Bear Archery Montana Long Bow

I really love this bow. I gave it 5 stars. Only complaint, the handle wrapping is sort of like thin black foam sheet, stuck or glued on. It might seem a little cheesy, but I've been firing this bow for a while now, and it hasn't given me any problems. I also have a recurve bow, and that has no wrapping on the riser / handle at all. This bow is BEAUTIFUL. I go to Mile Square Park in Orange County, CA, which is a public range... look around, all you see is plastic, metal and fiberglass. EVERY time I go to the range, a couple of people want to look at the bow and comment at how beautiful it is. If you are into historic recreation, this is a REALLY good compromise between traditional crafting, and just a bit of modern craft to make it more durable / useful (the main bow is pretty much laminated wood I think, but it is sheeted on the ouside and belly of the limbs with fiberglass). Mine is 64" 45 lb. The narrow limbs are very forgiving, and they don't tweak left or right if your release is a little crappy (like mine) or if your form isn't perfect. It's really a blast to shoot, a beautiful weapon, and if I were facing down the French Army at the battle of Agincourt I'd feel pretty comfortable with this bow (right up until I was spit on a French longsword). I also have a 60" 60lb recurve which is MUCH LESS forgiving... and tiring. I can shoot this bow for 2 - 3 arrows with decent fatigue and spread. At the end of the day, I hang it on the wall above my bed and enjoy looking at it. I recommend this for both those who are new to archery as well as long time shooters who want a traditional feel and a fun, easy shoot.

This is the first bow I have bought out of the box that is really ready to shoot. Add a nock at about 1/2 in high, twist the string to the proper brace and you’re ready to shoot. It takes practice to shoot well. The smoothness of draw rivals a recurve. None of that stiffness that is prevalent in the cheaper Chinese bows. It has a little hand shock but I find it controllable, which leads to longer shooting sessions. I can’t leave anything alone for long, so I added a leather grip to fit my hand better. Added Bear hair rest and new side plate. Included string seems fine and has given me no problems. This is a Best Buy. Sure I want a custom bow but for now this makes me happy.

As with any traditional styled longbow you must practice. I like the fact that the manufactured with five laminations. I have been a traditional archer my entire life. This is my first bear longbow. Many of the Chinese bows have 4 laminations. Of all the bows I own the ones with more laminations seem to be more stable and consistent. This bow has tolerable hand shock and is quite silent. I will not be adding string silencers to this bow. The grip is junk. I trashed the grip and added my own leather grip.

My husband has wanted this now for years now. I bought it for him for his birthday and he absolutely loves it. I got him the 45# and I think it's perfect for him. Great price too!

I have been involved with all aspects of archery for 50 or more years. I’ve owned many Bear bows. Ive also invested in custom bows. But, for a go too- I have always trusted Bear.Getting too old to comfortably enjoy my hunting weight bows, I ordered a 40# Bear Montana so I could reacquaint myself with the joy of recreational archery.The bow is great. But the cheap strings and the crappy wrap around simulated leather grip must have the honorable Fred Bear rolling in his grave. I do recommend this bow, but understand you will need to make some improvements. You should not have to. Shame on Bear.

My two favorite bows are the Bear Super Grizzly and the Montana long bow. Smooth and accurate shooing for the aficionado who wants a little Robin Hood in their life. I actually Robin Hooded an arrow with bow using a traditional broad head tip.

I just got mine today but I'm not new to this bow. The bow itself is worth 10 stars but I will be changing string and rest to my preference.

I received this item with two strings. There was a mark on the riser above the shelf and several small scratches on the riser. The strings that were sent with the bow were served in such a manner that the top of the serving came just above the shelf. It was not nearly high enough. I did brace the bow WITH THE HELP OF A BOWSTRINGER. It seemed to be sturdy, however, after thirty years of longbow shooting everything in me says "send it back". So, I have sent it back. Thank you. E.E.