4 Best Beginner Longbows: 2024 Updated List

Looking to learn how to shoot a longbow? Or just want to find the best longbow for you? Look no further – this beginner longbow’s guide will teach you everything you need to know about longbows! 

Plus, we’ve included five of the best longbow reviews to help you choose the right one for your needs. So whether you’re a beginner or an experienced archer, read on for all the information you need!

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What is a Long Bow?

A longbow is an archer’s weapon of choice. It is a composite bow made from several different pieces of wood that are glued together. This gives the bow greater strength and durability than a traditional bow. The longbow is also drawn with a longer draw length, which gives it greater potential for knockdown power.

Characteristics of a Long Bow

Bows made from a single piece of wood are usually called selfbows or single-piece bows. Composite bows are usually called laminated bows. Compression is when you pull back on the bowstring. Tension is when you pull the bowstring forward.

Longbows are designed to be tall, and the taller you are, the more likely you are to be able to pull the bow back far enough to hit a target. Longbows have a general “D” shape when strung. 

The string does not contact the bow at the upper limb or lower limb, which distinguishes it from recurves and compounds, both of which have “cams,” aka wheels, at the end of each limb.

A composite bow is made of wood that is stronger than a single piece of wood.

Best 4 Longbow for Beginners

SAS Pioneer 68″ Longbow Traditional Wood Long Bow

This is a fantastic bow, and the draw weights that are available with it are probably its best feature. It can be difficult to find a bow that fits your needs since longbows are a niche product, with far fewer longbow archers than recurve or compound bow archers.

It’s made of makore wood (which is rot-resistant), cassia siamea (which is an extremely sturdy wood), and fiberglass reinforcement; it’s 68 inches long (around 5-and-a-half feet tall) and intended for righties only. Sorry, lefties!

In addition, the SAS Pioneer comes with a draw weight of as low as 35 pounds on occasion. Most longbows have extremely high draw weights, so if you’re new to archery, choose a bow with lower-pound draw weight. They’re usually between 50 and 100 pounds. So, getting a 35-pound draw weight longbow is quite appealing.

While it has a shelf, and traditional longbows were formed without shelves to position the arrow, this is a minor point of contention I have with this bow.

PSE Sequoia Longbow Right Hand

The PSE Sequoia Longbow is a wonderful model in every way. The riser is made of a three-layer maple, cherry, and walnut wood combination, while the limbs are made of bamboo and fiberglass; it has a warm orange hue.

It’s made in draw weights of 40 pounds, 45 pounds, 50 pounds, and 55 pounds (roughly equivalent to a longbow if you’re new to archery or have some experience), and it’s 68 inches from the top limb to the bottom limb (roughly five-and-a-half feet tall).

This is what people mean when they say beautiful bows. It’s a stunning, sleek, and well-designed instrument. PSE is a fantastic company that offers a wide range of archery products.

It’s nice to see them offer a traditional product, as they mostly focus on compound bows. For a mid-range longbow, this is a really good choice.

Martin Archery Savannah Stealth Longbow

The Martin Archery Savannah Stealth Longbow is the second last bow on the list, and it’s definitely the most valuable. This is yet another piece of art. The riser looks like the underside of an eagle wing, which I don’t want to get carried away with.

The riser is lined with maple for contrast and constructed from rare bubinga wood, which is native to Africa and has a lovely reddish/orange-ish color. The limbs are strengthened by fiberglass and are constructed of bubinga.

It is commonly paired with one Flemish bow string and has a finely-shaped rest in the riser. The fact that this bow comes with protective material, in this case, a bow sock, is one of the things I appreciate about it. It’s a pity to have such a lovely bow and not be able to care for it properly, especially with something this nice.

This is the sort of thing that might be handed down through generations. This is one of the best bows that Martin Archery makes.

Bear Archery Montana Long Bow

The Bear Archery Montana Longbow fits the bill in terms of grain on the riser, thinness of the limbs, and leather handle: it’s a beautiful bow.

The limbs are made of white maple and are reinforced with fiberglass, and the riser has a leather grip and a center-cut shelf. It’s 64 inches from limb to limb, which is slightly shorter than most longbows.

Since white maple is so durable, craftsmen must work with it carefully since it is used to construct houses, floors, and big furniture items. That’s why white maple bows are rare, but you know that they’re going to be one tough bow because you don’t see a lot of them.

From bows to clothes to high-end rests and sights, Bear Archery is another well-known company that makes a wide range of archery products. These puppies are just plain gorgeous, and they make a line of traditional bows. Their most appealing product is the Montana Longbow.

Longbow vs Recurve Bow

The image on the right is a recurve bow, while the image on the left is a longbow. Now, let’s look at the similarities and differences between them:

Curves 

The bow bends out away from the archer on the recurve, towards the end of both limbs on both sides of the bow. The limbs of recurve bows bend inward then outward towards the archer, hence the name “recurve.” 

The bow more effectively transfers energy from the string to the arrow because the recurve allows the ends of the limbs to accelerate faster than other parts of the limb. The longbow relies on its length to generate the force necessary to propel an arrow, rather than having that “recurve.”

Target Reach

Longbows can fire extremely far distances because they can draw greater draw weights. Long-distance longbow archery competitions are a lot of fun.

Noise

Take a second look at the images above. I discussed how the longbow doesn’t have those curves, which I mentioned at the top and bottom of a recurve bow. So, the string on a recurve bow has significantly more contact with the bow than the string on a longbow, despite having virtually no touch at all. 

Because you hear the string slapping against the bow and recurve users may need to utilize a string silencer to keep their rig quiet, recurve bows are occasionally “loud.”

Poundage

Recurve bows range in draw weight from 15 pounds (at the low end) to 80 pounds (at the high end). Longbows can have draw weights that are significantly greater than recurves.

Conclusion

In case you’re looking for the best longbow for your first-ever bow, then I would recommend one of the ones discussed above. While all the four options we listed here are great for beginners, the Saas Pioneer is certainly our favorite and has served us well since then!

Thanks again for reading! Hope this article helped you make an informed decision when it comes to picking a longbow.Visit our website for more valuable information.