Joe -

It's a bow, period. It was one of several entry level bows that appeared on the market a few years back at a very affordable prices. It can out shoot any human alive, but so can just about any other production bow.

IF your budget is really tight (or you're really cheap, like me) AND your draw length is under 29", you can certainly use it.
If you're new and plan on just back yard plinking, or even hunting, it's fine.

IF you have any intention of getting into anything more serious, you might want to spend a little more and something that has more growth potential. ILF rigs have come down in price, and when you're ready, you can upgrade limbs (or risers) and make a truly custom bow.

Viper1 out.

 

The samick sage was my first bow-- I still have it, shot well in all kinds of weather. The quality is fine and as Viper says you can shoot it forever, like a Timex watch it takes a lickin and keeps on tickin. I shot off of a NAP plastic arrow rest not the shelf, but you can shoot off the shelf just fine with some simple add ons. Low poundage would be the way to go, mine currently has 30# limbs on it and I could even go lower. My draw length is 28+ a bit and it is a big short AMO wise at 62 inches for my preferences--but is perfectly shootable. Again as Viper said depending on budget you would have more flexibility with an ILF system but that would be less trad like (we won't start the kurflufle on the def of trad)....barebow at least. Overall I like the bow, the wooden riser was especially nice in the winter months-- it is reliable, tough and will last forever.

 

Samick Sage seems like the universal favorite budget friendly takedown bow. I don't have one, but I notice it has all the bushings for plunger, accessories and so forth.

Another bow in the same price range that always gets good reviews is the Black Hunter. Looks like it has a shorter riser than the Sage, and none of the bushings. But still a nice looking bow with a lot of limb choices in weight, and longbow or recurve. I believe they have bamboo core limbs as well.

 

I guess I should have given a bit more information on what my goal is. My main goal is to shoot targets in the back yard, plenty of room back there and I can do this here when ever I want and it give me the exercise I need to help cope with my RA. The Samick Sage looked to be a good entry level option to get into shooting. I haven't hunted since 2010, my hunting buddy passed away and just lost interest, I still shoot and hand load for my pistols and rifles. Thanks for your honest opinions and help and look forward to other thoughts.

Joe

 

I think this really depends on your draw length. If you have a physical issue and you are backyard shooting then I would get a longer bow unless you have a really short draw length. Smoothness is important if you are dealing with a physical issue and you get that with longer options. Also you will get less finger pinch from a greater string angle at full draw which is important if you have arthritis in your hands. I don't think either stacking or finger pinch is a good thing with arthritis. A longer, lighter bow would be a joy to shoot and will give you the exercise you are looking for while reducing physical impact. Let us know your draw length, or you height if you do not know your draw length. The Sage is a good bow but it is not always the best for a particular person's situation.

 

Go for the sage. It is a great starter bow and will work great for what you want to do with it now.

If you decide to get serious about hunting or target shooting, odds are you would still face some major equipment changes so going with a good budget bow now is a good idea.

Plus a number of serious competition shooters started with the same bow and many still use their starter for form practice. So not too many downsides to going that route.

 

It’s a excellent choice for a first traditional bow. It wasn’t my first traditional bow, but it was my first takedown recurve and I still “plink” with it fairly often. In fact, I bought it some new arrows yesterday. Get it. You wont regret it and, somewhere down the road, even if you move on to something else, it’s a great bow to pass on to a new archer.

 

Did you ever look at South West archery bows?https://www.southwestarcheryusa.com/

 

I have a Samick Sage with 30# limbs and 62 AMO. i am 6' 1" and my DL is 29.5" and find this setup very comfortable to shoot for extended periods.
As Viper1 stated if your DL is under 29" you can certainly use it. I think it is a great starter bow.

 

Not telling you to get one but I'll tell you my experience with it. It's been my primary bow for six years, does everything I need so I haven't changed. I have used fast flight string exclusively, it's still going strong. It survived a dry fire and a broken string with no damage to the bow. Mine is a 50#, with 450 grain arrows (9 gpp) it shoots around 180 fps (178-185). It has low hand shock in my opinion. With a 29" draw I can't say I notice enough stacking to matter.
The SouthWest Archery Spyder is also a lot like a Sage with a slightly slimmer handle and rounder contours, also has a red stripe that looks nice.

 

I really like the Sages, BUT, since you mentioned the arthritis let me make a different suggestion. The Sage has a fairly lightweight riser. I have sore hands due to arthritis and I have found that a riser with a heavier mass weight helps dampen the hand shock. I can feel hand shock on bows that supposedly don't have hand shock. My suggestion for you is to go long and big. Something like a 1967 Kodiak Special or similar old target bow in a light weight. Use a high brace height and fairly heavy arrow, basically anything that you can do to get the bow to dissipate the energy in some place other than your bow hand. Another option might be a metal riser bow that isn't exactly state of the art. The only ones that come to mind are fairly expensive. I'm thinking of the Hoyt Buffalo and the Hoyt Satori but I'm sure there are others out there that have some mass to them. I'm just not into metal riser bows, so my knowledge is limited.

 

Do a topic search on here and Tradtalk for "Samick Sage"
You will get DOZENS of these threads asking the same question.
Happy reading.

 

After many years away from recurves I wanted tof get back into it and bought one with 30 and 40# limbs and shoot fast flight off the shelf. I wanted 45# limbs for hunting but found a deal on a new bow with 45# limbs for just a little more than the price of the new limbs.
This bow shoots great and an outstanding buy. I had run into issues with my collarbone shooting compounds but no issues with a recurve.
With the 30# limbs I can shoot every day.
When I researched them I read nothing but good about them.

 

Hello, I have owned several Sages and they are nice, economical, accurate bows - I've replaced them with Southwest Spyders and Slick Sticks. Sages start at 25 pounds of draw weight and go up in 5# increments. The Sages helped me build my strength and form. Now, my absolute favorite trad bows are my Bearpaw Slick Sticks. They are quite a bit more expensive than a Sage, but they come with a 30-year warranty, they are light in hand and have a real smooth draw. The Sages I had weighed in at 2.4 pounds, the Spyders weighed 2.4 pounds and the Slick Sticks weigh about a pound. I really like the lightness of the Slick Sticks.

Another mentioned shock to their hands, but I didn't feel any, but then again, I don't have arthritis. My problem is in my shoulders and the lighter bows are just what I needed.

Do you have a bow shop near you where you to go and shoot some traditional bows?

Be careful not to "over-bow" yourself like I did. My first bow is a 45# recurve and it is still hanging, unsrung, in my garage - maybe one day I'll have the strength to comfortably draw it. Right now I can comfortably draw my 35# bow and can draw my 40# bow with a lot of effort, but after a few shots I can feel pain in my shoulders (they've both been surgically repaired due to a motorcycle accident in had back in '03). But, when I first picked up my 25# bow, it hurt me and now there's no pain at all, so I guess shooting is exercise in itself. Folks on here told me that it the bow hurts me, it's too much for me - so, I just shoot the 40$'der once in a blue moon.

 

I bought one when i wanted a bow, i eventually upgraded but bough some weaker limbs and gave tot he wife to use so have gotten a lot of mileage for the $

 

Lancaster Archery has a Galaxy Bullseye 66” bow that appears to be the same as the Sage just 66” long for 124.99 comes in all DW.

 

It is a very good bow for the price, a good bow to start with.

 

Thank you all for your posts, you sure have given me a lot the think about. I stopped by a local bow shop today to check my draw length. It is 30 1/4", so I'm not sure the Sage will be what I need, also I am sure that I will have to start with 25# limbs. I didn't realize how much strength I have lost. One thing for sure getting old is not for sissies!

 

Go for the 66" Galaxy. I have the same bow from a couple years ago when it was sold unbranded on Amazon for $60. I keep it strung up in the closet at all times.

 

I bought two, one for me and one for my wife. Seems like a good deal for the price instead of buying a used bow.