[UnlicenseDremel]

Guys, I've been reading a TON of positive reviews of this bows - not one person I've found dislikes it. It's universally described as extremely quiet, extremely accurate, extremely kick and vibration free, quite a smooth draw, and very fast/efficient. Plus, the draw stop is very positive being stopped on the limbs instead of the cable. Plus, short ATA (<31" makes for a handy light bow - 3.8 lbs bare).

Can't get one this year, but I'm very interested in the basic design, as they seem to have hit a homerun, especially with respect to quietness and accuracy.

What would you like to see in this model in 2012 and beyond?

Here's what I want to see:


1. First and foremost the ability to buy the bare bow without the complete package - the ONLY complaints I could find were about the accessories. The stabilizer is universally described as crap or near crap, and different people of course don't like exactly the stuff remaining stuff that comes with it, even if not complete crap (Octane Hostage rest, Apex sight, etc.). Really, Bowtech - no fall-away? Give us a bare bow of this quality at about $450-500, and then you're cookin with butane!

2. A draw-loc-friendly build: Just give us stiffer limbs, around 80 lbs - still be quiet, but very easy to draw with two hands (I know, I'm killin the traditional guys - wait til you get old and your shoulders go, boy - guess I'm a hunter, not a true archer.... thank goodness my state made them legal)

3. Maybe even a shorter brace height model, at 6", for guys with shorter draw lengths. But then you're messin with riser design, etc., which may foul up the sweet spots of proportion that this dude seems to have found, so that may not work.

That's it - seems to be perfect beyond that. Combine all 3, and you've got the draw-loc bow to end all draw-loc bows!

 

[farmcritter]

I'm not a big fan of the plastic limb pockets. Haven't seen any issues with them but still just doesn't give a positive feeling about the bow.

 

[SlothShot]

The draw was a little stiff.

 

[UnlicenseDremel]

I'm not a big fan of the plastic limb pockets.

Hmm, yes, sir. I'd agree with that even not being familiar with theirs specifically. I know enough to know that I despise plastic on any hunting equip, for any part crucial to functioning. Thank you much for bringing this to my attention.

The draw was a little stiff.

Yeah, but I'm not sure you can do anything about that, being pretty much a direct function of efficiency - faster bows just "do that", and no way around it I don't think - that's just the tradeoff in my understanding. There is a hump in the draw cycle toward the END, but this can be eliminated or minimized by using the cam module for smooth instead of speed. They thought of almost everything with this bow. It likely would have been the flagship this year, over the Invasion if it had just *looked* different from the older bows. Seems like it's as good as or a better bow than the Invasion, all things considered, but ya know - you've just GOT to have them new-fangled PSE-style curved limbs to sell a lot of them I s'pose...

 

[rhythmz]

The Assassin is not going to appease everyone who touches it. It is virtually impossible. I think that ALL bows should come with 3 packages. a bare bow, a RTS pkg , and a pro hunter pkg. with a fall away and pro sight. With that said, the accessories on the Assassin at the price point I bought it for did not leave me whining for more because I got an AWESOME deal for the bow that I got. I almost got a z7 and am sooooo glad that I chose the Assassin.

 

[SlothShot]

Throw in some laminated limbs too.

 

[rhythmz]

Aren't all limbs laminated? I mean isn't it the lamination that affords the limbs to bear such a load? Just asking...

 

[UnlicenseDremel]

Add better limbs and add to the price. BUT, probably a great idea to create a higher price point model since they've hit it out of the park, it seems, with the basic design.

 

[Bombdiggity]

The limb pockets are not plastic, fyi.

 

[scarby]

Any guarantee they come out with a new assassin/similar model? I've been looking at them pretty hard but might wait til next year.

 

[Jhorne]

I'm not a big fan of the plastic limb pockets. Haven't seen any issues with them but still just doesn't give a positive feeling about the bow.

They aren't plastic.

 

[rtaylor]

Nope they aren't plastic and I have to believe that the accessories aren't jacking the price up much if any. I like it just the way it is. I am very impressed with mine.

 

[td051]

It's a great bow regardless of price. Preforms better than allot of higher priced bows.

 

[farmcritter]

Well I don't own one but shot a couple and we're told they were plastic. They look like plastic, and feel like plastic so if everyone knows what they are I would love to know.

 

[farmcritter]

I stand corrected, I just talked to two people who also thought they were plastic and confirmed they were alluminum. Boy they sure felt like plastic to me. Didn't intend to missinform, sorry.

 

[Jhorne]

Well I don't own one but shot a couple and we're told they were plastic. They look like plastic, and feel like plastic so if everyone knows what they are I would love to know.

Aluminum

 

[codykrr]

The limb pockets are aluminium!!! geeze, everyone says there plastic...haha

For the Assassin, it is what it is. I dont think the should change anything...except the option to let us buy bare bow for around 75 to 100 bucks cheaper. the stab was hollow plastic, the sights sucked, and the hostage is ok for some but I hated it.

well, there is one more thing...the grip! I hated the plastic grip, it sucked so bad that was the first thing I changed. maybe come out with a wooden side plates.

The limbs, brace height, and overall feel to this bow is awesome. I dont think they should change an dang thing.

 

[Stubby'smom]

My guess is they will do something like add a flex guard.

 

[Buster of Xs]

Aren't all limbs laminated? I mean isn't it the lamination that affords the limbs to bear such a load? Just asking...

No. Most are simply billet blanks of glass that are CNC sanded into their profile, which exposes fiber ends wherever the limb changes thickness. This invites feathering, where those fibers start to pull away from one another. Solid limbs made of billet have the highest failure rates of any modern limb design. There are very few problems with split billets, though.

Laminates are made in-house by only three makers (Hoyt, Martin and Merlin), where there are 3 or more layers of differing glass bonded together with very expensive, spage age adhesives and subjected to high pressures and temps in special pressing machines. They cost 3-5 times as much to produce, hence the high number of billet limbs on the market. Bransdale also makes laminates, which are bought and used by several bow makers instead of building their own.Laminated limbs are lighter, stronger and less prone to changes related to temperature than billets. Plus they're highly unlikely to have catastrophic, full-on failures, like snapping in two.