau Ferro wood. Quiet as a mouse and did I mention fast? Very nice rig and one to take a close look at. Expensive at around $750+ but still less than a Widow. Only problem with the Orion is a limb change will run you about $400.

I'm probably a lot less of a smart ass in person.LOL

I am going to get one, but you guys have to realize that I could care less about rules, competition, or scores.

What about a Hoyt Tiburon?

R H,
Someday I would like to meet you in person, and I am probably a lot more of smart ass in person.

I tend to try and temper myself on forums so as not to hurt anyone's feelers.

I just wanted to thank you guys for having this discussion.

After messing around with my little-guy using a recurve, I think I need one too.

goalie,
You should get one, some of the best times I have had with my sons is in the backyard shooting arrows and time spent out hunting.

Not to mention time spent together building arrows and twisting strings.

You may very well enjoy the Tiburon but It's not really a style I like. The riser is 21" so keep in mind that now long limbs will get you a 66" bow. Personally I prefer 17" risers and long limbs for a max 62" bow for hunting. I love a 68" or 70" recurve for targets but prefer a shorter bow for hunting and with a 29.5" draw, I prefer the feel of medium or long limbs over shorts.

I also don't like the brace part on the back. I just find it distracting. I've shot bows like this and they work well but I possibly just haven't got use to that brace part.

If you like the length of the riser and the grip it will likely be a good bow for you. personally ,I prefer the Trad Tech Titan.

If you like the Tiburon, you might want to take a look at the Gamemaster - it has the old style limb attachment that ILF limbs can be converted to fit. Lots more options for ILF than Formula. But, if your going to spend Tiburon $, get the Sky Wildfire or Crossfire instead. OR the TDX riser and a set of Tradtech limbs makes for a nice rig.

I hate punching out ILF bushings and replacing them with the screw in kind. I just don't like doing that to $400-$600 limbs. I know it works but I'm always thinking the limb may split or flake a splinter around the hole.

I never said 'garage' bows are superior. What I AM saying is that the efficiency of a good ILF limb is no better than a good custom limb...or a Bear or Martin. Blacky's tests prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Btw I'm not 'scared' of ILFs. If you like that sort of bow, that's great. I just don't buy into the hype that they're inherently superior. Thats a crock of feces.

The attachment system is not what makes them better and better is not all about speed. I'm not saying that custom bowyers can't make very good limbs. What I'm saying is that you need to be careful who you are dealing with.

I've known "bowyers" do all kinds of things to get limbs to weight and get them straight that compromises the limb in other ways. How about filing a nock more on one side and then thinning the limb on one side to get it to track straight?

Then there is the question of materials. I like limbs that use no glass at all. Not many custom bowyers offering limbs with no glass, a few have just started. Then we could talk about GPP but you don't want to go there because most custom bowyers want you to shoot at least 9 GPP. I can safely shoot 5 gpp with good ILF limbs.

Now talk about tuning. There is no way I can customize a fixed limb bow the way I want. I have no way to adjust my tiller. I have no way to adjust my preload so that I am getting max performance at my draw. I also have the option of playing around with rests , plungers, sights, stabilizers, and all kinds of things that are shunned by the neo trad groups even though it was not so in times past.

You may like any bow you choose. I'm not knocking you for that. What I'm doing is pointing out why I think ILF is superior to me.