The Bengal Tiger is a ten foot long 500 pound silent killing machine. The Martin Bengal Compound Bow is a 32 inch ATA 4 pound silent killing machine. Either Bengal is a sinewy silent slick like oil on water shining in lethality machine. I usually shoot a monster machine known as the Martin Slayr (a 2004 edition). When the Bengal came out I was first in line saying ME! So you know how it applies to you my set up is as follows; draw length is 28 inches; draw weight is 58 pounds; I’m using a Copper John Dead Nuts Hunter 5 Pin, in Mossy oak; Copper John ScardyCat Pro drop away rest; a short X-Flite stabilizer; Carbon Express Eliminator 250 Hunter’s cut to 26 inches with 4 inch vanes; Carter release; and a peep.
First of all this awesome predator bow shoots like the wind before a thunderstorm. When you draw this bow it will leave you smiling. It draws like smooth whiskey with none of the kick. The power is amazing. As I drew this bow the first time the arrow slid up into position and I brought and held it on target. As my mind watched the pin home in on the dot of my target I was surprised that the release occurred. I felt the swoosh of the string past my arm, but the bow was dead silent. Silent like the deadly predator it is….
I was worried that I might spend several hours fiddling but I shot three ends and found it hitting right on the mark. I shot at 20 meters, and 30 meters for some idea of how steady it holds in my hands. My groupings at 20 meters cost me thee arrows the first few times around.
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After shooting separate dots for sighting in I had the infinite wisdom to shoot a group at 20 meters. Mama always said I like to play with fire. I shot six arrows into the bale and lost the fletching off one arrow. Just to make things interesting I shot another group (down to five arrows), and shattered the nock and took out the end of another arrow finally down to four arrows by the time I was done.
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I’ve been told this is supposed to be a bargain bow. It is a bargain. Let me tell you what kind of bargain. I’m scared to death of serving anything to the string so I took it down to my local Pro-Shop. Each of the pro’s walking around looked at it and said nice looking bow and asked if it was new. Thanks yes it is…. I’m the crazy guy with all the Martin bows. I started asking them what they though MSRP was on the bow. I got answers from $600 to $800 on first glance. Very interesting I was thinking to myself. They all came back for another look when I said MSRP was $399. Who’s crazy now?
At the Pro-Shop I had them serve in the ScardyCat Pro rest draw string, and a new Peep. There were a few problems with the peep as the string would rotate substantially on draw. We figured it out and got it to work without a Peep Tube on the string and cable. When the Archery tech drew the Bengal back he let back down and looked at the bow. He drew it back again and then let down. I asked if anything was wrong and he just said “It draws really nice”.
Talk about the big cat in the woods. The draw on this bow is buttery smooth. It draws back and snuggles into the valley like a kitten does to momma cat. It’s not until you release that you realize that you’ve got a tiger by the tail. The rest smacking down on the shelf is the loudest thing about this bow (note to self put some felt on the shelf). As you draw back the grip feels good pushing back into the bow hand. My form is not nearly perfect (hardly), and I anchor at three points (nose tip, jaw line with lower knuckle, ear nerve with upper knuckle) and bow hand relaxed. As I anchor and run my internal shot check list things settle in. The Bengal is substantially lighter than my Slayr and as I watch the pin settles and locks on the target spot. I would expect whistling and screaming banshees when I released but there is the smack of the rest into the shelf and a thud on the target.
Quite a satisfying shooter to be sure.
First of all this awesome predator bow shoots like the wind before a thunderstorm. When you draw this bow it will leave you smiling. It draws like smooth whiskey with none of the kick. The power is amazing. As I drew this bow the first time the arrow slid up into position and I brought and held it on target. As my mind watched the pin home in on the dot of my target I was surprised that the release occurred. I felt the swoosh of the string past my arm, but the bow was dead silent. Silent like the deadly predator it is….
I was worried that I might spend several hours fiddling but I shot three ends and found it hitting right on the mark. I shot at 20 meters, and 30 meters for some idea of how steady it holds in my hands. My groupings at 20 meters cost me thee arrows the first few times around.
.JPG)
After shooting separate dots for sighting in I had the infinite wisdom to shoot a group at 20 meters. Mama always said I like to play with fire. I shot six arrows into the bale and lost the fletching off one arrow. Just to make things interesting I shot another group (down to five arrows), and shattered the nock and took out the end of another arrow finally down to four arrows by the time I was done.
.JPG)
I’ve been told this is supposed to be a bargain bow. It is a bargain. Let me tell you what kind of bargain. I’m scared to death of serving anything to the string so I took it down to my local Pro-Shop. Each of the pro’s walking around looked at it and said nice looking bow and asked if it was new. Thanks yes it is…. I’m the crazy guy with all the Martin bows. I started asking them what they though MSRP was on the bow. I got answers from $600 to $800 on first glance. Very interesting I was thinking to myself. They all came back for another look when I said MSRP was $399. Who’s crazy now?
At the Pro-Shop I had them serve in the ScardyCat Pro rest draw string, and a new Peep. There were a few problems with the peep as the string would rotate substantially on draw. We figured it out and got it to work without a Peep Tube on the string and cable. When the Archery tech drew the Bengal back he let back down and looked at the bow. He drew it back again and then let down. I asked if anything was wrong and he just said “It draws really nice”.
Talk about the big cat in the woods. The draw on this bow is buttery smooth. It draws back and snuggles into the valley like a kitten does to momma cat. It’s not until you release that you realize that you’ve got a tiger by the tail. The rest smacking down on the shelf is the loudest thing about this bow (note to self put some felt on the shelf). As you draw back the grip feels good pushing back into the bow hand. My form is not nearly perfect (hardly), and I anchor at three points (nose tip, jaw line with lower knuckle, ear nerve with upper knuckle) and bow hand relaxed. As I anchor and run my internal shot check list things settle in. The Bengal is substantially lighter than my Slayr and as I watch the pin settles and locks on the target spot. I would expect whistling and screaming banshees when I released but there is the smack of the rest into the shelf and a thud on the target.
Quite a satisfying shooter to be sure.
