Getting ready to drop some coin on a new quiver. I do not like bow quivers and am either going with the GFA or Arrow Master. Opinions please.
I haven't tried the GFA, so can't comment on it. I'm using the Arrow Master now, and can't say enough good things about it. It's the only quiver I have ever used that felt natural from day one. Pulling arrows from it is easy, it's light, and never hangs up on anything while tromping through thick brush. I also like the pocket for holding extra gear.
I know how you feel. I just could never get used to bow quivers. Seemed to destroy the balance of the bow for me. I have been using the GFA quiver for the last 3 seasons and really like it. But, really like the looks of the Arrow Master. I like the idea of the pocket for extra gear. Might be able to do away with my back pack then. Since I don't carry all that much. Might have to give it a try.
Bill
I'm most interested in the "holding" of the arrows. The GFA has two arrow grippers, the AM none. Does that make it noisy? Do the BH's touch and dull?
Kyle,
Like I said I use the GFA. The arrows are secured solidly, no noise, and no dulling of broadheads. Great Quiver!!! :thumbsup:
Bill
Thats what I'm thinking. With a fletching cover its still a lot cheaper.
I use a GFA. It holds the arrows securely, and if the rubber get s little worn you can adjust the tightness of the grip on the arrow by tightenting down the little screws. Its lightweight, and you can adjust the strap so it rides where you want it to. Its also half the price of the AM.
I do like the looks of the AM, but I love my GFA and really see no need to switch. I've used it all through deer season, carried it on 3 elk hunts and never once had a problem with it, even going through some nasty thick oak brush.
I am one who has tried the GFA and thought it was just an "Okay" contraption. I didn't like the fact that the fletching was exposed. My feathers got damp an soggy in the rain and they flagged movement with every step I took.
I bought an Arrowmaster and have found my home in that quiver. The arrowmaster is a quality piece of equipment that is well thought out and uses quality materials. There is just a slight amount of curvature to the quiver which holds the arrows steady without rattle, my fletchings are covered and no longer flag with each movement and I've never had a wet soggy feather, despite hunting in some incredible rain storms. In my opinion the Arrowmaster has solved the problems/disappointments I found in the GFA Quiver.
The pocket on the Arrowmaster is just the right size for some broadhead sharping equipment and a zip lock baggie containing my hunting license and tags. Again, a well thoughtout design....leads a guy to think that just maybe that Rod guy might have some time behind a bow and maybe just knows what he's doing.
Personally I've customized my Arrowmaster by adding two knife sheaths and an axe sheath for my Gransfors Bruks hunter's axe. All very secure and right at my fingertips. Wears well with a backpack too.
Anything GFA has made is sure to be quality never puts out any bad equipment probally the best reputation in the traditional bowhunting world.
many people don't remember what fred did for the sport but he has fought for all of use for along time and he has my respect and i have never even met the man.
Where can one see an Arrowmaster quiver at?
Safari Tuff in the sponsors list
A question for AM owners : How do you put an arrow back in your quiver without taking the quiver off of your back ?
Champ...maybe this will help :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCe7K5LRpz8&feature=channel_page
I had a Bear delta style quiver.Put a strap on it.I had myself a GFA quiver.I tryed it on a couple of 3D shoots to see how it felt.Didn`t like.It moved around to much and i felt like the fletching would be waving to the critters that i would be hunting.I also had to use both hands to get a arrow out,One to hold the hood while the other hand to pull the arrow out of the gripper.Because the quiver moved around to much when i tryed to get the arrow out.I like my quiver on the bow.
I am another GFA quiver user and I really like mine alot. I used a Cat Quiver before this and the GFA blows the CQ away IMO. Love the adjustments you can make to it and being able to just swing it around as I need to is awesome. Big thumbs up for a great product.
The big complaint seems to be the fletching not being covered. A cover is a cheap easy solution. So far its GFA by a longshot.
Many years ago I converted an old Delta bow quiver to what is now the GFA. I must have used it 20 years or more. I had problems with it using a back pack...noisy. And I found that turkeys could easily see my bright fletching. I got an Arrrow Master and really love it. The two best features I like about it are that the arrows are completely covered and are, therefore, protected from the weather and beeing seen and secondly it is the best quiver I have found for use with a back pack. I still have my GFA type quivers and use them at shoots and my wife loves hers and doesn't see a need for the Arrow Master. I use them interchangeably. I also like the way the AM allows you to get an arrow out. The GFA, with the grips can sometimes cause too much motion. I like both quivers and like most things each one has its trade offs....but if I had to choose I probably would go with the AM....at least today. My only real complaint about the AM is that the foam in the bottom of the quiver could be denser and less prone to wear and tear of the bhs being taken in and out.
By the way, I have made and used fletch covers for my GFA type quivers and have lost every one on them due to the brush pulling them off. Bottom line is that they are both very good quivers so your personal needs should prevail. If you use a back pack or day pack then, for me, the AM gets the nod.
Another vote for the Arrow Master. I bought a GFA and an AM recently, the GFA will be getting sent back or sold. AM is great!
GFA for a couple years now. Sometimes use a fletch cover. I've loaned it to a couple people who have since bought their own.
I've had a catquiver and it does not compare to an Arrowmaster. The AM is much easier to get arrows out of and return to. Really the best back style quiver I have ever owned. The GFA is a fine quiver, also, but I prefer the AM. I can carry more arrows, I can include more small game arrows, and the pocket is a plus for flashlights, knives and accesories.
I've used my GFA for four years and am nothing but pleased with it. It is my "goto" quiver.
(http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m123/JDS3_2006/100_0438.jpg)
This will be my second season with the Arrowmaster and I am convinced it's the one for me.
I found it to be quiet, durable, unobstrusive, and convenient. I can carry plenty of hunting arrows (including blunts) that stay dry and ready for instant use. It also rides nicely beside my Bison Gear pack.
Not only that, but my wife is happy that I have finally bought my last quiver. ;) Her final comment was, "Now if you would just buy your last bow!." :saywhat:
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d108/lwscott/tbw-3.jpg)
I vote for Arrow Master. Lightweight, broadheads and other points stay put in the foam, arrows don't rattle in the quiver, easy to get in and out, pocket for items. What's not to like?
I use the arrow master, it's just a great quiver all around and I've tried most everything out there.
Thanks guys. I ordered a GFA this morning from Kustom King. My mom is great with needle and material so it most likely will get a custom removable cover with pocket much like the AM. I already have ideas for accessability due to the arrow holders and a special little arrow sleeve for blunts only. I'll post pics when its done.
I realize you already made your decision, but someone else is liable to read this, so...
For what it's worth, I much more prefer the Arrowmaster. I even have one to use for 3-D. The acessory pockets are great, and it's infinately adjustable. It works great alone, with a back pack, or a day pack.
I haven't used the GFA brand, but I made one like it several years ago. Never really liked it--in thick stuff, arrows got pulled loose regularly. the fletch cover I made for it also got yanked off a lot. I'd given up on finding "the" quiver some time ago, and was using a cheap hip quiver (worn GFA style)until Rod designed the Arrowmaster.
I've used my Arrowmaster in the mountains of CO, creek bottoms of MS, at 3-D tournaments all around the Southeast, and am taking it to NM in a week. I've tried to find something wrong with it, and I can't--it works better than any quiver I've every owned, and I've spent a small fortune on quivers over the years.
Nothing against G. Fred, the Arrowmaster is just a better quiver for me. Rod has also done a lot for our sport, and continues to do so.
Chad
I too have tried both the GFA style (made one one from an old Big Horn Quiver) and recently brought the AM and i will say hand down that the AM is so much easier to use and protects the feathers better. Also let me say this is not about GFA or Rod but about a product and what ones opinion is on that product, I think sometimes we get caught up in the person and loose sight of what being asked. My issues with the GFA style is like others have said, traveling through thick brush arrows being pulled loose, or even causing me to stop and untangle, also I damaged a lot of fletchings from having no protection. The Am gives good protection and it glides through the brush with very little hang up if any. The one area that I'm still judging, is with the long 34"arrows I use (with a WW broad head) it leave very little room to slide out of the opening without hanging it on the edge. Like it's been said before the best way to form an opinion is try it for your self, you may be surprise on what really works :goldtooth:
Does anyone use the Arrowmaster while carrying a tree stand? I carry a tree stand in and out of the woods a lot and didn't know if anyone was doing it with a arrowmaster.
Rick
I have used both and much prefer the Arrowmaster and other simular tube type quivers.The arrows are always out of the way and protected.Much faster and easier to get an arrow on the string with min movement.No flagging when you use bright coloered fletching either.
I have never owned or used an actual GFA quiver, however I have made several over the years, even before the GFA came out. It works, holds the arrows securely and safely, but is not the answer FOR ME.
The Arrowmaster works real well FOR ME and is the answer MOST OF THE TIME. I do not like to wear it if I am wearing my Bison Gear pack as the waist pockets (BG) stick out and cause the quiver to stick out uncomfortably as well.
It holds the arrows quietly and securely. No rattle, no feather noise, no wet feathers. I use it a lot.
Nothing is perfect and nothing will fit everybodys expectations.
Both are pretty good options. I suggest you find someone at a shoot that has them and ask to try them out. See which one you like,
ChuckC
There's several different ways to carry the AM with a treestand--very versitile.
Chad
The beauty of the AM is the ability to carry a variety of different tipped arrows. It'll surely see a LOT of time in my woods, this fall. I love mine.
Will I use another quiver? Some. There is no (IMO) one perfect quiver (for all applications). But....the AM is the closest I've found.
For me, I've found there is no perfect quiver. My arrows, with broadheads attached, are 34 3/4" long and that causes a problem for the AM. Tough to slide arrows out of or put back in. So, with my long arrows, I've found a GFA type quiver is the best choice for me and I wear one like a back quiver. Not like a side quiver where there is a chance of one's arrow being pulled loose or damaging the feathers. If I have to go through some very thick brush, my 66" recurve or my 68" longbow will get hung up first before my quiver will. As for the protection of my feathers in heavy fog, I waterproof my feathers. Where there is a will, there is a way. Everyone's situation is different depending on the total length of their arrows and the brush (cover) they bowhunt in. One last note. I do not bowhunt in the rain. I don't enjoy that.
Try the new GFA Moose hide quiver and you'll be stylin... ;) ...
http://shrewbows.com/gfa_quiver/
My arrows are 34 3/8" with broadheads. Rod just had a longer hood made for mine. I don't have any problem silently taking an arrow out or putting one back in. Often when target shooting I'll cram several in at once.
I hunt/shoot tournaments with bows as long as 72". They do get hung up in thick stuff at times, but unlike arrows I don't have to worry about my bow falling out without me noticing. I've had that happen, and heard from others who have had it happen, with a quiver that leaves the arrows exposed. The chances of loosing your arrows from an Arrowmaster are slim.
I'm not arguing that some folks won't like a GFA better, but I know that the Arrowmaster works just fine with long arrows and/or in thick brush.
Chad
my arrows are 34" BOP. Rod made the "extended hood" for me too. A gigantic head does take a little extra rearward push to get them out, but it still happens silently. Keep in mind, you can go hoodless and your arrows are still protected. It is in the rain/snow when you want the hood on.
I have no beef against the GFA (never hunted with it). I just like my Arrowmaster.
BobW
I made a GFA style quiver 3 years ago. Used it for 2 seasons and liked it. I used a AM quiver all last year and it was OK. Feathers got mashed down on a couple of arrows and the pocket just doesn't cut it for me. I sold it after the season.
For me, it's back to the GFA with a fanny pack. IMHO, the arrows feel much more secure and the quiver itself is easier to handle in all situations.
I'll tell you this though, it sure is nice these days having so many quality options in equipment. I go back to the days of the slide on Kwikee Kwiver brackets with no hood at all. I'm just glad I didn't know how to sharpen broadheads very well back then.
I like either using the Arrowmaster or a bow quiver like the Eagle Flight. The GFA to me is a bow quiver trying to act like a side or back quiver. Nothing wrong with that, but not what I prefer.
Allan