Good Evening All
It has been a long time since I have been on Trad Gang, I am excited to be back. I was unable to hunt for a good while due to medical issues. I am now jumping back in. I have always loved bowhunting and as many others have, I started with a compound bow. Later I bought a bow from a bowyer friend of mine named Jeff Massie. In fact, I ended up buying two. A one piece recurve and a take down recurve, which I sold; wish I hadn't. Does anyone on this site have a Jeff Massie recurve? He began his work in Gonzales, Tx (I believe) and finally retired from his shop in Shiner, TX. I see him occasionally and ask if he will ever build bows again, he hasn't decided to do that yet.
I had his one piece recurve.Your lucky to have that bow.Thier pretty rare.
The one I had was gorgous as all get out and shot great and had a super nice grip.It was a bit heavy for me so I had to move it on.
His Longhorn longbow is still being built I believe by Jim Belcher in MI.
Anyway he was an excellent bowyer no doubt and that 1 PC. is super nice IMO.
Agreed. My one piece is faster than the two-piece IMO. Both were 55# @ 28.
How did you come across one of his bows? Just interested.
I was hoping that someone may have one they might want to get rid of.
Time will tell.
Went hunting with Jeff on the King Ranch and in Alice, TX almost twenty years ago. Nice guy and makes a great bow.
Was gonna hang it up as he got an offer from the King Ranch folks as an electrician as I recall (his trade I think).
Told him he needs to make an electric bow ! 😀
I had a Jeff Massie longbow. I did kill a P & Y whitetail with it the first day of the season along time ago. I also went on a Jeff Massie hog hunt. One of the best hunts I have been on. He is a great guy.
I hunted with Jeff several times on the Cadena. I have a Massie 3-piece "M" recurve, a 2-piece Longhorn, and 2 1-piece Longhorns. My wife has a 1-piece Longhorn and a Shorthorn. I've pretty much retired my Massie bows as they are all between 55 - 57 lbs, which is a bit heavier than I am comfortable shooting these days. The Black Wildebeest in my avatar was taken with my 2-piece Longhorn.
I hunted with Brett and Joe a few years ago on the Cadena but never got to meet Jeff. I did see a couple of his Longhorn bows though........beautiful work. I wish they were still doing those hunts and Jeff was still making those bows. Good times.
Quote from: huckbuck on March 05, 2019, 07:42:34 AM
I hunted with Brett and Joe a few years ago on the Cadena but never got to meet Jeff. I did see a couple of his Longhorn bows though........beautiful work. I wish they were still doing those hunts and Jeff was still making those bows. Good times.
Huckbuck, we've probably met as my wife and I, along with a group of buddies from NC, hunted with Joe and Brett many times. We hunted with them on the Cadena and on the wishbone when they lost the Cadena. I really miss those hunts.
Massie. Morrison and Thunderstick were the three bows I boiled my list down to when I was thinking hard about getting a new R/D longbow. Jeff, Bob and Jim were all great guys to deal with, all sent me bows to test drive. Jeff and Jim now longer make bows. Jeff was always fun to visit in his Gonzales shop. They all were super bows, similar in design, but the Thunderstick "felt" better, IMVHO.
:archer2: :coffee: :campfire: My TS III was stolen from my truck and I used the insurance money to buy the new MOAB, good choice. :clapper:
Jeff is a great guy I hunted many times with Jeff ,Brett and Joe at the Cadena Ranch had a good time and always shot lots of game.
After Jeff had quit guiding he came to the Cadena to hunt (party) for the weekend we were sitting around having a beer when I said gee we sure shot a lot more game on this ranch when Jeff was running this hunt , I got a dirty look from Brett and Jeff busted up with laughter. I heading for South Texas tomorrow cant wait to get out of this cold .
I really miss South Texas. Is anyone doing hunts similar to the ones they used to do on the Cadena?
Jeff sure made some pretty bows. I bought at least 5 of them over the years but only have one now. The one I have was built for me by Jeff when he was in his Gonzales shop. Beautiful Osage and Bocote. I sold it several years ago and after about 7-8 years I bought it back from Tippit. It will never leave my stable again. I've had a 2-piece recurve and a 3-piece recurve, which I wish I still had.
Jeff is one f the finest men you will ever meet. A Christian, Bower and Perfectionist.
Jeff made an outstanding bow. His "Longhorn" LB was the real deal. I've owned several of his bows and was always happy with performance and looks. Jim Belcher, aka Belcher Archery, was a friend of Jeff's, and when Jeff retired Jim purchased his equipment and started producing the "Longhorn" under his name. To my knowledge the Belcher "Longhorn" is still available. Contact Jim Belcher if your interested.
I really like the Longhorns. I think I have four left-handers remaining in my collection. I sold three right-handers. They are very nice looking and will shoot with the best R/D bows out there.
Oh man....sad face for sure. I had a M series t/d recurve. I sold it and have always regretted it. Why do we sell bows we regret? Dumb....plain dumb moves. I have seen 1 that is ONE M series t/d recurve for sale since I sold mine some 10 years ago.
Jeff was very nice with my order; I was very fussy with my grip too. I have no complaints other than me selling it.
Next time I see Jeff I will have to tell him all the great things said about him.
Yes I wish I hadn't sold the other bow, I don't know why we do that either.
If someone hears of hunts around South and Central Texas like those of old, be sure to let us know.
Have a great evening and it was nice to reflect on a wonderful guy and the talents that has shared.
Blessings...
I remember Jeff as well, from a king ranch hunt in the late 90's. He was a nice guy but I never shot any of his bows.
Tim B
I have the Longhorn, my all time favorite bow.
Also have the Shorthorn for my son.