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Discussion starter · #2 ·
I should add I currently shoot a recurve for hunting but am looking for a target bow. I have a 28 inch draw. I want poundage to be 30 so that I can really perfect my form. My budget is under 200. I like the look of a metal riser and the options that one brings. Thanks.

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I also have searched, but no specific youtube reviews of the F165.

However, should be the same quality limbs as reviewed (google search junxing f155 and you'll find a long review by an archery shop in Australia)

Then, the riser itself is identical design to the Lancaster Galaxy Tourch... but **big** difference... Junxing is Magnesium cast, Tourch (they say) is aluminum forged. So I would guess Junxing would not be appropriate for over 36-40# draw at 28"... not an issue for you though.

Have you considered the Decut Basha, which is machined from a cast billet (not the Basha Pro which is machined from a forged billet) riser at closeout at alternativess.com? Much more known about that one vs. the Junxing, and combine it with the $46 limbs and $6 string on that website and you're in at just $5 more than the Junxing, shipping included.
 
I want to add a general comment about what makes sense to buy direct from China, or from China via ebay or amazon, and what does not make sense, in terms of archery.

Risers: foggedaboutit. The Basha cast and painted riser I referenced above? Can't buy it for less than $132 from aliexpress. $90 incl. shipping from alternativess.com. Basha Pro Forged and Anodized? $155 inc. shipping from Alternativess... $232 from aliexpress. Other risers that don't have reviews from users? Why would you do that when you can buy known quantity risers with multiple reviews for $75 - $100? Look at the Galaxy Crescent cast/painted ILF riser at Lancaster for $80... why would you buy an unknown riser direct from China when you can get that for $80?

Bow Stringer... sure, for $2.50 the same stringer, and sometimes same branding, as $6-8 elsewhere.

Complete beginner non-ILF metal riser bow? Sure. Junxing F155 for $75 delivered complete with string. Topoint also makes something similar for $80. Same as $120 Galaxy Meteor through Lancaster but you get to choose colors.

Beginner Quiver: Sure, 3 tube angled belt slip through quiver with pouch and belt $17 from Aliexpress, $35 everywhere else.

Plunger: sure, $16 Decut detented design copy of Beiter on aliexpress, $29 at Lancaster, same plumger.

Arrows: who knows, but no. maybe they come from the same factory that makes Victory, Carbon Express, Carbon Impact, etc. but since nobody has really tried direct from China arrows from aliexpress.com or eBay , it's a big unknown. Have you ever seen a comprehensive review of Chinese arrows on this forum, youtube, or elsewhere? Even if the Chinese arrows come from those same factories, they must be the QC rejects that were not accepted by Victory, CE, CI, etc. Why risk an unknown product when you can get Victory or Carbon Impact from the US for $80 per dozen delivered, fletched and pointed?

Bottom line is that if something is direct from China, and you don't have a few reviews to tell you about the quality by actual users, or a US store hasn't already vetted it, bought it in bulk and put slapped their own brand on it, you have no idea what you're getting. That's just plain dangerous.
 
OP, I just saw that you want 30# just as a beginning, to get form down. I assume then you'd want your second set of limbs to be in the 40# range? If so, don't buy a riser made from a cast billet (magnesium or aluminum). You want a riser made from a forged billet of aluminum. In that case forget about the Junxing and the Basha (regular), skip to the Basha Pro which is forged. Forged billet risers are good for any weight limb, while cast billet risers can have structural weaknesses that make them inappropriate for draw weights above 40 lb. 98 out of 100 might be fine, but it's the 2 out of 100 that might crack or break that would give me pause. That's why one of the makes, Core Light i think, came out after the fact to say they won't warranty a certain cast billet riser for above 32# (going by memory).
 
Then, the riser itself is identical design to the Lancaster Galaxy Tourch... but **big** difference... Junxing is Magnesium cast, Tourch (they say) is aluminum forged.
There's no difference at all, because it's exactly the same riser. Galaxy sells rebranded bows from China, mostly from Junxing. Also, on the Lancaster's page about Galaxy Tourch you can read:

"- Super strong, magnesium 25” ILF recurve riser"


Arrows: who knows, but no. maybe they come from the same factory that makes Victory, Carbon Express, Carbon Impact, etc. but since nobody has really tried direct from China arrows from aliexpress.com or eBay , it's a big unknown.
Most of arrows on Aliexpress are crap, but Linkboy makes great carbon shafts. I can personally recommend any of their products, no matter if they're branded as "Linkboy", "Bounty Hunter", "SF Archery Optimo" or "ACCMOS". I have few dozens of those, mostly with the bamboo and wood pattern finish. Very straight, great spine and weight tolerance (+/- 2 grains for normal diameter, +/- 1 grain for slim ones). I would say they're better than my Easton Powerflights, which costed me nearly three times more.

I also bought some finished arrows from Aliexpress and for sure I'm not going to do that again. They weren't very bad, but it's better to buy seperate arrow parts or DIY kits and put it all together by yourself. Finished arrows from China tend to lose tips and vanes very quickly. ;)
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
thanks for all the info. maybe i should just keep looking for a used combo. i keep my eyes on the classifieds here. but anyways you are correct in saying i want to start at 30# and move up. I like the idea of ilf because that is possible without buying a whole new bow. My plan was to keep same riser at first and grow from there. I just didnt want to spend a ton of money up front just in case i dont enjoy the traditional side of target shooting. I have been shooting compounds for 15 years both hunting and target, i just dont like the ease of it. I have two wooden recurves a fred bear and a browning and enjoy the more challenging aspect of shooting them. That is why i was looking at getting a target recurve.
 
http://www.galaxyarchery.com/products/tourch-riser/ reads "Built for Olympic recurve competition, this super-strong riser weighing 2.49 pounds is CNC machined from forged aluminum to provide a solidly stiff riser for each and every shot."

I'm not saying Lancaster is wrong. I'm just saying that's a significant difference that a customer should know before buying.
 
Regarding the Lancaster house brand Galaxy, and the Tourch riser, it is critical that they claim it is forged aluminum, b/c the Junxing F165 riser is magnesium, and most probably, almost certainly CAST... I think Lancaster contacted Junxing and asked them to duplicate that F165 design but to make it from a forged aluminum billet. if Lancaster is selling an identical looking riser machined from cast magnesium, and calling it Forged Aluminum, that is dangerous and fraudulent. It is dangerous b/c people who think it is forged won't hesitate to put 44# limbs on it, and we know from other cast magnesium risers that THAT could be a potential problem.
 
daedalus -- thank you for commenting on the Linkboy carbon arrows. Yours is the first comment I've read that claims they ANY chinese direct marketed arrows are of high quality. It makes sense, because all those other brands subcontract out their fabrication to China, and therefore it is of no effort at all to create runs for themselves, and sell them, so long as they don't break any trademark laws by claiming or branding them to be the USA branded arrows.

Regarding Linkboy in particular, have you ordered any complete fletched arrows from them? Their carbon arrows fletched with 3" feathers and 100gr tips comes in at $4.50 per arrow, just about half of what a feather fletched carbon arrow would cost from any known brand.
 
dunninla, no, I didn't order any finished arrows from Linkboy. Just the shafts and other components.

I got some fake Carbon Express Predator 2's with plastic vanes and pin nocks, but it was from some other manufacturer ("Dechuang" or something like that). I paid just 33$ for a dozen, but the quality was poor - some nocks came cracked and the vanes came off very easily (which was fine be me, since I wanted to replace them with feathers anyway). I also had to reglue all of the arrowheads after I lost 2 of them in soft foam target. Shafts themselves were not nearly half as good as those from Linkboy - spine tolerance was fine, but the straightness wasn't great and weight spread was also quite big as for slim shafts (+/- 6 grains comparing to +/- 1 for Linkboy's).

I also have some very cheap arrows which are sold as "mixed carbon". This is probably a mix of carbon and glass fiber, since the arrows are very heavy - usually around 34 grams or more (525+ grains). They are very inconsistent, not very straight and never match the declared spine. They're sold as 500's, while most of them is close to 630-650 with some reaching 700. But they're TANKS. Literally. Heavy as hell, but unstoppable. It's not something you want to use for precision and target archery, but they're great if you want to just have fun, shoot some weird/hard stuff and not worry that you'll break your fancy, expensive arrows. Those are like 2,5$ per piece with 5" feathers (~1,7$ with vanes), so who the hell cares... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
Junxing risers are bring imported and sold under another name by an archery shop. He sells a lot of the 17" and 19" risers.
It's been talked about on another forum, and guys get mad cause you're not supporting the guy importing the risers, but going straight to the source that makes the risers.
 
Today I contacted Junxing about my 17" Riser I purchased a few months ago. The bottom screw stripped while adjust weight. I was wanting to lower the weight about two pounds and the bottom screw stripped using the tools I received with the riser. I am waiting to see if they will stand behind their product. I hope so. It was only two hundred dollars and it has only been about 6 months since I purchased it. A good company will stand behind their products.
 
Today I contacted Junxing about my 17" Riser I purchased a few months ago. The bottom screw stripped while adjust weight. I was wanting to lower the weight about two pounds and the bottom screw stripped using the tools I received with the riser. I am waiting to see if they will stand behind their product. I hope so. It was only two hundred dollars and it has only been about 6 months since I purchased it. A good company will stand behind their products.
Can you please post a closeup picture of the damage and also a picture of the riser. Junxing makes several ilf risers, i'm curious to see which one failed?
 
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