Who runs long bows here ? Always enjoy spot and stalk speed goats ...

Benner Custom long bow

Congrats on the goat! That's gotta be tough with a stickbow.
Been using longbows for years on Arkansas whitetail and smallgame but last three or four years using an Osage selfbow that I built.
Bob

Congratulations!
I've shot a few speed goats with a compound. Can't imagine the difficulty with a long bow.

I like to shoot 3D with longbow and recurve but I honestly don't bow hunt much. I've only killed one coyote and a few squirrels with my stickbows. I shoot everything from a 70" ILF target bow to a bamboo backed Osage that I made. I basically like to shoot everything that a man can shoot.

shot more squirrels than anything else. but did get a mule deer 5 x 5 a wile back . B Ferguson 68 # ( thors hammer ) cedar shaft and snuffer b-head. sorry can't do pics.

Took these two about 10 years ago with my recurve...Now I shoot a RER long bow, javelina is all I've taken with it so far.

I forgot to add that my main hunting bow is a Black Widow PLX 62" 55lb @28. I draw about 29". The bow has no red in it. The riser is all black glass,no wood, and it has Olive ash veneers on the limbs. It's a good looking bow with the black contrasting the light veneers. I also sometimes hunt with a Dala which is a 17" riser with ILF carbon maple limbs. Those limbs have no glass and are very fast and quiet.

I hunt w a Blackwidow recurve, a '72 HF1225.
It's 60" so is a "long bow" to me I prefer a 58" recurve for hunting.
Proly get a 56" PCH for X mas.

My Dwyer Endeavor r/d longbow has killed most of my critters (elk, deer, hogs, rabbits, squirrels, coyote) but it's getting a bit heavy for my old man shoulders. I'll probably be taking it this elk season but when it gets cold and I'm hunting deer I will drop down to low-mid 40's with a Sarrels Sierra, Holm Made Osprey or a nice Sandy Biles custom.

Not too much with longbows but I shoot recurves quite a bit. Currently shooting a Hoyt Satori. Hope to put this guy in the freezer in about 30 more days.


Congrats on the antelope. I have yet to connect on an antelope with Trad gear. Had one step to the side and watch the arrow go by at 20 yards - quick is an understatement!

That is very impressive hunting sir! Literally hunting in it's purest form. Nice job.

Currently using compound and crossbows, but I started out with longbow and recurve. Took deer with them, long before using a shotgun. I shoot instinctive, (no sights), and do not hold at full draw as most do, but draw and fire as one motion. Never used a release in my life.
Nice to see other Archers.

Great pics ! Thanks for sharing.

Have a great friend that shoots a Black Widow Recurve. Killed a whopper of an elk with it !

Sendero, that's great!
I also use a long bow, or did before my shoulder joint started to hurt. I have only killed one antelope ever with my bow. Sneaking up on an antelope is a REAL hunt. I think myself blessed when I do it, but only one time was I successful with a bow. I did kill a few at very close range with firearms, (one so close the muzzle blast knocked some hair off) but if I'd had the bow I have to admit I am sure the draw motion would not have allowed me to kill them. So I commend you highly.
My 2 bows are bamboo/glass laminate, made by Tim Meggs from Mound House Nevada, and I shoot compressed cedar shafts, feather fletched, and 190 grain Grizzle broad heads. Most have hit dirt, not meat.

I have a Sandy Biles longbow. I love it. I'm a poor shot but improving 😄
Congratulations on the pronghorn. It takes ALOT of patience to get with in longbow range. I'm a little envious.

I shoot a Sarrels longbow. Pronghorn with a longbow is an accomplishment!

I shoot a Jerry Hill 60" Longbow, 29" cedar arrows with 5" shield cut feathers, glue on Zwickey Eskimos or Magnus 2 blade broadheads.

Ed

Congratulations, it's nice to see other stickbow shooters here.

I have several of Herb Melands three piece take down Pronghorns and love them.

I've shot longbows for years and started building my own in the 1990's. Haven't shot much big game with them, but have taken many dozens of grouse.

Glass and lamination's,or Osage and bamboo?

Any take downs ?

I just bought a nice Great Northern long bow off the Class. here! its a Jack Knife type it folds in the handle, intoo! nice for traveling, been wanting one for a long time, Iv been too long without a longbow!

I started with self bows mostly of Yew though did one sinew backed Osage - still have one of the Yew bows and the Osage bow but haven't shot them in years. Then moved on to glass laminated longbows and haven't touched the wood bows since. My first laminated bows were a reflexed H. Hill style followed by a mild reflex/deflex. In more recent years, I've been building a hybrid with fairly pronounced reflex/deflex.

No 3 piece, but occasionally do a 2 piece with the stainless/brass sleeve/socket.

https://goprimalnow.com/product/arc...-folding-survival-bow-50-lb-draw-weight/

I want one of these.

I normally shoot a Silvertip recurve, but this year I promised the wife I'd kill something with the Acadian Woods longbow she bought me for our anniversary some years ago. I like the longbow but the Silvertip is an extension of my arm and is hard to leave home. I shot several with a Jerry Hill longbow where I was still fresh into traditional. Last one I shot with a longbow was with a home made Osage.

I have the Bingahm kit instructions but have never tried a glass laminated bow. I've built a bunch of selfbows,starting with Hickory and graduating to Osage. Currently I shoot a BBO that is nearly the equal of my PL Widow. I always wanted to make a selfbow of Yew,but never had access to any.

John Strunk of Strunks selfbows in Tillimook OG. used to sell yew, hes still makeing bows but not sure if hes sell Staves at this time!

I used to get my Yew from Northwest Archery and got to know the St. Charles family fairly well and got started with some mentoring from them. Jay St. Charles is still making self and laminated bows from Yew. I'm sure he has a good stash of Yew but don't know if he sells any billets/staves. If I was going to do another self bow it would be a true English style with horn nocks like Strunk and St. Charles make.

Ted Fry of Raptor Archery sells all kinds of billets/staves, has Yew listed and is where I'd start. In fact, I've been giving that some serious that lately...

Which longbow would you guys recommend to someone for their first one? Would really like to get into it.

I would repeat the same steps I started with all those years ago. A laminated longbow from a established bowyer that comes with a Million Dollars of good advice on shooting HIS bow.
The rest of the stuff comes along in good time.
It has been a great trip for me...

I don't have a specific maker in mind but I absolutely hate Hill style bows because of the handshock. I wanted to buy one once so bad I could taste it but it was 65 lbs and even shooting an arrow over 700 grains every shot felt like catching a line drive baseball barehanded.
I'm sure someone will shortly tell me I didn't know how to hold it.

I would recommend a reflex deflex bow of considerably less weight than you think you want to shoot. You would be much better learning how to shoot on a 40lb bow than learning how not to shoot on a 60lb bow. How much weight you can shoot on a compound doesn't count.

Thanks guys, I was thinking 45 or 50 pounds and a bow from Martin or two tracks.

There are so many choices ranging from mass produced bows at entry level pricing to exotic custom bows at wildly varying prices, it's really impossible to recommend one. Like buying hunting boots, one person's favorite may not work well at all for the next guy. Shooting as many as possible before buying is the best option but nearly impossible to do unless you attend a large traditional shoot or can travel to the shops of the custom bowyers.

Then you have many varying styles / designs from the 'old school' Howard Hill style to more radical highly reflexed / deflexed bows that approach a recurve bow in limb and riser shape. Most custom bowyers will offer one piece and take down models, with take downs being either 2 piece or 3 piece. Until you've shot a bunch, there is no way to know what is best for you.

That said, my first longbow was in the mass produced category made by Martin. The Bear Montana is in this category and seems to be a fairly well regarded bow for the price. If inclined to go the mass produced route, I'd stick with manufacturers that have a long history / good track record with traditional bows like Martin and Bear. I'm sure there are others, but those two stand out for me. If I wasn't building my own and in the market to buy from someone else, a Centaur longbow from Jim Neeves would be at the top of my list.

I hear you on the 'hand shock' associated with Hill style bows - my first laminated bows were that type. I had the opportunity to meet an old bowyer that used to build bows for Howard Hill Archery and made some of Howard's personal bows. He was a neighbor and got me started building these things so that is naturally what I built. Interestingly, I've recently been fiddling with my first laminated 'Hill' bow and experimenting with my grip to see if it's possible to tame the shock. I have noticed an improvement with more pressure on the heel of my hand, but still more shock than a reflex / deflex bow.

I tried some longbows way back. Didn't like them.
Martin ML10 14 and Jerry Hill, plus an Old Ben 5000 (or whatever it was) and a couple others.
My buddy owned them, and they shot well for him. No matter what the tune or arrow........I hated them.

2 yrs ago I shot a lower # Tomahawk longbow. It was actually pleasant.
Still not a longbow guy...........but that thing was WAY different than the old stuff.

I hear you guys. Jerry Hill nearly caused me to have to get new fillings in my teeth. I shoot a black Widow PL longbow now and like it fine but I was a recurve guy for a bunch of years. I guess I like them all. I have 8 or 10 stick bows. I shoot everything from a 72" Olympic Barebow ILF recurve, to a 68" Osage selfbow

To misquote the HOF Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz "chicks dig the longbow". I'm a very impugned source because of my involvement in the industry but longbows can be every bit as comfortable to shoot and as fast as the fastest recurve. Having said that, however, I personally like the draw/force feel you get from a good static-tip recurve limb versus the more linear draw/force feel of a longbow limb.

John,I would have to agree. Those 3 piece A&H ACS longbows I've shot were just as fast and shock free as any recurve. I still prefer the less delicate recurve limb though.


For anyone looking to get started a 17" Dryad ILF riser would be a good option. You could get limbs from Dryad or a set of cheap ILF limbs for about $100 and not be out too much initially. Someone new to trad archery would likely be better starting with cheap low poundage ILF limbs and when shooting form is established ,getting a heavier set of better quality hunting limbs from Dryad.

Good stuff, R H - I bought an A&H ACS a number of years back and they are a great bow. More recently, I decided to go down the ILF route when Lancaster was closing out Trad Tech carbon recurve limbs. I ended up with the Dryad Legend 17" riser to mount them on and that is the bow I'm shooting the most right now. I really want to try the ACS static recurve limbs on that riser.

Though I still enjoy shooting longbows more, I've always shot recurves better...

Same for me. My favorite hunting rig right now is a DAS Dalla 17" riser with short maple-carbon limbs,no glass at all. I mostly shoot a 25" Spigarelli barebow riser with medium Win & Win Winex carbon-foam limbs during the 3-D season. Both sets of limbs are so stiff you can't torque them by hand even at the tips and they will safely shoot arrows lighter than I can spine. My target bow shoots 215 fps with just over 7GPP. I do have a 29.5" draw though which helps with speed.

Anyone new to stick bows,should really try one of the ILF risers and limbs.

Nicest longbow I ever owned was a Toelke Whip 33# 64". Man that thing was sweet and pushed a lightweight arrow right along. Should have kept that one......

+1 on the ILF thing, makes limb swaps a breeze. You can own one nice riser and several sets of limbs. I have been shooting Hoyt's Satori since it came out early this spring and have a couple sets of Tradtech Blackmax 2.0 limbs. Very nice rig. Easily adaptable from target to hunting rig.



Just waiting for Aug. 30 to shoot something a little bigger!

Any luck yet ?

Put me down. Spend a lot of time behind my Zipper Zipstick and have a set of longnow limbs on ordet for my Zippet SXT riser. I've shot most of what's oit there and would probably shoot Toelke bows if I couldn't use my Zippers.

3 hrs of acetone scrub to get the spray camo off the '75 Blackwidow HS I got this weekend.
Epoxy fill where somebody drilled for quiver.

Trying to decide if I send it in for refinish, or spray camo the limbs and black the riser, or black the limbs and send riser off for film dip
(is my backup bow).

Don't know buddy. Widow does a good job but I expect they are expensive. Film dip riser sounds good. At one time lots of folks used a peel and stick "limb skins" product. I think I have a set somewhere I bought to put on some target ILF limbs but I have never tried them.I liked the idea of the thin vinyl layer to protect from dings in carbon or glass,and I liked the idea of an easy removal.

I did try Limb skins, and they stuck good but the little white edge from the cut irked me.
Bought some gloss black spray paint and it matches super good.
Now at 6 hrs of labor and about 20 bucks in materials.

My OCD had me pretty much ready to clean up an resell.........I'm no restorer, but do a pretty fair job. Have done several bows and gun stocks and made them much better (usually losing money even after improvement). This one is looking good enough I might just keep it Hang it next to my minty HF.

Didn't sand out all marks, just the most offensive. It's a hunting bow, will get more. I did like the old "spider web" bumpy finish they had in the 80's.

I'll order a Bear/Delta quiver and K tech 3" Mathews S coil module stabilizer (plus a new B50 string and wooly whispers).

Make it look like my old one

Nice bow. I would show you my Widow PL if I had anything going except Photobucket. Looks like you did a great job.

Never used Photobucket.
Imageshack back in the day.

Imgur doesn't work here.
So I use Post Image. 2nd link pasted in on full editter here


The latest one before clean up (pic from seller).

Thanks, might yet spray camo the limbs.

It's a 300 dollar bow

imgur works fine, it's what I use.

Imgur gives me fits here, but not elsewhere.

Hookeye, what riser is that?

The non vented riser in a couple of my pics is a Blackwidow HS
My primary hunting bow is a Blackwidow HF 1225
(they made a shorter model of vented riser known as the HF500).
There is another "hollow" riser for hunting known as the HF1200.
The 1225 and 500 models have supports in the hollow sections.
There are vented 1225 target models (riser not the same- can't swap limbs) and a couple different solid risers for target too.
They even made some with integral overdraws (the grip forward).

The HF1225 is neat, but was only in 60 and 64" IIRC. The HS could be had from 58 to 62" ? (maybe 64" I dunno).
Prefer a 58" for hunting.

Passed on some HS 60".

BW no longer makes limbs for the old metal riser bows. I might shoot some paint one last time on the HS riser. It's good enough now, just want it to not wear through as easily. I'm gonna shoot it a lot (hopefully).

The BW HS is a freakin' tank of a bow and the grip is different than the HF.
I love it.

Really would be cool to find a last run radius shelf riser, and 50# FF rated limbs.
Both of the HS and even my HF, are all old models that can/could only run B50.

Like em anyway LOL

If my back/shoulder hold up I might have a new Widow built.
A greybark PCH model, 56" and around 43#.
Have had three greybarks built over the years, MA2 62#, SA2 55# and PSA2 57#.
They all went to other homes........tried to buy my last one back............no deal.

3 recurves would be enough, but a short skeleton HF500 would be cool. Maybe 4 would be tolerable.
Always wanted an HF1225.

Even if my shoulder or back blow out........it will stay on my wall.

if you can't get new limbs I wonder if you can convert one of those risers to an ilf rig?

The limbs mount on the back, limb wedges are different shape within limb.
I suppose if one made a riser that had a cradle (limb bolt solid to it, the cradle doing the pivot).
Not sure if the old Widows magnesium or aluminum.

Flying cups and longbow versatility

http://www.tradgang.com/videos/ronlaclair/ronl-4.wmv

http://www.tradgang.com/videos/ronlaclair/ronl-2.wmv

I hunt with a 64 inch 50 lbs at 28 inches Bamabow. I've done it for about four years now. So far, I've killed two deer and four pigs with it. Those first couple years are a real learning curve when you hunt with a longbow.