# Bear Montana or Something better?



## c_m_shooter (Aug 15, 2018)

You need to specify what you mean by "better". Asthetics are personal preference, smoothness is hard to measure. Speed will vary with every different draw length, draw weight, and arrow weight. The Bear has been in production as long as I can remember, so there is probably nothing wrong with it.


----------



## FLlongshot (Jan 2, 2008)

Omega Longbows.


----------



## Yooper-travler (Feb 28, 2011)

Chet what do you want? Another RD longbow? An ASL? A hybrid? Are you looking for bling? Veneers?


----------



## Chet Punisher (Nov 26, 2017)

Not looking for bling so much. Using it for small game and target. Just wondering if there are other bows besides the Bear Montana that I should take a look at. I had a Montana, but it was too heavy. Now I', looking for a lighter bow and seeing if there is something else out there.

Thanks


----------



## MontanaMarine (Nov 22, 2019)

I had a 50# Bear Montana. Unfortunately the riser exploded at full draw. I lost confidence in the design, and went up to a Toelke Whip. Of course that is a $900 bow, but it is really nice to shoot, and look at...grin.

After a while I got an itch for a Bodnik Slick Stick, the 60" version from Kustom King Archery, which is about $360. It is a fantastic bow, ended up with a couple of them.

Another longbow I will likely add to my small collection is an Old Mountain Mesa longbow from 3Rivers. They go for around $259, but seem to get very good reviews across the board. Nice modern R/D 64" bow.


----------



## Yooper-travler (Feb 28, 2011)

Chet Punisher said:


> Not looking for bling so much. Using it for small game and target. Just wondering if there are other bows besides the Bear Montana that I should take a look at. I had a Montana, but it was too heavy. Now I', looking for a lighter bow and seeing if there is something else out there.
> 
> Thanks


All your going to get is what we/other folks shoot and like. That really has no bearing on you, price excluded of coarse. If you liked the Montana and shoot it well, an option is to stay with it at a lighter more manageable weight. Otherwise you really ought to try a few (I know, hard to do) to see if something jumps out at you.


----------



## maddog20/20 (Oct 13, 2015)

I have the Bear Ausable and it’s probably my favorite bow, so I’m all about Bear longbows, but I’d probably buy an Omega Imperial before I’d buy the Montana. In my experience, it’s just kind of a rough shooter.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Dartwick (Oct 28, 2019)

Bears bows are generally fine(my first real bow was a Bear.)

You can probably get a better bow with less hand shock and better performance from Omega Longbows or Bodnik for similar money. 

Or you can get the one of fairly well regarded Galaxy longbows from Lancaster archery for MUCH less money. But I would probably buy an upgraded string for it from the start(even with a new string its MUCH less money.)


----------



## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

Omega...


Omega...


Omega...


That's the top 3 on my list.


----------



## YamahaYG68 (Jun 11, 2018)

BarneySlayer said:


> Omega...
> 
> 
> Omega...
> ...


I'll second that!!!

I used to be a factory bow sort of guy, but Kegan is excellent to deal with, pricing is great, you get to choose length within a rage on the Original and Imperial. 

There are also some material choices, he'll make it to your requirements as far as draw weight and draw length go.

Delivery time is great for a custom, mine came in 42 days from day of order.

Warranty, copied from the Omega website; 

"_Each Omega comes with a limited life time warranty applicable to the original owner. At any point should a bow fail due to construction or materials, the customer will be entitled to a replacement or repair of equal or lesser value._" 

These are some of the reasons why I like Omega's


Thread on my bow; https://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5777947

Omega website; https://www.omegalongbows.com/?fbclid=IwAR2vHc5Bq3r5_Que0ie0NsZ64fLAKFtRqolEr6oKy3YCS9LbAVfDXA4RfkY


----------



## maddog20/20 (Oct 13, 2015)

Honestly, how can you not support a guy like Kegan at Omega? He seems like a great guy who makes top notch bows by hand and he’s just a normal dude with a family rather than a large corporation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## caldwerc (Jun 2, 2017)

Bearpaw bows are all pretty decent!


----------



## penumbra (Aug 23, 2016)

I had a couple Montana bows and I really enjoyed shooting them and thought I would have them forever. Then I found a great deal on a couple of Toelke Whips and traded up. 
The Montana is a very light and nimble bow, great for informal target shooting and light hunting. The Omega is a different thing altogether. It is a serious hunting bow and built very well. If the Montana was a nimble front wheel drive vehicle, the Omega would be 4 wheel drive.


----------



## flygilmore (Aug 23, 2011)

Well, I have a 45# Montana that I just bought new a couple weeks ago. It is the first longbow in my collection of "several" recurves. I absolutely love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After putting a good custom string on it, all the hand shock and vibration vanished! I was asking my son last night to listen to me shoot in my basement. He was facing away from me and trying to guess when I released. He couldn't hear the bow from 15ft away.....it's amazing how silent it is. Very accurate too. Now that I have it, I have been also looking at the 3Rivers Old Mountain Mesa as my second longbow. Good luck!


----------



## Roadsnakes (Nov 29, 2016)

Just a thought.............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUg0Ua8IFBY
'
https://www.southwestarcheryusa.com...products/scorpion-longbow?variant=21105482693


----------



## maddog20/20 (Oct 13, 2015)

I do think there’s something to be said about the panache of owning a piece of history and tradition which is what Bear, as a brand, means to me.

That’s why I ordered an Ausable as my first longbow. It’s super fast and quiet, but not terribly forgiving due to the amount of reflex/deflex on the limbs...but I love it.

To me, and I’m speaking only for me, there’s a lot more to owning a Bear traditional bow than just the equipment. There are countless “good bows” and even the lower priced ones these days are pretty good, so the sappy part of me looks for more than that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Brad Lehmann (Sep 4, 2010)

I wasn't impressed with the Bear Montana that I had. I think that the best longbows ever to come here were Whippen Sticks. I had a fifty pounder that felt more like sixty but wasn't. It was fast but wore me out. I bought another just like it at forty five pounds and couldn't be happier. Hard to find but usually can be had for about $400 to $450 used. I had a Bob Sarrels Blueridge S/R that was an excellent bow. You might look at one of them if a three piece is something that interests you. New, about $850 and half of that for used. The 3 Rivers Thunderstorm Diamond series is a surprisingly nice and hard hitting bow. The handle is a little chunkier than many of the high end bows but not enough to really bother me and my medium sized hands. Quite frankly, I have been really disappointed with at least half of the longbows that I have owned. Especially the ones where the bowyer does a "locator grip". I owned a few of them that didn't get a dozen shots put on them because the locator was apparently for someone else's hand profile. The Striker bows are pretty good as well. My only problem with them is I want a long bow to be long and they don't make a long one. If you want a 62" bow, the Savannah is a good one. They are not only beautiful, but shoot very good. Look for one with the Acacia tree logo on it.


----------



## coyote30 (Aug 16, 2013)

Maddog archery and Omega are worth taking a look at. I can't say they are better than the Montana because that opinion will be different for everyone. Just options.


----------



## penumbra (Aug 23, 2016)

Roadsnakes said:


> Just a thought.............
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUg0Ua8IFBY
> '
> https://www.southwestarcheryusa.com...products/scorpion-longbow?variant=21105482693


Great Company with great customer service. I would love to shoot one of these.


----------



## Chet Punisher (Nov 26, 2017)

Thanks for all he replies. I'm currently looking for a Slick Stick or a Old Mountain Mesa... Just wondering if those are just as quiet as the Montana.


----------



## penumbra (Aug 23, 2016)

Slick Stick is a nice no frills light and nimble fun to shoot bow. I don't know your height and draw length but it is only 58" long, though I think there is a 60" version now. Still, a short bow to learn on. Watch that vid on the Scorpion that Roadsnakes posted.


----------



## Greenjoytj (Aug 10, 2013)

Martin Savannah, Bear Patriot, Bear Montana all are my favourites I shoot the bow I’m in the mood to shoot all work great.


----------



## YamahaYG68 (Jun 11, 2018)

One consideration is the bow's AMO length, it was important to me due my 30" draw length.

I believe the Mesa is 64", which is fine if that suits a persons needs. 

Some custom bowyers offer more length options, for example; if a longer bow is desired, the Omega Original is available in 64" and 66", while the Omega Imperial is available in a range from 62" to 70". I chose a 68" and have been disappointed.


----------



## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

YamahaYG68 said:


> I chose a 68" and have been disappointed.


How so?


----------



## YamahaYG68 (Jun 11, 2018)

BarneySlayer said:


> How so?


Typo :embara:

Should read; I chose a 68" and have *NOT* been disappointed.


----------



## Ihatewinter (Nov 26, 2015)

How does the Whip compare to the Omega? I’m interested in both along with a couple other custom bows.


----------



## YamahaYG68 (Jun 11, 2018)

The Whip is one of Toelke models, so when comparing it to an Omega, one has to decide which Omega to compare to the Whip; there's the Original, Imperial and the Native.

IMHO, the Whip appears to be in general comparison to the Original.

The Imperial has a bulkier riser when combined with dense wood can provide a physically heavier bow. This is why I chose the ipe wood riser for my Imperial because I wanted a bow with a heavier physical weight, mine is 32 oz. If a heavier physical weight is important, this may be a factor, I do not know what the typical physical weight for a Whip is, they look lighter, but looks are deceiving sometimes. The Imperial is also offered in lengths up to 70", if a longer bow is desired.

The Native is a 58" high reflex/deflex design.

Its lots of fun shopping for "toys" :wink: lots to consider, good luck with your choice.


----------



## Chet Punisher (Nov 26, 2017)

So I should update this. i ended up purchasing a used Toelke Super D. Thanks for all the advice!


----------



## YamahaYG68 (Jun 11, 2018)

Picture request


----------



## Chet Punisher (Nov 26, 2017)

Not my pics, but the seller takes better pics...


----------



## triumph (Dec 24, 2009)

I also went with the super D. A light fun shooting bow


----------



## Chet Punisher (Nov 26, 2017)

It’s unbelievably light


----------



## StuartEL (Sep 10, 2017)

How do you like it? Looks beautiful! Best of luck with it!


----------



## Chet Punisher (Nov 26, 2017)

I love it so far. Groups are starting to tighten up. Need to work on dialing in my arrows.


----------



## triumph (Dec 24, 2009)

Chet Punisher said:


> It’s unbelievably light


Yes very surprised how light it is. I prefer the light long bows with the pl being my favorite. But excellent work by Toelke


----------



## maddog20/20 (Oct 13, 2015)

Chet Punisher said:


> It’s unbelievably light


When I shoot my recurve and then pick up my Ausable longbow, it feels like a toy by comparison.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## BugsyArcher (Nov 25, 2019)

The Martin Savannah definitely gets my vote but I also have the Omega Imperial in my sights as my first custom bow purchase. I also own a Bear Patriot but not sure it comes in many draw weights other than 55# so if your not in good "Archery Shape" it may be a challenge to shoot for an extended period of time before fatigue sets in and your form may suffers.


----------



## pavementends (Aug 21, 2015)

If you have a long draw length, and the bow stacks, you'll never get there. Always good to test shoot if possible.Custom builders will often make the bow to your draw length.


----------

