[hawgslayer]

:darkbeer:

Any hunters here using Martin recurves to hunt with this season or in the past? I'm going to hunt with my MARTIN HUNTER this year and I was wondering how Martin bows perform...Pro's and Con's gents!!!!!!!!!
Everyone have a great season and I hope we all fill our tags. Thanks to all who reply.

H/S...................:cocktail:

 

[Viper1]

Hawgs -

You're kidding right? Damon-Howatt/Martin bows have been around for over 1/2 a century and have always been fast (as in some of the fastest prductions bows ever made) and super stable since they first came out.

Now for the bad news. For a LONG time a number of the DH/M bows were UNDER marked weight wise by as much as 10%. I hunted with a 61# @ 28"1975 Hunter (for about 1/2 a season) that always felt a "little heavy", when I finally weighed it, it was about 71# at my draw .... The other issue is that the same design that made them wicked fast, gave them an early stack point - not the best choice for long draw types. 28-29" was about average to hit the wall.

Personal opinion, the older models looked a lot classier

Viper1 out.

 

[rattus58]

I pretty much only shoot martin bows nowadays.... and i've had many of the old ones... including the hunter, mamba, and hatfield. I've a long draw length and so wound up with the hatfield, and now I'm shooting longbows... very happily...

Aloha... :beer:

 

[Shooty]

All Martins in my armory. Just worked out that way.
Beware the weight: My Hatfield has nearly identical numbers to the bow Viper described. I was pretty angry when I got it because I had to retune everything while slowly building up to the draw, fighting bad habits along the way (got too good a price to sell the bow off). Both of the Hunters I have are 5# heavier than marked. Someone needs to tare the scale at the Howatt plant, I think--about 30 years ago.

To answer your question, though, the Hunters and Hatfields are downright zippy. They are both potentially noisy, though, if you don't take the time to find the perfect brace height, string type, and heavy enough arrow. My 60# Hunter is still my favorite, though I'm really trying to make that Hatfield sing. And ditto everything Viper said about the early stack points. Factor it in if you have a long draw.

 

[rraming]

I don't know of any Con's to a Martin - I have a Hunter and a Savannah (the Hunter has a smoother draw) - surprising as that may be.

 

[hawgslayer]

:darkbeer:

I ordered another HUNTER from Martin Archery. This one is a few pounds less in draw weight then my '07 HUNTER which has a 50# draw. I really don't know for sure what the exact draw weight is but I'm going to check it on Sat at the range.
Thanks for the info.
H/S.............................:cocktail:

Viper my friend, I was always thought not to judge a book by it's cover. That's why I asked the question that I did.

Thanks for all the replies and info and I hope everyone lets the air out of big ones this season.

 

[alanraw]

I have to chime in with all the previously stated sentiments posted: you really can't go wrong with a Martin Hunter, but one thing I would like to add is that I bought a Hunter last year and it seems as though the newer models don't seem to stack as badly as some of the older Martin Hunters I've owned and definitely nowhere near as bad as some of the older Damon Howatts I've owned (Howatt Hunters are still top of the line as well, even despite their tendency to stack and, as Viper1 previously stated, their tendency to usually be a few pounds higher than their listed draw weight)

 

[Viper1]

alan -

That's a problem with any wood core limb / wood risered bow. Take any two, even with consecutive serial numbers and their shooting charactistics may or may not be very different. It would be nice if they did fix the "problem", but hard to tell. If you have one that's doesn't stack at your draw length - KEEP IT!!!

Viper1 out.

 

[alanraw]

alan -

That's a problem with any wood core limb / wood risered bow. Take any two, even with consecutive serial numbers and their shooting charactistics may or may not be very different. It would be nice if they did fix the "problem", but hard to tell. If you have one that's doesn't stack at your draw length - KEEP IT!!!

Viper1 out.

I dunno Tony, and maybe I just had really good luck with the 2007 Hunter I bought (which I sold---ugh), but apparently Martin has stepped up their game and made a proactive effort to make the newer model Hunters a lot smoother drawing...that one that I had was pretty sweet---and the buyer told me so as well after he got the chance to play with it:wink:

 

[Encino Man]

Martin hunter was my very first bow. Always loved that bow. I still kick myself for trading it.

 

[hawgslayer]

:darkbeer:
While at the range this morning I checked the draw weight and found that my '07, 50# HUNTER was really a 53# HUNTER. I have no complaints with these extra few pounds. Gives the arrows a little more zip. My trip is 13 days off but I'm hoping to put a deer in the freezer that I took with this bow. I have another ordered a little less in draw and if the hunting gods smile upon me I might be able to get 2 deer this season. One with the 53# and the other with the 47#er.( I'll have to check the draw on that HUNTER '08 as soon as I get it).

Thanks again for all the info and I hope we all get deer this season.

H/S................:cocktail::cocktail:

 

[rattus58]

Good luck with your hunt.... I've always been secure with my Martin's and they will take a beating too.....

Aloha... :beer: