# Bear Montana Report



## centershot (Sep 13, 2002)

As some of you know I picked up a 'new to me' Bear Montana longbow and thought I'd give you my initial impressions. First off, it is a 45# model (draws 42#@28" actual) 64" AMO bow. I was shooting with a brace height of 7.5" and using some full length (33")2013's w/ 100gr points and 3) 4" Feathers - closest thing I had to a correctly spined arrows and actually they bare shaft tuned pretty close. The bow came with rubber and beaver hair silencers installed on a 18 strand B-50 string. I just left it alone for the first session. My first impression was wow, this thing is quiet and slow....probably in part due to the heavyish arrows (465gr). Hand shock was no big deal, a little recoil but not much more than my recurve really. Aiming is a little strange with the small window, so I canted it enough that the window cut was now my vertical alignment. My point on was about 8" low at 20 which made it very easy to group well at the 15-25yards I was shooting at. I had several 5 arrow groups that could be reached around with one hand and usually at least 4 of 5 arrows in that 3-5" grouping. I did not have an NFAA target with me but 4 ring accurate with an occasion 3 would be my guess. The grip is a little blocky and I may work it over a bit to see if I can make it fit my hand a bit better. I took the cheesy leather wrap off and did find the small gaps where the front laminations butt together that others have seen as well, no biggie - I'll fill them with wood filler and you would have to look pretty hard to see it. Overall I find this bow to be of pretty good quality and very enjoyable to shoot, love how quiet it is and can see how folks become addicted to longbows. If this bow is as bad as some on here suggest I would really like to shoot a nice one some time. I did pick up some 1816's and will get them fletched up and do some tuning. I'll give another update when I get some more time with the bow. Till then, I think the new price is pretty high for what you get, but at used prices the Montana can make a great bow that does not break the bank.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Center -

Sounds good! It must be at least a few years old, since the newer ones lost the blocky grip. Please get rid of that string! 18 strands of B-50 will handle over 100#, you can drop down to 14 (or even 12) and be fine. I'd be curious to hear how it shoots (sound and speed wise) with the right string. 

The 1816s will be a little heavier per inch than the 2013s, but since the overall length will be shorter, you might save a few grains.

Congrats!

Viper1 out.


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## LBR (Jan 1, 2004)

Heavier arrows definately helped with the hand shock, as does the high brace (7.5" is high for most any longbow, except the most extreme hybrids--and it's high for some of those), as does the extra silencers.

A decent string would help all aspects of the bow--18 strands is ridiculous--I doubt Bear makes a bow heavy enough to warrant that string. Even with no serving, you won't get anything close to a decent nock fit without modifying (and possibly screwing up) your arrow nocks.

Based on my experiences with the Montana (old model--awful grip), if your recurve only has slightly less shock, something is very wrong with your recurve. 'Course this could all change when you get a decent string, right arrow, lighter arrow, no extra silencers, etc.

Glad you are happy with your purchase. If you like that one, then a good quality longbow will really spoil you.

Chad


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## centershot (Sep 13, 2002)

Agreed the string is way heavy duty for my needs and that is more silencers than I have ever had on any bow. Will get that changed out here soon, but it's what was on there so I'm shooting it - and it is very quiet. It has more shock than my recurve, but not nearly what has been described or what I expected after shooting a Hill style longbow. I'm pretty sure its an older version, but it's in good shape and has a lot of life left in it. I have not had a chance to tweak things yet, but did pick up some different arrows, working on a string and am seriously considering some sanding on the grip. I think it is a great bow to test the waters with, seems to be 'built to hunt' and should last a long time. I'll play with it for a while until I decide if longbows are for me then maybe upgrade - or not.


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## longbowguy (Nov 14, 2004)

Go ahead and reshape that grip. A half round file works well for that, followed by sandpaper and whatever varnish you have around. While you are at it, you might slenderize those blocky limb times, too. Get a fast flight string. You may not need silencers at all. 

The mild reflex deflex profile gives the bow a nice balance between performance and sweetness and when strung produces the classic D shaped longbow look. - lbg


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## Curve1 (Nov 25, 2009)

Get you a 10 strand d-97 and you will really like it....I bet you. I generally like b-50 on most recurves but that bow will do good with a d-97. Just my opinion.
It's so personal with archery, I like the mild r/d longbows, you may get a little handshock but they're usually not finicky. Just me, but I'l shoot a recurve over most hybrids I've shot. Keep shootin it and I bet you'l be taking it hunting this fall.:thumbs_up


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## ryersonhill (Mar 18, 2006)

Nice review


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## northern boy (Aug 25, 2010)

I just sold my 50# montana I would get a new 8-10 strand d10 or 97 string for it. The bow is not a speed demon but you will pickup over 10fps with new string. Mine was a very good shooter but I like shorter bows Like my 56 inch lostcreek better. I also like a recurve grip on my longbows. But the montana is a great shooter an likes a light grip. There is alot of people that love the montana an do very well with it. everybody is different I liked the bow just wished it was shorter so I sold it.


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## centershot (Sep 13, 2002)

Here's an update after I have put a couple hundred arrows through the Montana. I've added a Selway quiver and worked the grip over lightly with some sandpaper but other than that it's stock. I've worked the brace height down to 7" and up to 8" and the 7 1/2" where it was set when I got it seems to be about the best. I'm still using the original string (16s B-50) until I get a new one so I don't want to get real carried away with tuning, but it does shoot the full length (30") 1816's w/ 100gr field points quite well. I had to build the side plate out just a bit (piece of leather behind strike plate) but not enough to look out of place. Bare shafts start to work right of the group at 20 yards but are good up to that point. I ran a few over the chrony and got pretty consistent 144-145 fps readings. That is at my draw length of 27.75 and pulling just over 40# at that length with the 1816's weighing about 420gr. I would expect low 150's with a proper FF string. Not a speed demon, but smooth and quiet with a nice little thump on release. I have been getting some wrist slap which is annoying - not sure how to cure that, but raising the brace height seemed to help some. Overall the longbow experiment has been a lot of fun and I'm enjoying the journey - but, I find myself missing my recurve with its 20 fps extra and all the luxuries that a recurve adds. Fun to play with but not my 'go to' bow (yet). I'll shoot it some more, let the honeymoon period pass and check in again.


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## centershot (Sep 13, 2002)

Another update on the Montana. I picked up a new string from LBR - 12 Strand D97 (Excellent quality string-will be my go to for any new strings) and wow what a difference. Really woke the Montana up - amazing how much a string change made for this bow. It now shoots 155 fps at 27 3/4" draw length and 40# with beaver hair silencers installed, nearly a 10 fps gain. Along with the speed came a little noise - not much and a little more thump when the bow recoils but still no big deal. Shot it about 60-70 times last night at ranges from 10-35 yards with very good results. Starting to get the hang of this longbow business. Something really cool about shooting a bow that simple, canting it over a little and executing a good shot - watching that arrow sail through the air and hit the mark is very cool indeed.


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## LBR (Jan 1, 2004)

Tinker with the brace height again. I've never heard of gaining any "thump" when switching from dacron--usually less, sometimes no change.

Chad


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## Eldermike (Mar 24, 2009)

Center, they are fun to shoot indeed. I go through periods where I shoot longbows then I miss the recurves and cycle back around. When I shoot my longbows I shoot wood arrows, they seem to go together. 
Great review, thanks for posting it!


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## northern boy (Aug 25, 2010)

Yes the longbows are fun to shoot super light an very accurate I go back an forth between longbows an recurves. But like the longbow best. But a 56 inch longbow isn,t a very long longbow. If you enjoy archery it,s good to have both. After three days of shooting some of my recurves I shot my longbow sure are quiet an fast.


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## northern boy (Aug 25, 2010)

Centershot I saw a picture of your bear cub on another tread. I just picked one up last week. It had a b-50 string like recommmed. But I put a 16 strand of d-97 on it an picked up 10 fps an the bow feels an shoots better. Some people have very good luck with it in the older bows. I,m getting a 8 strand of d-10 with padded loops to 16 I want to see if I pick up more speed an if changes the feel of the bow. The cub is a good shooter with different string. I,m just not a fan of b-50 some people like it. It will perk the cub up. I feel it safe for older bow in good shape.


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## centershot (Sep 13, 2002)

northern boy, I think you need to be careful with the D-97 or other fast flight strings on older bows. The tips were not built to handle the extra shock from the fastflight type strings and will break your bow. If it is rated for fastflight type strings then by all means go for it.


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## northern boy (Aug 25, 2010)

A well known person in the traditional archery has be testing them with good luck even the bows without builded up tips. He thinks it actuaclly easier on the bow. As long as the string lays the right way most will do ok. I got about 300 shots thur mine an no sigh of any problem an the cub tips are small an not build up. But string grooves line up well. I plan an shooting the **** out of it this summer for a test. I think more testing needs to done. If the tips break I can make a shorter bow out it. but belive the bow will hold up for the string test. bow fail all time even new one. I belive they had good glue back in the sixties. This bow is nothing special but it,s a better shooter with the string. If couldn,t use the better string on it I would sell it cause of the way it shot with b-50.


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## centershot (Sep 13, 2002)

No doubt the fastflight type string will wake it up - The cub may be fine at lower weights, will be interesting to see how well it holds up. Just may not want to use it on some classic recurve.


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## northern boy (Aug 25, 2010)

I will post if the cub gets damaged . The cub is a 37# that I picked up cheap. The bow is a little light weight for me so trying to speed an smoothness out of it. I draw 27 inches an i,m getting 157 fps with a 360 gr arrrow. bow hit hard at 20 yd,s I would hunt deer with it if I wanted to. Bump the arrow weight up a little an it would do well on a deer out to 20 yd,s. I think the bow will last many more years time will tell. If i had a classic I would beef the tips ups or shoot b-50 with a heavyer weight bow.


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