I've shot, bought and made my share of bows and I have a serious question I need everyones help with. What is the overall best t/d recurve out there right now(currently being made)? I've shot alot of the big name bows and there is always a trade off one way or another with each bow. I'm looking for a medium poundage bow (48-53# @28") that can shoot a 550Grn arrow with authority and still be quite without alot of silencers. I've had a Fox breed that was quite and fast but not very forgiving. I've got a Fedora 560 thats fast and really quite but I hate the grip. I had a Pittsley Predator that wasn't fast and was really noisy. About the only bow I've really liked all around was a Schaffer Silvertip but I can't wait a year and spend a $1000 for a bow. Is there any little known boyers out there with a short wait and a great bow at a good price? Thanks Mike

Everyone has different ideas about what makes the best all around takedown recurve. What constitutes a cruddy grip for you might be heaven on Earth to Joe Schmoe. But after reading your post, the first bowyer that came to mind was Bob Lee. Great bows from a company with a wonderful reputation.

i say border black douglas! its really the only TD recurve I've shot but it draws as smooth as can be all the way out to my 29.5 inch draw....and its a 60" bow!! it as smooth anything I've ever drawn, and much faster! borderbows.com

I haven't shot a million bows but I recently shot a foley recurve and found it to be a fantastic shooting bow.  I found it smoother and more consistent than my bob lee(which I love)  The prices seemed ok for the customization and extras they had.  If I were in the market for another bow, I'd consider them very strongly.

I have owned or shot most of the highend bows and then some. Everyone will give you a different opinion on likes and dislikes. In my opinion these are the top three for shootability, performance and reliability. Schafer Silvertip,Blacktail Elite VL,and Robertson Vision Falcon. Just my opinion but you will not go wrong with any of these three. Yeah, I know you want a cheaper bow, but I do not know of any that will stack up to these. There is an old saying " You get what ya pay for" I firmly belive in it.Not saying there are not some $400 or $500 bows that will do, but I have not found any.

Danny

Zipper and Bob Lee both fit the bill. Both shoot well and won't break the bank.

For a best buy look no further than Rivers edge

Best bow = DAS Kinetics. 3Rivers will be carrying a special model of this bow made just for them for around $800. You just won't find a bow that has "it all" in terms of shooting qualities, speed, silence and stability. Very shortly they will have them and the wait will be about 3 weeks.

DAS "Dalaa" by 3-Rivers.

I would also recomend the DAS it has everything you are looking for. It is very quiet and shoots fast and if the grip doesn't fit you you can customize it if you would like.

I shot the Foley at Denton Hill.  Very nice bow.  Very smooth on the draw.

However I ended up buying a Ancient Spirits Thunderhawk.

Mike,  is there any reason why you can't customize the grip to get it just right for you on your currunt bows?

I have had a friend customize my grips now and it can take a dog of a bow and make it a diamond...it can take a great bow and make it greater.

I just ordered a bow from Brandon Stahl (Rose Oak bows) and made the  effort to go see him so that he would know how I liked my grips.

DAS Dalla has everything you looking for and will have a very short turn around. Lot's of great bows out there though. Make a list of your favorite qualities and grip style and contact some of the great bowyers who sponsor this site, I am sure you won't have much trouble getting one set-up exactly as you like. But I would take a look at the Dalaa if oure shooting is what you are looking for the most and are less concerned with exotic woods and such.

Check Rivers Edge Recurves...

I shot one of there test bows over the winter and loved it. The prices are good and Kevin & Sue are nice people to deal with.

If I remember correctly I got around 185-190 fps with a 480 gr arrow.

http://www.riversedgerecurves.com/index.htm

Brackenburys and Wes Wallace are worth looking at too.

Black Widows

DAS Kinetic fits my needs.  Additional limbs will not break the bank.  I'm impressed with the efficency of the design.  I get 180 fps with a 660 grain arrow out of 58# at 29". Tuning is easy and it's built tough.  Rod

Thanks for the replies. Does anyone have a contact # or website for the Foley bows. I've thought about tearing into my Fedora and thinning out the grip but that does kill resale value. I have a 60# bow from Brandon Stahl (Rose Oak Bows) and it's great for hunting but a bit heavy for shooting everyday. I have a 53# bow on order from him thats due the end of the month. It's his new t/d and I'm excited to see how it turns out. The DAS bows are interesting but being a cabinetmaker by trade I love fancy wood bows. There has to be a recurve out there that is the equivalent of the adcock acs as far as it's fast, quite and really shootable. I'm not afraid to spend more than $500 I just think $1000+ is to much for an everyday shooter that gets hunted with alot. Does anyone know how long the wait is on a Border bow? Thanks for the help. Mike

on the Border bow, its something like 10 weeks. it is very close in speed to the ACS CX, and I prefer it strongly to my ACS (pre-CX)...you won't be sorry.....thing is, they honestly are over $1000 with the HEX4 limbs...but worth every penny!

QuoteThere has to be a recurve out there that is the equivalent of the adcock acs as far as it's fast, quite and really shootable.

There are several. But when you add your other qualifications, it narrows the field to about three: Checkmate, Bob Lee, River's Edge.