Picking A Suitable Recurve Bow
I purchased a Bear SuperMag 48 inch recurve bow two years ago. The bow has fiberglass limb tip reinforcements that specifically designed for FastFlight strings. At a price range of around $350.00 it is not a cheaply made bow. I was surprised when reading a few bow reviews archers were giving it low rating. It seems most bow hunter’s had problems ranging from limb warping to shattered limbs. At first look many would think it is a problem bow but I think there is more at hand than here. I have been shooting Bear bow’s since my teens and have not once been disappointed with any of my purchases. The bow builders at Bear Archery have reached a craftsmanship level that many companies find it hard to compete with. That leads me to the whole purpose of this article. To discuss why the SuperMag is receiving such a low rating and how bow hunters can learn about bow design before purchasing.
My first impression after purchasing SuperMag through an online retailer was that of being surprised in how short the arrow slinger actually is. This makes this bow an excellent choice if you hunt in thick under growth. It is a very maneuverable which means it does not need a lot of elbow room to get off a quick shot. If I would have taken my older model bow through the same thick underbrush I would end up fully entangled in the thick of it. Shorter bows offer not only more maneuverability but you tend to not snag on every hanging branch.
One of the disadvantages a short recurve has over a long recurve is a short recurve is draw length limited. The shorter the bow the shorter one’s draw length must be. Meaning an archer with a long draw length will put more stress on a recurve bow that is 48 inches in length than they would a bow that is 58 inches in length. The stress is put on the limbs and tips of the bow. Although since the inception of compound bows the manufactures have fixed this problem by only allowing some bows with set max draw lengths. That is not to say a shorter compound bow have shorter max draw lengths but that they make specific bows for the longer draw length archer. If you order a compound bow online you will soon find out that not all bows are created equal. Some compound bows will have max draw lengths that vary in which you must take into consideration before making the purchase.
The bottom line is to test out the recurve bow before you buy it. Most bow dealers can recognize when you are pushing a bow to its max and they can recommend another bow for your size draw length. So the question comes to mind is the Bear SuperMag 48 suitable for an archer with a long draw length? Based on reading the detailed reviews I believe the bad reputation is coming from archers with a longer draw length.
If you own a Bear Archery SuperMag 48 please feel free to drop a line. I would enjoy your input.
