6 Best Longbows of 2024
Many folks find longbows very fascinating. So, if you're dreaming of one, then you're not alone.
The longbow is the oldest bow type available but it's not really the simplest. Having undergone many changes over centuries, there's a lot more to a longbow than just wood and a string.
This longbows review provides you with the necessary information that you'll need to choose the right bow, as well as a list of the top-rated offers in the market.
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6 Best Longbows – Review
- 1. IRQ Archery – Best Overall Mongolian Longbow
- 2. SAS Pioneer – Premium Traditional Longbow
- 3. Huntingdoor 51-Inches – Best Budget Traditional Longbow
- 4. Southwest Archery Scorpion – Elegant Traditional Hunting Longbow
- 5. PSE Archery Sequoia – Classic Right-hand Longbow
- 6. Martin Archery ML-4S50R – Top-quality Stealth Hunting Longbow
- Longbow vs. Recurve Bow
- How to Buy the Best Longbows
- Conclusion
6 Best Longbows – Review
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1. IRQ Archery (Best Overall) |
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2. SAS Pioneer (Premium Choice) |
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3. Huntingdoor 51-Inches (Best Budget) |
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4. Southwest Archery Scorpion (Elegant Longbow) |
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5. PSE Archery Sequoia (With Classic Right-hand) |
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6. Martin Archery ML-4S50R (Top-quality Stealth) |
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PRODUCT |
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1. IRQ Archery (Best Overall) |
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2. SAS Pioneer (Premium Choice) |
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3. Huntingdoor 51-Inches (Best Budget) |
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4. Southwest Archery Scorpion (Elegant Longbow) |
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5. PSE Archery Sequoia (With Classic Right-hand) |
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6. Martin Archery ML-4S50R (Top-quality Stealth) |
1. IRQ Archery – Best Overall Mongolian Longbow
Photo: IRQ Archery
- AMO Length: 53 inches
- Draw weight: 45 lbs
- Material: Acacia & fiberglass
- Hand position: Both
Made from acacia wood, and with limbs laminated in fiberglass for strength and durability, everything about this bow is classically beautiful. And this includes its beautifully carved string grooves and unique decoration that make it the best overall longbow on this list.
Though it's not your typical longbow, the Mongolian bow has a long and glorious history. Having helped Mongolian warriors on horseback to conquer many lands.
This bow is 53.5 inches long, features a 45-lb draw weight, and is completely handmade.
You get a highly decorated bow with oriental style decorative print leather. This decoration covers the limbs and gives the entire bow a beautiful and timeless look.
For downsides, the package lacks accessories and the bow's design lacks an arrow rest.
It's, however, a unique longbow that anyone would be proud to own.
Pros:
Cons:
2. SAS Pioneer – Premium Traditional Longbow
Photo: SAS
- AMO Length: 68 inches
- Draw weight: 35 - 50 lbs
- Material: Makore & fiberglass
- Hand position: Right
This bow from Southland Archery Supply features a premium design and construction. If you want a high-quality longbow but you're not ready to spend hundreds of dollars, then this is it.
Available in 6 draw weights, you can get it in 29 , 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 , and 55-lb versions . The handle comes from Makore wood and Cassia Siamea, while the limbs are fiberglass laminated maple wood.
This bow is 68 inches long, which is great for draw lengths up to 30 inches, and if you use the higher draw-weight versions, then you can easily and confidently hunt nearly every type of game.
Looking at disadvantages, you can get cheaper longbows than this one, such as the
Huntingdoor 51-Inch longbow
.
It's also available for both
left
and
right handers
.
Pros:
Cons:
3. Huntingdoor 51-Inches – Best Budget Traditional Longbow
Photo: Huntingdoor
- AMO Length: 52.5 inches
- Draw weight: 30 - 55 lbs
- Material: Acacia & fiberglass
- Hand position: Both
Huntingdoor makes good longbows for hunting and this one is no different. If you are on the lookout for the best hunting longbow at the best price, then check this bow out.
It's made using Red Beech or Acacia wood plus high-strength fiberglass and leather. What you get is a handmade traditional bow with great performance for hunting.
You can choose any of the available 6 draw weights, including 30 , 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 , and 55 lbs , which has a 33-inch maximum draw length.
For downsides, there are no accessories and no arrow rest.
However, this traditional Asian longbow additionally includes so many decorations along the limbs and grip that it's nearly a work of art on its own.
More Detailed: Huntingdoor Traditional Longbow Review
Pros:
Cons:
4. Southwest Archery Scorpion – Elegant Traditional Hunting Longbow
Photo: Southwest Archery
- AMO Length: 68 inches
- Draw weight: 25 - 60 lbs
- Material: Wood & fiberglass
- Hand position: Both
The Southwest Archery Scorpion is a high-quality longbow, carefully designed, built by bow experts, and available in either left or right-hand versions.
It's the best longbow for beginners with some cash to spare. You can choose between 25 and 60-lb draw weights in 5-lb increments, making a total of 8 bow variants.
This 68-inch longbow comes with a 16-strand Dacron string and is great for all kinds of activities, including target archery, bow-hunting, and traditional archery by longbow purists.
Keep in mind that this isn't a cheap longbow. Still, each package comes with a stringer tool, is available in left and right-hand versions, and Southwest Archery backs it with a 1-year manufacturer warranty.
More Detailed: Southwest Archery Scorpion Longbow Review
Pros:
Cons:
5. PSE Archery Sequoia – Classic Right-hand Longbow
Photo: PSE
- AMO Length: 68 inches
- Draw weight: 40 - 55 lbs
- Material: Wood & fiberglass
- Hand position: Right
PSE is a well know archery brand, so anything that comes from the company is usually impressive. This bow is part of the PSE Heritage longbows and it's well built, although it's also quite costly.
The walnut and cherry combination creates a stylish bow, which both looks great and shoots well. It's 68 inches tall and available in a 50-lb draw weight.
This bow features a unique and sleek design which includes a well-crafted arrow shelf and allows you to get it for both hands, although this offer is just for the right-hand version.
Its limbs are further reinforced by fiberglass for extra strength and durability, and having 68 inches of length allows it to provide enough room for smoother shots.
Pros:
Cons:
6. Martin Archery ML-4S50R – Top-quality Stealth Hunting Longbow
Photo: Martin Archery
- AMO Length: 64 inches
- Draw weight: 40 - 65 lbs
- Material: Wood
- Hand position: Both
If you are looking for more than a simple longbow for hunting, then here's one of the highest quality longbows you can find.
Martin Archery didn't name this bow 'Stealth' for no reason. It guarantees you an extremely sleek and silent operation, keeping your shots as stealth as the game you're hunting.
The Stealth also produces little to no hand shocks and weighs just 1 lb 1 ounce, which is why seasoned hunters love it.
Be careful though because its price is also on the high side.
Additionally, this bow features Bubinga core laminations which are surrounded by Zebrawood and finished with fiberglass to produce its unique look.
Pros:
Cons:
Longbow vs. Recurve Bow
Photo: virginexperiencedays.co.uk
Longbow and recurve bow shooters have a more emotional attachment to archery and usually like to keep things old school. This includes wearing leather quivers and other accessories or shooting feather-fletched arrows.
If you find yourself wanting to choose between a longbow and a recurve bow , then following is a side by side comparison of the two. It should hopefully help you in making the right choice.
1. Weight
Longbows are generally lighter than recurve bows, although the weight difference isn't usually much. If you have concerns about bow weight, then you may want to consider a longbow.
2. Accuracy
When it comes to accuracy, then things get a little complicated. Most beginners will make more accurate shots with a recurve bow than with a long bow, but this does not mean that longbows cannot be shot accurately.
It takes an extra effort to gain the skills needed to make accurate shots with a longbow, and it is this long learning process that binds many archers emotionally to their longbows.
3. Arrow Speed
The recurve bow is basically a modified longbow and the main purpose of its design was to more easily produce stronger draw forces to shoot faster arrows.
This makes an average recurve bow more powerful than a longbow of comparable dimensions. If shooting fast arrows is important for you, then you need to lean towards a recurve bow.
4. Shooting Speed
Shooting speed here refers to how quickly you can prepare for a shot, and the longbow wins. It's the fastest type of bow to prepare, shoot, and reload. It was also popular in many ancient battles for this reason.
5. Loudness
Bowstrings make a sound when an arrow gets shot. As a result of their design, longbows make less noise than recurve bows, making them more preferred if you need to hunt very quietly.
A perfectly quiet longbow is the
Martin Archery ML-4S50R
, which produces very little hand shock and very low noise.
6. Nostalgia
When it comes to going back in time or yearning for the past, both longbows and recurve bows bring the feelings, but the longbow wins for its long history and more traditional appeal.
How to Buy the Best Longbows
Photo: outsideonline.com
A longbow is different from other bows, so when planning to buy one, you should consider the few specific features below that will help you to choose the right longbow.
1. Purpose
There are different types and sizes of longbows, and each one is particularly suited to a particular discipline. So if you are planning on target shooting, you'll need a different type than if you are going hunting.
2. Draw Length & Weight
You'll also need to know your draw length if you want the best performance from the bow. With longbows, each inch you draw the bow produces on average, about 2 lbs of draw weight.
To measure your draw length by yourself, stand upright and span your arms sideways. Have a friend measure the distance between the two tips o your fingers and divide the number by 2.5. This is your approximate draw length.
A more accurate measuring method is to actually draw a bow and then measure the distance from the front of the handle to the nock.
3. Length
When it comes to longbows, longer bows are better than shorter ones because they are more stable, shoot more smoothly, and are more forgiving.
Optimal longbow lengths begin from 64 inches for archers with a draw length of less than 24 inches, 66 inches length for 24 - 27 inches draw lengths, 66 - 68 inches for 24 - 27 inches draw lengths, 68 - 70 inches for 28 - 30 draw lengths, and 70 - 72 inches for over 31 inches of draw length.
4. Brace Height
A longbow's brace height is the distance between the grip and the un-drawn string. It's usually provided by the bow manufacturer and gets used to twist the bow until it's correct. When done right, it improves forgiveness and arrow speed.
5. Price & Quality
Since most longbows are made from wood, it's important that you buy one made with good quality wood. In other words, buying a cheap longbow is not usually a very good idea.
This doesn't mean you should spend a fortune on your longbow, but if you're serious about longbow archery, then you should plan on spending a little more for better quality.
Conclusion
We have reached the end of this longbows review and you have seen the different types available in the market.
In case you just want the best offer, then our recommendation is IRQ Archery's Mongolian bow , for its amazing design and attractive price.
Those who cherish style and beauty will cherish Southwest Archery's Scorpion , with its beautiful decorations and 1-year warranty.
And if you are on a budget, then the recommendation is
Huntingdoor's 51-inch longbow
, made from acacia and fiberglass.
