Who's Bow is BEST???

ginni · Post by **ginni** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 12:55 pm

You are right, comrade Jiao!

I don't have now problems with my bow, not with my technique, only with time. I have no time for shooting. Thomas book was very helpful to correct my left hand technique.

Rob Taylor · Post by **Rob Taylor** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 4:16 pm

Yeah, I suppose that didn't come out quite right...the Hwarang's performance is good....the grip sucked, but that's because my hands are pretty big and there was about a finger and a half hanging off the bottom. I stripped it off and am in the process of putting something more useful on there. The suede is too "sticky" for a good, consistent grip as well.

The only other problem with it is, due to the combination of short brace height and width at the pass (almost a full inch), it is VERY difficult to get good flight right off the bow...in other words, tuning for good flight is near impossible. I understand that they produce good flight at distance, but that's because the fletching has had a chance to stabilize the arrow. For example, I can tune any western bow I have owned to shoot a "bullet hole" through paper. The Hwarang (and I have tried literally HUNDREDS of shaft, length, tip weight, and fletching combinations) cannot produce a good paper tear...or short range tune. That's just the simple truth of it's design. It's not a poor design or poorly built....it's just not designed to produce the results I am after. Don't get me wrong....the Hwarang is a super design, well executed, at a great price. It's just not going to wash as a hunter for me without extensive modification. Now if I could spec out a custom from this bowyer.....hmmm....we'd be on to something...LOL.

So, in the end....you're right. I mis-spoke about not finding a suitable performer. What I should have said is that I'd like to find a suitable performer with the shooting characteristics that lend it to hunting use.

Any thoughts?
-Rob

TradArcher · Post by **TradArcher** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 5:05 pm

Rob
Why not to invest in bow designed for it like Black Khan from Border etc. Of course shooting from traditional bows is exciting but maybe you need something other?
The other thing is maybe you should play with video camera and rework your release form?
Janek

Rob Taylor · Post by **Rob Taylor** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 5:14 pm

Yeah, I'll be the first to admit that I could probably have better form and a crisper release off the ring. I don't mind putting in the work to do that. That'll come.

But the point is that I want the convenient size, use of the ring, lightness of the bow, etc. that comes with this style of archery for hunting.....maybe it's a pipe dream, but I don't think so. Maybe I'll have to bite the bullet and order a Saluki without a window or a Spitfire. I dunno.

-Rob

mongolianarcher · Post by **mongolianarcher** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 3:21 am

yokhua wrote:So! All of you are Hungrians.... no wonder.. And no one of you have experience of Saluki's bows...
Same comment like before, Try Saluki bows first then give comment like me....
Saluki's bows are much better....

I agree with yokhua. Salukis are the best bows in the USA by far, and the top 5 in the world. BUT, they are not economical at all. He asks 800 dollars for a fiberglass bow. And 2400 dollars for a horn bow!!! Not including the custom options. He lives a few states away and Im planning on visiting him when I get into college in a couple years, or maybe even this summer. He says that Im welcome to try his bows. I've talked to him, and hes a very nice person.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 3:35 am

Rob,
I understand you desire to fine tune your arrows. Are you shooting unfletched short range at a paper sheet or are you using some other method?

What is the shortest range you normally hunt at?

osmiu · Post by **osmiu** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 11:03 am

guys ... the last post of Rob was made over a year ago ... I think today he own a big riffle that tear any paper (in the proper way) at close range or at any range ...

Dusan · Post by **Dusan** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 5:55 pm

Yokhua is right. Sorry Hungarians . I understand your pride in your epoxi bow production . Yours bow fabrication have a positive fact , that thanks this epoxi-polyester bows mass production is asian composite tipe bow much more popular in the world. But her we talking about better bow ! Every conversation like this is about better thing not about mass -middle quality thig.(If i talking about best cars i dint mean Warburk or Trabant but -Porsche or Ferrari...) I have too feu bows from Grozer , because 7-8 years ago its somthing new for me. Ok. comon in base. Lukas Novotny is from the late Czechoslovakia . He friendly contactid with Czech bowmaster" ARNI", who creatid his bows clous quality and design like Saluki and - more cheaper! See here maybe somthing was good for you.
http://luky.arni.cz

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 1:49 am

I have seen Novatny bows and they are beautiful. He is a first rate craftsman, I admire his work and one should expect to pay for good quality.

That said I would rather shoot with any bow that I made than another's. I would no more pay for another's bow than pay someone to shoot for me. Nor would I criticize for anyone else doing what they prefer.

In my little club we compete with bows and arrows which we make. Newbies can shoot with whatever but when they start to score well we make them make their own. We don't do plastic nocks or bows with synthetic materials, no arrow rests. This is a lot of work but the contest is more meaningful.

We had a little arrow making class and these are the FIRST ARROWS EVER that Jim made.

Orda Khan · Post by **Orda Khan** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 3:31 pm

Very nice arrows and quiver too. I know how much work goes into making bamboo arrows and I expect Jim would soon become very frustrated having to replace losses or damaged arrows after shooting courses such as the one at my club. Likewise an archer who has made himself a wonderful horn bow or another who has spent a month's wages on a bow from Novotny, when their bows have suffered in two years of rain in Field Archery competitions (like we just endured 2007 and 2008)
Unless the archer is going to switch to modern FITA type equipment (no thanks!!) he/she is governed by many factors, weather wallet and others. When this is considered, the best practical bow for the job becomes more important than the best bow.

osmiu · Post by **osmiu** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 3:57 pm

lol
Who's Bow is BEST???
it's my competitor's bow . always .
you know that movie ... "when you came with bare hands , he bring a knife , when you have a knife , he bring a bat and if you bring a bat he has a gun ..." ?
when I come with 40#Toth , he bring a 60#Kassai , I with 65# , he come with 70# , I pull a traditional fighter , he draw a hwarang ... and I'am sure that if I end up with a hwarang , he bring one too , but stronger ...
I am in no win situation here ...
Who's Bow is BEST???
definitely ... not mine !!!

jbl · Post by **jbl** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 6:46 pm

Those arrows are fanatstic. Who's bow is best? Boy that is some question. I think it is whatever the archer wants. I like something different in my bow than what you would like. For me it is about the culture of the bow and having fun with the bow. As far as bowyers I truly believe those who make Asian style bows have a different agenda then lets say Black Widow or Bear, the agenda of an Asian bowyer is to import that culture into the archers hands. For that reason it is hard to say who's are the best Kassai has done so much for mounted archery, Grozer bows look like they are right from a museum, Saluki introduced many in North America to the wonderful Asain style bow, the Hwarang is the closest you can get to having an actual horn bow, and Chris from Spitfire really stands behind his products. I guess the best bow is whatever you are happy with on that day.

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:48 pm

Well, we don't shoot in the field with these arrows. We shoot at targets when an arrow cannot be lost or damaged. But I also have field sets but do not want to loose them. It is not the decoration that takes so long but everything else.

Tim would want me to show his arrows. His brother has the Macaw. We discuss individualising the arrows subtly to check for accuracy and Tim got a little carried away. These are Tim's first ever set of arrows.

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:03 pm

I hope you get a kick out of this. His arrows are crested from left to right; Tim and his wife, his brother, his cat, a red Flicker (bird), a cardinal (bird), and his Mom. He arranges them in his quiver and shoots them in order. He makes small adjustments for each arrow. (crazy ?) The cardinal arrow makes a kind of noise. His Mom is most likely to score. Whatever!

Orda Khan · Post by **Orda Khan** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 11:15 pm

I can relate to that Jack, I named each arrow in my first set. Don't take me the wrong way, I appreciate all the love and care poured into all of these arrows, the point I was making was relative to the topic. 'Whose bow is best?'
The past two years in Wales have been possibly the wettest on record and my club is a field archery club. Such great fun on a fine day, walking through the woods and shooting arrows. When it's pouring down? Not quite the same. Two thousand dollars plus for a Novotny bow to ruin it in the rain. Hours of attention on a wonderful set of bamboo arrows. I spend long hours of painstaking love and attention matching arrows for spine and weight and hand cut fletchings and coat after coat of lacquer. These all have plastic nocks and losing or breaking one is like losing a family member. But they will get lost or broken, so you must compromise. I've rear ended and ruined five arrows from the last three sets I made, if these were horn nocked I'd be suicidal.
Much as I'd love a beautiful composite bow, I'd be restricted in the amount I use it and so I compromise with a replica (that can endure weather extremes) and this is the best bow for me.