Bear Archery Montana

Is the Bear Montana a good bow to start with if I'm new to longbows, or should I buy something cheaper first?

It can be a first longbow, but go in informed — handshock is the Montana's most-discussed trait and it splits owners hard, with some finding it punishing. For a beginner the cheaper Galaxy Black Ridge or OMP Ozark Hunter do most of what the Montana does for under $300, so many would say start cheaper. If you specifically want the Bear name, the cut-on-center shelf makes it forgiving to tune and learn on — just plan to swap the string and shoot heavy arrows to tame the shock.

Why does my Montana have so much handshock, and how do I get rid of it?

Handshock is the Montana's signature complaint, and the fixes owners swear by are string and arrow weight. Swap the heavy 16-18 strand B-50 factory string for a thin 8-12 strand D97/Fast Flight string (the bow's rated for it), set a proper brace height, and shoot heavier arrows. Multiple owners report meaningfully less shock and more speed after the string swap alone. If it still stings, a lower, more relaxed grip hand position helps; some shock is just inherent to the straight-ish profile.

What string and brace height should I run to wake the Montana up (it ships with a heavy 18-strand B-50)?

Replace the overbuilt 16-18 strand B-50 with a thin 8-12 strand D97/Fast Flight string — that's the single most agreed-upon Montana upgrade, and owners report more speed and less handshock from it. Then set brace height in the manufacturer's window (start around the middle of the range and tune by twisting the string up or down for the quietest, smoothest shot). The factory string is the bow's biggest performance limiter; fixing it wakes the Montana up.

Is the Montana worth the current price, or are there better longbows for the same money or less?

Many owners feel it's overpriced at current retail — at $530 the Galaxy and OMP bows do most of what it does for under $300, and posters point to the Old Mountain Mesa, Omega, Southwest Scorpion, HHA Tembo, or a used custom (Toelke, Dryad) as out-shooting it for the money. The Montana's case is the Fred Bear heritage, real in-stock availability, and a forgiving cut-on-center shelf. If you want value, look at the alternatives; if you want a classic, durable, available Bear, it's a fair (if not cheap) buy.

How does the Montana compare to other longbows like the Old Mountain Mesa, HHA Tembo, Bear Ausable, or Omega?

Owners cross-shop it constantly with exactly those bows. The Old Mountain Mesa and HHA Tembo are repeatedly cited as out-shooting the Montana for similar or less money; the Bear Ausable is the takedown sibling in the Bear line; the Omega is another value alternative. The Montana's edge over most is availability and the heritage. If you want the best shooter for the dollar, the Mesa or Tembo win the comparison; if you want a Bear that's actually in stock, the Montana.

If I love my Montana, what's the natural next step up without losing the feel I like?

The natural step up while keeping the working-man's Bear character is a quality reflex/deflex hybrid or a semi-custom — owners moving on from a Montana they liked tend toward bows like the Old Mountain Mesa, a Toelke, Dryad, or a Bodnik in that vein, which keep the simple longbow feel but add speed and kill the handshock. If you love the Montana's straight-grip, classic feel specifically, look at a higher-grade Hill-style longbow. The point is you don't have to abandon the feel to get a smoother, faster bow.

Should I trust the glowing YouTube reviews of the Montana when forum feedback is much more critical?

It's a sensible hunting longbow once tuned, and yes, you can draw it in a treestand — it's offered up to 60 lb (plenty for big game) and the cut-on-center shelf makes it forgiving. The watch-outs are the handshock (manage it with the string and arrow fixes) and that it's on the slow side, so keep shots sensible and shoot a heavy, well-tuned arrow. Plenty of hunters use it; just set it up right first.

Is the Montana a sensible hunting longbow, and can I realistically draw it in a treestand?

Trust the forums more than the glowing YouTube reviews, but not blindly — the polished review videos tend to gloss over the handshock and speed that owners on ArcheryTalk and TradTalk discuss candidly. That doesn't make the Montana bad; it makes it a classic, durable, somewhat slow bow with handshock you tune around. Read the critical forum feedback to set expectations, then judge whether the heritage and availability are worth the price to you.

Handshock is by far the most-discussed trait and opinion splits hard: some shooters find it punishing enough to cause sore tendons or to drive them back to recurves, while others (often owners of multiple Montanas) report feeling virtually none. Several attribute their experience to setup rather than the bow, noting heavier arrows, a better string, and proper tiller/limb balance largely tame it.

A recurring verdict is that the Montana is on the slow side for its price (one user clocked it in the 140s-150s fps and others called it a 'dog' or slower than a selfbow), but it is praised as one of the quietest bows people have shot. Owners agree it comes alive with heavier arrows, which also reduces noise and shock.

The single most agreed-upon piece of advice is to replace the overbuilt 16-18 strand B-50 factory string with a thin 8-12 strand D97/fast-flight string (on bows rated for it). Multiple users report meaningful speed gains (around 10 fps) and a better-feeling shot, calling the upgrade transformative.

Owners highlight that the Montana is cut to (or near) center with a comparatively wide arrow shelf, which makes it forgiving on arrow selection and easy to get shooting well, especially next to deep-offset ASL/Hill-style bows that demand fussier arrow matching.

Many posters feel the Montana is overpriced at current retail and that bows like the Old Mountain Mesa, Omega, Southwest Scorpion, HHA Tembo, or a used custom (Toelke, Dryad, Tomahawk) outshoot it for similar or less money. The common recommendation is to buy used or on sale rather than pay full price.

The Montana's straight, low Hill-style grip is described as love-it-or-hate-it; some shooters reshape or sand it, or develop a lower hand position, to improve feel. Several also single out the cheap wrap-around faux-leather grip as embarrassing for the price, though some simply replace it with leather.

Defenders frame the Montana as a rugged, reliable, affordable bow in the Fred Bear tradition that prioritizes durability over speed, and a fun, pleasant shooter once dialed in. Several owners admit a chunk of the appeal is simply that it is a Bear, and report they enjoy it so much they fear a 'better' bow would spoil it.