Longbow prices

**Uncle Alvah** · 11-15-2012, 10:51 AM

I have been considering buying a traditional style Longbow.
I have a fair amount of experience with archery hunting, but it was all with compound bows, and it's been a few years besides.
I have 0 experience with longbows.
One of the things I'm finding most confusing is the wide range of prices. I see new bows on ebay for anywhere from $50 to several hundred dollars.
If a person is looking to buy an entry level general purpose bow for targets and perhaps some deer hunting, ROUGHLY how much coin does one need to scratch together to buy a serviceable bow and a few arrows?

**JimBow** · 11-15-2012, 11:12 AM

Howdy Uncle....
check into the Martin L-100 for a good bow at a great price. I own one and it's treated me well for a few years. I target shoot with it and although I haven't had the pleasure of taking a deer I did take this 222lb boar with it....

IMG_7009.jpg

**oldsoldier** · 11-15-2012, 11:45 AM

I have limited experience with archery, just getting back into it this past summer. I found that going over to 3 rivers archery, here on the web, I got a LOT of info on whats out there. I wanted something inexpensive, in the event I didnt take to it. And, something I could take apart to store over the winter. I got a Samick Sage (many, many folks here recommended it), in 45#, completely set up for ME, for under $200. For me, it was a perfect fit. If I need to go up higher in poundage, I can simply order more limbs. Its a recurve, which isnt exactly what you are looking for, but there is a LOT of archery knowledge on their site, and I would highly recommend checking them out.

**RM_Rambler** · 11-15-2012, 02:11 PM

As has been mentioned, 200-300 dollars is about right to start from scratch. You don't need to get a 1000 custom bow just starting out. If your set on a longbow I'd look at crows head for a more traditional wood bow and any of the big bow makers for a modern fiberglass bow. I will say though to avoid getting caught up on quivers, gloves/tabs, arm guards starting out. You will need these things sure, but don't blow your budget on a $200 custom tooled quiver that has no arrows in it. Save your money and get good (read quality, not expensive) carbon arrows to start with. You'll have better success in the earlier stages than with wood and you can play with different point weights without having to make whole new sets of arrows. Though once you get into it and discover the fun of making your own arrows that last excuse won't fly anymore.

**Fiddlehead** · 11-15-2012, 02:33 PM

I have recurves and long bows from the 200 to 900 dollar range. I find the Samick's to be very good bows for either target or deer hunting. I have a Samick Stingray 45# recurve that I have been using for deer hunting this year. I bought it on-line at Lancaster Archery for 220.00.

**tree-ratsniper** · 11-16-2012, 12:40 AM

+1 for the L100, that was my first longbow (still have it). Check the classifieds at tradgang or stickbow, there are deals to be had...

**Archer46176** · 11-20-2012, 07:11 PM

My longbow was bought in 1994 as a highschool graduation present to myself for about 350.00. The same bow today from the same.custom bowyer is a little over 800.00... The bowyer's name is David Miller and has a website called Millerlongbows.com, he makes true Howard Hill style longbows and was trained by a man who was trained by Hill Himself. He is also close friends with Byron Ferguson and is from Lebanon IN. Great guy and the bows are worth their price.

**Seeker** · 11-20-2012, 08:12 PM

I took a chance at a $100 70's era Bear Grizzly recurve off Ebay... it had a dent or cut in the handle... looked like it had been in a pile of stuff on someone's workbench and someone pulled a handsaw across it, or dropped something on it... turned out to be purely cosmetic, and I have a good bow. i think it was $77 and 20 shipping... something close to that. most of the ones in better shape were running around $125...

My arrows ran about $10 apiece, with target points, nocked and fletched. they're carbon fiber with a woodgrain print. I got a dozen, but you only really need 5 to shoot/practice... more than that, they start getting hit by other arrows.

Made my own armguard from a piece of latigo leather i got from the friend who made my first quiver (looks a lot like this one. http://www.selfbow.com/jackstraditio...estalkers.html )

My shooting glove was about $12. A tab is cheaper (around half that, iirc) but i don't like it as much. It was 3 layers, and kinda fiddley... if i had one with just one layer, i might use that.

My bow-mounted quiver was about $80... http://www.3riversarchery.com/quiver...X_product.html I'm sure you could come up with something cheaper on your own.

My target is one of those YellowJacket ones, but you can get 2 stacked bales of hay for $9 a bale, or $35 for a round bale, at least around here, and stick some paper plates on it with a stick.

So, let's see... 100, 80, 50, 12, plus 18 for the hay... That's about $260.

edit: wait. i forgot the string... it cost me about $20 for a new bowstring.