Field/Hunting bows - a review

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Doc

Need to contact Admin...
Nov 29, 2003
2,109
10
Perthshire
Field/Hunting Recurve Bows

1968 Bear Tigercat vs 2009 Samick Lightning


Many bushcrafters enjoy archery. Most seem to prefer the ‘field archery’ style – typically using shorter bows than pure target archery, without sights, at relatively short distances. Interesting, where bowhunting is legal, quarry is usually taken at less than 30 yards.

Buying a field/hunting bow can be a challenge. If you are seriously rich, buy either a Black Widow (made in the USA) or a Border Black Douglas (made in Scotland) and you will never regret either purchase.

But if you don’t have that sort of money, the decision is more complex. The American bowhunters used recurves until the compound bow took over in the 1970s. In the USA, you can still buy these classic recurve bows from the 60s and 70s by makers such as Browning, Bear, Pearson, Root and Shakespeare. Often they had risers of exotic hardwood, and maple/fibreglass limbs. They are readily available on international ebay, and a few years back I bought a Bear Tigercat this way for about £70 delivered. Nowadays, the exchange rate, customs attention and increased shipping costs makes this option less attractive. In addition, many of these bows – especially Bears and Brownings – have acquired collector interest, and prices have gone up.

You could get a Custom recurve made but this will cost £300 up. Or you could buy a Chinese-made Samick field bow.

Samick is a Korean company which makes high class Olympic bows. Their field bows are low-priced – the Lightning reviewed here is around £125.

P1000074.jpg

Samick Lightning (top)
Bear Tigercat from 1969 (bottom)






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Bear Tigercat

The serial number indicates it was made in 1968. The riser is African Zebrawood, limbs are maple and black glass. It incorporates Bears 1953 patented static recurve.

It looks good and shoots well. The glass shows stress lines, but I reckon it’s good for at least another 40 years.

The wood is inset with a medallion – apparently Fred Bear thought this added a touch of class.

These old American bows are remarkably good, and at 45lb draw, it is deer-legal across north America. There is no evidence of stacking at my 28.5” draw. It is 62” long – shorter than a target bow, though quite long for a field/hunting bow.

P1000075.jpg


Samick Lightning

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The Lightning is one of Samick’s more recent, higher-range recurves. There are reports on the internet of riser failure or delamination of the the limbs – however, these are likely to occur soon after purchase, and the warranty is good, so I was not too concerned.

It looks good – laminated contrasting woods, and the limbs are wood and clear glass, which IMHO looks better than the black glass of the Bear. It is more heavily recurved, and the riser is more deflexed. This example is 45lb at 28”. It does not stack at my draw of 28.5”. It’s 60” long.

It came with an Allen key to assemble, but no bowstring or rest. I fitted a Dacron string, hair rest and string silencers. There is a USA bowhunting firm that does a cheap package deal on string, nocking rings and silencers.

Shooting off the shelf, it’s a tad faster and quieter than the Bear, as you would expect from the design. The design looks better, though it doesn’t have the Tigercat’s exotic wood and forty years of ‘mojo’.

Accuracy depends more on arrows and archer than the bow – but I reckon the Samick has a slight edge – quite impressive given that it is shorter, as longer bows tend to be more stable.


The Samick is very fine value. However, if you are new to archery, it’s best to learn on a low-draw weight bow, preferably at a club, to develop good ‘form’ (posture and technique). Having said that, in the US, many people learn using a 45lb hunting bow like the two reviewed here.
 
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Nice review, thanks.
I'm currently shooting a "Blacktail" American flatbow (AFB), ie what the Americans call a longbow. Shoots really well (despite the archer), 54lbs @ 28".
I only shoot targets, but the previous owner hunted in Africa and U.S. with it. Looking forward to shooting my local course again soon!
 

woof

Full Member
Apr 12, 2008
3,647
5
lincolnshire
Thanks for this. I have a Ben Pearson deerslayer, that i've never used, as i'm left handed, and its not, but its in good condition, so its good to know these old bow's are good for a long time.

Rob
 

woof

Full Member
Apr 12, 2008
3,647
5
lincolnshire
HI David,

I'm very strongly everything left(except my politics !). The bow was a present, back in "82", which my mum brought it back from America, from my uncle, who did'nt use it anymore, still it looks nice !.

Rob
 
HI David,

I'm very strongly everything left(except my politics !). The bow was a present, back in "82", which my mum brought it back from America, from my uncle, who did'nt use it anymore, still it looks nice !.

Rob

Ok, won't work if you are so strongly left handed and left eye dominant of course.
Maybe you should trade it for something you can use, but sounds like there's some sentimental value attached to it?
 

MagiKelly

Making memories since '67
I see Santa was good to you after all.

I was sure I was going to shoot take down recurves when I started looking into archery but I seem to have settled for the moment on 68" American Flatbows. I have two now both Vipers one at 45# and one at 55#. I got the 45# as the 55# was too heavy for me at first but a week after it arrived I found I was drawing the 55# without great difficulty:rolleyes:.

Of course with my 32" draw the actual weight on the fingers is 63#

On Christmas day we had a snowman invasion but soon sorted it out with the bows.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_EPjd_MG-g

The first head shot sorted the problem the rest were just to make sure :D
 

Grooveski

Native
Aug 9, 2005
1,707
10
53
Glasgow
Nice review.

....and that's a good looking wee bow too. It actually looks a quite like the Black Douglas you mentioned. It's not often you see such short risers, don't know why because they look great.
 

Doc

Need to contact Admin...
Nov 29, 2003
2,109
10
Perthshire
Nice flatbow, John. Probably a wise choice as short recurves often give finger pinch for long-draw archers. I notice you get complete pass-through on snowmen.

The Lightning does look a bit like the Black douglas - a while ago Samick made a Black widow copy, but it was withdrawn - I don't know if there were copyright issues.
Apparently they shot very well.

Fit and finish on the Samick is pretty good, though perhaps not as good as a custom recurve. But it is much, much cheaper to buy.

I bought my middle son a Samick Polaris, which is a beginner takedown target bow. It's very good, and was only £50-£60.
 

Doc

Need to contact Admin...
Nov 29, 2003
2,109
10
Perthshire
Thanks for this. I have a Ben Pearson deerslayer, that i've never used, as i'm left handed, and its not, but its in good condition, so its good to know these old bow's are good for a long time.

Rob

Ben Pearson bows are well regarded and competed with Bear. I get the impression they are also becoming collectable. I think I would be inclined to hang on to it. I suspect it would fetch £60-£100 in the UK at the moment, perhaps more in the future.
 

Grooveski

Native
Aug 9, 2005
1,707
10
53
Glasgow
I bought my middle son a Samick Polaris, which is a beginner takedown target bow. It's very good, and was only £50-£60.

I got my mum a Polaris as well and she's very happy with it.
My dad's been using yon one-piece Samick I got a while ago. He drilled it to fit a button and flipper rest and was getting good results until he got punted off his bike and hurt his shoulder. I picked him up an old lower poundage Damon Howitt that he's been keeping his hand in with.
Scott's got a Samick take-down as well. Longer riser than yours but still a sweet shooter.

Was watching some of the olympic archery and there were no shortage of Samicks on the line. They certainly do make good bows at good prices.

Like you say though, the older recurves can be every bit as good. I gave Kev an old Black Widow as a wedding gift that outshoots my Hoyt target bow. Strange looking thing with the fades sticking out the front and about 2½" wide limbs but it sure can put arrows where it's supposed to.
 

woof

Full Member
Apr 12, 2008
3,647
5
lincolnshire
they are also becoming collectable. I think I would be inclined to hang on to it. I suspect it would fetch £60-£100 in the UK at the moment, perhaps more in the future.[/QUOTE]


Thanks for the info Doc.

Rob
 
Always wanted to try this but would rather try before I buy, to find out which draw weight is best for me ?? or is there a way of working out which one any other way.

MikT

>> www.badnellan.co.uk

It's also what style of bow you would like to shoot eg: recurve, longbow, american flatbow, compound etc. Best bet would be if you could meet up with some other archers and have a go and get a little instruction.
You could try:
http://www.scottishfieldarchery.co.uk/affiliates.php
or
http://www.nfas.net
Don't see any clubs North of Perthshire though in nfas.
Good luck, it's a great sport and a good excuse to spend a few quiet hours in the woods!
 
This one seems the nearest to me

>> http://www.keissarchery.co.uk/

But it's still 55 miles away, a good excuse for a run out .

May ask around locally as there is usually someone around who knows something.

MikT

>> www.badnellan.co.uk

Maybe there's a Scottish Field Archer here on BCUK who's closer to you? Could be worth a post in Scot's Corner, or a new thread.
The above club would be an introduction to archery in general, but they are doing Target Archery (more formal, as seen in the Olympics), not Field Archery (more Bushcrafty, and has reference to hunting in it's background).
 

bothyman

Settler
Nov 19, 2003
811
3
Sutherland. Scotland.
Maybe there's a Scottish Field Archer here on BCUK who's closer to you? Could be worth a post in Scot's Corner, or a new thread.
The above club would be an introduction to archery in general, but they are doing Target Archery (more formal, as seen in the Olympics), not Field Archery (more Bushcrafty, and has reference to hunting in it's background).

The idea would be to go up and get to learn more about it and decide which would be the best to buy.
I prefer to be outside but I suppose we all have to start somewhere.
I don't want to buy one then a few weeks later decide I should have bought a different one.
I suppose as you get used to it you will get stronger and prefer a different draw weight etc??

MikT

>> www.badnellan.co.uk
 

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