I am not really much of a traditional bow hunter, I use a compound but my dad has a fred bear super magnum. It is 48 inches long and its weight is 50. Although i havent hunted with it but it is rally short and light and easy to shoot

Also you could check out "www.beargoldeneagle.com" and click on traditional bows. There is a ton of them on there

I have a new Checkmate 56" Hunter TD 50#@28" that fits your description. I got a deer with it a couple weeks ago from a treestand and maneuverabilty is just as good as you may have thought it is. I also have a 60" Owen Jeffery Royal Magnum Hunter 58#@28" that handles well too. I just bought a 64" Byron Ferguson Patriot Longbow 55#@28" on Ebay that hasn't arrived yet...I'll find out shortly how the handling is on it. Just can't have too many "good handling" bows you know...

:~)

May I suggest you look into an Asiatic replica?

These didn't used to be available in the West since no one has made one in the traditional manner for perhaps two centuries, however, modern replicas using contemporary materials and production techniques are becoming available.

If you're interested, you may contact me for the link. This is not a commercial promotion, by the way. I happen to own such a bow and can put you in touch with the distributor if you like. I don't get a commission.

These bows were intended to be used on horseback but they would also work in tree stands or constrained ground blinds. It may take awhile to get used to their stacking characteristics that are somewhat different than those of a modern American traditional bow, but in time you may find you like the action better.

They also do not require string silencers, although it's probably a good idea to have some sort of protection on the bowhand as they do not come with arrowrests or shelfs. Alternatively, you can modify your arrows to cover the leading edge of the quills with down or something of that nature so those edges don't cut into your knuckle or you can use the Mongolian release with a thumbring, if you can locate a source of thumbrings that is. I finally installed a peg wrapped with cotton string on the riser to serve as an abbreviated shelf since I couldn't secure a thumbring, didn't want to modify my arrows and didn't want to wear a glove on my bowhand.

Whatever's wrong ain't the bow and whatever's right is the archer.

I'm a treestand and brush guy and love my 52" Chek-Mate Raven. The bow is 56#@28 and I'm pulling 29.5" draw with no problem. This bow is unbeleivably light in weight and smooth in draw. I'm 6'2" and have some fairly big mitts too and I have no finger pinch problems. One thing I wish it had was more mass in the riser. Maybe its a little too light. I've been meaning to try a bow quiver on it to add to the mass, but haven't been able to part with the cash for something I may not like. (I use a hip quiver). I figure I'm pulling around 58 or more pounds with it and was suprised that I had to work it up to a 2216 arrow to get enough spine. 75-80 pound woodies are too weak too. :\ It's short and it rocks. I can't wait to see a 56" or 58" one piece version of the TD hunter II though

Edited by - True Position on 10/14/2002 11:24:46