Longbows: Reviews & Rankings
Traditional and hybrid longbows, scored on construction, fit range and value.
The longbow is archery at its most stripped-down: no cams, no sight, no let-off — just laminated wood, a string and your form. The 2026 market splits between $190–250 imported one-piece bows, the Bear Montana holding the mid-tier alone, and semi-custom reflex/deflex bows from $550 to $850. Our CareScore weighs construction type, draw-weight range, length, mass and price — the specs a spec sheet can actually settle.
How to read this: Several makers don't publish mass weight or grip details, and stock availability was the defining story of this research cycle — see each bow's data notes. Draw weights are AMO at 28".
Longbows CareScore Leaderboard
All 7 products ranked by overall CareScore™. See the full best-of breakdown →
| # | Product | Use | Price | CareScore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southwest Archery Scorpion 68" Longbow | Beginner-all-around | $249 | 76 |
| 2 | Galaxy Archery Sage Longbow | Beginner-target | $229.99 | 69 |
| 3 | October Mountain Products Ozark Hunter | All-around | $192.99 | 69 |
| 4 | Galaxy Archery Black Ridge 62" Hybrid Longbow | Hunting | $209.99 | 66 |
| 5 | Bear Archery Montana | Hunting | $529.99 | 55 |
| 6 | Bearpaw / Bodnik Bows Quick Stick | Hunting | $699 | 52 |
| 7 | Damon Howatt (Martin Archery) Savannah | Hunting-premium | $825 | 47 |
Best Longbows for…
The same data, re-weighted for how you shoot.
Head-to-head comparisons
All 21 comparisonsWe auto-generate a spec-by-spec breakdown for every possible matchup.
Longbow buying guide
- Longbow or recurve for a beginner?
- Recurves are a touch faster and most beginner kits (takedown risers, swappable limbs) are recurves — that's the practical default. Choose the longbow if the draw feel and simplicity are what pulled you toward traditional in the first place: a 68" D-profile longbow is wonderfully smooth and surprisingly forgiving. Either way, buy light and used-market your way up in weight.
- What draw weight should I start with?
- 25–35 lb, full stop. There's no let-off — your fingers hold every pound while you aim, and overbowing wrecks form faster than anything else in traditional archery. Hunters can move to 40–50 lb (most states' legal big-game floor is 40) after six months of clean shooting. The lines that start at 25 lb exist for good reason.
- What does reflex/deflex actually do?
- The riser sweeps toward you (deflex) while the limb tips sweep away (reflex) — pre-loading the limbs like a recurve without the string-slap. The result is more arrow speed and less hand shock than a straight D-profile at the same draw weight. It's the main thing the $550+ semi-custom tier buys you, though a few imports now offer the geometry around $200.
- Why is half the longbow market out of stock?
- Small shops, hand-laid lamination and a traditional-archery boom. In our June 2026 research pass, Southwest Archery's Scorpion variants were sold out at the maker, Bodnik's US dealers were down to two combos, and Damon Howatt sells by reservation with 5–7 week leads. If a bow on this list is in stock at your specs, that's a real argument for buying it now — only the Bear Montana and OMP Ozark Hunter were freely available everywhere.
What the CareScore measures
The complete formula, bounds and data rules are published on the methodology page.
Street Price
29% weightWhat you actually pay. Traditional archery's entry tier is genuinely good now — the scoring rewards bows that don't make you pay custom-shop money for laminated wood.
Construction
23% weightReflex/deflex geometry stores more energy and cuts hand shock versus a straight D-profile — it's the single biggest performance lever in a longbow. Takedowns add packability and limb swaps.
Bow Length
14% weightLonger bows draw smoother and forgive form errors — the classic 68" D-bow feel. Shorter 60–62" hybrids trade some of that for maneuverability in a blind or thick timber.
Lightest Draw Offered
14% weightTraditional archery punishes overbowing — you hold full weight with your fingers. A line that starts at 25 lb welcomes beginners and small-framed archers; one that starts at 40 lb doesn't.
Heaviest Draw Offered
11% weightThe ceiling decides whether the line can grow into a legal big-game rig — most states want 40+ lb for deer, and elk hunters run 50–60 lb.
Mass Weight
9% weightA longbow you carry all day should float in the hand — the best run just over a pound. Several makers don't publish this, so missing values simply don't score.