Longbow, Selfbow or Flatbow?

[mountainm]

I'm confused - I thought I'd got my heart set on a bamboo laminate longbow - it's a pricey option, but a good one. However my wallet is telling me to veer towards a flatbow (but this would mean I'd have to compete against recurves in any competitions I may enter). The compromise is a nice Selfbow like Dwardo makes - lovely handmade bow but not quite as expensive as the custom made longbow.

I need the bow to be an all rounder - some target, some field - indoor and out. I'm not going to be shooting regularly.

Help!

Spend more, potentially unnecessarily (but probably won't be able to afford club membership for a while)
Spend less - but potentially regret it (but have more to spend on arrows and club memberships etc.)
Or somewhere in between?

Thanks

Mike

 

[AndyJDickson]

IMHO i would take the middle road

 

[Adze]

A friend whose advice I trust implicitly once told me, regarding fishing;

"Spend your money on the fishing, not on the tackle. You'll enjoy yourself more."

If you can't afford club membership but have a nice bow, will you still be able to shoot it?

 

[mountainm]

A friend whose advice I trust implicitly once told me, regarding fishing;

"Spend your money on the fishing, not on the tackle. You'll enjoy yourself more."

If you can't afford club membership but have a nice bow, will you still be able to shoot it?

Eventually... equally I don't want to be shelling out on an "upgrade" 6 months down the line.... I have arguments for and against every option

 

[resnikov]

If your not shooting regularly why spend the cash on something thats not going to be used? Go for the cheaper option for now and when you have more time to shoot trade it in and get the nicer one.

 

[mountainm]

If your not shooting regularly why spend the cash on something thats not going to be used? Go for the cheaper option for now and when you have more time to shoot trade it in and get the nicer one.

A cheaper bow is a bigger risk though - when I was doing my safety certificate I had a go with the cheap recurves and they were horrible - they would've put me off if I hadn't tried other options. Whilst the expensive longbow was a dream to shoot. My head is veering towards the middle ground...... my heart is still with the bamboo laminate...

 

[Bundleman]

Why do you shoot?
Is it for the competitions or the joy of it?
Long term the better quality kit in any field is worth going for but not always necessary. Just gotta be realistic about what you need...

 

[mountainm]

Why do you shoot?
Is it for the competitions or the joy of it?
Long term the better quality kit in any field is worth going for but not always necessary. Just gotta be realistic about what you need...

Just for the joy of it... I am too competitive to be competitive - if that makes sense,

 

[Aaron Rushton]

go for the flatbow. i love my osage AFB, and i got it for under a £100. it feels alive when you release it, not like so many sterile recurves i have tried. you can feel the power behind it when you release it, and even though the arrow shelf is not centre cut, with correctly spined arrows i can get all my arrows in an area the size of a dinner plate at 20yards with it.

 

[Cromm]

There's lots of great bows out there. I know a few and enjoy most of them, but still think to myself when i am shooting one I should be shooting my other bow. And I always look at other bows and think hhmm. But saying that I always go back to my Critter Gitter Sp from Great Northern.
There are a lot of very good secondhand bows out there too.
Don't go for second best but don't jump to quick at a bow you may just not want in a few weeks time....
What are you looking for ie price, style make and weight?

 

[mountainm]

There's lots of great bows out there. I know a few and enjoy most of them, but still think to myself when i am shooting one I should be shooting my other bow. And I always look at other bows and think hhmm. But saying that I always go back to my Critter Gitter Sp from Great Northern.
There are a lot of very good secondhand bows out there too.
Don't go for second best but don't jump to quick at a bow you may just not want in a few weeks time....
What are you looking for ie price, style make and weight?

Looking for a 40lb draw at 29". Price between £100 and £230's. I'd like a traditional bow.

 

[Siberianfury]

holmegard bow is the way to go

 

[mountainm]

holmegard bow is the way to go

You're clouding the issue now! Currently no real votes for the laminate longbow which I find interesting...

 

[treefrog]

You're clouding the issue now! Currently no real votes for the laminate longbow which I find interesting...

Watching this one with interest. I've been offered a 2nd hand Raven Blackhawk longbow (68" 40lb) for next to no money, but was looking for a recurve for field/instinctive shooting.

 

[Nonsuch]

If you go for an AFB without recurves when braced you can compete in the AFB category from which recurves are excluded. AFBs are easier to shoot than longbows, and good ones are faster. A faster bow means much less arrow drop on longer shots, so consistency is easier.

Making your own bow is fun, but it is very unlikely that it will be able to compete with a professionally made bow for accuracy. I still have my ash self flatbow, draws about 30 lbs, and OK up to about 15 yards. Beyond that, my Bowtec Thunderbolt AFB takes over and is a beast out to 50 yards +. A quality AFB can easily compete with recurves shot barebow. Before I had the Thunderbolt, I can a Viper XL AFB which was superb value at c.£100.

Another unbushcrafty tip - use aluminium arrows (Easton gamegetters are superb). Making your own arrows from hazel and turkey feathers etc is fun but they are inaccurate. Making up wooden arrows from professional components results in works of art but they break with heart-breaking frequency. Aluminium arrows made up with nice feather fletchings are tough! The only problem with this is you need wooden arrows for the AFB category.

 

[mountainm]

If you go for an AFB without recurves when braced you can compete in the AFB category from which recurves are excluded. AFBs are easier to shoot than longbows, and good ones are faster. A faster bow means much less arrow drop on longer shots, so consistency is easier.

Making your own bow is fun, but it is very unlikely that it will be able to compete with a professionally made bow for accuracy. I still have my ash self flatbow, draws about 30 lbs, and OK up to about 15 yards. Beyond that, my Bowtec Thunderbolt AFB takes over and is a beast out to 50 yards +. A quality AFB can easily compete with recurves shot barebow. Before I had the Thunderbolt, I can a Viper XL AFB which was superb value at c.£100.

Another unbushcrafty tip - use aluminium arrows (Easton gamegetters are superb). Making your own arrows from hazel and turkey feathers etc is fun but they are inaccurate. Making up wooden arrows from professional components results in works of art but they break with heart-breaking frequency. Aluminium arrows made up with nice feather fletchings are tough! The only problem with this is you need wooden arrows for the AFB category.

Thanks for that - How much is the thunderbolt?

 

[ateallthepies]

What is your shooting style, are you a draw and hold or draw and immediate loose? If your wanting a self bow or wood laminate they don't take kindly to being drawn too long.

Steve.

 

[mountainm]

What is your shooting style, are you a draw and hold or draw and immediate loose? If your wanting a self bow or wood laminate they don't take kindly to being drawn too long.

Steve.

Immediate loose, I relax the draw if I need to hold, it's a zen thing. If I have to hold, I've ballsed up the shot.

 

[Bundleman]

Hell, why not make your own!

 

[mountainm]

Hell, why not make your own!

Wish I had the time, equipment and knowhow - but I already have enough on making leather stuff, things from buffalo horn and furnishing kinves.