Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Hooked big time on Trad

I made the switch to recurves about 20 years ago. For me it's just a lot funner.

Finally shot my new Blackwidow PSA2.
46#@28 is way easier than 54 LOL
Shoulder and spine complained some, but i shot it enough to twist it up on brace and try diff spine arrows.

Had some leftover GT 35/55 from my old B50 HF1225 a while back. They flew like lasers. Kinda light as they run a 125gr tip and reg alum insert.

Have some 55/75 that I can drop a 100gr insert into.
Will bare shaft and chrono this weekend at a buds house

Will admit, less than 2 dozen shots and i was sore the next day. Impinged shoulder and arthritis in spine.

But if thats all the worse itd be, hell its doable 👍

Nobody bought my 54# HS ( FF rated ) so its packed in my PSAs box. Cool bow, kinda glad it didnt sell.

Been a lurker on traditional since I was a kid. Along the way listened to a lot of stories, and read a few issues of Traditional Bowhunter. But I fell down the hole when a good friend showed me his custom bow collection and Rob Patuto started the Stick Bow Chronicles podcast. Devoured those episodes and went looking for affordable bows on eBay. Found a Martin Jaguar and some ILF longbow limbs @30lbs. Bought a Black Hunter with 45lb limbs.
Still working on the “Custom Bow Budget Envelope”. My friend sold his Big Jim at Etar after I passed on it. I really am sweet on the Java Man or Tolke Whip. With the wait times that will be a spring project at this point.
Last night in the woods for the first sit of the year was amazing. Turkeys on the walk in. Two different doe encounters. And an amazing sunset. Only shot was for practice with the judo point before climbing down. One of the best nights I’ve had in the tree.
Last year I put 35 hunts into the journal with the stick and string. Best year yet
As was said above Trad to me is about the Hunt, the other tools in the barn are for empty freezer filling.

I just decided to get back into the traditional game myself and jumped in both feet first.

Decided I wanted a Black Widow, but couldn't decide on a recurve or longbow.

So, I bought both - a SAX and a 2 piece PLX.

A Black widow will be my next bow. I wish there was a shop full of them nearby, so I could shoot a few before I bought. Of the two which do you like best?

Haven't gotten 'em yet, brotha.'

Until I do and shoot around with 'em, I'll just keep hunting with my Mathews VXR.

I hunted with an old timey Bear recurve before, and even managed to arrow a few deer with it, so hopefully it'll come back pretty quickly to me.

The wait is worth it !


Ordered my first Widow back in 87. Just a standard MA2.
This last one (my 4th order) took about 6 months for the limbs (ordered riser first, then limbs).
Just another greybark w standard grip, my 3rd SA/PSA.

But this time I had the major red stripe in riser changed to black.
Dunno if I should have, bow looks "dull" but I figured its my last build so make it a little different.

I have had 3 Widow HS models and two HF1225.
Love the grip of the HS.
Cold mofo come late season, and wrapping the grip w something to insulate, would change the feel.

Its 54# and I dunno if I'll heal up enough to use it.

My new one is 46#, figure tree stand use, maybe 3D w buds.

Got my Kydex to make an adapter for my quiver (lengthen span). Been fuggin w Jeep wheel n tire crap. Sore back n shoulder.
Beer time.

Had 9 widows, out of abouyt 3 dozen or so recurves (Since '85 ).
Yup, theyre my favorite.

Are they the best? Heck if I know. Ive shot a fair number of other customs buds have had.
Widows are good enough for me.

The folks that build em have been top notch, and I like supporting good folks that make good products.

Heck, hookeye, half the reason I went Black Widow was you evangelizing 'em - not just on this forum, but on other forums too, all over the 'net.

They have a test drive program, so you can try before you buy (if you have a credit card).

Blackwidow MA/SA series have quite a few laminations in the riser.
That makes em tough, and a little heavy.
I prefer some mass weight.

The bows, to me, have a slightly different feel on the draw. Maybe all bows w rear mount limbs feel that way?

I shot next to Ken Beck on the practice range one morning at Cloverdale in '88.
An absolute gentleman.

The rich history of the company, and the customer service I have had........you bet I'm a fanboy.

Have shot a lot of bows, and still prefer a Widow.
Must say my friends Chastain was pretty sweet.

And for a factory bow my Hoyt Dorado w Tradtech ILF limbs converted to direct bolt on, was probably a best bang for the buck rig.

I cant remember what yr exactly, but me and bowfishing bud went to local dam/levee and I saw one zoom out, from the elevated perch.
Trotted down the grassy hill to get to ledge and boogie down it for a shot.
Wet shoes from prev cement wall venture in containment area, on grassy slope...........I got to slippin n slidin and picked up speed.
Ended up bashing into a boulder. Tried to save the bow and sacrifice myself.
Blood was comin out pretty good, arm and leg. Bow took a nasty gash on limb, but stayed strung. I went home, proly shoulda got stitches but didn't go to ER.

Called BW and they said send it in. They fixed it and I took a deer w it that fall.
But the repair looked to crack. Hundred of shots on the repair.

Called again and Roger said it send it in for eval, later called and said it was toast and would I be cool w a new build for 165 bucks? (maybe was less than that).
Mine was last of handcrafted and the new ones precision crafted, and he apologized for the difference.
Uh, no reason to apologize man, and yeah build me one to same spec.

I killed a couple deer w that one but had some spine problems and went to wheels, which did not fix it.
So laid out of all indoor and 3D and barely shot enough w wheels n sights to hunt. Talking 200 arrows or less a yr.
Rebroke rib next to spine and my pain went away and started hunting w recurve and wheels again. Was maybe 5 yrs of laying out of archery.

Got a few used Widows, metal riser. Like the HS best.
Met some widow shooters over the years and all have been good dudes.

Ive had a widow around off and on since 87 and shot well enough some people remember me.
Shot Cloverdale and a yr or two later some dude to do plumbing work at a relatives 2 hrs away from that place.... pulls up as Im in the driveway working on a Jeep and goes "hey, youre that blackwidow guy" LMAO

FWIW Im just a nobody that got around to some local, semi local shoots. Hell the biggest deer Ive ever shot w a bow, was with a Widow.....first trad deer. And it might have gone 100" gross LMAO.

Not saying a widow is for everybody.
Have had folks slam em, even talk crap to me face to face at shoots.
Then I let em shoot mine.
It was tuned perfectly.

It wasnt too noisy, and it was quick enough.

Had more than one say "I cant see the arrow flying"......ya aint supposed to at 20 yards and in.
So.....that there told me what kind of experience and skill level my critics had.

A well tuned widow is a good hunting bow.
But some may not like certain aspects of em.

Thats why all those other guys make bows.

I wish I could hunt my 400 dollar used Widow HS. It aint about the money. Its a cool bow and I havent shot a deer with it yet.
But having spine and shoulder issues I figured lower # and one last build.

Worst case my son in law gets a slightly used plywood bow LOL

I wasn’t aware of the test drive program. I will look into it and most likely give it a shot. Thanks for the info.

It's that time of the year isn't it? After starting with an ILF I began looking around for traditional stuff and learned about the older bowyers. Bob Lee (Wing), Ben Pearson, Bear, Indian, Root etc. Have since picked up 5 older bows. A Wing, Indian, Pearson, Darton and have an American Archery coming this week. All are 50-65 yrs old. And shoot great. I haven't spent on these 5 combined for the cost of a new Bob Lee. Or a Widow. So, don't overlook these older bows, they have a lot of life left in them and make great gifts to sons/grandsons.

Ive owned some old "classics" LOL

They are fun.

They are also obsolete and often even if minty, aint as great as folks claim.

I do think the rosewood DH Superdiablo to be quite the looker.
But my preference is for more center shot and a grip more like the standard Widow grip.

Have ground on a couple of Tradtech/Samicks to make em like that.

So......only real classic I'd be interested in.........is a Bear TD A riser w new limbs.
Not cheap.

Note:

On a couple of old Bear grizzly, had some noise.
No matter the tune or arrow weight.
Turns out it was limb resonance.
Slapped on some PSE/Vibracheck limb bands and solved it.
Looked like crap.

Don't like Sims mushrooms either.

I run flemish strings, and the bows were noisy until the bands on limbs.
Also, being old B50 rigs, none were fast.

Nostalgia is cool.
But I got out of that.
Saved a bunch of old bows and decided my time, effort and loss of money was done LOL

I’ve always been curious about the much storied Savage Deathmaster. We’re they as fast as guys claim, or rose colored glasses? I don’t think chronos were readily available back then so I don’t know how everyone knew they were fast other than reading the advertisements.

I think they were all pretty heavy draw weights so I’m out of the running anyway but I would like to see and handle one just for fun.

I’ve started getting rid of some of my old semi collectible Bears. Like Hookeye says, they more or less obsolete and weren’t that good to begin with. Probably keep my Howatt forever just because I saved up and bought it when I was 15 and have killed all but one of my archery deer with it. It’s my “big” bow now since it pulls a little over 50 at my draw and is the heaviest thing I like to shoot anymore.

Region, IDK where you are, but if you are near any of the big trad shoots in the summer there's a good chance BW will be there as a vendor and let you shoot whatever you want. I looked at them hard this summer at the ETAR event. Maybe give them a call and see what their schedule is for summer '23?

I always wanted a Superdiablo and seem to remember them having Purplheart in the riser. I've had several vintage Hunters when they still used nice wood vs plywood - Rosewood or Bubinga? Grandson thinks this one fits him



I have to agree these old bows don't seem to shoot as smooth and fast as I remembered now that I've been dabbling with more modern revurves - carbon, foam, ILF, etc.

My Howatt Hunter has some limb vibration I never remember it having when I shot it alot many years ago. I do believe it's resonance like you mentioned as it seems to continue after the shot.

The original Superdiablos were Brazilian Rosewood IIRC. Black glass. B50 string only.
They brought it back out w zebra wood and maybe purple heart stripe, clear glass, mid 80s? Dunno if FF rated
Then it was revamped in a brown wood, maybe clear glass, w a reddish wood stripe. Think these FF rated but not sure.

The Rosewood is the looker IMHO.

All three of my 2800/Hunters were the 80s/90s model. They were quiet enough but the grip i didn't like and they all felt shocky.
The Super D was smoother at the shot IIRC.
Buddy had a grey riser Mamba. It felt like a 2800 of same vintage to me.

Heartbreaker was my 1 owner Bear Kodiak Special? Factory camo.
Worst Bear I ever had. Worst bow period. It had horrible shock and noise.
Nothing helped.
Proly why it was like new come to think of it LOL

Got nothing against ILF.
But am a set and forget kinda guy, so changing limbs doesn't appeal to me, neither does changing tune.

Currently have:

'22 Blackwidow PSA2 46#@28, 58"
'91 Blackwidow HS 54#@28, 58"
? Hoyt Excel w Samick non carbon Mediums, think max at 42#

Am still not energetic enough to get out and practice. Go time is Halloween. So I should be fine.
If not, grab the Hoyt compound and Fletchunter release. Dang thing is a slam dunk IMHO.