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Black hunter longbow

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14K views 34 replies 18 participants last post by  Remote  
#1 ·
I was told black hunter longbows were good bows for new trad shooters. Any other info would be great.
 
#2 ·
I have 3 of them. They are a good deal at 4x the price, IMO. The riser has micro-laminations and is a good mass and structurally very strong. I shoot one at well over 60lb, without issue. Shelf radiusing gives excellent clearance and is well suited to shooting arrows off the shelf. The grip is known for its excellent thumb locator and for being very low-torque, which is great when you are learning. Torquing at the grip is a big deal when you're getting your alignment sorted out.

These things make it a real point-and-shoot bow. The bow is also very quick for a longbow, and tough as nails. I have taken mine into some extreme country, also on overnights. River crossings, all fours, climbing, the works.

The only things to note:

  • The string it comes with sucks and is loud. Get a Fast Flight made for it
  • They sometimes come in a few pounds heavier than listed
  • If you draw more than 31" you will be into the stacking, so no good
I would recommend getting it at 30lb, while you are learning, and a set of spare 35lb limbs for it, for when you are stronger. Very inexpensive limbs, and they sure belt them out. More thwack pound-for-pound than my fancy Bodnik longbows and up there with many recurves.
 
#4 ·
Word to the wise…all Black Hunters are not the same. All made by the same Chinese company but some are better than others. The ones on Amazon for $90.-$100 bucks are the “blems” so to speak. The Black Hunters that places like Lancaster Archery and Twig Archery and now even Big Jim Bows is selling them, are better quality and sell for $199. Same bow, higher quality that’s all. Lancaster sells the Black Hunter under their own brand “Galaxy” and it called the Ember. 3 Rivers also sells a fancier version called the Timber Ridge T/D longbow. Again same bow just fancier woods. All the Black Hunter/Ember/Timber Ridge limbs are interchangeable. All of these also come as recurves and those limbs will also interchange with the longbow…the risers are all the same.
 
#10 ·
Everyone knows who makes them. And they are all made in the same Chinese factory. If you put one of the Amazon bought bows next to one purchased through LAS or Twig or Big Jim’s the differences are obvious. Speaking from having purchased both and like it or not there is a difference in fit and finish. For the small difference in price I’d rather own the nicer product. Also rather deal with a reputable company if replacement would be needed than some Chinese distributor off Amazon.
 
#7 ·
Bought one for my wife as a first bow. They're super great deals for the money. Sure, fit and finish isn't superb on them but they are 100% passable. Like ours came with the sticker on upside down and a couple blems on it, but I picked it up new from a vendor at an archery shoot for $75 because it was left handed and it was his last shoot of the year so he didn't want to lug it around until next year.

99% of trad bows are going to perform better than the shooter. There isn't much that can go wrong on them other than delamination of the limbs or stripped out the mounting bolts (which would be your fault normally), and I haven't heard of any delam issues with these bows.

People always talk about how accurate a longbow or recurve is but in truth, as long as the limbs are straight and the arrows are tuned to the bow, they're all going to shoot just as consistently as others, the "accuracy" comes from the ergonomics of the bow to you and the pointability of it, which I feel is a very personal thing. Some people like large sight windows, others like them small but one thing that that I personally think helps across the board, no matter the shooter is how close the shelf is to your bow hand. The closer the shelf to your hand, the closer the arrow to your hand, and the easier it will be to shoot instinctively. If you're going to use an aiming method, then you'd be just as well served by a raised rest, but for a new shooter it won't make much difference until you start stretching your distances out there.
 
#11 ·
Everyone has a tale they heard from their buddy, who heard from a guy at the club, etc., etc. If you think they don't make great bows for the most part, then you better think again. Samick is always near the podium in World Archery or even Olympic archery, so their products are top notch for the most part. Some are made cheaper, but even bows with "second" on them are not fragile or are going to blow up or not perform. Cosmetic issues don't affect shooting or they wouldn't be put on the market; that's a liability issue that even foreign companies don't want.

Amazon buys by the thousands, so they can get a deal from the manufacturer. Yes, they "may" be blems, but mostly you won't be able to tell and they shoot just fine, and you know you can send them back easily of not right. If you do choose to buy from a smaller entity, try Twig Archery out of Ohio where you can get service if needed. Lancaster is also good, as is 3Rivers, etc., but you will pay more because they pay more to get them. I've shot the Black Hunters and I've shot the Sage, both are great bows, not just for the money but overall.
 
#16 ·
There's more than one bow company in China, and many bows come out of Korea as well...and others come from areas of Europe. Win-Win of Korea has been making bow limbs for the Tradtech brand for a long time and makes many of the bows/limbs that are chosen by Olympic athletes. Greatree of Korea has made bows for Bear, PSE and others, along with their own branded models. My grandson has a Samick Sage and it is a great bow and has had no issues in the four years he's had it. I've shot bows by Top Archery, Junxing, Win-Win and Samick and all seem fine and shoot well.

Samick has been making recurve bows since the 1970's so they do know a thing or two about the process and are also into many high-grade models. Most are done nowadays using CNC equipment so, like modern guitars, there is little difference in them no matter the origin. I also understand that copyrights are basically nonexistent over in that world so there is a freedom to follow a successful product like the Sage and Black Hunter models.

Having a representative over here in the USA is a plus for the buyers as it gives them access more quickly if there is an issue. Not everyone has a pot full of cash to spend multi-hundreds of dollars on a bow so these models have a place for sure.
 
#17 ·
One word of caution about Black Hunter limbs and risers. The shape and feel of them is the same. I've bought several off of ebay and amazon. The bolt position is not always the same. Some have one locater pin and some have two. This is most important when you want to buy additional limbs because they all will use the name Black Hunter.
 
#18 ·
MK 1 and MK 2 hunters differ. Latter has square limb butts, and some say, with no evidence as yet, they are a little faster than their predecessor. Like the nice phone I am writing this on, they are made in China, by Junxing Sports. Mandarin Duck Black Hunter is just the branding for the 'F172'. See for yourself here:

 
#27 ·
I have 3 of them. They are a good deal at 4x the price, IMO. The riser has micro-laminations and is a good mass and structurally very strong. I shoot one at well over 60lb, without issue. Shelf radiusing gives excellent clearance and is well suited to shooting arrows off the shelf. The grip is known for its excellent thumb locator and for being very low-torque, which is great when you are learning. Torquing at the grip is a big deal when you're getting your alignment sorted out.

These things make it a real point-and-shoot bow. The bow is also very quick for a longbow, and tough as nails. I have taken mine into some extreme country, also on overnights. River crossings, all fours, climbing, the works.

The only things to note:

  • The string it comes with sucks and is loud. Get a Fast Flight made for it
  • They sometimes come in a few pounds heavier than listed
  • If you draw more than 31" you will be into the stacking, so no good
I would recommend getting it at 30lb, while you are learning, and a set of spare 35lb limbs for it, for when you are stronger. Very inexpensive limbs, and they sure belt them out. More thwack pound-for-pound than my fancy Bodnik longbows and up there with many recurves.
There's more than one bow company in China, and many bows come out of Korea as well...and others come from areas of Europe. Win-Win of Korea has been making bow limbs for the Tradtech brand for a long time and makes many of the bows/limbs that are chosen by Olympic athletes. Greatree of Korea has made bows for Bear, PSE and others, along with their own branded models. My grandson has a Samick Sage and it is a great bow and has had no issues in the four years he's had it. I've shot bows by Top Archery, Junxing, Win-Win and Samick and all seem fine and shoot well.

Samick has been making recurve bows since the 1970's so they do know a thing or two about the process and are also into many high-grade models. Most are done nowadays using CNC equipment so, like modern guitars, there is little difference in them no matter the origin. I also understand that copyrights are basically nonexistent over in that world so there is a freedom to follow a successful product like the Sage and Black Hunter models.

Having a representative over here in the USA is a plus for the buyers as it gives them access more quickly if there is an issue. Not everyone has a pot full of cash to spend multi-hundreds of dollars on a bow so these models have a place for sure.
Word to the wise…all Black Hunters are not the same. All made by the same Chinese company but some are better than others. The ones on Amazon for $90.-$100 bucks are the “blems” so to speak. The Black Hunters that places like Lancaster Archery and Twig Archery and now even Big Jim Bows is selling them, are better quality and sell for $199. Same bow, higher quality that’s all. Lancaster sells the Black Hunter under their own brand “Galaxy” and it called the Ember. 3 Rivers also sells a fancier version called the Timber Ridge T/D longbow. Again same bow just fancier woods. All the Black Hunter/Ember/Timber Ridge limbs are interchangeable. All of these also come as recurves and those limbs will also interchange with the longbow…the risers are all the same.
Wrong.
I asked Lancaster Archery whether or not they check the Black Hunter I would buy from them online, they call it the Galaxy Ember, and here's the answer from them:
Mindy Schmidt (Lancaster Archery Supply)
Nov 20, 2023, 07:16 EST
Hello Philippe,

Thank you for choosing Lancaster Archery Supply!

The items are shipped as the manufacturer packages them - new in box. Unless you are purchasing from our ProShop in person, we don't do any advance setup on the bows. They simply ship as we receive them from the manufacturer.

If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me.

Have a great day.

Mindy
 
#30 ·
Agreed. As your strike plate comes out from center, arrow dynamic spine will stiffen. So if using arrows from another bow that is cut close to center on your Black Hunter, add weight to end of arrow until it shoots straight. Shoot bareshafts to confirm.
 
#33 ·
The guys who blast Chinese made bows are generally blasting from a Chinese made phone. Ironic eh, and I don't want to hear you can't get anything but a Chinese made phone. It's hypocritical to sass one product over another when both are made in the same country.

Also, many of those bows are indeed made in our allied countries like Korea, Japan, etc. Bow makers aren't paid slave wages, but it's quite possible that those kids putting together smart phones are.
 
#35 ·
The success of the bow speaks for itself. It's changed the market, now a staple. We have posh wood bows in our home, and our Black Hunters stand alongside them for great arrow cast and point-and-shoot prowess.

Whomever designed that bow knew what they were doing. Western bowyers ought to sit up and take notice. Study what worked and why. It's not just the price.

I'll reward good work wherever it's from.