I am 50 years old and have finally decided that I want to give bow hunting a try. I’ve always been a black powder & gun person. I’ve also decided if I am going to go the archery route that I want to do it with a recurve or a longbow. Your videos have and are very helpful to me. I’ve yet to make a choice or a purchase but I’m getting there. 😂 Thanks again and I look forward to more content from you. 👍
I'm almost 45 and just getting ready to pick up a bow for the first time too. This guy has helped me learn a lot, which I very much appreciate since I'm going at it without in-person instruction. Wish me luck! Hope you are loving it.
One thing I like about your channel is you understand, and communicate that what you got, or what you can afford, or what you like personally are some of the most important things, and you’re not snotty about expensive stuff
The samick sage is actually a great bow. Set your brace height,nock point,install some string silencers and it's as quiet and shoots as good as a $1000 recurve.
@@geronimo67 I've been shooting recurves and longbows for 42 years,and best advice I can give is to form is EVERYTHING. U want the exact elbow placement,exact anchor point each and every time. Don't start with heavyweight,get your form consistent and when u shop for other bows,let the bow pick u. You'll know it....it just feels "right". That said,I'm a firm believer in the sage....just a great bow.
@@geronimo67 I specifically bought a Sage to learn on a few years ago. After some months, once I tightened up my groups to my satisfaction, I went to a custom built longbow from Keegan McCabe of Omega Longbows. But... the Sage is a GREAT value proposition for a bow. I call it the Honda Civic of bows. It's not too expensive and maybe not the prettiest or most sporty looking, but an overall reliable and sturdy bow with overall high marks all around. And once I got good with it, I was throwing down tight groups at the range along side people with bows that cost 5-10 times more, with there alloy risers and ILF limbs, etc. You won't be disappointed.
One thing I wanna point out for budget minded hunters. Shorter bows aren't automatically easier to get through the woods with, limb shape is important too. In my experience recurves have a higher tendency to get snagged and caught on thin branches, I like using a short-ish reflex bow nowadays, but I'm sure it depends on the woods you go to.
I’ve had a couple of compound bows, not my favorite (my daughter calls them “cheater bows”) a couple of long bows and a couple of recurve bows but the bow that I like the best is the self bow that I made. I watched some of your videos a few years back and was inspired to create my own bow. I wanted something in the range of 48” but after a couple of failures I realized it wasn’t going to happen, not by my hands. After one more quasi fail - it lasted for a week of shooting - I’ve now got a 70 lb bow (I was aiming for about 45 lbs) that feels like a 40 lb bow. It’s 68” long unstrung and is backed with rawhide. The grip and tips are wrapped in sinew with an extra leather wrap on the grip and a leather “tab” as an arrow rest. I watched one of your videos on brace height and adjusted mine accordingly and even though the total cost was somewhere around $40 this is my all time favorite smooth shooting hard hitting fun bow. I didn’t think that a piece of Homedepot red oak would payoff so well but hearing that you sometimes got it wrong gave me encouragement to keep trying until I figured it out. Thanks for posting and inspiring.
Your talk is perfect it’s quick and direct. Not like other TH-cam persons that overwhelm you with so much information and detail that makes me lose focus and interest.
Great videos Kramer. One more thing to think of is if you buy your bow from Amazon etc no money goes back into the sport through taxes, but if you get them from a local retailer, some of the taxes that retailer pays goes back into building the sport. If you can, purchase local, it’ll pay you back in the long run
@tsoliot5913 if you have a chapter of NWTF in your area. Please consider donations to their JAKES program, that benefits youths 9-17 helping them introduce to the outdoors and hunting. I'm on state board NWTF Texas...consider it
Please! More bow builds! Yes!!! My advice/opinion, as someone who found krammer's videos a year ago and jumped head 1st into bow building without ever shooting a bow; buy a bow 1st and see if you enjoy it. If it's something your going to put down in a month, then at least you haven't invested in materials and tools that you won't be using. But, I did it the other way and have no regrets! I love building(and breaking lol) bows as much as shooting. And it's now a huge passion in my life! All thanks to this guy's videos!😃
I have two beginner bows - a samick sage and a samick lavita (not made anymore). I think they are both nice for a beginner bow. It depends though, if you intend to shoot a ton (like once per week) you might think of getting an ILF style and spending about $350 as an intro. However, if its just for fun and you don't care a ton you can't go wrong with a sage---> just add some sights and a metal bow rest and you'll be good.
Why can’t all reviews have this type of commentary 🤣 the way you explained this made it all so relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed your video! I’m just now getting into archery and am hoping to get my own bow soon ❤️
Gotta agree there. I've got a Sage Premier from SAS and that thing is super good. Was a little skeptical when I bought it but convinced after my first 12 arrows. Love my Southwest Archery Tigershark is my first recurve...my favorite but that Sage is real close
@@AspiringSpaceWizard Not traditional based on its construction. Putting together a bow with thumbscrews is not adequate for those who want to replicate historical archery. It just isn’t. For people like us who shop based on aesthetics and performance, the Samick is fine, but it would be incorrect to call it traditional.
@@rezlogan4787 i think what most people In the archery world consider takedown recurves “traditional” even though i know what your saying id say historical archery is what u mean but most people i know put this in the trad bow category even though it is “technically” not traditional.
I just got my first bow that's not a compound. It's a Sage, 40pound limbs, with an extra set of 30 pound limbs. Guess I'll throw it away!!!!! Wait, why don't I just shoot it with the light limbs, and work up to the 40's, concentrating on form.
I ordered a left handed Samick Polaris takedown for 99 bucks, I cut down the riser for right handed speed shooting and I love it. It's way better than my pvc bows!
@@flybg9848 I know the company, it is alibow who uses the alias longbowmaker on amazon. i just hoped he said it in the video since many people dont read comments
I recently bought a bear grizzly at a hardware store in Michigan for only 200 bucks, the guy working there said nobody wants recurves so whatever the price tag says you can have it and half that price.😎
You can shoot a horse bow without hand "shelf" protection. Just nock it a little bit higher than you normally would. The arrow looks crooked but it won't affect the aim at all, and the fletchings won't touch your hand!
My experience with the toparchery bow was VERY different. 1. *Noise* , Yeah it does rattle and it is noisy. But I was able to make it dead quiet with just basic materials around the house and some hot glue. 2. *Arrow rest* I honestly only ever had noise issues with the rest because I was improperly drawing the bow by holding the arrow with my finger to keep it on the rest. When I learned to draw properly I never had an issue. I also like it because you can tune your arrows easier. Arrows too stiff? Screw the rest further in. Arrows too flexible? Unscrew the rest to bring it out more. 3. *Weight* I'm sure it's heavier than other bows, but I'm used to carrying around an 8lb crossbow when I hunt so this is as light as a feather for me. All in all I got this bow for the takedown feature and customizeability on the riser. I could fit this thing in my backpack, throw a bowfishing rig on it, use any manner of arrow rest, or even sight pins.
I agree 💯 It's a great bow for the budget price, very accurate. Send a 50lb instead of40lb limbs. So bit stiff but it's so fun to use. And it's super fast huh!
so this is more for anyone looking to get any of the bows. many are sold out and there's no restock date. but 've found that many of the bows are being sold a sets and they are almost all in stock. just order one of them myself. keep on rocking folks
I just got a Sinoart Falcon yesterday. 40lb. Best news; it works with the 35lb Top Archery 56" limbs I took off the riser to test. The falcon riser fitted with some padding on the shelf shoots like a bullet. No matter what you do. It seems like a perfect hunting bow for 90 bux
My Black Hunter will be here tomorrow. Can't wait. Thanks for the help in my choice. I read reviews and watched you shoot this bow and really liked the look and how it performed. I'll update after I've shot some arrows...
My dearest Kramer, you speak right out of my heart when it comes to 14:20! "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." (I Hope this saying has the same meaning in english, as it has in german..!) BUT(!) you have got to be thankful for what you have in order to be happy in this life. And also, 15:03, ... hands down. Period. (Aaaaaand.... I see what you did there... The reference to your video 9 month ago, when you extended your shooting skills by shooting 100 arrows a day for 30 days...) anyways Thank you for this ranking-series and espeacially for the ranking including your personal preferences. I really give a lot about your opinion on bows. (not at least, this is one reason why I found and follow your channel...) But furthermore, your videos are one reason I started to build my own bows.- And, plaese take this into account, that I am from Europe, from Germany, where it is not allowed to hunt with bows... (which definetly would have been an opportuity, if I lived in the US...) So, I pretty much just build them for the fun of building them, and less to actually shoot them. (Sad enough!) What I am trying to express... Thank you VERY much for your Videos; For the afford, time and (not at least) money you put into them. That makes the receiving of those "there is a new video"-notification from youtube so much better, every time there is a new video from you listed. THANK YOU. Sincerarly Sascha
Thanks Kramer, fast moving video with a ton of info, I see a lot of people ask about which bow to buy starting out, I point them in your direction. Stay safe mate
Had my left handed compound bow ( wood laminate ) stolen from my garage while in the back yard quite a few years ago. My son saw it in a pawnshop still unsold ( maybe because it was left handed ). He paid six bucks for it and it is back with me even though I no longer hunt
Bows or no bows, it doesn't really matter none. The thing that really matters is how, your enthusiasm on "archery", comes across on your videos!? Regarding that, you are tops. Well done to you! You'll get the youngsters in on your game and also some old folks like myself, before we kick the bucket, we'll be having fun with "bows and arrows!!!!" Thank you!!😊👍✌️✌️
I ordered the longbow (from another company making the identical bow) and they sent me the recurve; not sure if it's worth the hassle to exchange lol. I also got 30lbs and am loving it as a beginner too
Kramer! I think you should consider picking up a nice horse bow, a good one is tiny, accurate, and smooth! They’re super fun but take a lot of commitment
Or maybe it is crossed out because Kramer genuinely doesn't like it. Everyone's different everyone has different likes and dislikes, for example I ordered a black hunter takedown after watching this video and did not like it and promptly turned around and sold it. The financial hit was a small one and worth it to discover that I obviously have a different taste and preference in bows than Kramer. This was confirmed when I met a guy at my local archery range who was shooting that Hungarian style horsepower and he let me shoot it and I absolutely loved it. Point being I don't think Kramer crossed it out intentionally as clickbait. He seems to have more integrity than that
An expert thumb ring user has publically said to start practicing with low poundage bows. He specifically mentioned 20# as a good starting point. He has no preference for material that the ring is made of. Brass, bone, plastic didn't matter to him. He did say that a leather thumb ring did the job, but transmitted more sensation.. You have a couple of low poundage bows if you don't give them away too soon.........
looking at his size and his ease of pulling 50lbs, im sure he can start thumb draw with the same weight. muscles are slightly different but he will quickly adapt. no need to re-buy the bows @20lbs just to do thumb draw
@@HistoricalWeapons - It's not the muscles. It's the thumb joint and tendons. And he doesn't need to buy new just for training purposes. He already has several he bought for other reasons, but he said several times while discussing the good points and bad points that he "gave that one away". I was merely pointing out that if he refrained from giving any more of them away he already had the tools he needed to learn thumb ring shooting already. That is, according to the recommendations of someone who did it all the time - and it had nothing to do with the ability to pull the bow, but rather that starting out too heavy resulted in bad habits that made accurate shooting more difficult.
WIll it boW Suggestion: 2x4. you've done 2x1's. how about a 2x4? is it too thick? too unwieldy? also how about an apocolypse bow for when we need to bug out and run away from crazy riots?
Glad to see this. Young guys interested in bows. And not just the newest high tech compounds! (I have 2 compounds, 1 needs rebuilt). My crossbow is a recurve, and once I get a sight on it, I'll be out practicing with it. Old or new, if ya dont practice and GET BETTER, the actual "gear" wont make you any better or worse.
Horse bow is the fastest shooting traditional bow because you can and are supposed to shoot it same side as the draw hand. Thumb draw, pinch draw, three-finger draw, etc. all using the thumb as the stabilizer and drawing on the same side for greatest accuracy. I love practicing with my super lightweight 35lb horse bow when I want to feel like legolas xD
Okay I’m deciding rn if I want to get a airo bow or a horse bow style bow. I want to be accurate but ofc it all takes practice. Is it pretty easy to be accurate with a horse bow? Is it’s ideal to hunt with like for small game. I would love to hear what you say bc it’s a hard decision and some opinions would be great to hear.
Thanks! Not a beginner here but I appreciate your efforts and information. I have several but I do have two Black Hunter bows. It or they are my go to bows.
That exact TopArchery bow was my first and it’s a fun little bow to shoot. So, I’d probably agree with your brothers on that. But, I’ll have to try out those other bows you recommend and rank as higher. Always looking to enhance the experience as I grow and train as an archer. Thanks!
All I have to say is that I tried 2 black hunters and had tip overlay issues with both. Ordered a 50# deerseeker and got a 35# and the whole bow just felt like a cheap toy. However my Samick Sage is a great bow!
So, as an old geezer getting back into archery, I am buying used. My granddaughter shoots, so I want to have more than one toy so we can shoot together. So here we go. I think I'll get a Black Hunter as part of the stable ... Thanks for the insights 😊
If you do another comparison search, you should add the Northwest Nomad Warriors fiberglass horse bow. $100+shipping and it is pure shooting fun; just remember to nock up a bit when shooting off your hands. Learn to shoot left and right handed, thumb draw and Slavic draw and you’ve got a martial art. It’s short and great for sneaking through the forest if you don’t have a horse. Enjoy!
Kramer, this is a great video and series. I'd love to hear your take on solid equipment that a newbie to the hobby/sport of archery should consider. Arm guard, Gloves/Tabs, Strings, Etc. I'm not even sure what you might recommend as "must have" equipment for the first timer.
This is very helpful! I plan to buy a black hunter as my first bow, but I don't know which to choose, longbow or recurve. Why longbow ranks higher than its recurve bow? Thank you!
Awesome, I just got ordered the PSE shaman at 50lbs and was worried it'd be too heavy of a draw for me (a beginner). Although I'm a 230lb man who works with steel all day. Do you think I'd be okay with the 50lb draw?
No Takedown, No Buy! I don't have an SUV or even an ordinary car, I have a Bicycle or to be exact an E-Bike, So only your top pick or that funny survival bow would even go on my list to consider. I have a takedown Tatar bow(horse bow) which I love, but am considering a recurve barebow for club shooting.
For horsebows, you have to nock higher. The thumbring would help with with finger pinch (on a longer draw), but nothing helps if you keep dragging the arrow over your bow hand.
I think there are two elements when looking at bows that new bow buyers overlook or just do not have the experience enough to know what they like or know what they may shoot better with. Grip. Limb material and bow length. Generally speaking I can grab a bow and know instantly if I am going to like it. That grip is a low wrist grip that has a walled palm swell on the left of the grip and a wider swell on the right. Limb material and length is also a major factor in how forgiving a bow feels. Hard maple limbs on a 62 inch bow is going to feel more forgiving than a 60 or 58 for most people. Then when you change the limb material to say bamboo or carbon limbs the bow then feels even MORE forgiving to some and for others it feels lacking. The problem with most budget bows for me is that they are usually a middle of the road middle wrist grip so I took a wood rasp and sand paper to my Samick Sage and reshaped the grip to a perfectly shooting bow for me. I can shoot a 150 dollar Samick Sage that I bought 8 years ago where I modified the grip MUCH better than my friends high wrist gripped Black Widow. I always steer new shooters into the Samick Sage or the Black Hunter bows and usually steer them towards 40 lbs if they are a guy for their first bow or 30 if they are a girl for their first bow.
Whats wrong with the sage? Mines held up awesome other than the one time I over stringed it and put a little crack in one of the limbs outer layer? But thats on me
so many good bows under 200 these days, they all come with absolutely no 1000 dollar + bragging rights.for the price, black hunter is one of the best bows you can shoot.
Question ... I'm making a bow out of pine wood (Thought I was buying maple.) Going to use several strips of fiberglass tape to make as strong a backing as possible ... question ... could I also treat the wood with a wood hardener like minwax sells, or do you think it would make the pine too brittle?????
Speaking from experience, any type of high quality woodglue will do. I know you'd rather hear it from the master himself, but I still wanted to tell you.
@@yeanisch Thank you ... I did use a strong wood glue for the backing when laying the fiberglass straps. I was just wondering if I should use a wood hardener to treat the wood on the belly side before painting it, or would it make the wood to brittle. But thanks for getting back to me, the question was for anyone to answer ..
90% archer . Having had 14 in my collection I can say some are easier to shoot well than others . My main hunting longbow ( Bodnik ) was around $400.00 when new and I shoot it as well as My Habu Viperkhan hybrid at $ 2400.00 new . Just not as comfortable , smooth and as fast . There ya have it .
I've watched several bow videos, they all say the Samick Sage is quite a good bow; the limbs can be upgraded in weight, are 2" inches longer than the Black Hunter, & doesn't require an Allen Wrench to attach limbs.
Thanks for doing this series of videos. I was on the fence between the top archery and the black hunter. Because of you im going to get the black hunter. Thanks again.
Make a video review about the Tbow ILF trad recurve bow. There's not much I could say about said bow, aside the fact that it is budget friendly, smooth to draw, appealing design and overall a very reliable bow for its price range. I've been shooting with the Tbow for a year now and I adored it ever since. The only cons by far is the archer himself, like any other bows one come across, it requires a tad bit of fine tuning. Amazing content as always, Kramer. Cheers!
I like the step-up philosophy, use subpar things until you notice weaknesses through growth and experience, then you can upgrade to fill those weaknesses, needs, and wants.
May I respectfully suggest another measurement for when you are assessing any given new bow? How about STACK-ABILITY for us taller Sasquatch-sized archer wannabes? I draw 31” and have accumulated a number of nice unusable bows. Many thanks for your reviews.
I have the top archery one. after 2 years I have tweaked it to be awesome! 2 things, 1st you gotta shoot off the shelf with a nice fur. I also put fur on the tips of the limbs.
highly recommend learning thumb draw. its awesome. you can get arrows away so much faster plus it makes you feel like a warrior. i made my own simple leather ring which is just a folded piece of leather with holes punched through both ends so i can lace it shut. i shoot a 50# alibow Kheshig which was about 330usd and freaking amazing for the price and the leather ring works fine. i opted for a horse bow over a recurve to accommodate my 32" draw. no stacking, fast as hell
Total newbie here about to buy his first bow with the goal of bow hunting... What's your gear to complete the kit... Leather arm protector? Three fingered gloves? Do you tune a recurve? Compounds have all manner of screws and poundage and left/right adjustments... What's your theory on arrows... Light? Heavy? Impact at target seems an important goal. I just subscribed, so I'll be rummaging around your videos for more tips... Thanks
I thought that the length of the bow determines the draw length, got told that my 54inch recurve wasn’t long enough and didn’t have the right draw length because of it. Is that right ?
Just found this video, I appreciate it greatly! I just sold my Mathew’s V3X compound to buy a really nice .308 because of the political climate. I have been looking for a cheap yet good recurve to continue chasing deer with during archery season (10 years compound exp, 3 years recurve teaching kids at camp)
"the best bow is the one you have" bro I don't have one, my husband got a compound bow set at weight 60, I can't pull it yet coz I'm a noodle. and i prefer more traditional bows. so mmiiiggghhhtttt be using this as advice for a good bow to start with.
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I am 50 years old and have finally decided that I want to give bow hunting a try. I’ve always been a black powder & gun person. I’ve also decided if I am going to go the archery route that I want to do it with a recurve or a longbow. Your videos have and are very helpful to me. I’ve yet to make a choice or a purchase but I’m getting there. 😂 Thanks again and I look forward to more content from you. 👍
Have you made a purchase?
I'm almost 45 and just getting ready to pick up a bow for the first time too. This guy has helped me learn a lot, which I very much appreciate since I'm going at it without in-person instruction. Wish me luck! Hope you are loving it.
One thing I like about your channel is you understand, and communicate that what you got, or what you can afford, or what you like personally are some of the most important things, and you’re not snotty about expensive stuff
The samick sage is actually a great bow. Set your brace height,nock point,install some string silencers and it's as quiet and shoots as good as a $1000 recurve.
Thanks for the tip. I'm gonna look into it. I'm new to bows so it might be a good starter for me.
@@geronimo67 I've been shooting recurves and longbows for 42 years,and best advice I can give is to form is EVERYTHING. U want the exact elbow placement,exact anchor point each and every time.
Don't start with heavyweight,get your form consistent and when u shop for other bows,let the bow pick u. You'll know it....it just feels "right".
That said,I'm a firm believer in the sage....just a great bow.
@@geronimo67 I specifically bought a Sage to learn on a few years ago. After some months, once I tightened up my groups to my satisfaction, I went to a custom built longbow from Keegan McCabe of Omega Longbows. But... the Sage is a GREAT value proposition for a bow. I call it the Honda Civic of bows. It's not too expensive and maybe not the prettiest or most sporty looking, but an overall reliable and sturdy bow with overall high marks all around. And once I got good with it, I was throwing down tight groups at the range along side people with bows that cost 5-10 times more, with there alloy risers and ILF limbs, etc. You won't be disappointed.
@@jv18echo Cool 😎
Just not a long enough draw length.
I Got 31.5 lengt
One thing I wanna point out for budget minded hunters. Shorter bows aren't automatically easier to get through the woods with, limb shape is important too. In my experience recurves have a higher tendency to get snagged and caught on thin branches, I like using a short-ish reflex bow nowadays, but I'm sure it depends on the woods you go to.
Thank you for taking your time and commenting
I thought the Longbow is gonna be a trouble
3:35 you're welcome
Thx bro
there's so much fluff, i was just lost. thank you.
my gawd, the first five minutes made my skull hurt
Thanks
Thx
I’ve had a couple of compound bows, not my favorite (my daughter calls them “cheater bows”) a couple of long bows and a couple of recurve bows but the bow that I like the best is the self bow that I made. I watched some of your videos a few years back and was inspired to create my own bow. I wanted something in the range of 48” but after a couple of failures I realized it wasn’t going to happen, not by my hands. After one more quasi fail - it lasted for a week of shooting - I’ve now got a 70 lb bow (I was aiming for about 45 lbs) that feels like a 40 lb bow. It’s 68” long unstrung and is backed with rawhide. The grip and tips are wrapped in sinew with an extra leather wrap on the grip and a leather “tab” as an arrow rest. I watched one of your videos on brace height and adjusted mine accordingly and even though the total cost was somewhere around $40 this is my all time favorite smooth shooting hard hitting fun bow. I didn’t think that a piece of Homedepot red oak would payoff so well but hearing that you sometimes got it wrong gave me encouragement to keep trying until I figured it out.
Thanks for posting and inspiring.
The one thing better than his reviews of bows is his determined practice of similies...
Your talk is perfect it’s quick and direct. Not like other TH-cam persons that overwhelm you with so much information and detail that makes me lose focus and interest.
Great videos Kramer. One more thing to think of is if you buy your bow from Amazon etc no money goes back into the sport through taxes, but if you get them from a local retailer, some of the taxes that retailer pays goes back into building the sport.
If you can, purchase local, it’ll pay you back in the long run
these types of videos would probably be impossible if he bought all locally.
Don’t have a car available to me and no stores nearby stock what I need
I don't need taxes to pay for my hobbies. I'll just donate to a youth program or something.
@tsoliot5913 if you have a chapter of NWTF in your area. Please consider donations to their JAKES program, that benefits youths 9-17 helping them introduce to the outdoors and hunting. I'm on state board NWTF Texas...consider it
Please! More bow builds! Yes!!!
My advice/opinion, as someone who found krammer's videos a year ago and jumped head 1st into bow building without ever shooting a bow; buy a bow 1st and see if you enjoy it. If it's something your going to put down in a month, then at least you haven't invested in materials and tools that you won't be using. But, I did it the other way and have no regrets! I love building(and breaking lol) bows as much as shooting. And it's now a huge passion in my life! All thanks to this guy's videos!😃
breaking for sure
I was actually just looking for a beginner bow under $200. Perfect timing. Thanks!
Can you tell me which bow you purchased?
@@timothymccoy1569
Samick Sage is a great starter bow that you can't go wrong with if you're still looking for something.
I have two beginner bows - a samick sage and a samick lavita (not made anymore). I think they are both nice for a beginner bow. It depends though, if you intend to shoot a ton (like once per week) you might think of getting an ILF style and spending about $350 as an intro. However, if its just for fun and you don't care a ton you can't go wrong with a sage---> just add some sights and a metal bow rest and you'll be good.
Why can’t all reviews have this type of commentary 🤣 the way you explained this made it all so relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed your video! I’m just now getting into archery and am hoping to get my own bow soon ❤️
Samick sage is still great. Not traditional, but perfectly usable and portable.
Gotta agree there. I've got a Sage Premier from SAS and that thing is super good. Was a little skeptical when I bought it but convinced after my first 12 arrows. Love my Southwest Archery Tigershark is my first recurve...my favorite but that Sage is real close
How is not traditional? Pretty sure its a modern recurve but still falls under traditional style
@@AspiringSpaceWizard Not traditional based on its construction. Putting together a bow with thumbscrews is not adequate for those who want to replicate historical archery. It just isn’t. For people like us who shop based on aesthetics and performance, the Samick is fine, but it would be incorrect to call it traditional.
@@rezlogan4787 i think what most people
In the archery world consider takedown recurves “traditional” even though i know what your saying id say historical archery is what u mean but most people i know put this in the trad bow category even though it is “technically” not traditional.
I just got my first bow that's not a compound. It's a Sage, 40pound limbs, with an extra set of 30 pound limbs. Guess I'll throw it away!!!!!
Wait, why don't I just shoot it with the light limbs, and work up to the 40's, concentrating on form.
I ordered a left handed Samick Polaris takedown for 99 bucks, I cut down the riser for right handed speed shooting and I love it.
It's way better than my pvc bows!
Would be great if you specified the exact brand of that horsebow, since its a type of bow not a brand. its like writing longbow on the list
I think it is from the company called longbowmaker
@@flybg9848 I know the company, it is alibow who uses the alias longbowmaker on amazon. i just hoped he said it in the video since many people dont read comments
@@flybg9848 btw its hilarious they call themselves longbow-maker lol
The longbowmaker horse bow is the only bow of these I am truly interested in, so thank you!
He was shooting the horsebow on the left hand side.
I recently bought a bear grizzly at a hardware store in Michigan for only 200 bucks, the guy working there said nobody wants recurves so whatever the price tag says you can have it and half that price.😎
Thumb draw is now a favorite of mine and I am working all my techniques around this style of archery 🏹
Did you get a Turkish thumb ring?, you can order them online.
You can shoot a horse bow without hand "shelf" protection. Just nock it a little bit higher than you normally would. The arrow looks crooked but it won't affect the aim at all, and the fletchings won't touch your hand!
My experience with the toparchery bow was VERY different.
1. *Noise* , Yeah it does rattle and it is noisy. But I was able to make it dead quiet with just basic materials around the house and some hot glue.
2. *Arrow rest* I honestly only ever had noise issues with the rest because I was improperly drawing the bow by holding the arrow with my finger to keep it on the rest. When I learned to draw properly I never had an issue. I also like it because you can tune your arrows easier. Arrows too stiff? Screw the rest further in. Arrows too flexible? Unscrew the rest to bring it out more.
3. *Weight* I'm sure it's heavier than other bows, but I'm used to carrying around an 8lb crossbow when I hunt so this is as light as a feather for me.
All in all I got this bow for the takedown feature and customizeability on the riser. I could fit this thing in my backpack, throw a bowfishing rig on it, use any manner of arrow rest, or even sight pins.
I agree 💯 It's a great bow for the budget price, very accurate. Send a 50lb instead of40lb limbs. So bit stiff but it's so fun to use. And it's super fast huh!
If I have to use household tools to make my bow operate appropriately I'm not going to purchase that bow at all.
so this is more for anyone looking to get any of the bows. many are sold out and there's no restock date. but 've found that many of the bows are being sold a sets and they are almost all in stock. just order one of them myself. keep on rocking folks
I just got a Sinoart Falcon yesterday. 40lb. Best news; it works with the 35lb Top Archery 56" limbs I took off the riser to test. The falcon riser fitted with some padding on the shelf shoots like a bullet. No matter what you do. It seems like a perfect hunting bow for 90 bux
Bought the SAS Maverick after seeing your review and I really like it. Then made an order for the Black hunter recurve, can’t wait for it to show up.
Where did u order
Ola Curtius, how about a comparison?
Yeah the black hunter recurve is one of my favorite bows, nice grip , cool color , smooth shooting, exactly what I ordered.
Horse bows are the best bows if used correctly, very versatile
You have really great commentary. Honesty and sincerity and down to Earth reality, and enthusiasm comes thru to me.
My Black Hunter will be here tomorrow. Can't wait. Thanks for the help in my choice. I read reviews and watched you shoot this bow and really liked the look and how it performed. I'll update after I've shot some arrows...
Update? How do you like it
Did you like the bow?
My dearest Kramer,
you speak right out of my heart when it comes to 14:20! "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." (I Hope this saying has the same meaning in english, as it has in german..!) BUT(!) you have got to be thankful for what you have in order to be happy in this life.
And also, 15:03, ... hands down. Period. (Aaaaaand.... I see what you did there... The reference to your video 9 month ago, when you extended your shooting skills by shooting 100 arrows a day for 30 days...)
anyways
Thank you for this ranking-series and espeacially for the ranking including your personal preferences. I really give a lot about your opinion on bows. (not at least, this is one reason why I found and follow your channel...)
But furthermore, your videos are one reason I started to build my own bows.- And, plaese take this into account, that I am from Europe, from Germany, where it is not allowed to hunt with bows... (which definetly would have been an opportuity, if I lived in the US...) So, I pretty much just build them for the fun of building them, and less to actually shoot them. (Sad enough!)
What I am trying to express... Thank you VERY much for your Videos; For the afford, time and (not at least) money you put into them. That makes the receiving of those "there is a new video"-notification from youtube so much better, every time there is a new video from you listed.
THANK YOU.
Sincerarly
Sascha
Thanks Kramer, fast moving video with a ton of info, I see a lot of people ask about which bow to buy starting out, I point them in your direction. Stay safe mate
Had my left handed compound bow ( wood laminate ) stolen from my garage while in the back yard quite a few years ago. My son saw it in a pawnshop still unsold ( maybe because it was left handed ). He paid six bucks for it and it is back with me even though I no longer hunt
Bows or no bows, it doesn't really matter none. The thing that really matters is how, your enthusiasm on "archery", comes across on your videos!? Regarding that, you are tops.
Well done to you! You'll get the youngsters in on your game and also some old folks like myself, before we kick the bucket, we'll be having fun with "bows and arrows!!!!"
Thank you!!😊👍✌️✌️
your absolutely right buddy😄
I bought a takedown deer seeker 60lb draw for 120 and I LOVE IT.
Been watching all these reviews, i got myself a black hunter recurve bow at 30lb to start with. Loving it so far as i get into archery.
I ordered the longbow (from another company making the identical bow) and they sent me the recurve; not sure if it's worth the hassle to exchange lol. I also got 30lbs and am loving it as a beginner too
This gave me the confidence to pick up the Black Hunter Longbow, thanks so much! I’m excited to dive into Trad :)
Any updates on how the bow performed?
Kramer! I think you should consider picking up a nice horse bow, a good one is tiny, accurate, and smooth! They’re super fun but take a lot of commitment
Samick sage is actually a great bow. No idea why is x out
The samick sage and the pse night hawk are the 2 I'm looking at right now. Sage is $170 and the pse is $200 here in canada eh
It's Xed out to make you click.
Agreed. It’s X’d out for clickbait. I have 2 samick sages. Both amazing bows and great value
Or maybe it is crossed out because Kramer genuinely doesn't like it. Everyone's different everyone has different likes and dislikes, for example I ordered a black hunter takedown after watching this video and did not like it and promptly turned around and sold it. The financial hit was a small one and worth it to discover that I obviously have a different taste and preference in bows than Kramer. This was confirmed when I met a guy at my local archery range who was shooting that Hungarian style horsepower and he let me shoot it and I absolutely loved it. Point being I don't think Kramer crossed it out intentionally as clickbait. He seems to have more integrity than that
@@SupermanBB how does it feel , ive been thinking of getting the samick sage, but not sure i wanna bite since its currently at $130 on amazon
Kramer, you are the best. Im getting a black hunter recurve for my birthday much because of your honest and fun reviews.
An expert thumb ring user has publically said to start practicing with low poundage bows. He specifically mentioned 20# as a good starting point.
He has no preference for material that the ring is made of. Brass, bone, plastic didn't matter to him. He did say that a leather thumb ring did the job, but transmitted more sensation..
You have a couple of low poundage bows if you don't give them away too soon.........
looking at his size and his ease of pulling 50lbs, im sure he can start thumb draw with the same weight. muscles are slightly different but he will quickly adapt. no need to re-buy the bows @20lbs just to do thumb draw
@@HistoricalWeapons - It's not the muscles. It's the thumb joint and tendons. And he doesn't need to buy new just for training purposes. He already has several he bought for other reasons, but he said several times while discussing the good points and bad points that he "gave that one away". I was merely pointing out that if he refrained from giving any more of them away he already had the tools he needed to learn thumb ring shooting already. That is, according to the recommendations of someone who did it all the time - and it had nothing to do with the ability to pull the bow, but rather that starting out too heavy resulted in bad habits that made accurate shooting more difficult.
Just wondering. What do you prefer about the black hunter long bow over the recurve?
Dude thank you so much for doing this series and going through the trouble of it all, it was very helpful
WIll it boW Suggestion: 2x4. you've done 2x1's. how about a 2x4? is it too thick? too unwieldy?
also how about an apocolypse bow for when we need to bug out and run away from crazy riots?
Glad to see this.
Young guys interested in bows. And not just the newest high tech compounds! (I have 2 compounds, 1 needs rebuilt). My crossbow is a recurve, and once I get a sight on it, I'll be out practicing with it.
Old or new, if ya dont practice and GET BETTER, the actual "gear" wont make you any better or worse.
Love the comparison references! Easy to understand and totally relatable. Great video.
Glad it was helpful!
Horse bow is the fastest shooting traditional bow because you can and are supposed to shoot it same side as the draw hand. Thumb draw, pinch draw, three-finger draw, etc. all using the thumb as the stabilizer and drawing on the same side for greatest accuracy. I love practicing with my super lightweight 35lb horse bow when I want to feel like legolas xD
Okay I’m deciding rn if I want to get a airo bow or a horse bow style bow. I want to be accurate but ofc it all takes practice. Is it pretty easy to be accurate with a horse bow? Is it’s ideal to hunt with like for small game. I would love to hear what you say bc it’s a hard decision and some opinions would be great to hear.
Thanks! Not a beginner here but I appreciate your efforts and information. I have several but I do have two Black Hunter bows. It or they are my go to bows.
That exact TopArchery bow was my first and it’s a fun little bow to shoot. So, I’d probably agree with your brothers on that. But, I’ll have to try out those other bows you recommend and rank as higher. Always looking to enhance the experience as I grow and train as an archer.
Thanks!
Thanks for staying shatterproof.
All I have to say is that I tried 2 black hunters and had tip overlay issues with both. Ordered a 50# deerseeker and got a 35# and the whole bow just felt like a cheap toy. However my Samick Sage is a great bow!
where did you buy the samick sage? I want to gift it to someone who wants to lean archery
So, as an old geezer getting back into archery, I am buying used. My granddaughter shoots, so I want to have more than one toy so we can shoot together. So here we go.
I think I'll get a Black Hunter as part of the stable ... Thanks for the insights 😊
13:25 You mention the Samick Sage. Airobow is actually a modified version of this from what I've heard.
If you do another comparison search, you should add the Northwest Nomad Warriors fiberglass horse bow. $100+shipping and it is pure shooting fun; just remember to nock up a bit when shooting off your hands. Learn to shoot left and right handed, thumb draw and Slavic draw and you’ve got a martial art. It’s short and great for sneaking through the forest if you don’t have a horse. Enjoy!
Kramer, this is a great video and series. I'd love to hear your take on solid equipment that a newbie to the hobby/sport of archery should consider. Arm guard, Gloves/Tabs, Strings, Etc. I'm not even sure what you might recommend as "must have" equipment for the first timer.
Ooh ooh! I second this! I used to tinker with archery as a lad, and now my two youngest kids are interested in it. Where to start!?
This is very helpful! I plan to buy a black hunter as my first bow, but I don't know which to choose, longbow or recurve. Why longbow ranks higher than its recurve bow? Thank you!
How much for one of your beautiful custom homemade recurve bows? I don't see them for sale on your website..
I’m fairly new to your channel, Kramer, but you’ve become one of my favorites. Thank you!
I have never been thanked for watching a video. That was nice
I got the black hunter recurve at 60lb.
Absolute beast and shoots like a dream 10/10
Awesome, I just got ordered the PSE shaman at 50lbs and was worried it'd be too heavy of a draw for me (a beginner). Although I'm a 230lb man who works with steel all day. Do you think I'd be okay with the 50lb draw?
@@somnusdagod6749 yeh you'll be able to shoot that fine if you're in reasonable shape. Perfect for hunting
No Takedown, No Buy! I don't have an SUV or even an ordinary car, I have a Bicycle or to be exact an E-Bike, So only your top pick or that funny survival bow would even go on my list to consider. I have a takedown Tatar bow(horse bow) which I love, but am considering a recurve barebow for club shooting.
hi Kramer, i'm wondering if you could answer a question for me. Should/could i shoot a 60 inch hunting bow, when my ideal bow length is 70 inches?
For horsebows, you have to nock higher. The thumbring would help with with finger pinch (on a longer draw), but nothing helps if you keep dragging the arrow over your bow hand.
I think there are two elements when looking at bows that new bow buyers overlook or just do not have the experience enough to know what they like or know what they may shoot better with.
Grip.
Limb material and bow length.
Generally speaking I can grab a bow and know instantly if I am going to like it. That grip is a low wrist grip that has a walled palm swell on the left of the grip and a wider swell on the right.
Limb material and length is also a major factor in how forgiving a bow feels. Hard maple limbs on a 62 inch bow is going to feel more forgiving than a 60 or 58 for most people. Then when you change the limb material to say bamboo or carbon limbs the bow then feels even MORE forgiving to some and for others it feels lacking.
The problem with most budget bows for me is that they are usually a middle of the road middle wrist grip so I took a wood rasp and sand paper to my Samick Sage and reshaped the grip to a perfectly shooting bow for me.
I can shoot a 150 dollar Samick Sage that I bought 8 years ago where I modified the grip MUCH better than my friends high wrist gripped Black Widow.
I always steer new shooters into the Samick Sage or the Black Hunter bows and usually steer them towards 40 lbs if they are a guy for their first bow or 30 if they are a girl for their first bow.
Whats wrong with the sage? Mines held up awesome other than the one time I over stringed it and put a little crack in one of the limbs outer layer? But thats on me
so many good bows under 200 these days, they all come with absolutely no 1000 dollar + bragging rights.for the price, black hunter is one of the best bows you can shoot.
Question ... I'm making a bow out of pine wood (Thought I was buying maple.) Going to use several strips of fiberglass tape to make as strong a backing as possible ... question ... could I also treat the wood with a wood hardener like minwax sells, or do you think it would make the pine too brittle?????
Speaking from experience, any type of high quality woodglue will do. I know you'd rather hear it from the master himself, but I still wanted to tell you.
@@yeanisch Thank you ... I did use a strong wood glue for the backing when laying the fiberglass straps. I was just wondering if I should use a wood hardener to treat the wood on the belly side before painting it, or would it make the wood to brittle.
But thanks for getting back to me, the question was for anyone to answer ..
Bought one of these bows because of these reviews. Gonna have to buy one of your tabs and arm guards too. Will you make quivers too?
Thank you Kramer.
90% archer . Having had 14 in my collection I can say some are easier to shoot well than others . My main hunting longbow ( Bodnik ) was around $400.00 when new and I shoot it as well as My Habu Viperkhan hybrid at $ 2400.00 new . Just not as comfortable , smooth and as fast . There ya have it .
I’m Native American, our ancestors always used bows, so I’m into it, thanks
Wish I was his brothers.
Brother*
@@rockinHurley777 No,no; brothers 😀
I wish I was his mother
@@idkman2610 mom?
A friend of a friend suggested the Black Hunter or Samick Sage, have you tested a Samick Sage?
I've watched several bow videos, they all say the Samick Sage is quite a good bow; the limbs can be upgraded in weight, are 2" inches longer than the Black Hunter, & doesn't require an Allen Wrench to attach limbs.
I have a black hunter and it's an amazing bow.
Recently got a Fred Bear Grizzly recurve and its gorgeous
Thanks for doing this series of videos. I was on the fence between the top archery and the black hunter. Because of you im going to get the black hunter. Thanks again.
Make a video review about the Tbow ILF trad recurve bow. There's not much I could say about said bow, aside the fact that it is budget friendly, smooth to draw, appealing design and overall a very reliable bow for its price range. I've been shooting with the Tbow for a year now and I adored it ever since. The only cons by far is the archer himself, like any other bows one come across, it requires a tad bit of fine tuning. Amazing content as always, Kramer. Cheers!
I like the step-up philosophy, use subpar things until you notice weaknesses through growth and experience, then you can upgrade to fill those weaknesses, needs, and wants.
low cost ILF bows?
Thanks for the reviews. Wanted to get into archery so I purchased the black hunter recurve based on your reviews. Thank you.
How has it been so far?
May I respectfully suggest another measurement for when you are assessing any given new bow? How about STACK-ABILITY for us taller Sasquatch-sized archer wannabes? I draw 31” and have accumulated a number of nice unusable bows. Many thanks for your reviews.
The Manchu horse bow might be a good fit
good to see you back brother
You make me ill just listening to you people want reviews that are concise simple to follow and understand
Thank you for your time.😊
I have the top archery one. after 2 years I have tweaked it to be awesome! 2 things, 1st you gotta shoot off the shelf with a nice fur. I also put fur on the tips of the limbs.
An excellent video. Well done. Lots of great information.
highly recommend learning thumb draw. its awesome. you can get arrows away so much faster plus it makes you feel like a warrior. i made my own simple leather ring which is just a folded piece of leather with holes punched through both ends so i can lace it shut. i shoot a 50# alibow Kheshig which was about 330usd and freaking amazing for the price and the leather ring works fine. i opted for a horse bow over a recurve to accommodate my 32" draw. no stacking, fast as hell
also i should mention that the arrows dont bother my bow hand when they pass over it. i have a slight callus on my knuckle
Total newbie here about to buy his first bow with the goal of bow hunting... What's your gear to complete the kit... Leather arm protector? Three fingered gloves? Do you tune a recurve? Compounds have all manner of screws and poundage and left/right adjustments... What's your theory on arrows... Light? Heavy? Impact at target seems an important goal. I just subscribed, so I'll be rummaging around your videos for more tips... Thanks
i thankyou for the video truely and honestly. a bow has been on the list for a while.
What do you think about the black hawk short bee. I have one and I'm interested in what you think about it
I thought that the length of the bow determines the draw length, got told that my 54inch recurve wasn’t long enough and didn’t have the right draw length because of it. Is that right ?
Are the SAS Maverick and Black Hunter still the go tos today for under $200 entry bow?
Just found this video, I appreciate it greatly!
I just sold my Mathew’s V3X compound to buy a really nice .308 because of the political climate. I have been looking for a cheap yet good recurve to continue chasing deer with during archery season (10 years compound exp, 3 years recurve teaching kids at camp)
Good to see your videos again!
Cant wait for your build videos. And what you say is very true. If you have bad form a new bow is not going to help. Good practice will.
Did the black hunter bow come at the draw weight it said it was?
Glad to hear you and the family are doing well. Thanks for all the useful information and look forward to more videos.
Searched for the SAS Maverick, for those who want to know, it's a recurve, not a bad looking bow.
The Beast Is The 45 Pond Martin Willow Left Hand Long Bow,101 Tennessee Prepper Smoky Mountain TN.
Man, your videos are very useful. Thanks.
Good job Kramer - always enjoy watching you and listening to your commentary. Keep up the sterling work. (Still using my BH in the back garden)
Love this video-always look forward to your latest. Have a Black Hunter, among many others, and it's great.
"the best bow is the one you have"
bro I don't have one, my husband got a compound bow set at weight 60, I can't pull it yet coz I'm a noodle.
and i prefer more traditional bows.
so
mmiiiggghhhtttt be using this as advice for a good bow to start with.