BowHuntingFool

Hey Guys, I have decided to buy a Long Bow!!! I shot my first one tonight, the Bear Montana! I really liked this Bow, 28" draw @ 60 lbs! I probably shot 30 arrows thru this Bow at Cabelas and was pretty impressed how it felt! I was shooting 15 yards and my first arrow went over the target and the rest were right in the boiler room, luck maybe, anyway I felt comfortable with it and liked the way it shot! I was smiling from ear to ear. It was hard not to walk out of the store with this bow. But I know I need to shoot other bows. Does anyone shoot the Montana or have any pros/cons about this Bow??? The price is right for $299.00, I don't want to drop a ton of money on my first longbow. For the same price range are there any Longbows I should be looking at???

Thanks

Joe b!

BobCo19-65

Congratulations on your decision! I'm sure you'll love shooting trad.

I would really suggest not going with a 60# bow for your first. I'd say to stay around 45# with the intentions of perhaps or moving up in weight laterif you want. But you 'll have to let the muscles and form develop and it'll take a little while. Be careful not to start off with a bow that may set you up to fail. And remember, you'll be in a better position after you shoot for a while to determine exactly what you want in a bow. So your first bow very well may not be your longrun bow.

BTW, what is your draw with a compound? I'd expect to loose about 1-2" when switching. So you may or may not be pulling that particular bow to 60#'s.

Also consider buying a used bow. It should hold it's value if you decide to sell it after shooting for a while.

BowHuntingFool

Thanks Bob, my DL is 28" and was wondering if the DL is the same set up as my Bowtech. I had my anchor right at the corner of my mouth, so there is a possibility I wasn't pulling the full 60#???

I eventually want to hunt with the Bow I decide to buy. I thought about a used bow but I not sure if I want to go that way unless I know the person I'm buying it from!

BobCo19-65

Some people don't loose much or anything, but I would say that would be the exception. A lot will depend on the differences of anchor, stance, and release aid. The only way to really tell would be to measure. I know for me personally, I gain a full two inches going to compound.

Keep in mind that 45#s will and has taken downmany deer with the right arrow and tip and shot placement and is fully capable for hunting deer.

BowHuntingFool

I'm going out Coyote hunting in a few and going to stop back by Cabelas and have the Traditional guy have a look at my draw length with this bow, he wasn't in last night. I think your right in the 60#'s is probably too much and I'll form hard habits to break.

What's your honest opinion of the Montana bow itself??

BobCo19-65

One final thing, you'll want to check your draw length with a very light bow.

BowHuntingFool

As in light you mean Draw weight correct???

BobCo19-65

Yes, exactly. It could be easy to short draw a heavier bow, and you want to find your true draw length. There are also some decent wingspan methods that usually get you pretty close.

Here is a quick way to measure it, it will be close, but not exact, some people say that they have longer DL then below, but I'm pretty darn close:

Place a yard stick or tape measure in the center of your chest. Reach both hands forward and look where your finger tips rest on the measuring device, don't stretch. Do this about three times or more to get the average.

Or this one:
http://www.pabucks.com/bow_draw_length.html

BowHuntingFool

Bob, I didn't go to Cabelas to look shoot that Bow like planned! Your right 60# is too much Draw weight! I called around town and can't really find any Longbows to shoot, no one really carries them. They all say we can order what you want! But my Archery Shop, Buck Rub, carries the Montana in a 45# and 50# draw weight. I'll be going there tomorrow to shoot both. Its kind of a bummer that I can't shoot a million different Bows like you can Compounds! The good thing is I have the utmost respect for the Guys at Buck Rub Archery, they have a pretty good idea of what's going on! I just can't see me buying a Bow from Cabelas![8D]

The only other bow I can find in town is a Martin Stick, not to sure about this bow!

LBR

Checking your draw with a really light bow won't be dead-on either, especially if you are just starting out and haven't really established your form yet, and it can vary with the bow's grip. For instance, on a "draw check" bow like some shops carry, I can easily draw 32+" with a medium/low wrist and still be right on my anchor points. The reason is you canstretch out more and have much less muscle compression. On a high-wrist recurve grip, I'll also draw 32" or so, but on my medium wrist longbow I draw 30.5".

The good thing is this won't make much if any difference right now, as long as the bow doesn't stack on you. You won't be able to do any real fine-tuning until you get your form established, and most likely you will modify it as time goes by (changing your draw length slightly). The tricks to measure your draw length without a bow works for some, but is way off for others (I haven't found one yet that is close for me). The only reliable way to know what your draw length is going to be with a particular bow is to have it measured with that bow. Mine varies a bit depending on whether I'm shooting my longbow, recurve, or selfbow.

I like to have two or three anchor points. You won't have a stopping point like you do with a compound, so more than one is more consistent. An upper tooth (directly under my eye) is my primary anchor point, them my middle finger basically in the corner of my mouth, and my thumb lying under my cheek bone. When I went to this from a single point it really helped my consistency.

As for the Montanna.......I've seen several good reviews, but I hated the grip so much I never even shot one. It's been several years since I held one, so maybe that has changed. I don't like the Martin Stick or Twig--too much hand shock for me, but some folks like that design.

There's a big traditional archery exposition coming up.....either the end of this month or early Feb. in Kalamazoo MI. If you can make it, it will be worth the drive--you can check out lots of different bows and other equipment there. There's also the Great Lakes LongbowInvitational in MI later this year, where you can also go and just check out the vendors if you want.

Good luck!

Chad