Do the woods used in a bow affect the performance?
Many wonder whether the choice of woods affect the performance of the bow. In most cases all wood choices will perform the same. When hardwoods like Bocote or Tulipwood are used in the limbs the bow is cored with a high performance wood, such as Red Elm or Featherwood. This allows the beauty of the hardwood to show through while containing a strong, resiliant wood, for performance in the core.

What length of bow is best for me?
Length of bow is always a question that surfaces with archers beginning in traditional tackle. The question may have many answers and generally they are the result of determining use and archer status. Draw length dictates, to some degree bow length, but usually only after 30” of draw. Those with a long draw length generally should shoot a bow longer than 62”. When archers have a definite purpose in mind e.g. 3-D shoots, or hunting, then the choices are somewhat easier. If a hunter predominately uses a tree stand, a shorter bow might be more beneficial but shorter bows tend to be less inherently stable than longer ones. It seems as though all choices are trade-offs. If an archer is shooting mainly from the ground then longer bows may be the preference. Generally speaking, taller archers shoot longer bows, while shorter archers (with shorter draw length) choose shorter bows.

Why do you suggest the longest bow I can handle?
The apparent smoothness of the draw from a short bow “feels” stiffer than the draw from a longer bow. Even if both bows have the same draw weight at full draw, the longer bow will feel “easier” to draw. 

How much poundage can I handle if I now shoot a compound bow?
Archers switching from compound to traditional tackle many times ask about weight. Due to the fact that compound bows have a “peak” weight then break over to a lower poundage, many archers are concerned about what they can handle. The best way to determine bow poundage and ability is to try one. Find a bow, pull it back to your full draw and then measure the poundage at that draw length. Many are surprised at their own ability, but it behooves one to find out prior to spending the money for a custom made bow, rather than having it sit on the shelf because it is not properly fitted.
Here again use dictates poundage to a degree. Many state laws for hunting dictate a minimum poundage, so if hunting, one has to have that poundage or above. Most large game animals can be sucessfully hunted with a bow 55# or above while an archer hunting only turkey or whiletail deer can be sucessful with a bow in the 45# range.

Will my draw length change when I shift from a compound to a longbow?
Compound archers can expect their draw length to diminish anywhere from 1-1/2”” to 3-1/2” depending on their previous tackle.

Do your Bows have much hand shock?
In traditional tackle all bows have hand shock. Hand shock can be controlled in various ways. The most beneficial single element is the design of the bow. Having a reflex, deflex design makes Monarch’s bows perform well with a minimum of hand shock. The second most important
determiner of hand shock is the density of the riser wood. It is no accident that tropical woods are used as handles. The more dense the wood the less a bow’s hand shock will be. Most Monarch bows will physically weigh less than 18 oz. so a heavy handle wood is critical to ease of shooting.

When do your bows start to stack?
Monarch’s Longbows increase 4# for each inch of draw length between 25” and 31” after 31” they may begin to “stack” e.g. increase more than 4# per inch. The Recurve increases draw weight less swiftly in the 3 to 3 1/2# per inch range. The Flatbow between 3 1/2 to 4# per inch.

Can I shoot fast flight string on my Monarch bow?
Monarch’s Imperial model is the only bow we warrant for fast flight string. Many archers are convinced speed is of ultimate concern. Through testing, our bows perform 3 to 5 feet per second (fps) faster with fast flight string. There are benefits and detriments to using fast flight string. Due to the fact that fast flight string doesn’t stretch, it transfers more energy to the arrow. However, the bow suffers because the smaller diameter of the fast flight string has a greater force at the knock tending to split the limb if not properly protected. The smaller diameter of the fastflight string also tends to be noisier, something a hunter needs to contend with.

How fast are your bows?
Generally speaking, Monarch longbows will shoot an arrow 115 to 120 fps plus the weight of the bow. So a bow that weighs 55# @ 28” will shoot a standard arrow between 170 and 175 fps. The Recurve will perform between 20 to 25 fps faster at any given bow weight.

What kinds of woods can I choose for my Monarch bow?
Although many woods are pictured in our brochure, many other types are available. Following is a list of woods for riser and limbs. Riser woods: Rosewood (Honduran, Dominican, Guatemalan), Orange Cocobola, Ziricote, Macassar Ebony, Purpleheart, Bubinga, Goncalo Alves, Shedua, Tulipwood, Bocote, Wenge. Limb Woods: Tulipwood, Bocote, Pacific Yew, Zebrawood, Osage Orange, Tiger Stripe Myrtle, Black Locust, Lemonwood, Red Elm, Featherwood (stains available; Mahogany, Cherry, Walnut, Provincial, Ebony, Maple, Early American)

How much do I need to send for a deposit?
$100

What Methods of payment do you accept?
We accept personnal Check, money order, AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa.

How long does it take to make a bow?
If there are no difficulties, it takes about 10 days to two weeks from start to finish to get a bow done.

What method do you use to ship a bow?
Priority mail gives the best service for the money. Even all the way across the country unless close to a holiday it never has taken longer than 4 days for deliverey.

Describe your warranty.
Our warranty covers any defects in materials or workmanship for the full length of the warranty. It is not pro-rated. We do however, want to see the bow before any warranty will be honored to determine the cause of failure.