Traditional Bow guys chime in please

[TheProvider]

Hey Provider , I suggest you start with a used Recurve . Chek-Mate is the Work Horse standard and appreciated around the world .
The recurve has more shootability than a Longbow because of the Mass and weight of the riser . There is a lesser chance of stacking with a recurve and the availability of the Olympic style reflex riser make torqueing less of a negative facter . A later limb change option is good .
The Chek-Mate TD Hunter 1 & 2 are one of the most shootable Bows on the market .
I have a line on a great TD 2 , if interested give me a PM.

Its Ruger4 looking for the bow hehe

[J_T]

I picked up My Take-down Hunter sometime in the early 90's. It still has the original string and I never unstring it. I take it apart and wax the string before heavy use and confirm the brace height. But those bows are a workhorse. I've hunted hard country with my bow and it has stood up to the test. Maintenance free. it's a good friend. Great walking stick and I've killed many an animal with it.

[Ruger4]

I picked up My Take-down Hunter sometime in the early 90's. It still has the original string and I never unstring it. I take it apart and wax the string before heavy use and confirm the brace height. But those bows are a workhorse. I've hunted hard country with my bow and it has stood up to the test. Maintenance free. it's a good friend. Great walking stick and I've killed many an animal with it.

thanx for the info J T

[Tuffcity]

I have a Chek Mate 'wannabe"- some take down, black widow type design that CM was trying out in the late 90's. It's been on pack-in trips, winter trips, through the swamps and rain of Van. Is., been to Africa, hunted goats, been left strung for a year... It's got it's share of dings and scratches and still shoots as good today as it did when I first got it and still draws the same poundage.

If you can find a used CM you will not go wrong (or a new one!).

RC

[J_T]

I have a Chek Mate 'wannabe"- some take down, black widow type design that CM was trying out in the late 90's. It's been on pack-in trips, winter trips, through the swamps and rain of Van. Is., been to Africa, hunted goats, been left strung for a year... It's got it's share of dings and scratches and still shoots as good today as it did when I first got it and still draws the same poundage.

If you can find a used CM you will not go wrong (or a new one!).

RC

And most everyone of those nics and scratches is a memory. Just like the scars on our body. We remember them all. Romancing the traditional bow. There is something to be said for it.

[greybark]

I have a Chek Mate 'wannabe"- some take down, black widow type design that CM was trying out in the late 90's. It's been on pack-in trips, winter trips, through the swamps and rain of Van. Is., been to Africa, hunted goats, been left strung for a year... It's got it's share of dings and scratches and still shoots as good today as it did when I first got it and still draws the same poundage.

If you can find a used CM you will not go wrong (or a new one!)

RC

Hey Tuffcity , very few of those bows were made . I know of only one other and the owner would never part with it .
They are a jewel in every sence of the word .
Cheers

[Grantmac]

Depends if you want to be competitive or just fling some arrows. That will drive the choices you make.
There are many decent hunting bows being produced by fairly small domestic boyers, but there are no really competitive ones.

-Grant

[greybark]

Depends if you want to be competitive or just fling some arrows. That will drive the choices you make.
There are many decent hunting bows being produced by fairly small domestic boyers, but there are no really competitive ones.

-Grant

In the Trad class many more Prov and Cdn championships have been won with Chek-Mates than with any other bow .

[E.B.]

If the black widow style checkmate is called a firebird, i have one and they are an awesome bow. 56" takedown riser forward design. Filled the freezer lots with that one.

[Grantmac]

In the Trad class many more Prov and Cdn championships have been won with Chek-Mates than with any other bow .

In the past sure, but I highly doubt you will see any of their bows compete on a National level successfully these days. Kind of like Black Widow, they haven't exactly kept-up with technology and instead have rested on past success. You have to look at whats being used to win in the big shoots down south. IBO Recurve Unaided and NFAA Trad class is being dominated by Bernardini, Best and Spigarelli risers. I've got a couple (Bernardini and Spigarelli) and there is no comparison. I compete across the border in Washington and I have seen every Trad shoot (indoor, field and 3D) absolutely dominated by modern equipment.
I believe the FITA World 3D Instinctive class was just won by a Canadian shooting a Tradtech riser, seems odd that he wouldn't take a Canadian built bow if it was a winning design?

Not saying that CM build a bad bow, but they are nowhere near what you can get for the same money elsewhere.

-Grant