Opinions on Samick SKB traditional Horsebow

[EquineArcher]

Hiya

Im new here......Hello All! Im so glad Im here! And Very very excited 8 years down the track of reasearch - and 6 months into actually doing what I have dreamt about for so long! now.....moving on from the rant - lol

I was convinced, and sold a bow that didnt meet my requirments due to my ignorance about 5 months ago. I was told it was a 45 pound recurve - when indeed it is a 23 pound ( I thought it felt ridiculoustly light to draw- lol), and I was also sold it at 3 X the price it should have been sold at.

Im now upgrading to an 'at least half decent bow' for my requirements until I win lotto and can stretch the farm budget to get me a better one

I do mounted archery - so I need a hard wearing, light horsebow that can stand a bit of neglect or beating, mainly in circumpstances out of my control when training horses with the bow - that isnt to hasrh on the buget. 30 - 45 pounds. Id prefer to go as close to the 45 as possible.

I rather like the look of the Samick SKB traditional Horsebow. Im keen on the simplistic, streamline look.

What reports can you give me on this make? and have you had any experience with this bow?

Thankyou kindy for you help

[GrahameA]

Hi EA.

Welcome to Ozbow.

First thing to do - send a PM to "Brumbies Country" on this forum and chase down his son's contact. His son is another Horse Archer and on this forum, that will suddenly make life easier.

Next question. Do you want to shoot a Korean style of Bow which is the SKB and do you want 45lb. I only ask because the trend seems to be towards the Carparthian Basin, aka Hungarian, style of bows. 45lb will shoot well if you can draw it - plus you can short draw and still have reasonable punch.

IMHO - They shoot okay and offer good value bag-for-buck. Plus they appear to be rugged.

Do not rush into buying anything - and that way you will get what you want or close to it.

[Brumbies Country]

Hi Equine Archer

Grahame referred to me. I've done alot with horses over the years and came to archery late. I've shot a little off horseback but wish I'd combined the two earlier in life.

My son is very keen on mounted archery. He's out of Daboro in Southern Queensland. He's researched alot of this, particularly the Hungarian side of things and recently bought a Hunnish bow. He's a member of Ozbow and will hopefully reply.

The accent as you know is on speed of drawing,nocking and shooting at a gallop and the range is pretty short. So my feeling is that 45lbs may be a bit on the high side. I've had a couple of Samick longbows and they've been good to shoot. The Samick SKB Horsebow could be a good starter's bow and the poundage might depend a bit on what else you want to do with the bow, but if it is purely for mounted archery I'd think about a bit lower poundage.

Simon

[rmcpb]

My son shoots one of these bows and we have mucked around with it off a horse. His is a 30lb and is a sweet shooting bow which suits him well but it stacks severly when I take it to full draw so its a short draw for me. Still a fun bow for us all.

[Stickbow Hunter]

Welcome to Ozbow EquineArcher. I can't help you much with your questions but I think the replies above will have been a great help to you.

Jeff

[Gringa Bows]

Welcome to Ozbow........

[wishsong]

My horses are too big and my bows are too long but I'll share what I have learnt ...

I shoot 45# and above but i still shoot mine "western " style unlike Kassoi etc and draw to my mouth/ jaw ... If I was drawing in a more Eastern/ asian fashion which In tried for a while ... I needed a lighter bow .
The Samick Horsebow was a great little bow and did everything i asked of it and would have done more If i kept at it .....

[perry]

The SKB is a well made and good value for money Bow. I had a 55# SKB back in the late 90's. I liked it's short length. It drew smoothly to 28" and shot fast and hard and was incredibly light to carry around whilst hunting. They have very long limbs , longer than any 64" Recurve I've seen has and a very short diminutuve Riser. I was surprised to read earlier that someone had an issue with stacking, mine drew smoothly way past my draw length.

Every SKB I have seen came with a ridiculous odd looking plastic handgrip that fitted over the very small Riser the Bows are made with. If you want something that looks authentic or is a faithfull reproduction steer clear of the Samick. They are too small to hold with comfort without the silly plastic grip IMO and would prove unsuitable for Horseback use without it unless you have unusually small hands. I built up my riser with Cork and bound it with twine but it was a compromise at best. If I where you I would be looking for a Bow with a bulkier grip as many of the current crop of Hun inspired Bows do. I would still have my SKB had it's tapered Riser been bulkier

regards Jacko

[EquineArcher]

That's great - thankyou.

Personally going for the Hungarian styling doesn't bother me all that much, it's mainly the simply function, and simple form I'm after. I have read extensively that the traditional leather work can slow the bow quite alot. And the Korean style sings to me more. I'm not in it for show - or anyone else, so am not worried about the look, more the use. But really - I'm just not that keen on the look with the siahs. Fussy....lol
Ive done years of horsesports that have hundreds of illogical and contradictory 'rules' and traditions.....and now all I want to do is shoot arrows off a horses back- lol

I've read reviews that said these bows tend to weigh in alot lower than their advertised weight ....that was my main concern for choosing the heavier weight.

[GrahameA]

Hi EA.

Personally going for the Hungarian styling doesn't bother me all that much, it's mainly the simply function, and simple form I'm after. I have read extensively that the traditional leather work can slow the bow quite alot. And the Korean style sings to me more. I'm not in it for show - or anyone else, so am not worried about the look, more the use. But really - I'm just not that keen on the look with the siahs. Fussy....lol

There are lots of bows on the market that are sold as "Horsebows", it seems to be the fashionable name for the moment. The price of said bows range from relatively cheap to very expensive, the range of quality is even more extreme and their functionality runs from hopeless to wonderful.

Not all bows have leather coverings and of those that do some have thickish leather and others have very thin leather. Anything you add to the limbs increases the limb mass and thus slows down the limbs and the bow will shoot slower than what it potentially could. The other issue that goes along with this is that the limbs have more residual energy in them and unless the bow is well "balanced" when it is shot it will have handshock. That can be reduced by shooting heavier arrows, which extract more energy from the bow, but they will shoot slower. (It is a vicious little circle.)

I have a small Korean Bow - not a Samick SKB - and it draws long, 32", with no stack. It also shoots very fast and is of low poundage making it handle easily.

Ive done years of horsesports that have hundreds of illogical and contradictory 'rules' and traditions.....and now all I want to do is shoot arrows off a horses back- lol

Welcome to Archery - there are a zillion opinions and and equal amount of "Rules and Opinions". The issue of stack is an example what appears to be two version of the same bow, at a typical draw length one will stack and the other does not. Only upon closer inspection will the reason why this so become known - there is more to the design and construction of some bows than is at first noticeable.

I've read reviews that said these bows tend to weigh in alot lower than their advertised weight ....that was my main concern for choosing the heavier weight.

That is a "Reviewers" opinion - I would like to see the numbers. They could be right but without the numbers you cannot tell.

[greybeard]

I've read reviews that said these bows tend to weigh in alot lower than their advertised weight ....that was my main concern for choosing the heavier weight.

I have a Korean KTB bow. Although the draw weight is marked on the bow there is no indication at what draw length.

Advice recieved from the manufacturer stated that the weight marked on the bow is rated at a 33" draw length.

Which ever bow you choose it may pay to check with the supplier re bow weight and draw length.

Daryl.

[jaselpool]

Great little bows for the money. A modern version of a traditional bow with wide limbs and yes you can throw it around a bit. If you want you could drop the poundage and go for the carbon version of the SKB (the Mind 50 Carbon - have a look on our shop site) then you still get the punch

Jase

[Brumbies Country]

That's great - thankyou.

Ive done years of horsesports that have hundreds of illogical and contradictory 'rules' and traditions.....and now all I want to do is shoot arrows off a horses back- lol

.

I was interested in that comment. I was into serious eventing in the 70's and 80's, a bit scary some of the cross-country but formed a great brotherhood. I was an amateur jockey for a period,did some endurance riding late 80's into the 90's and followed it up with showjumping until a few years ago, when a neurosurgeon had to reconfigure some of my cervical vertebrae. I never found the rules particularly contradictory although the traditions of wearing full gear in hot Australian conditions is not that logical. I now think that some of the things we ask horses to do, and advanced dressage is a prime example, put them under undue physical and mental stress.

There are some inconsistencies in archery, particularly between the three governing bodies in Australia and what bow configurations are allowed for certain divisions. Have to say though thats its a heck of a lot easier throwing a bow and a set of arrows into a car than loading up a car and float with all the things that go with horse sports.

[wishsong]

Have to say though thats its a heck of a lot easier throwing a bow and a set of arrows into a car than loading up a car and float with all the things that go with horse sports.

Heck yes !

[EquineArcher]

That's great - thankyou.

Ive done years of horsesports that have hundreds of illogical and contradictory 'rules' and traditions.....and now all I want to do is shoot arrows off a horses back- lol

.

I was interested in that comment. I was into serious eventing in the 70's and 80's, a bit scary some of the cross-country but formed a great brotherhood. I was an amateur jockey for a period,did some endurance riding late 80's into the 90's and followed it up with showjumping until a few years ago, when a neurosurgeon had to reconfigure some of my cervical vertebrae. I never found the rules particularly contradictory although the traditions of wearing full gear in hot Australian conditions is not that logical. I now think that some of the things we ask horses to do, and advanced dressage is a prime example, put them under undue physical and mental stress.

There are some inconsistencies in archery, particularly between the three governing bodies in Australia and what bow configurations are allowed for certain divisions. Have to say though thats its a heck of a lot easier throwing a bow and a set of arrows into a car than loading up a car and float with all the things that go with horse sports.

You are totally correct....perhaps my use of the word tradition was a bit flippant......rules and fashions more to the point Its not so much the rules or competition I speak of, but the apparent 'rules' of horsemanship, training and the way of working with them.

Their is a discrepancy also between the judgeing guidlines and the actual scores...the gap is becoming wider and wider. They are now trying to bring the guidlines in PAR with the accepted judgeing, and my, their is quite a bit of disquiet around about it.

Things have changed a heck of alot in the last 15 years unfortunately - in modern equestrian sports.

Rules and policies are now put forward, regulated and implemeted - NOT be horsemen and women....but by insurance companies.

Im 27 - and even in my years in the sport, I am now experiencing a very bad taste in my mouth within the FEI, EA, and EWA factions. Unfortunately, these bodies are are looked upon as the leader in the industry, and they are leading us all astray.

For example - in the 1980's and 70's, im sure horse sports , and equestrian sporting associations were at least run by horsemen and women, They had to be their, as in my younger days they were all retireing after years in the office - now they are run by CEO's with experience in commercial management.

Insurance has ALOT to answer for. (doesnt it always!!)

Really, in reality, as soon as you put the words 'offical' and 'competition' onto something......it has to have boundaries and rules, and on the flip side you are just about guaranteed to have someone unhappy about it!

Everything is horses is about the doing. Even the result is judged on the doing. Archery to me, is more about the result, then reflection on the result. And the private journey to get there.

The simplicity of "get that arrow in the middle of that - consitently " is attractive.......no one can defute an accurate shot. And it doesnt matter what 'breed' of bow you shoot, what your draw 'movement' is like, or the release aid 'equipment' you use......as long as you get in in the right spot, and your horse travels through at the right speed.


Im assuming anyway thats what it is for me

Yeah....tradition was intirely the wrong word! sorry about that.....

[Brumbies Country]

I see where you are coming from re non-riding experienced executives running the sport-spot on. In the earlier days people like Bill Roycroft and Neale Lavis, hard riding bush horseman, set standards and their word really dictated the way forward. It was just great to be part of the next generation. Wayne Roycroft carried that on. They could all ride, and then some. Yes insurance certaily stuffed things up very considerably re equestrian sport. One of the unfortunate side effects of a risk averse society.

Yes, something really appealing in the simplicity of the flight of the arrow and you can do your own thing at whatever level. More and more I'm finding appeal in the historic aspect and recreating primitive type bows. I split a log yesterday and down the track that should result in 3-4 bows. Mounted archery is really following the historical aspect. I've just read Kassai Lajos' book on mounted archery. There is dedication for you.

Best wishes with your mounted archery. It is a really worthwhile pursuit.

[woodie]

gday mate and wecome. I have a Hungarian in 64# (that I asked the manufacture is at 28") and a "Windfighter" korean bow 50@, that came from John McDonald AMSO128. I love to shoot both. The windfighter is a very nice bow to shoot and punchs out the arrows.
woodie