Selecting a longbow

[AllenRead]

My 15 year old son wants to take up the longbow. He's heard stories about Howard Hill and seen Hill's video "Tembo". I'm thrilled that he wants to join me in bowhunting. It's taken me years to get him interested in something besides playing football.

I shoot compounds and know almost nothing about longbows. How do I select a longbow that fits both him and my budget? Is draw length as important as it is with compounds? What draw weight? We have a 40 #'s minimum for bowhunting in Maryland. Is 40 #'s heavy or light for a longbow? What arrows?

Thanks for your help! I'm hoping that this will make his Christmas.
Allen

[Josh Sorensen]

Allen-

The best thing to do would probably be to have him try a few different kinds. I'm sure that there has to be a good local traditonal bowhunters club in the area, take him to a few shoots and have him check it out. One thing that most traditional bow shooters are very good about it is helping people to either make the switch or start up in traditonal shooting. All things said its really hard to go wrong with a Chekmate crusader, I have two of them and for the price there simply isn't a better bow out there. Even if you don't consider the price its still one of the best bows out there.

[AllenRead]

Josh,

Thanks for the suggestion.

Allen

[LBR]

Allen, longbows can vary as much, or even more, than recurves. The Howard Hill Longbow company still exists, and as far as I know is going strong. The style bows they produce are not my favorite. Many, many other bowyers also produce "Hill Style" bows.

What bow depends on a lot of different factors. The length can be from 56" to over 70", depending on his draw length and the design. There are no "one size fits all" if you want to get the best performance. Speed, forgiveness, handshock, and looks (some barely pass off as a longbow) vary greatly. 40#, generally speaking, is fairly light; but it's pretty heavy for some folks. Most any 40# bow will be enough for deer with accurate shooting and a proper setup. Draw length is a consideration here--does the law state 40@28, or 40# at his draw length?

There are also a lot of variables when choosing arrows. First you will have to figure out what style bow, the draw length, draw weight, then get a ball-park figure and fine tune it from there.

Prices can vary a lot--from $200 or less to well over $1,000. Personally, I have not shot a real cheap longbow that I cared for. On the other hand, I have shot some very expensive bows that I didn't care a bit more for than the cheap ones. You won't have to spend a fortune to get a good bow, and even if you do it won't guarantee that you are getting the best for your son.

It's really tough (obviously) to pick a bow for someone else. If you have questions you rather not post, feel free to send me an e-mail at lbr@nexband.com . I'll be happy to give my opinions if you want, and may be able to help find a good used bow at a good price.

Chad

[AllenRead]

Chad,

Thanks for the information and help.

I was wrong on Maryland State law. The draw weight: "For hunting deer, the vertical bow shall have a full draw and pull of not less than 30 pounds."

This seems awful light to me, but I'm looking at it from a compound bow point of view.

As big as my son is, his strength is not yet developped enough for heavy weight. I don't want to give him a bow that is so heavy that it discourages him. I'm guessing that 40# to 45# will be a good weight for him.

How does bow length figure into the equation for long bows? Is it a function of draw length?

Thanks,
Allen

[LBR]

30# is light,, but I believe it will do the trick on a deer, as long as everything else is right. A friend in TX told me about his son getting a pass-though on a hog, pulling less than 40# (low to mid 30's, I think). It wasn't big hog--less than 100#--but they are a lot tougher than deer.

Too much draw weight can do worse than just discourage him--it causes shooters to develop some really bad habits, that can be really hard to break. Target panic is probably the worst thing that it could cause. You want to be comfortable and in control, and enjoy shooting. If you have those three things, it will come together a whole lot faster.

I don't mean to over-simplify, but I'm not really that good at explaining. Bow length is determined by the draw length and bow design. Generally speaking, a longer bow will be more forgiving and may be smoother to draw, a shorter bow will be faster. Other design features come into play as well. You want to get the happy medium of good performance, but a design and length that is forgiving to shoot. Go too short, the bow will stack, be picky, have finger pinch, etc. Too long, and you just loose performance without gaining anything.

Basically the limbs will only flex so much. They will get to a point where they go from picking up 2-3 pounds per inch to 4-5 or more. This is called "stacking". Limb design dictates what length bow can handle a particular draw length. To know what length is best in a particular bow, you will need to talk with someone familiar with that bow--the bowyer or an experienced dealer preferably, or somone who shoots that particular bow and knows it well.

Hope this helps--sorry I'm not better at explaining.

Chad

[AllenRead]

Chad,

Thanks for the help on this. I think that I understand the length and draw weight considerations much better now.

Actually, you explained it quite well, at least for those of us who still have training wheels on our bows.