Although a well made bamboo longbow is preferred by many. Not for me. Don't get me wrong i have some dandys but they do not compare to a maple cherry core longbow that I have made by Steve Turay. I like it so much I ordered another. Rooty

Maple, cherry a couple of my favorites. Better than bamboo IMO. JF

It really depends on what bamboo is used.

Don't over look walnut!

Like I said I have some good ones a Schultz and another Nortther Mist Classic which have excellent bamboo. I've had many others. The core selection isn't something that is of concern to Steve but for me i can tell a big difference. I am not going to overlook any wood for core from now on. Rooty

The combo deserves a name. MACH 1

Better as in faster?i thought bamboo was the fastest.

What style long bows are we talking about? What was the construction of the bamboo bows and what type of boo?? wish that the photo stuff would work.

Depends on the type of Bamboo used ... Guadua is probably one of the best

Yeah, what kind of bows are we talking about? Bows with fiberglass on them? Or backed and/or laminated bows of all wood?

Black cherry is one of my favorite core woods in a glass bow.

Bamboo is one of my least favorite core woods, but a favorite backing material on bows without glass.

Hard maple can be good in either instance, I just find it kind of bleh to look at.

I have a Traditions Longbow built by Tom Parsons it is five alternating laminations of bamboo and black walnut, one of the smoothest and quickest ASL's I have.

Hill style

Draw and shot feel. Fastest so far but also the most draw weight. Type of bamboo is what ever Schultz and Steve used at the time as I said I've had several And they were not anything to keep especially hha bows. Rooty

Where organic cores are concerned?...you won't find anything lighter than Bamboo which makes it both the fastest core material one can choose and as a result of that?...also offers up the least amount of hand shock.

I think the key elements that results in folks opining otherwise is either poor tillering or poor tuning because the difference in the overall performance of core materials pales in comparison too the overall build of the bow yet?...the lions share of world flight records are set by bows incorporating bamboo cores laminated with CF on back and belly with zero glass.

Meanwhile?...it is my understanding that the quietest bows out there are zero glass split-bamboo longbows such as the ones Dave Miller builds.

Either way?...I'm happy you're happy with your bow! :)

Agree w/ much of the above. On a bow by bow comparison I see little real benefit of one material over the other for limb cores. The foam cores have a different feel but it's no big deal. If it shoots good, shoot it!

I didn't say no more bamboo for the ones that have to have it lol. NO MORE FOR ME on it's own. I hope to get some Dan Toelke bows where he uses maple for compression. Rooty

I agree completely with Cameron Root. I learned a long time ago that when it comes to cores in glass bows, there is as much or more performance difference between individual sets of laminations from the same type of wood, then there is between different species of wood.

This is the bow

Here's a fine bamboo bow. No thank you

When you consider the number of identical bows needed to gather useable data for realistically accurate comparison, it leaves me convinced that it has never been done. I know, there is plenty of data on wood used in selfbows and there are differences but they don't necessarily translate to glass lam bows.

Schultz. Nope

Rooty, Dan made me a 68 super d recently with all bamboo along with the usual walnut accent strips. My other 68 has maple on the compression side and speed wise Between the two, I can't tell the difference. He would be the guy to talk to about bamboo, they use it religiously although i don't know which type they use.

Who doesn't love cherry? Great in pies, at least. Love the wood too.

I don't know much about bow building, but I remember reading something Brandon Stahl said and I think he does know what he's talking about. He said that if he were blindfolded and shot identical bows made w/bamboo and with maple cores he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them. He also said that bowyers prefer working with bamboo b/c it's easier to work than maple or other hardwoods. He said (or implied, I don't recall which) that the myth of bamboo being faster or better than maple was created by a bowyer or bowyers who wanted people to order bows made with bamboo. Because it's easier to make bows with bamboo. He doesn't think there's any performance difference.

Similarly, I've read that carbon in limbs was/is touted as making the bows faster b/c bowyers wanted something different that they could offer that would get people to buy their bows instead of someone else's. It didn't hurt that they could charge more for it also. I don't have a carbon limbed bow nor a chrono, but I know someone who bought a very expensive carbon bow that was supposed to shoot something like 209 fps. When he compared it to his fastest vintage bows from the early 60s, it wasn't even as fast as they were... using similar bow weights and the same arrows.

It's hard to know what to believe.

Shandor

Here's the first 68" super d made with bamboo, yew, and maple in the cores. Really no speed difference between this and the all bamboo one. He heat treats their bamboo and maple but I do not know how that affects the woods. Cherry and maple cores sound like a neat combo to try out. You should chrono that bow and see how the core affects the numbers.

This is why they make chocolate and vanilla.

James

I have fasted longbow I have. Also the heaviest. That's not as important as the over all pleasentness of the bow to shoot. I draw it 73#@26" which is 10# more and is More pleasent to shoot by a very noticeable difference. Rooty

I like bowyers that make what I want :>)

I spent hours with Dan Toelke this summer. He definitely listens to what you have to say and has solutions for what your after. The super D is on the near future and if I change to another style of bow with happens often he will have one for that also. Rooty

Believe nothing try for yourself. Rooty

I've heard several times that the core isn't a main factor. It is to me. There are tender spot in my arms, shoulders, elbows, neck and even forehead that contribute to my findings for me. Now about the forehead lol. Whith the wrong combo I've felt a minor concussion feel not like shooting a 460 wheatherby but still a bit. Rooty

Can't go wrong w a Toelke. Dan is the man. I don't have one of his longbows, yet. But I love my SS.

I have a Green Mountain Classic that has all black cherry lams in the limbs.Excellent shooter and is faster then I thought!

Do you have a pic?. The classic I've ordered will be all green. Rooty

Ah yes, I can tell that you never had a good yew cored bow. There is more to this than the limb core, reverted trap, shooting style, whatever. I had an area longbow shooter here, three years ago a made similar claims about osage cores and then red elm cores. I let him shoot several of my right hand and dual shooter bows, and he said, "What the heck do you do to get bows like this? I had bamboo that was terrible, nothing like these." I asked, "did it have a fast flight?" He had tried B 50 and fast flights, it was still harsh, according to him. I will concede that Steve Turay has that reverse trap thing figured out pretty well.

Steve could make a bow out of an old card board box and it would look and shoot good.

Ive always perfered balsa for speed and durability.

Rooty, glad you found a goodin' for you. My belief is design and construction play a major role in how a bow shoots/feels. Several bowyers have related that once in a while they get that magic bow but make others that are not, just the way it is with natural materials and human influence.

As far as core material I will tell the bowyer what I am looking for and let him decide what would work with his design.

I don't know what yew call good but I've had a few I liked. I like my yew in a selfbow of which I have a few. The Schultz bow I refer to was yours and it's a dandy. Maybe it's just the bow combo that j like so to make sure I bought another one with bamboo good fast but no cigar. So I've ordered another the same to make sure. It could be just this bow but I amm going to find out. Rooty

Talking with Mike at 7 Lakes he says basically the same thing. If there was a bow wood/grass that was really better than the others someone would have the proof by now. He uses a lot of North American Hardwoods that shoot just as well as any imported wood and his customers don't have to pay his shipping fees. PS. he also uses woods from around the world but the customer has to pay his shipping.

The 7 lakes customer finish bow blank is probably the best deal on Earth for an ASL. You can have your grip exactly as you want it.

Once it's in hand all it takes is a willingness to read instructions, a rasp, some sandpaper and a bottle of Tru oil.

Of course I'm sure no one needs reminding that Bamboo isn't a wood but a grass, so comparisons are pretty pointless

Huh lol rotflmao oh no I compared the wrong cores. Rooty

I, in no way doubt that Rooty's cherry wood bow is not a good shooter, he has some very good bows to compare it too. As far as yew goes, I have owned and given away some that absolutely needed a fast flight flight to be shootable. I tend to keep those that shoot good with any string. There is a variable in yew that I don't quite understand. One of the finest bows that I ever shot was a third generation yew with exceptional grain that was as I was told lightly sinew and raw calf hide backed. I imagine there are variations in cherry that need to be considered as well.

If I ever made the commitment to match up my selfbows with appropriate arrows. I know ill never look back. I have i life time supply of Rempp bows and one we made together. The last little monster a got this summer shoots hunting weight arrows 160 fps with my short draw. But I know there there like several others I like. Rooty

O course, Rooty has not shot my new Sunset Hill or my Morningstar or my Berry dual shooter. Or the one bamboo/yew that I cannot part with. I did two of them, they looked identical both were good, but one is a miracle. I wonder how often, if ever, there are two identical longbows.

I know you have great bows Dean as I have one that you spoke well of. I'll keep my search up as I am never going to quit. Rooty

Bow on the left is a yew boo yew lee Kramer that I've shot a lot. Had a hha robin hood dual shelf it had 4 lamps of dark yew and one thin lam of boo with the knodes on the back 55# I liked it left handed. 2 half breeds nothing special there for me.

Interesting thread and I'm sure other woods like Cherry, ash, walnut etc. would work just fine.

I've had ash. Yes I am sure others work. This particular combo continues to reward me after weeks of shooting, getting comfortable with the weight which has been an easy transition. I've had other 80+# bow that after a few shots I go okay that's good as something has been maxed out. This is my daily shooter shooting a dozen at a time. Most of this is due to Steve's Design but not all. Rooty

This bow is 72# @ my draw

Heres another No Boo. Rooty

Obviously, folks have preferences for different core woods/grass. Just about all the core woods available have been named in this thread. Until we compare bows exactly the same in every detail except core woods, superior performance will continue to be personal preference/opinion. Not a bad thing, just the way it is.

Core woods do contribute more to performance in the stacked limb design of an ASL vis- s-vis a thinner, wider recurve/hybrid limb though, so the quest for the best is worthwhile.

I'm not getting rid of my boo Sunset Hill! NO thank you.

Boo-Yeah for me.

I have a boo bow. Boo core and lams, in near 50 years, it's the fastest 50# bow I've ever shot. But I think it's those two carbon lams sandwiched in there that do the trick. That said, my maple cored recurve (slower) is my all time favorite bow.

Luckily for me a friend of mine just got a sunset hill and couldn't wait to get rid of it. Saves me years of waiting. Rooty

Really interesting thread. Boo-Yeah for me too! And just to stir the pot, James Berry and Fred Anderson are my Favorite Bowyers, and my 'go to' bows.

I do have a boo on order from Miller if it compares I will posts results either way. Rooty

Not a fair comparison, Romanator. James is a wizard and puts a little magic into every bow he builds. :>) Have to put those two at the top of my list as well.

Of course, Steve Turay has also been known to sneak a little magic into his bows as well. He's also one of my favorites. Have quite a few, actually. Can add Nate Stene and Dave Wallace. I also like Allen Boice's bows. Though I don't own one, I hear Dan Toelke makes an excellent bow as well. I'm sure I forgot some. So many choices, so little time.

I am also fond of the Maple, Cherry combo. Flat grain Maple for tension and quarter sawn Cherry for compression.

....and he didn't have to look very hard or far to find someone willing to pick up that Sunset either LOL!

Your friend has quite a collection of severely backset bows and has a liking to the speed. Apples and oranges.

The new owner gets even less speed. Nice and slow is not for my draw. Rooty

"This is why they make chocolate and vanilla" James I'm with you JamesV, it's like splitting hairs!..............Jim

Technically speaking, black cherry should have one of the highest performances of many core woods, even though the lighter mass requires a slightly thicker core. Black cherry is shown to have the lowest hysteris of any known wood, which means less energy is lost to internal friction, and in a fiberglass bow, I think that's pretty underrated in a corewood. It also looks pretty without veneers.

Had someone mention thst cherry selfbows were a little "doggy". That so?

I don't have a chronograph & don't really care about fps as long as the arrow goes where I'm looking that beying said the benoit red cedar long bow I have is only 38# at my draw & it really spits out an arrow I have 100% confidence that it's enough energy with 28" .600 gt's & 145 gr 2 edge heads to get excellent penetration on whitetail & even black bear. the performance is quiet impressive

You want speed shoot a hybrid. Nate's bows are the fastest stringfollow I'll wager.

If bamboo was good enough for Howard Hill then it's good enough for me !!!!! HAHAHA

My string follow Rebel with cross cut bamboo lams matchs the speed of my Schultz legend with the same specs. The bamboo classic mist I had was a tic faster same draw weight 2 " longer. None of those bows compare in the feel of draw, shot and finish of the classic I have now. I am in ansiapation that the American will be same or better. Out of near 30 bows asl's, hybrids, recurves nothing compares. Along with another 50 bows that have passed thru. I have one recurve that is faster and a couple that tie the speed but do not tie the shot cycle. I dont know how to take your water but over the keyboard my rebel string follow would kick your ass. Rooty

Kick your ass ????

I bet that Schulz Legend has killed a lot more animals than that cross cut SF. 64@26&1/4? Little things like drawing a bow to its specs, arrow contact, string weight can have different effects on different bows. Also, what seems like is not always exactly what is. I have one bow that seems like it is a little bit harsher feeling than other bows, but the old 'what is' kicks in when I am field dressing game that it shot. Hunting accuracy trumps everything else.

Mixing different types of wood in the lams like maple and walnut makes for a nice contrast to look at but the bow will only preform as good as the poorest wood in the stack. Some woods may gain you a little speed the fastest I have seen is Russian Olive its very light weight . The best lam material I have found is laminated bamboo easy to work with, very consistent and trouble free, and they shoot as good as anything .

Howard Hill preferred a certain kind of Bamboo. I like Bamboo bc I believe it makes for a smoother drawing bow. My Big Five is all bamboo a draws as smooth as butter.

Dean you know that bow is special and out performs countless bows as it was yours it does have a tic of a harsh finish. I still have hope of one more boo bow that's almost finished. But the Mist non bamboo bows suit my tastes the best.

True on mixing lams. So Iam going to find out. I have maple and cherry, I have maple. Now I've ordered all cherry will see. Rooty

So just to make sure my latest boo bow is made by Miller it has backset and the specs are 66" 70- 75#@26" I will see what's what for me. Rooty

My current 5 ASLs are way better than average in one way or another. Hitting game with as unhindered a shot as I can take is a big deal for me. The speed differences are not enough to matter.

My favorite bows are stringfollow so they will be smooth drawing and gentle at the shot. That is more important to me and improves the forgiveness of the system. I am willing to give up a few fps for this. I'll take boo and stringfollow.

Definition of forgiving bow. Lazy complete with turd speed.

I'm going to use my lazy turd string follow bow that your friend couldn't wait to get rid of on my bear hunt in two weeks. It'll get the job done !

Personal preference.

DDave

Dave good to hear from you. Thought you pulled a hank snow. Rooty

I have two rose Oak Ace's. Both 60" 44@28, I draw 30" so both bows on my scale are exactly 49@30. One has bamboo cores and the other maple. Through a chronograph both are 180fps +/- 1fps. The draw on the bamboo cored bow is smoother than the maple cored bow which has a stiffer feel on the draw at the same weight and speed as the bamboo cored bow. My vote......bamboo

I think sometimes people with a really soft release need the faster bows just so they can try to keep up with us guys with the crisp release. What Rooty really needs is a 62" Robertson over drive or better yet a short draw Wolfer.

Once you go R/D you never go back.

I've had 3 wolfer's and several deflex reflex is what they really are. Toe to toe Dean? Fun to torment. Shot the American today just proves my point on maple. I want for nothing. SOILID. My last boo bow is done. I am hoping. Rooty

I don't know what SOILID is. You must know by now that when yew is right, yew is really right. I know others that like maple cores, but none of them have ever had a good yew cored bow. According to another thread on here, as long as you pull the bowstring back in line with the arrow and not the center of the bow nothing else matters, maybe that can be done with a maple cored bow, i would bet not, but maybe. it cannot be done with any of my bows, bamboo and yew cores. Heck, I have killed a bunch of deer that had a purple heart core. Jim Fetrow shortened and re-tillered a 70" Super Grevy for me that my ex- sister in-law had. After I shortened my draw that 70" was just too much heavy wood wobbling around.

Three Wolfers, you must have either loved them.

I liked the #1 proto type the best no bow bolt it was just too light. Solid is my description for the entire shot cycle. My spelling isn't my strong suit.just like your train of thought is nutz to me. I leave yew to selfbows of which I have some dandys they also feel Solid. Rooty

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