I've had my eyes on the line of 62" take down recurves, by Samick, in the 45# range. I'd like to find one for around $300 or less. The Sage runs around $129 and the Phantom runs around $229, which I see as reasonable. I've owned custom recurves before, so I'm familar with them and am looking foreward to getting back into traditional archery.
* Has anyone shot a Samick t/d recurve? If so, what's your opinion?
* Where did you get your's?
Your opinions and experiences are appreciated.
Thank you, Bowhunter57
I don't think you can go wrong with the price. I have never shot one but have heard/read good reviews. Most folks who have shot them would say you get more than your money's worth.
I have a Samick one piece recurve and love it. I probably overdraw it but it has held up fine and shoots great.
Ive shot several of them and set up some beginners with Samick bows.
In my opinion for the money they are OK. Quality isnt Super, ive seen 1 delaminate and 1 Riser get cracks but ive also seen many that still hold up very good and caused no problems at all. They need some work to get em quiet and they arent the fastest, but as said for a beginner they work fine. My girlfriend is shooting a Samick SHT and likes it very much.
That said, if i would live in the US with all those vintage Bears, Pearsons etc. for little money around, i wouldnt go the Samick route. But here used bows for little money are....Samicks.
saumensch is right. For $300 you can get a real nice older Bear.
I have Super Grizzly from the 70s and it is my go-to bow. The Samick I own has not seen the woods while in my hands.
imo, these offshore, conglomerate mass produced stick bows are reasonably durable. i've bought, used and given away more than a few.
however, i think that rather than spend $200 on a new asian made bow, one would be far better off amassing another $50-150, and take their time to vigilantly check the classifieds for a used one piece stick bow (though t/d's can be found at that price occasionally - a superb 3pc checkmate t/d recurve just sold for $225!).
look for a modern stick bow that can handle hmpe bowstrings ("fastflight approved") and over-the-counter manufacturers such as martin and bear, and definitely most any offering by a custom shop bowyer.
make SURE the bow you select will be a holding weight you can easily handle and that its length will be in proportion to your draw length. this can vary greatly depending on the type of bow in question.
I'll play the other side of the coin than Rob D on this one. If I only had 300 dollars to spend for a daily shooter, I would rather spend it on a new Samick than a used Martin or Bear or Checkmate or ??. The performance will be about the same but if the Samick fails after six months, I get a new one. If the used one fails after six months, I have about a pound and a half of firewood.
PM sent.
QuoteOriginally posted by Turkeys Fear Me:
I'll play the other side of the coin than Rob D on this one. If I only had 300 dollars to spend for a daily shooter, I would rather spend it on a new Samick than a used Martin or Bear or Checkmate or ??. The performance will be about the same but if the Samick fails after six months, I get a new one. If the used one fails after six months, I have about a pound and a half of firewood.
good point, however ... i've seen far more asian otc bows fail than usa otc, and way far less usa customs. it's all a gamble of sorts. i'll stick with the tried 'n' true customs.
I wouldn't buy one if you paid me. I've seen two longbows break and two recurve risers crack on them. I would go with a used bow from a decent bowyer.
QuoteOriginally posted by Mint:
I wouldn't buy one if you paid me. I've seen two longbows break and two recurve risers crack on them. I would go with a used bow from a decent bowyer.
Just saw a recurve yesterday with a delaminated limb and a cracked riser.
My first traditional bow was a Samick Predator take down recurve. I had no complaints, a good bow for the money, TRW.
I'd be willing to wager that Samick's failure rate per unit sold is lower than that of most custom bowyers, especially when the bows get to be second or third hand.
If the failure rate on the Sage alone was 5%, that would be more bows than most custom bowyers make in a year.
It really is a matter of scale and perception.
There are going to be a LOT more Hondas getting warranty work than Lamborghinis, but the failure rate will be MUCH higher for the Lambos.
I bought and immediately returned a Sage this spring. I think they have a good reputation and it was certainly a good value in function, but the riser and limb attachment system looked kind of like $2 can opener glued onto a foot and half of 2x4.
I would go the used bow route too. I like to bow hunt and would not consider a bow made by a non bow hunter.
I ordered a Samik Stingray from a TG sponsor and was not impressed at all. It went back in the box after 15 minutes.
I have heard others who have handled a lot of bows give them decent reviews and I am just not sure where they are coming from.
I would buy a used bow from a reputable company.
IMO samicks are not bad bows, my friends first bow was a stingray, he still owns it and hunts with it. They are fast flight compatible, light, quiet,and the price is less than a bear grizzly. The grip also fits my hand well. However, I know nothing about the samick company or their background. All I know is that for the price of my friends bow, it seems like a pretty good deal.
Without a doubt look at the used market. There are great bows there that will hold their value. Watch the classifieds and http://traditionalarcherysales.com/index.php
Len Busbee is a straight shooter and has lots of good used bows.
Chuck
I love my Red Stag.
Try to find a laminated riser takedown for under $200 anywhere, let alone a used one.
I killed a bunch of deer with mine. It shoots fine.
I had Red stag one piece and it shot really well.It was a good looking bow and did not have any flaws to be concerned with.Glue lines were good and overlays were good.
looks like thier are possibly some quality control issues possibly from what I have read.So its possible you might get a lemon.
I have only had the one Samick and it was a good bow.Not a large sample though.
I think you could run a wanted add in the classifieds for a 62 inch TD second hand in your price range and see what responses you get.
You might find a cherry of a bow that way for a reasonable price.
I would try that 1st.
QuoteOriginally posted by Steelhead:
... looks like thier are possibly some quality control issues possibly from what I have read. ...
in essence, that is the gamble with those over-the-counter asian bows. particularly with hunting weight bows and not kid's or ladies bows. my youngest adult daughter shoots a greatree longbow and it's just fine for her. her 9yo son alex shoots a custom maddog longbow, and THAT is THE bow for kids! or adults!!
for less than 300 you can get a Quinn Stallion. I have never heard a bad word about them. They are made in Texas. Tollgate Bowhunting Supply, who are a sponsor here has them in stock
I bought my wife a 66", Samick Polaris TD for a first bow. (They also make a 62" riser.) I think it represents a lot of value for a hundred and twenty bucks. When she wanted to go up ten pounds in draw weight, new limbs cost sixty bucks from Lancaster Archery. She shoots it well and, so far, it has held together. For the money, I think it is tough to beat.
I own two of the Samick Sage recurves.
I really like these bows. :thumbsup:
the sage is sweet for the mony you cant beat it. i as of now have the red stag take down. for under 200 its is by far my favorite bow to shoot. ive shot 1000 dollar bows and this by far blew them out of the water. good luck with you choosing
they are 100 times better than ragims,,,, I'd go the used bow route myself too or stick with martin or bear,, the cash or trade value with used/martin or Bear will be alot better in the future!
I bought the Deer Master earlier this year and I can nearly drive nails out to 25+ yards when I keep my form correct. (I have 4 nocks to replace right now) It's fast, quiet and light and shoots where I'm looking. I've had it less than a year, so take my review with that in mind, but I haven't had any issues with it thus far. For the $200 I paid for this TD, I can't find any reason to complain.
I had a 3pc Red Stag that was a fine bow, and have a Night Hawk with 2 sets of limbs now. The Night Hawk is a higher end Samick (about $300 new) and it's fit and finish is as good as most customs, and it's a tack driver, fast and quiet.
I have had 8 Samick takedowns and one piece bows, shot them to death, never babied them and no problems. I still have several set of Samick ILF limbs, including those made for Tradtech archery, and they are as smooth and fast as anything out there. I prefer metal risers,my two go to bows are a Quinn Stallion, and Tradtech Titan. Risers will be here when you are gone. Take care of the limbs, they will last a lifetime. YOu honestlly cant go wrong with a Quinn, made in USA and smooth and as fast as most custom bows cost 3-4x what they do. Pm me back if I can help any way. Sam.
I bought a Samick Sage 45# last spring. A good, rugged, well constructed, accurate bow, although the finish is poor, but for $129.00, who's complaining? I put 10 coats of poly finish on, and she looks good now. You can't go wrong w/3-Rivers Archery. Good service, great price!
QuoteOriginally posted by Rob DiStefano:
QuoteOriginally posted by Steelhead:
... looks like thier are possibly some quality control issues possibly from what I have read. ...
in essence, that is the gamble with those over-the-counter asian bows. [/b]
It almost seems as though you are implying that there are never any quality control issues with custom bows. A quick perusal of all the trad sites on any given day will show that not to be the case.
The key is that when there is a problem, and they are inevitable, how is it handled and how long does it take.
I appreciate all the replies...both for and against Samick bows.
This is a difficult decision, but there seems to be more varified bad reviews than good ones. I'm not in a big hurry to make a purchase. I'd prefer to physically put my hands on a bow, BEFORE I purchase it.
I may wait until I get to the Traditional Bow Expo, in Kalamazoo, Michigan and see what they have there.
Thank you, Bowhunter57
Gotta go with Rob on this one. bought a light (40#) red stag - shot pretty nice - lasted less than a year than blew up shooting it. Posted pics of it here a while back. Contacted Samick and never heard back. Guess I got to shoot it for about 9 months for $150.00 - won't do that again. Recently picked up some vintage bears for around the same price - they have been going 40 years and I think they will go another 40.
I have a Samick Devastator and love it. I had a Predator for a while and never liked the grip at all. A buddy offered up a trade for new Devastator and I went for. Some people said I got ripped off but I don't think so at all. I've been more happy with the Samick than I ever was with the Predator and the Samick feels great in my hand and shoots great too. It all comes down to personal preferance just like everything else. Got another friend that has shot a Samick for over three years now as his only bow and has had no trouble with it at all and has shot it thousands of times. Good Luck
I got a new Sage earlier this year and really enjoy it. A good shooter but the finish could be better. First new bow since 1974, just hope it last as long as my Pearson Hunter or Astro II.
I bought a Sage early this year to try and get into the trad game. I have not regretted it in the least. Finish wasn't the greatest and what was expected from a high production manufacturer, but wasn't bad, just not the personal touch of a hand made item. The bow feels and shoots great for me and was just what I needed to get into the game for $130. Was able to have a little extra to put towards arrows.
If a Samick is all a fellow can access, then so be it; enjoy, and good luck!
But, more of them fail, from what I've heard, than do the American bows.
Personally, I would rather support an American bowyer, or a company like Martin or Bear, than an Asian company that wouldn't know the first thing about hunting, and doesn't care to know you.
For the same money or less, you get a lot more pride of ownership and pure joy from an old Bear.
A little update from yesterday:
A friend of mine bought a Smaick Deermaster last December. He really looked after it, always used a bowstringer, no dryfires etc.
But in August the riser showed several cracks, mostly at the ends and at places where you could see the wood wasnt good enough and started seperating in growth rings.
So, as there is stated to be a 1 year warranty we send it back.
It took till yesterday to get answer!
and the answer was that there are heavy signs of use on the riser and therefore he wont get a new one, only a 50% price reduction on a new one!
This riser looked better and newer then any of mine after one week! Were pissed about this and i wont ever be buying or recommending a Samick bow again
it seems there is some people that really like the samick bows as an entry level recurve. i would highly recommend you use that money and buy a quality used recurve over a brand new samick. i mainly shoot and hunt with predator recurves but have a few 1970's bear super kodiaks that i bought for under $250 a piece that all shoot awesome. just my $.02
I've had my Samick Sage for a couple of years now. Refinished the riser with 8 coats of Tru Oil and it's a beauty. Shoots great, looks great.
If someone gets a product and loves it chances are you will never hear about it. But...
If they hate the product or it fails...you WILL hear about it. (sorry to hear about you fellows with less than good experiences.)
I try not to base my opinions only on the negative experiences or opinions...
Thanks,
Joe
Ugh is best way to put it. I have had two of them, one the Red Stag was decent but limbs took a twist that I had to constantly correct, Second was a premium priced Birdseye Bullet. Great look appeal but on closer inspection not so good manufacture, bow was decent shooter but for me in the long run, I'd rather pay more and know I'm getting a bow that will keep up with me.
I like your idea of waiting til Kalamazoo. You will be able to shoot/compare them alongside a bunch other manufacturers/bow builders creations. You can at least narrow down your search from there. Used bow prices seem to be very reasonable lately. I agree with some others here, you may be able to get a domestic custom bow for not much more money.
Also at the Kazoo Expo there will be guys there with used bows they are looking to sell. You'll be able to inspect and shoot them. Could fall into something pretty good.
I know of one Samick that has delaminated.
I can't ever remember a DH Hunter ever coming apart.
John
i have the red stag takedown. this by far is my favorite bow ive ever shot and ive shoot 1000 dollar custom bows. all i can say is you cant go wrong.
189.00 at *********
I have a Samick Sage for two years now and it's the least expensive bow of the 12 that I have and shoots just as well as any of them. Better than several as a matter of fact.
I agree that you should get a better string and if that's all you want to do, then you're golden. But even with this inexpensive bow, you can put a plunger button and a stabilizer and sights or bow quiver. What more is there to ask?
The only thing is Samick has had a past problem with Black fiberglass delaminating on some of their bows. And this bow does have that.
But I have not had any kind of problem with my limbs at all and they have, I'm sure by now, 1500-2000 shots on them.
So if they do break, I guess I'll just bite the bullet and order another pair of $70 limbs. That would come out to about .035 cents a shot at this point.
As far as I'm concerned, if someone can find something to complain about that, they are just looking to complain.
#35 for 3D and #55 for hunting. Spend your good money on quality arrows shafts, learn to tune them and it wouldn't hurt to watch Jimmy Blackmon's You Tube videos on Gap Shooting Method.
There it is.
As Ribeye points out,
if your archery budget is $300, spend $130 on a sage and leave the rest for carbon shafts, points, weights, good fletching, tuning, a SBD string or other skinny FastFlight, scilencers, a bow quiver, glove or tab, etc etc etc
I started with a samick sage, and it has been a reasonably good bow for me. I still have it as back-up. It has been durable and it shoots better than I can. That said, I saw that checkmate get sold for dirt cheap and it looked way better. Maybe check out Kustom King archery or Don Dow as well. Hope that helps.
Martin x200
I love my sage shoots just like my $ bow.
I own two Samicks, a Sage(40#) and a Squall(55#), and I havent had any problems with them. I think they are great shooters. I've had them about three years, tons of arrows through them and a couple deer in the freezer. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.
Had a brand new never strung Sage delaminate when a customer drew it back for the first time. He came in to buy his first bow So I took this one fresh out of the box and strung it PROPERLY. First draw on the bow, and CRACK!!!, top limb delaminated and the customer left the store quite shaken. When I think of Samick that's what I think of.
I only started shooting trad this year, but my first bow was a Samick Sage. Worked fine for me, but I only shot for a few months before I purchased a gently-used Holm-Made River Runner. The Sage now rests in the rack of one of my mounts . .. gathering dust. :dunno:
Kingsnake
I'm no expert. But going on year 3 of shooting just traditional and year 3 with my samick. I shoot it two three times a week year round. It's still going strong and put a couple deer down in the process. Can't beat the price!!!
When i first started shooting i had a red stag and it was a fun little bow. Everything was good until i was at full draw one day and the limbs delaminated and i walked away with a bloody nose. Called the company and they sent me a new set of limbs. Never had a problem with the bow since but my nose sure did hurt lol :smileystooges:
have and shoot on a regular basis a red stag takedown. Not the worst bow, bought it with two sets of limbs. I shoot it way better than the montana longbow, but that is about shape of grip. Having two kids in daycare and a house bill etc...does not leave money for customs right now and the fact that i am lefty so used is hard to find.