[mtmedic]

I was at the shop a few weeks back when this came in an I played with a little then but last night I set it up and shot it several times including through the chrono. It was set at 64#with a 30" DL. I added a whisker biscuit rest and a Montana Black Gold Radiant to it as they were both sitting there on the bench. The very first thing I noticed was the consistent, smooth draw cycle. The second thing I noticed was the hand shock following the release. There seemed to be more vibration than I care for. I continued to shoot this bow at 20 yards and for accuracy it is right on. Those arrows were grouping so tight that I though I broke them a couple of times. I then added a 7" Doinker to the mix and the handshock was reduced almost completely. Now it was far more comfortable for me to shoot. I continued to shoot it and it continued to pack them right in there until I broke a nock. I then took it to the chrono and shot my 331grn GT UL Pro 400's. I was hoping to see a little better speed than I did but it consistently put up speeds of 268 and 269 fps. The fit and finish of this bow are as good as any other Martin I have ever looked at. I am not a big fan of the rubber grip and the red, white, and blue Martin emblem was trying to come off. I pressed this down with my fingers and never had a problem with it the rest of the night. Nothing a little glue wouldn't fix. As for the grip... That is an easy modification so no worries there.

Overall, this bow is not a racecar but it is a very stable and consistent shooting machine. The draw cycle is fantastic and as smooth as you could ever ask for and the handshock is tameable. I think Martin really nailed it here with a $399 bow. I would like to learn a little more about these pressed together risers though. Where can a guy get some information on this???

 

[Sneaky Apasum]

I would like to see better speeds coming from a set-up like that, but it's a bow I would try, especially for that kind of money.

 

[Kelsnore]

I was at the shop a few weeks back when this came in an I played with a little then but last night I set it up and shot it several times including through the chrono. It was set at 64#with a 30" DL. I added a whisker biscuit rest and a Montana Black Gold Radiant to it as they were both sitting there on the bench. The very first thing I noticed was the consistent, smooth draw cycle. The second thing I noticed was the hand shock following the release. There seemed to be more vibration than I care for. I continued to shoot this bow at 20 yards and for accuracy it is right on. Those arrows were grouping so tight that I though I broke them a couple of times. I then added a 7" Doinker to the mix and the handshock was reduced almost completely. Now it was far more comfortable for me to shoot. I continued to shoot it and it continued to pack them right in there until I broke a nock. I then took it to the chrono and shot my 331grn GT UL Pro 400's. I was hoping to see a little better speed than I did but it consistently put up speeds of 268 and 269 fps. The fit and finish of this bow are as good as any other Martin I have ever looked at. I am not a big fan of the rubber grip and the red, white, and blue Martin emblem was trying to come off. I pressed this down with my fingers and never had a problem with it the rest of the night. Nothing a little glue wouldn't fix. As for the grip... That is an easy modification so no worries there.

Overall, this bow is not a racecar but it is a very stable and consistent shooting machine. The draw cycle is fantastic and as smooth as you could ever ask for and the handshock is tameable. I think Martin really nailed it here with a $399 bow. I would like to learn a little more about these pressed together risers though. Where can a guy get some information on this???

Our Bengal set at 62# 28 3/4" draw (Thats what it measures) 323 grain arrow, shot 261 consistantly! I am confident I could pull 270+ out of it. I did not notice the amount of hand shock you spoke of. The little bit it does have can be managed easily enough!!! I too am curious about the modular riser, especially the union by the grip!
All in all, this bow rocks!! The draw is as smooth or smoother than most available today! It is not a fast bow by any means, but the speeds are more than ample for a great hunting bow! A bow that draws this smooth can't be blazing fast!!!
There are not many bows in the $400 price range I would shoot...this is one I would though! Very nice bow for the buck!!!

 

[mtmedic]

I really am considering setting one of these up for a spot bow. I would like to see how it does. I have wanted a spot bow for some time but this one would not cost as much to set up and the accuracy of this bow is good as of yet. I might have to call and see what the target colors cost...

The other thing I did not mention before was the cable gaurd... Why in the world is that so long??? It is an easy fix with a hacksaw and a dremel, I just don't get why it is that long???

 

[Joel C]

I really am considering setting one of these up for a spot bow. I would like to see how it does. I have wanted a spot bow for some time but this one would not cost as much to set up and the accuracy of this bow is good as of yet. I might have to call and see what the target colors cost...

The other thing I did not mention before was the cable gaurd... Why in the world is that so long??? It is an easy fix with a hacksaw and a dremel, I just don't get why it is that long???

It is possible that the wrong length was installed, just have your dealer give us a call and we will send out a replacement. Sorry...no target colors at this time.

 

[Myk]

The Bengal is scary accurate. I didn't have any problem getting it to hit broadheads with field points and then shoot them just as accurately.

Please tell me you were using 75gr tips and not that my scale is that wrong/arrows that light.
My GT UL Pro 400s are 28" and 354gr.

 

[Daniel BOOM]

I was at the shop a few weeks back when this came in an I played with a little then but last night I set it up and shot it several times including through the chrono. It was set at 64#with a 30" DL. I added a whisker biscuit rest and a Montana Black Gold Radiant to it as they were both sitting there on the bench. The very first thing I noticed was the consistent, smooth draw cycle. The second thing I noticed was the hand shock following the release. There seemed to be more vibration than I care for. I continued to shoot this bow at 20 yards and for accuracy it is right on. Those arrows were grouping so tight that I though I broke them a couple of times. I then added a 7" Doinker to the mix and the handshock was reduced almost completely. Now it was far more comfortable for me to shoot. I continued to shoot it and it continued to pack them right in there until I broke a nock. I then took it to the chrono and shot my 331grn GT UL Pro 400's. I was hoping to see a little better speed than I did but it consistently put up speeds of 268 and 269 fps. The fit and finish of this bow are as good as any other Martin I have ever looked at. I am not a big fan of the rubber grip and the red, white, and blue Martin emblem was trying to come off. I pressed this down with my fingers and never had a problem with it the rest of the night. Nothing a little glue wouldn't fix. As for the grip... That is an easy modification so no worries there.

Overall, this bow is not a racecar but it is a very stable and consistent shooting machine. The draw cycle is fantastic and as smooth as you could ever ask for and the handshock is tameable. I think Martin really nailed it here with a $399 bow. I would like to learn a little more about these pressed together risers though. Where can a guy get some information on this???

Module risers are not a new thing. I was looking in my buyers guide and I saw two other companies offering module risers. One was even a 10 piece riser! So im thinking they are pretty solid.

 

[mtmedic]

Module risers are not a new thing. I was looking in my buyers guide and I saw two other companies offering module risers. One was even a 10 piece riser! So im thinking they are pretty solid.

But where do we learn about how they are put together??? I want to know more like why they built them and what the design does for the function of the bow??? Input... Input... Input...

 

[mtmedic]

Please tell me you were using 75gr tips and not that my scale is that wrong/arrows that light.
My GT UL Pro 400s are 28" and 354gr.

My arras are 27" with 7 inch wraps, Blazers x 3, QAD Tune-A-Nocks, and 85 grain tips. Here is the steering end...

 

[Myk]

My arras are 27" with 7 inch wraps, Blazers x 3, QAD Tune-A-Nocks, and 85 grain tips. Here is the steering end...

You had me doing the math for a while and I kept on coming up with 353.something so I figured my scale had to be right (it's my powder scale, if it wasn't I would've blown up by now ) and you were using lighter points.

I think the reason for the modular riser is price.
I think the thickest billet needed is something like 1 5/8" (going by my machinist friend, I didn't measure) vs a 3" or 4" billet for a solid riser. Not only are the smaller sizes cheaper but there is less waste.
Basically you get an $800 bow for half the price. If metals keep on going up I bet we'll see more and more of these or there will be more cast risers again.

 

[mtmedic]

I hope the milled aluminum risers don't go anywhere. I, along with alot of other people, am not a big fan of the cast riser.

joelc... Any idea on when the Bengal will be available to us in target colors???

You had me doing the math for a while and I kept on coming up with 353.something so I figured my scale had to be right (it's my powder scale, if it wasn't I would've blown up by now ) and you were using lighter points.

I think the reason for the modular riser is price.
I think the thickest billet needed is something like 1 5/8" (going by my machinist friend, I didn't measure) vs a 3" or 4" billet for a solid riser. Not only are the smaller sizes cheaper but there is less waste.
Basically you get an $800 bow for half the price. If metals keep on going up I bet we'll see more and more of these or there will be more cast risers again.