From: goldentrout_one
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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I've just been looking at bows from the Brackenberry school (e.g., Wes Wallace, Blacktail, etc.), and I noticed that these bows are offered as long as 66 inches in length. This seems kind of long to me for a hunting recurve, although my main go-to hunting bow is only two inches shorter than that (a 64" Wes Wallace Mentor). 66 inches seems like the starting point for a target bow - or am I off-base in this regard?
So my questions are for any of you that hunt or have hunted with a 66" or longer RECURVE - particularly a Brackenberry-style recurve. How does that length work for you in the field? Does the length present a problem? Or no problems at all? (as 66" is still short by some longbow standards) Has anyone used a 66" recurve then later went back to a shorter bow because the length got in the way of practical field use?
Just curious to get some opinions out there... thanks.
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From: SB
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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They're not that long strung! I've hunted with 66" recurves with no problem. I 'be also hunted with 70-72" longbows out of tree stands with no issues.
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From: George D. Stout
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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No reason a 66" recurve (about 63" strung) would be any more problematic than a 68" longbow. I have shot all of them in hunting situations. I prefer around 60-62, but my current model is 64" and have zero instances that I can see where I couldn't use it fairly easily.
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From: GF
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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I've been shooting 62" recurves (Howatt/Bighorn) for a coupla decades now, in east coast hardwoods and CO high country. No problems on the ground or up a tree.
I know that's shorter than you asked about, but I'm shorter than most, so proportionally speaking, I figure I'm in the ballpark.
On the other hand, a 66" recurve does sound like it's a target bow by design, which is fine by me, personally. I figure worst case scenario, the longer bow makes me slow down a bit more, which makes if more likely that I'll actually get a chance to enjoy the extra accuracy that a "target bow" can offer...
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From: Phil Magistro
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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I have hunted a lot with Jack Howard's Gamemaster Jet, a pure hunting bow, - 66" and no problem.
There is a reason he built his original Gamemaster and the Jet that long. He thought they shot the best.
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From: Firstlight
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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I like a longer recurve or longbow.
I don't spend much time in trees (very rare), however I took a buck at 25 yard from a tree with my Jack Howard Gamemaster Jet - 66" - two years ago.
If you practice shooting from various positions you will be fine IMO.
Opinions will be all over the place on a 66" bow but as my bows are mostly between 62 - 66" as that is what I prefer, I can say I have never had any problems.
*Phil, nice to hear someone else shooting such a wonderful bowl.
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From: roger
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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My buddy, Roy, has done most of his archery hunting since 1971 with a 68" long Bear Victor Viking. He's killed quite a few PA Whitetails with that old bow. Most of my ILF configurations are 64" AMO and have zero problems hunting from the ground or out of the treestand. The only place I think you can possibly be limited is in a portable blind, other than that your good to go.
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From: GLF
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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Jack Howards gmj was 66" and designed for hunting, the first assenheimers were designed by Donny and Roger Rothaar, and were 66 and 64" only. Some of the best hunters in this country used Bracks 66" legend. All these bows were designed to shoot hunting weight arrows.
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From: GLF
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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There were others I had in mind to put in my last post but oldtimers took over n I couldn't think of em,lol.
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From: Don
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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Not an issue. Just check things out good before shooting.
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From: Florida lime
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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I'm currently waiting on a 66" Wallace Mentor. I chose it due to my 31+ draw length, and I really don't think it should be an issue.
You need to be aware of any possible clearance problems no matter what the bow length is, and a 66" bow is only 1" longer on each end compared to a 64" bow.
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From: short recurve
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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Sorry for the negative remarks,but a 66" recurve where I hunt is way to long.I tried hunting with a 62" recurve one season,and it got in my way all the time.The perfect length for me is 52",I can move around and shoot from a ground blind without my bow getting in my way.
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From: Jeff Durnell
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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My favorite osage selfbow has gone hunting with me since '04 and it's 66" ntn. From the trees or the ground, no problem. I've also shot English longbows 74" or more tip to tip from the same positions. You learn to deal with it... use it enough and it almost becomes part of ya... and by then you'll have a real good feel for where her tips are. No biggie.
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From: goldentrout_one
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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Don't apologize for a legit remark Short Recurve - I'm looking for opinions, and your opinions are just as valid as anyone else's.
I love the look of a short recurve - however, with my 30" draw short recurves just aren't an option for me. I had a Bear Kodiak Magnum (52"), I loved that bow but I couldn't shoot it to save my life, and the stack was pretty harsh. 58" is about the shortest I can go and get good results, and that's not true for all 58" bows (e.g., a 58" Damon Howatt will not work at all for me, but a 58" redwing hunter actually works pretty well for me with no perceptible stack).
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From: camodave
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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I have hunted with three 66 inch bows, a 1961 Kodiak Special, a 1963 Kodiak Special and a 1963 Polar...for my type of still hunting they are as effective as anything I own...I have since graduated to shorter bows...that in no way implies those 66 inchers are not effective hunting tools...I paid 66 dollars for the 61 so if you want to try one that is a pretty low cost way to do it...there are lots of old Bears in the classifieds these days at very reasonable prices...if you think that newer is better you have never shot a 1961 or 1962 Kodiak Special, truly worthy of their names
DDave
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From: THRC
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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My go-to hunter is a 65" and 50# at my 30" draw, home-made out of beautiful Martin Jaguar limbs (Italian!) on a medium weight rock hard maple riser I made. It throws hunting arrows at 175fps out to 25yds, my maximum. I really like it, extremely forgiving TD bow.
The only drawback is the length in a brush blind or when going through Manzanita or Madrone out here in Calif. If you can shoot OK from a kneel with at least a 45degree cant, a 66" would be just fine, IMO.
Here it is leaning next to a 63" 1-piece recurve, not a whole lot bigger, actually.
TinHorn
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From: Paul
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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I have hunted with a 66 Blacktail and have no problems. It seems to me that you adjust to what you have. Even in tree stands which is most of what I do I don't have problems. I did receive one of Norms shorter Sitka Blacktails this year in 62 in length. It is really nice and I can see that it is a touch more maneuverable but not something that I see making a big difference. You just need to practice and get used to what you can and can't do with it. One thing they do REALLY WELL is shoot accurately. Thats a help for any hunting situation.
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From: goldentrout_one
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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I actually have a 1960 Kodiak that's 64" amo and marked 44 lb at 28" - that's actually one sweet-shooting bow, and not a single stress line to be seen. My actual hunting bows get beat pretty hard though, so my 1960 is sort-of off the list of candidates for hunting bow.
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From: THRC
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Date: 28-Jul-14 |
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If you're handy with wood working tools, you can order up some limbs from Lancaster and make one, copying the lines of a Bear TD to get the dimensions and angles right. My bowform for 1-piece is a copy of a Grizzly. It would cost maybe $145-$150 with shipping, epoxy, paint, etc. If you could borrow a riser, you would be able to copy the window cutout, width of grip and window, limb pad angles, etc. That's how I made the maple and brown limb one in the photo, I just copied another bow.
TinHorn
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