About two months ago Warden 415 and I each won a custom Stalker longbow in the "name the bow" contest South Cox sponsored. My name of "Tracker" won one of the bows and it arrived yesterday, as did Warden's who posted pics last night.
You must understand that I am a recurve shooter. I killed one deer with a longbow, a 58" Shadow Eclipse. I was on the ground, shooting 67#, tapered wood shafts and Hunter's Head braodheads. The deer I killed was nine feet (yep, 3 yards) away when I shot him. I never hunted with a longbow since simply because I had a custom made Groves arrive in time for a caribou hunt and then I discovered DAS ILF bows. No more new bows for me...at least that's what I thought until I unexpectedly won the Tracker.
First I'll show you the pics. It's a beautiful bow and came just as I wanted it. Dark limbs to disappear in a blind. I believe they are Macasscar Ebony with a carbon based limb. It's 58" and pulls 55# @ 28"...precisely what I wanted.
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/Arrowworks/Stalkerprofile.jpg)
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/Arrowworks/Stalkerriser1.jpg)
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/Arrowworks/Stalkerriser2.jpg)
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/Arrowworks/Stalkerriser3.jpg)
Now the best news. I couldn't wait to shoot it. So I put it together and took it downstairs to the basement. I took a 29" Beman MFX 400 with 225 grains up front and shot it without a nocking point several times. It seemed to shoot a bit weak which surprised me. I went back upstairs and got a couple of my Beman 340's that I shoot from my DAS. They shot straighter and I was totally impressed with the speed, stability and "cast" of the bow. I've shot many longbows over the years, including some of the big names including Adcocks and Morrisons. I have to honestly say that this bow outshoots them all. The handle fits me perfectly and the arrows, well, even though they were over 600 grains just shot great.It is also so quiet I am doubtful that I will need to put string silencers on it. I still need to do fine tuning. I am a bare shaft guy so I need to do that. I need to determine the perfect nocking point and brace height. But even though I have not gone thru that process yet I feel that if I simply got the nocking point thing down I could take the bow out today and hunt turkeys with it with confidence....if it were legal. :archer:
Congratulations Bill! I like the bows that South builds, performance and looks are both top notch. I have a takedown in the works right now, unfortunately, South bypassed the great names I suggested so I will be sending him some money soon!
congrats on your new bow.Sure is a beauty.
Very nice! I haven't shot one but I love the look of the grip.
Very nice. Obviously a force of undetermined divinity is trying to tell you something.......... You need more bows.....
More bows good...
Bill, good for you!! I know you love the DAS but it will be nice to see ya post a pic. with this bow and a dead turkey. Those are beautiful bows and have me thinkin as well!! Shawn
CONGRATS,ON YOUR WIN OF SUCH A FINE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT,ALSO THANK FOR SHARING YOUR WAY OF COMING BY IT,,,GOOD LUCK ON YOUR SUCCESS,,,
Dang what a looker!!!
Without even putting my hands on it, the grip looks like it would just melt into your hand.
What a nice bow and an even nicer gesture by the bowyer!
Sweet Bill................
Very nice! congrats :thumbsup:
I have been shooting one of his recurves over the last couple weeks. Like it a bunch. His longbows looks great also. Nice bow Bill - go kill a turkey with it!!
It certainly looks like a keeper! Congrats!
beautiful :thumbsup:
Wow ! Love the wood choices ! South sure builds a pretty bow that's shoots just good as it looks ! I love my stalker stealth.
Nice Bill......I think you'll be pleased!!
:thumbsup:
Well, I hope it's a good omen but the bow arrived yesterday and in the morning this is what greeted us in the front yard.
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/Arrowworks/Snowturkeys-1.jpg)
I took the pic from inside out front hallway. These guys have been waking me up way too early for the past 3 days...even with the snow on the ground. We can't bait turkeys in NH but I had the warden check out where I want to set up my DB blind and I'm good to go.
I got to play with the bow a bit today and got the nocking point perfect. It also appears that the best shooting arrow is a Beman 400 with 200 grains up front.
Bill,
This coming from you... the die hard DAS guy... I find this a very big thumbs up for Stalker. :thumbsup:
Kawika
Beautiful bow Bill. Today's top end bows are a pleasure for sure. Have fun.
TJ
kawika...I haven't put my DAS away at all. I have a new toy to play with and it shoots so well I would be foolish not to give it ago this Spring with the turkeys. And you are right....South made me a bow I like to shoot, so I will do just that. It is a big thumbs up for Stalker or it would be just another bow on the wall. I was wondering myself how I would take to it. But with the right arrow it seems to be shooting about the same so I am pleasantly surprised. You know, I really love dark chocolate but every once in a while I go for the black raspberry.
Beautiful bow!! South makes a great bow, received mine in September and can't put it down!
Beautiful bows. Try white chocolate, it's good too.
Nice bow!
Very nice Bill! I hope to see you smiling behind a big tom with the Stalker against it in a month or so!
Hey, I've got some wood shafts if you need some. ;)
BWD...no problem with white chocolate. Laura makes some white chocolate cookies at Christmas time that are to die for....especially when they are frozen.
varmint...I literally have hundreds of shafts left over from my custom arrow making days. I'm in good shape that way but thanks, anyway.