Longbow choice

[LostHawg]

Loco, that was an Old Ben wasn't it?

[loco cacahuate]

the old ben was one of the many errors,

[Four2]

If you can shoot a Bear Montana, I'd try that too.

Since you were all kind of enough to reply, I figured I at least owed you a report on what I learned. I shot three different longbows yesterday and went home with one. Here are my thoughts on each (remember I'm a newbie to longbows so your mileage will vary):
PSE Sequoia, 68" - Really large grip. Pretty smooth draw, but seemed to stack the closer I got to my anchor point. Lots of vibration. Noticeable hand shock, but not uncomfortable. Pretty noisy. This bow is 68" so it is also a bit unwieldy.
Fred Bear Montana, 64" - Very comfortable grip. Very smooth draw with no stacking, but I could not get quite all the way back to my usual anchor. After two arrows, the sales guy pointed out it was a 60lb bow, not 50lb! No vibration but just a touch of hand shock. Much quieter than the PSE.
Martin Stickbow, 62" - Small, smooth grip that is bare wood. Smooth draw with perhaps a bit of stacking right at the end. No hand shock (from the only bow with a bare wood grip!). Some vibration and noise.

In case you can't tell, I went with the Bear (at 55lb). I was amazed at the difference that $50 will buy (which is why I did not dare shoot the other high $$ bows! :-))
Thanks for all the advice.

[duck'n]

So you ended up with a Bear Montana in 55#? You could have done alot worse. Congratulations and lock up your wallet. I thought I was simplifying my life by going traditional....it simplified the tackle yes but as for making things "simple", I don't think so! I now own more bows than I shoot, I have a list of things I want to "try" ranging from more bows, to tabs, to arrows, to string silencers, to quivers, etc. Oh well, there are worse problems to have...it is all about the journey anyway and this journey is pretty fun!

By the way, you were alot smarter than me...I just started ordering bows and trying them out. That was a good move going and shooting what they had to make a decision. Congrats again.

Brian

[LostHawg]

Four2, there's a traditional shoot in San Angelo on the 14th and 15th of July. I won't be there, but there will be plenty who will able to help you with pointers and you'll be able to see some of their technique. Most can't shoot that well for an audience, so don't expect any Howard Hill or Byran Fergussen stuff. Their 3D abilities belie their hunting abilities.

Hope the Montana works out for you.

Get you some CX 45/60 Terminator Select Hunters cut to 31" with 125 grain points. Bet they shoot perfect for you. That or 2018s cut the same.

[muddydog]

I would definately try to shoot them before I bought one. I went from a recurve to a Howard Hill long bow and it would jar your eye teeth out. If I bought another one I would try a reflex-deflex design, from what Ive heard they are not as harsh to shoot. Congrats on the bow, Ive been wanting to try the Bear for along time!

[splitfinger]

I can just hear it six months from now..."Hello...I'm Four2 and I'm a bowaholic". This is only the tip of the iceberg for ya. It's an addiction and there is no cure for it. Just more bows, arrows (wood, carbon, aluminum), quivers, gloves, tabs, fletchers, spine tester, cut-off saw and a host of other temptations. But what a great addiction it is. Welcome to the fold.

Doug Key

[Four2]

Four2, there's a traditional shoot in San Angelo on the 14th and 15th of July. I won't be there, but there will be plenty who will able to help you with pointers and you'll be able to see some of their technique. Most can't shoot that well for an audience, so don't expect any Howard Hill or Byran Fergussen stuff. Their 3D abilities belie their hunting abilities.

Hope the Montana works out for you.

Get you some CX 45/60 Terminator Select Hunters cut to 31" with 125 grain points. Bet they shoot perfect for you. That or 2018s cut the same.

Thanks LostHawg. I appreciate the advice on arrow selection. I may try to get up to San Angelo. I'm originally from Sonora and this will give me another good reason to make the trip. For this shoot are carbons allowed?

[LostHawg]

Longbow open will allow them. See if you can hook up with yleecoyote23 if you can make it. Its a TBoT sponsored shoot. I think the classes are listed on www.tbot.org. Don't know for sure though.

Wish I could be here for it myself, but I'm grinding at the bit to get to Arkansas. I have a week vacation and I intend to make the most of it. Hogs to kill, bass to catch, that sort of thing.