gregorybraswell

thanks for the comments. i will definately shoot a few before i decide on what i want. i have waited this long so i am sure waiting on the right one won't matter plus i can shoot my old stuff to build back up after being gone for a year. does any other bow maker offer the test drive ? thanks again.

The Mind

heres another opinion

Get the recurve, not the longbows. Do not get the II greybark models, they don't sell as well.

If you pay $500 for a nice Widow, you'll be able to sell it in 2-3 years for $500. They decrease very little in value, which is something you cannot say about most bows.

They are a bit heavy in the hand - I like the SA and PSA risers with 58-60" limbs best simply because of the mass weight they carry. They are smoooth shooters and accurate and you pay for the name. Pretty bows, great finish, maybe the best customer service in the industry.

Lone_wolf1966

First, reverting back to what Bob had said earlier, Thnak you very much for your dedication and livlihood.
Second, as far ad the Black widow goes...............me being as "Green" as I am about traditional shooting, I am not at all impressed with Black Widow bows..........Recurve or Longbow otherwise. That is my personal opinion. I thought they jarred my arm way to much and caused pain in the elbow after only two or three shots. That being said, I have a good friend that swore that he would never buy a Black Widow.............needless to say, he found a nice used Black Widow and purchased it........... the first week of tornament shooting.......He shot a 258 on the 3D range!!! Wow! I was impressed!.
I guess when it really comes down to it...........It's not the name or the price of the bow, but how it "feels top you" when you shoot it and HOW you shoot it.
Go with what is best for you, regardless of the name.

JimPic

This is my 56" SA III,58#@28".My go-to bow has been a 60"Ma II,55#@28" but I've been shooting this pretty regularly for the last 2 months.

LBR

You should note that would be the used price, and I agree that if you keep it in good shape, you will probably get your money back in a few years--maybe make a little. However, in my experience, the same goes for any used bow, especially the better ones. The price generally drops considerably when it's labeled "used", but keep it in good condition and you won't loose money, unless you paid too much to begin with.Lots of the old bows, in good condition, will bring as much or more now than they did when they were new. Many sell for more than some new bows cost now.

Lone Wolf, I'm not doubting your experience one bit, but I can say (from my experience) that it was unusual, at least with the recurves. Like I said, I've had a couple of BW recurves and shot lots of others, and none had much shock at all. If it was a recurve you shot, there may have been a problem with it, or it was very much out of tune. If it was one of the older model longbows, they rattled my teeth too. I only shot two of those, and don't care if I ever shoot another one. I've heard the new one is much improved, but I haven't shot one yet.

Greg, there are a few others that offer a "test drive", but I couldn't name them off the top of my head. It's a great thing if they can, but some bowyers just can't get enough stock built up for such a program. My favorite is currently 6 months behind on orders, and I've never known of him being caught up. Getting to a big traditional archery tournament or redevouz is your best bet at getting your hands on a lot of different bows. You won't get to really know a bow with only a dozen or two shots, but you can weed some out like that--grips, draw force curves, etc. that you don't like.

Chad

Huntschool

I have 3 BW recurves, 1 older MA, 1 new PSA, and one older TF as well as an 05 PLX. They are wonderful and certainly the bows "I" want.

I am an ole fart at about 60 so I have had some time to dink around with what I wanted and Black Widow was it. Ya also need to know their customer service is the best.

100rollie

Gregory,I would also like to thank you for your service toour country!
Yes, in my opinion Black Widow bows are worth every single penny that the free market has established for them.Out of all the other recurve makes that i have personally owned or shot, the SA model that i have has been the best all around shooting bow for me.That is why i had a back up bow made with the exact specs.As far as re sale goes,again for me, that is irrelevant because i only got rid of the bows i had no use for,and was not trying to make money.Test as many bows as you can, andi am sure you will find one that you will get excited about!I am sure your better bow companys and or dealerscan get you an opportunity to try theyre bows.Good luck on you decision!

LBR

Welcome to the board 100--always good to have another opinion to cast into the mix.

I reckon I'll have to comment on this:

I've had at least one discussion on this point alone in the past. Many ofthe "better" bowyers/dealers generally have a long list of people waiting to get a bow they have already paid a deposit on. Would it be right for them to cause that paying customer to wait that much longer so they can cater to potential customers? Or should they be working onfilling ordersthey have already gotten money down on?

I think a "try before you buy" program is a great thing if the shop can make a go of it, but implying that only the "better" stores/bowyers offer them is just flat wrong. Most of the better bows I've shot were made by one bowyer that has very little help, and a long wait--and most of them are doing the right thing, in my opinion, by taking care of paying customers first. The best that many can do is take some extras they have on hand--missed weights, cancelled orders, etc.--and spend a lot of time,money, and their weekends offtravelling to different tournaments so as many folks as possible have a chance to get their hands on the bows.

If you have any experience at all with the archery business, you knowmost stores are small operations, and even if they can get enough bows for a program without causing customers to wait, they can't afford it.Keeping $10,000 worth of bowsaround as dead inventoryfor folks to try out just isn't feasable for a lot of operations. Many stores and bowyers aren't in business to get rich--they just love the sport.

For the record, I'm speaking from several years of first-hand experience.

Chad

The Mind

Quote:

I thought they jarred my arm way to much and caused pain in the elbow after only two or three shots

Something about that aint right. A Widow has a lot of mass in the riser, decreasing hand shock. Possibly light arrows ? Maybe a tweaked limb ? I dunno ............ just suggesting because using "Widow" and "jarred" in the same sentence is RARE

Orions_Bow

very nice bows but for less money you can get a bow every bit as good if not better than a BW. With that said if you like the BW then you should get the BW. I like some of their bows and some day I would like to have one just to have one!