Hey guys, I am looking for a hybrid longbow 58-60" that is $400 or under.

Who do you think makes the best one?

Thanks much!!!

I like omega longbows but also hear good things about mad dog bows.

Mike at Maddog will give you quite a bit of change from 400 bucks...great guy to talk to from a learning point of view...just call him

DDave

Omega or Maddog.

Maddog. Last prairie predator I had him make was $275 to my door. Like Dave said, that leaves you some change in your pocket for arrows and quiver.

If you only have $400 to work with I would consider a good, quality used bow.

Always good things on here about Maddog bows. Only have experience with an RER Vortex and VortexII, but will have to look for a used one on your budget. Many good used brands out there on the classifieds here, Footed Shaft and Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear.

Bearpaw / Bodnik Slick Stick. ~ $300. 30 year transferable warranty.

I really like mine-as do others who shoot it (though I had their custom shop make one in a 64" version, 44# @ 30", for the same $300 + shipping from Germany). Well-made, good looking, fast, no hand shock.

Check Lancaster Archery or Kustom King.

I have a Okeena Hybrid Longbow made down in Tennessee it is a nice shooting bow.

Stikbows by Rich Emery he took over for the late Don Dow.

Like Fletch said- (Bodnik Slick Stick) 30 year warranty!!! I test drove a few at Denton Hill... Lite weight, fast and quiet with no string sliencers! I was impressed! Nothing fancy, just a well made bow at a working mans price.

You can get a heck of a used bow for 400.

Not sure how you could do better than Mad Dog. Maybe for any price. Mike is one more fine bowyer.

I would add 7 Lakes Archery

Omega and Maddog

Thanks much, guys.

I really appreciate it...

I would keep my eyes open for a good used like new one on here. I have gotten or traded for $700-900 bows for 1/3 what they paid for it new. .... Black Wodows, Dwyers, Shafers, ect.....bargains on here every day... Then when you decide to sell or trade you can easily brake even instead of losing all that cash.

maddog!

A 59/60 or 61 Bear Alaskan dual shelf is a very nice hybrid...also called semi recurve. Many of those old models will shoot very well and you can get ten of them for the price of one new custom. Look at the vintage semi recurves if your not stuck on something new.

I like 7 lakes as well

Bigstick bows buy Bob Smith check his Web page bigstickbows.com and bigstick facebook new bowyer. He is an old shooting buddy of mine and makes very nice longbows.

Poison Dart

Maddog. I like the looks of 7 lakes, but have never had one.

I've been in the same boat for quite a while...

Maddog, Rich Emery, Bodnik and Samick keep coming up as the best bargains going.... Samicks are a pretty solid step down in price and refinement, though. Everybody says they'll shoot alongside of a good number of high-end "custom" bows, but I can't help but think that Mike and Rich would be justifiably offended by my lumping Samick in there as an equal... Quality of finish is not a strength for Samick, but Maddog and Stykbow always get rave reviews.

Besides... Do you want to support an American entrepreneur, or a foreign conglomerate??

A good question to ask is "do I want performance or performance with a lot of aesthetic appeal". The answer to that question will help you decide between new or used.

Any of the bowyer's above and many more unnamed can make a great performing bow with colored, glass quality core woods and quality but inexpensive riser wood. You can usually buy that same bow with clear glass, exotic veneers and unique riser woods for a lot more money but with no gain in performance.

$400 budget, go used for performance and aesthetics. For performance only, go new or used, depending on whether you want a warranty or not.

That's how I would approach it, but each his own.

I would buy a used toelke whip.

Dale in PA.

i bought a kid a basic Prairie Predator, if you have a reasonably average draw, it is about the best bow of that type out there for the money you stated. I am not sure that the expensive ones are really any better.

"Crooked Stic" by Mike Miller from Indiana, or "Herwaybow" by Kevin Brown, from Kentucky. Both bueatifull, great shooters for a very fair price.

Gotta love those Bigstick archery longbows!

Maddog!

You all do know this thread is from 2016 and I suspect he has made his decision by now. ;)

I think I’ve bought 15 bows or maybe 20 since this thread first posted... ya never know when that next “favorite “ bow will come along!

And of course now there’s the Galaxy/Ember option...

Personally, I’m up by 3 more since I last posted to this thread..

I’ve got a Howatt Bamboo Viper, an RER LB, and an EagleWing, none of which cost as much as the OP asked about.

Check out Allen Boice’s bows. He’s been crafting bows for quite awhile and has refined and improved designs. His Chief is a great bow!

http://www.libertybows.net/

Contact Larry Harsin or Al Kimery. Hidden gems of bowyers.

You can find a new 3 piece Black Hunter for between $100 to $200. Great shooting bow and a price that can’t be beat.

No George I'm not sure they did.

Get a used Sarrel's.

I love how a guy sets a price limit and a bunch of bows are mentioned that are not even close to his budget:)

They may be great bows but if they don’t fit the bill...don’t send offer stuff he can’t have :)

Used Kanati

"You all do know this thread is from 2016 and I suspect he has made his decision by now. ;)"

LOL!

I've been wanting to get a longbow since 2016 but haven't yet.

You know, I never have figured out how or even why, someone would dig up a three, five, or ten year old thread and go to commenting like it is current. And yes, I’ve been on this forum since the early days and I have seen it. I would be willing to bet the OP bought a bow from one of those suggested, tried it and maybe even bought some more. Folks are surely interesting.

I never have figured out how or why someone would read a post they are not interested in :-)

Whittler, this isn't about posts folks aren't interested in. What it's about is people not reading the posts from a 2016 thread. They read the title and assume it's a new thread. That's just not paying attention and that should be addressed. But then again, no one will read my thread either. ;)

So I guess that information/opinions which have changed or have been updated in the past 3 years cannot possibly be of any interest to anyone now who might have a similar question?

OK, OK - I got my damn ball and I’ll get off your lawn now...

As long as there's a possibility it may be informative or entertaining I'll take a chance on any thread....BTW where's Little Billy gone?

Don't know, maybe he took his ball and bat and left as well. Searching and using the archive is a good thing. Know you're using the archive is also a good thing. Carry on.

LOL, 2016

George got it right. Don’t get mad at me guys, I was just thinking out loud. Meant no harm. Doesn’t bother me a bit if folks want to talk about anything. I’m not Phil Magistro here.

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