Am I comparing apples and oranges here? Just for fun, lets talk about the performance aspects of these two bows. Lets say each is close to 60 pounds and 60" in length. Which will have the stronger cast? Which will be quieter ?
I like single piece bows so I' m thinking that shooting the Crusader might be a fun change while I wait for the single piece Hunter II to be introduced and since its not another recurve, would be a nice addition to my very small collection. (and leave room for anothe rfuture ' curve) Its not that I am politically opposed to a TD bow or anything....they just don' t appeal to me. I do think the hunter II is a very nice looking bow though, even if it does have screws in it. The price is a little closer to affordable for me too. That brings up another bow....the Falcon. Maybe I need to give that a fair shake too? Afterall, it comes in all the same wood combos right? How is its overall performance in comparison?

I really like my 56# Raven, but I think I may do better with a longer bow. (Went from a 62" curve' to a 52" and I shoot a 30.5" arrow)
If I had to, do you think a 4# jump is too much to handle in the 5 months left till season opens ?
Its not that I " need" a new bow, its just that I " want" a new bow....just don' t tell my wife.

Hmmmmmm.....I haven' t done any head to head shooting, but here is my opinion. When both are tuned properly, I don' t think you would see enough difference in them to matter. The Hunter II is probably a little faster--the only Crusader I chronographed (64" , [email protected]) was getting in the mid-high 180' s shooting arrows that weighed 620-640 grains. The Crusader is probably a little quieter--no recurve string slap.

The Falcon performs very similar to the Hunter II, but if you are drawing over 29" it will need a little of Marc' s magic to keep it from stacking on you. 30" would be about max. You have the same wood choices, but the Falcon riser is generally made with one type of wood (plus overlays and or accent stripe if you go with the Special or Deluxe).

Hard to say on the weight increase, but if you are comfortable with what you have now, it shouldn' t be a problem. If you are pushing it now, it could be.

Chad

Well, I' ve owned 3 Crusaders, plus 1 I' m waiting for a new one and a Falcon. Being a diehard longbow guy I' m a little biased. I really like the way the Crusader shoots, smooth, nice feel. I also like the Falcon. I think it' s the grip style that I like. The Crusader and Falcon were similiar enough that it didn' t matter which one I picked up, I could shoot it. I just bought another Falcon for my 8 and 9 year old boys. The Falcon has a little hand shock, the Crusader, zero!

But as LBR and I told another recent longbow convert, once you shoot a Crusader, you' ll sell your recurves. Don' t let anyone tell you that longbows don' t shoot as well as recurves. The right longbow will. I can' t shoot hill style bows or bows with straight grips.

I also like 1 piece bows. Just something about the flowing lines and the way the woods meet. I' ll post a picture of my new one as soon as I get it. Maccassar ebony riser, curly birdseye maple limbs, a Marc special. Should be a real looker.
I might have to rescue it from a hostage situation if LBR takes a liking to it

TP:

As far as the crusader goes, I really cannot give an opinion as I have never shot one. I do own a Falcon and a Falcon Special. The Falcon Special is my " shoot all the time bow" and I love it. Very smooth, and no handshock. My Falcon has a little handshock but the Falcon Special has a Cocobolo riser and is much heavier in mass weight.

I have shot quite a few bows over the last couple of years and many cost 3 or 4 times as much as my Falcon special, but none really shot appreciably better (for me).

I am currently thinking about a Hunter II, but it is just because I think having a TD would be fun to mess with. I may WANT other bows for various reasons, but I can honesly say that with the Falcon Special, I would never NEED another bow.

Here is a link to some pics. 60" , 48#@28" , cocobolo riser, red elm limbs.

http://community.webshots.com/album/55805567hchrRQ

KPC

There is a Hunter II (60" -51#) and a Crusader (66" -54#) in our home and even though I loved shooting the recurve, in my opinion, the longbow wins hands down as far as shootability and quiet. Speed is so close that it' s not an issue, but even if the recurve had a significant speed advantage, I' d still choose the Crusader as my shooter.