Man, if that ain't a loaded question!

There can be a lot of difference in the way a recurve feels vs. a longbow, and there are some that feel very similar (clear as mud huh?). I haven't shot the newest BW longbow, but I can say the old one felt nothing at all like their recurves, and from what I've heard from people I know the new one doesn't either. Just the mass weight difference in the two will give them a different feel. I haven't heard anyone that owns one of the new longbows, including those that are happy with them, confirm what is said in the catalog about them shooting just like the recurves.

Whether BW bows are the "best" or not depends on who you ask. Best warranty? no Fastest? no (fastest doesn't mean best either though) Best customer service? depends on who you ask--have heard that it's great, have heard it's not so great. Best value? Not in my opinion--you pay for a lot of advertising when you buy a BW bow, and a lot for a name. I don't mean that as a slam toward BW, it's just a fact--the materials required to build a BW bow are pretty much the same as any other with the same woods. Labor time should be about the same, or even less since they have a CNC now. Similar to buying a pair of "designer" jeans--that little tag costs a lot.

They make a solid recurve that shoots good, but it's not my favorite. I've had two, didn't keep either one. Before I put that much money in a bow, I'd take some time to shoot a lot of different bows, research the ones you like, and go from there.

There is no one "best" for everyone--what I like you might hate, and vice-versa.

Chad