I have not purchases a bow since 1991!! I has been a reliable and trusted companion!

However, over the years I've really liked the looks and idea of a reflex/deflex bow. So I'm wondering who seems to be making the best ones currently?

they pretty much are all going to preform about the same looks, and price going to be the only real difference in them most all have the locater grip that fills about the same. some my be cut more to center shoot. I have had several and nothing wrong with any of them, centaur, dwyer, Robertson, are a few I favor right now but I am sure there will be others. Big Jim has sold a tone of bows in the last few years. seams like a fade when a couple guys show up with same bow next thing you no everyone shooting one and it changes around a lot. but in the end most a pretty good

21st Century Nova in the classifieds.

http://leatherwall.bowsite.com/TF/lw/classdetail.CFM?id=92329

Dan Toelkes new 64" HS Whip. Seriously, I don't know how a bow could get any more quick, smooth and quiet. He really changed those limbs up for.the better.

Thunderhorn is a good choice.

I can only speak about the bama royal exp 111. It has recurve performance and maintains a D spade when strung. There's a recent post about these.

Here we go again. If it doesn't fit, it isn't for you, and it doesn't matter who makes it or how much its costs. There will be very little performance difference in like-designed bows so the fit is everything. If you have shot some deflex/reflex bows, and have liked how they fit, then pick a similar design with the same or very close handle section/grip. I don't like buying any bow that I haven't tried prior, it can be the biggest disappointment to you, even though it's the holy grail to someone else.

The sky is the limit on what to spend but if you like getting the most for your money check out omega long bows. Fast, tough, hard hitting bows at a great price. Kegan the bowyer is a great guy to do bussiness with.

I know your question is sincere and well-intentioned, but asking for the "best" D/R longbow is kind of like asking what the "best" Pale Ale is - you're really just going to get a lot of personal opinions (which is fine, as long you know that's all they are), and the options are so vast that it's impossible to list them all here.

I'm willing to bet that my "best" bow is one that a number of other experienced archers might not classify as such at all - for them. Which makes my recommendation in answer to your question fairly meaningless.

Your best bet is to try and go to a trad event where you can try out different bows, different grip styles, different lengths, etc. until you find out what is "best" for you.

Thier are so many high quality and well designed R&D longbows that it would be hard if not impossible to narrow it down to the best.

I have a Dryad that started out as an inexpensive blank...I bought if from the original buyer who had done most of the work on it but the draw weight was too much for him (and for me)...I did what I call semi-trap the limbs and reduced the draw weight by about 5 pounds...I own a bunch of bows but if I had to get down to just one that could very well be the bow that I keep...I paid 125 dollars for that bow

DDave

It's a question that begs for subjective answers, but I've shot about a hundred different longbows, a IMHO the Pronghorn 3pc. is cream of the crop. Super smooth, fast, quiet, no handshock, points well, and super stabile. Anybody else reach the same conclusion?

My personal favorite are White Wolf , Omega , and Dwyer. In that order. But there are a lot of great bows out there. And I by no means have shot half of them ! Like others have said what feels good to me someone else will think is the worse bow ever made. That is the nice thing about all the options of bows out there. There is one for everyone . The FUN part is finding it!

Here is a picture of my Dryad...I posted not to show that the bow is the best, only to show that the right materials put together with some thought and masterful technique can make a very nice bow...this bow is a great piece of osage with amazing tonkin cane limbs and clear glass that is flawless; it was too flawless so I took some heavy grit sandpaper to it to dull the shine...the fact is if you can find a deflex/reflex bow out there that is not a great shooter I would be shocked...I made the mistake of looking at the Schafer Silvertip website today and had to remind myself that I need to reduce the herd, not add to it

DDave

plainsman, take a look at fox archery, Yellowstone, northern mist, wes Wallace, and great northern.

Maddog. As George pointed out, fit is everything. He makes the bow to fit you from draw length to the grip you request. BTW, it's called deflex/reflex. Not reflex/deflex. Which would be an Asian bow design. God Bless

George and Justin have it - *"FIT"*. Just about everything else is irrelevant, like trying to compare 'performance' between companies. Splitting hairs is a lesson in futility if I've ever seen one........Worry about how a bow's grip FITS your bow hand. Ergonomics is just about everything here.

Thanks for the opinions! Considering I only recognized about four or five of the bowyers you guys mentioned, I now have a lot of options to research! I figured there would be a lot of newer ones out there that I had no clue about!

This is a crowded field and depends upon your personal taste. If you like larger risers the Fox Triple Crown is one good choice. Toelke's shoot amazing fast and quiet. If you like something milder a Fox traditional or Great Northern lil creep are a good choice. Recommend you shoots as many as posible and pcik what you like

My favorites are Thunderstick MOAB and Big River newest model.

The fact is that some of these answers are pretty close, some are off, some are personal opinion which is fine.

If you want to actually know what the BEST bow in any category is, take a look at what the top shooters in the different categories are shooting. Look at the bows that are setting flight records, winning championships, etc.. THOSE are the best bows out there.

With all due respect, it doesn't matter what bow it is, the bow doesn't shoot itself . It is the person behind the bow doing the shooting. While some bows are made better than others you can't put a lot of stock in what the top compatition shooters are shooting because a lot of what they shoot has to do with who there sponsor is. If a bow company comes up to you and says I will pay you this big amount of money and you shoot my bow , then that's what you do ! That's the way it works. I have a good friend that shoots compounds , in a shoot about every weekend year round , flies all over the place shooting . The brand bows he shoots is not his favorite, but it is who pays the bills and if you was to walk up and ask him he would tell you be loves those bows. That is his job, but if your friends with him he will tell you a different brand. Said all that to say this, at the end of the day is all about what feels good in the individual shooters hand.

Seems like lots of good choices. I have shot Fred Anderson HYAK, 21-Century and Black Widow RDs and can highly recommend each of them. Hope you can spend some time with a bow before purchase. Very important that you get a bow with relaxed draw weight and a grip that allows comfort and pointability.

You're right....sort of. But there are reasons that top competitor's in ANY competitive activity pick the equipment they do. To assume that archery is different, is unrealistic. And no, it doesn't' always have to do with who is paying the bills. Been there done that in the flyfishing/flytying world for years.

And I agree that it has to do with what feels good to you to a certain degree. That wasn't the original question though.

I don't think there is enough cash involved in longbow shooting and sales for custom bowyers to pay competitors a wage. Likely they offer free or cut rate custom bows.

The best for accuracy and speed together might be the Bob Lee TD longbow in micarta. It's very fast, but the size of that riser plus the option of micarta makes for extreme mass. Mass translates into better accuracy simply because there is less movement/deviation around and at the moment of truth.

So....how many guys are shooting it in competition, and how many flight records has it set? Mass relates to stability in the hand of the archer. It may or may not relegate the flexing of the riser which is as big a consideration.

Just sayin', there are LOTS of ways to look at this.

Take a look at the 7 Lakes "Long Night" or "Short Night" for that matter. Both are excellent bows.

stewart

I shoot my martin savannah great! Smithammer..... I'd have to go with Great Lakes brewing co. The Write Pils for my fav pale :)

I shoot my martin savannah great! Smithammer..... I'd have to go with Great Lakes brewing co. The Write Pils for my fav pale :)

Gonna have to try that one!

Sweetgrass APA brewed by the Grand Teton Brewing Co. would be my top choice these days!

Nevada Pale Ale!

Shoot as many as you can. The best suggestion was the one that fits is the best R/D made!

Y'all take care!

Kohanna is great. And it is very affordable.

You can't go weding with a Big Jim Bow!

Obviously, everyone one is going to say the bow they shoot is the best one out there. Make sure the one you buy fits you and you like it. Try going to a few of the shows and put your hands on them before you invest your hard earned money. Jim :)

Let me see, Border, Fedora, CariBow, vintage Bear, Wess Wallace, Leon Stewart, Shrew, or the one I've kept for the last several years, a plain Jane Predator Hunter, inexpensive, shoots where I look and is fairly fast.

This has turned into one of those favorite bow threads. I will share with you that I owned about 25 custom R/D bows and shot many more and my search ended with A Whippenstick by Ken Rohloff. Bill

I can not believe no one has mentioned JD Berry bows,as he makes some of the finest bows out there and has been for 35 plus years,check out his Taipan model you will be surprised at his work,or check out some of his reviews OUTSTANDING bows and craftmanship.

It really would be best to try to find a place where you could shoot a few, in the end like was mentioned you can have the best bow in the world, smoothest, fastest, etc... and if it doesn't fit you you will shoot like crap! Or you can make a hobby of trolling the classifieds here, pick one that you think you like, try it, if it doesn't work list it back on the classifieds and start again, gets kind of addicting though.

I would put EagleWing or Sasquatch up against any bow being built in the world in every aspect. But hey!! I'm predjudiced.

Seriously there are a lot of really great bows , probably 10 or more builders that build top bows and are reputable in that they build what you order and can do it all. Any of those bows will be within a few fps of each other in speed, will be dead in hand at the shot with little or no vibration and built exactly as the owner wants it to be built. No one mentioned Schaffer, Habu, or a bunch of other of the top bows being built. Do a lot of looking and reading.

God bless, Steve

Consider a classic recurve, Ben Pearson or Damon Howatt as examples. The price will be reasonable. If you are careful and patient, you will can acquire a great bow.

Alternatively, consider Bear's 59 Kodiak. The price new is around $600 plus. The bow is beautiful, comparable to a custom made bow.

John McDonald of Big River makes as good a bow as you'll find. You won't find him on the internet though. Do a search on Big River here and on Trad Gang. But bows are like woman, we all like something a little bit different.

John McDonald of Big River makes as good a bow as you'll find. You won't find him on the internet though. Do a search on Big River here and on Trad Gang. But bows are like woman, we all like something a little bit different.

Caribow

Granpus, great idea. Camodave, you made me drooooool. Very nice.

21st. Century Edge !!! of course. Just Sayin Cal

You guys are killing me about the greatest trad bows! I just got into trad. in March and bought 3 already. Fun stuff for sure! so many choices, i want to shoot them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is a 64 in double carbon I just built.

Threepiece D and R Eaglewing Steppe Eagle With inlaid seahawks of mac ebony bloodwood and abalone. French skip line checkering and extensive relief carving and prairie rattlers. This is kind of a high line bow in all aspects. Hand rubbed , hand applied oil finish over epoxy. top woods, about every bell and whistle but will perform at the top with any bow made. Its a sold commission so not advertising.

God bless

That's a really nice looking bow Sixby, Bet it shoots too.

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