DATE: 05/09/2012
New Dryad Orion w/ ACS RC Limbs - Exposed
The plan was to start loosing arrows out of a bow ten pounds lighter than my hunting weight after turkey season in order to more easily focus on form. My objective here was specifically form focused with a forgiving design and specs as prerequisites. The newly designed Orion riser along with new ACS RC limbs was selected for the task.
Much data, stats, hype, hoopla, rhetoric and fascination has been forth coming since the ACS RC debut earlier this year. Unless I can readily and visibly determine and/or experience the improvements and benefits, then I am not the least impressed. These attributes, to me, then are of no added value.
The following is my personal review as witnessed and experienced through my eyes after running ~700 arrows thru her.
Bow Specs: 62" Dryad Orion w/ACS RC Static Limbs
Riser: 17" Dark Diamondlux outer w/Cocobolo center
Limbs: ACS RC Longs
Draw Wt. 45 @ 28 (Note: I draw ~27 ¾")
Nock pt: 7/16"
Brace Ht: 8 ¼"
Arrow Specs: ICS 500 - 29.0"
Insert: 50 gn
Point: 175 gn
Tot. Wt: 460 gn
Grip: The grip and I were at odds the first couple of days. However, if you try a perfectly fitting glove on the other hand, then there will be issues. I was fighting it, relaxed and soon realized that it was the best natural personal match I had ever encountered. She seats on the mark every time and is extremely stable. Was confident that I had identified my favorite grip years back, however the standard has now been updated.
Riser: Robust enough, balanced mass, yet sports a small grip. **Moderate deflex. Again, a nice match for me. Beauty was not my objective where mass and stability were, yet she is quite appealing. Numerous individuals stopped me at the TN Classic to view the riser – simple beauty. If someone wanted a fancy, then I am sure Mike would accommodate them.
Overall mass: The Diamondlux/Cocobola was very nice match for me and I would feel comfortable going with a slightly heavier combination. My propensity to bias heavier mass was quite satisfied.
Shootability: Points naturally and consistently places arrows on the mark. Shooting her seems effortless--.Likely my most accurate shooter to date.
Hand shock: None perceived- Perhaps I take this for granted in my expectations.
** A pleasant ride
Craftsmanship: Excellent
Sound: Have owned several louder bows and have made little effort to quiet her even further. She is currently one of those bows that are louder to the shooter vs. the sound perceived by those nearby.
Draw: Effortless...Smooth...Did not notice the preload as mentioned from other posts.
I was assume this was a reasonable assessment since I am drawing 10#'s less(58") than what I was accustomed to and the static tips draw as if the bow was 64"s vs. the 62" actual.
Aesthetics – Simple beauty as I had ordered
Performance –The flat trajectory was validated by extending my point on ~ 3 yards. This is quite significant since my point on even with my other high performance bows has been 25 yards at similar gpp arrows. Since I am comfortable with my site window, I increased arrow wt and made the simple necessary adjustments to my set up.
Note: Ran into numerous curious gentlemen at the TN Classic regarding the Orion. One gentleman in particular who shoots extremely well declined to shoot it due to a sore elbow. He shoots bows in the mid to upper 50's. When I told him that the Orion was 45#'s, he went for it yet commented that it would likely chuck his 580 gn arrows. Well all three arrows ended up in the bull at 20 yards. He looked at me in disbelieve and promptly parted to share his experience with buds, which one of them is a bowyer. Then a crowd quickly formed.
Service: It was a true honor to work with Mike Westvang. He dealt patiently with my river of flowing inquiries and expectations. I am expecting to turn to him for an additional request for I am in want of a 58" hunting bow..
Over-all Experience: Was totally taken by surprise...All expectations were either met or exceeded. My previous concerns were with the grip, shootability, and actual speed. The results far exceeded my expectations. This particular bow has actually driven me to revisit and re-evaluate my expectations. The bar has been raised to previously unchartered heights.
THANK YOU MIKE!!!!!!!!!!
Glad you like it so much!Nice review.Have fun with it.
Nice review. Your observations are appreciated.
Mark
Nice review. I have not shot the ACS recurve but I have the 15" Dryad Epic riser with ACS CG longbow limbs. I am very happy with the entire package and my experience of dealing with Mike was very positive.
We are truly blessed with the quality of local bowyers in our midst!
Same experience this weekend except with the LB Limbs. The draw felt lighter than marked, but slung an arrow along side bows at least 5#s heavier.
I do like the thinner older risers though, but that's a personal preference.
Also I suspect that it will take a while before this hardhead can warm up to the ILF system though. I guess I'm too hardheaded for my own good! :biglaugh:
Pics please
Dang I'm blushing.
Scott,
Thank you for taking the time to write your review of the bow. It means so much more coming from "real world" customers then it does from us or even third party testers.
We strive to continue to push the envelop in performance without giving up any of the intangibles and if I may quote you.
"Over-all Experience: Was totally taken by surprise...All expectations were either met or exceeded. My previous concerns were with the grip, shootability, and actual speed. The results far exceeded my expectations. This particular bow has actually driven me to revisit and re-evaluate my expectations. The bar has been raised to previously unchartered heights.
"
This is exactly what we like to hear.
Thanks again!!
Mike
Now back too work, we have 20 bows with RC limbs to get built. . . .LOL
Fred,
Actually Scott's bow is our Orion model and that's a bolt down not ILF.
We are selling the Orion about 2 to 1 over the ILF right now.
Mike
Just out of curiosity, did you happen to chronograph a few arrows ?
Have not. The chrono I have access to yielded less than admirable results when running my previous Borders w/Hex V's and my ACS CX bows. On the range, they seemed to yield the same trajectory out to 30 yards. My site window remained constant.
If I cannot actually discern the attribute, then it means very little to me.
Nice review Scott glad your enjoying your new bow.
Nice review, I've been thinking about the limbs for awhile. Thanks
Thank you gentlemen.
It is not so difficult to publish a review, as such, when the product lives up to the hype.
Hey Scott, nice review on the bow..
Thanks
Scott,
Could you post some pictures of the riser? I was hoping to try one out this year at Cloverdale, but, will still be in Iraq. I want to place an order, but, I have a medium to small hand and usually dont buy a bow without feeling the grip first. Thanks.
Bill,
There are quite a few pics of risers on our in stock page.
Mike
Would have added pics with the initial review if camera hadn't gone on the blink.
** Still plan to post pics.
Scott,
That would be nice. I wish I'd taken a few pics before we sent it out.
Mike
Scott,
What I liked about your review is that you have owned the ACX-CX and the Borders Hex V which gives you a reference point vs just the regular attributes of super smooth, very fast, etc.
Thankyou Sir.
Great review Friend... well done Mike :)
Kudos to Mike and crew at Dryad. Made right here in the good old USA!!!!!
God bless you all, Steve
Yep USA born and bred.
Mike
(http://images.imagelinky.com/1336959487.JPG) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1336959487.JPG)
(http://images.imagelinky.com/1336960257.jpg) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1336960257.jpg)
Scott, that is one beautiful and excellent shooting bow! Excellent craftsman ship Mike!
Scott, thanks very much for the kind words and writeup. Like Mike and I have said many times, our opinion doesn't count. Ultimately our customers have to be satisfied. Thank you.
John
After ~2500 rounds, the honeymoon continues.
I trust that the attraction is neither carnal nor licentious.
This bow has become the first for which I have conceded to willingly accept a new site window.
good review
We've got 10 sets of these limbs going on on Tuesday from Hungary to California.
Hopefully they will be as happy with theirs. LOL
Mike
The ultimate find is to locate a personal fitting grip that you are absolutely sold on.
Shot two 3D rounds this morning among this seemingly saga-like heat wave. The 2nd round was totally different than the early trek. Perspiration was a constant flow, yet my loose grip remained totally stable and unaffected. ..
Never before have experienced this type of stability under such conditions...
Can only attest that this grip is a personal best fit.
Thanks for the write up. Is this the standard Orion grip or did you ask for something smaller? I have been looking at options for a new bow for a while and value well thought out opinions. Dryad are definitly on my short list... Of course that Tall Tines you sold recently was a real beauty too!
Dogboy900---It is their standard medium grip,
Thanks again for writing such a well written review of a bow! i hope others will take the time to write reviews like this in the future
*There are reviews based on initial impressions
**There are reviews based on merely a brief acquaintance
*** There are reviews based on experiences after several 1000 rounds
My review after a brief acquaintance still stands firmly rooted even after 4000+ rounds.
Please due note that my review is based on my personal perspective.
Nicely written!
Any BIGGER PICS?
That is a beautiful bow! Love to see more of it if you don't mind.
I have browsed the Dryad site many times and they have some great looking stuff. I'd love to have one of their 17 or 19 inch ILF risers right now. Their combinations of woods and colors makes for some awesome looking risers.
Hey Dryad, if I got one of your 17 or 19 inch ILF risers, would I be able to get a set of the ACS recurve limbs at some point and use them on the riser?
Also, are you noticing any difference in performance between the ILF and BOLT DOWN ACS limbs?
Thanks.
CONGRATS on the great bow.
Nalajr
Nala,
The ILF version is ~5 fps slower than the bolt- down Orion. This occurrence is due to building a riser to accomodate the various ILF limbs thus both inherently and inevitably compromising performance.
The images may be copied to Power Point then simply enlarged.
Nala,
We don't build a 19" riser but our current 17" does support any of our limbs. That applys to both the ILF and Orion (bolt-down)
Mike
17" riser plus long recurve limbs does that make a 64" AMO?
wasapt...will need the Extremes to make a 64".
note: the longs will yield a 62"r
Yep Scott's got it right.
17" riser and longs is 62" and XL is 64".
Mike
Excellent review and continuous update Scott. Have a 17" Epic ILF riser on order with Mike and just picked up a used set of long ACS 4G longbow limbs. After reading through John Havards "Defining Bow Performance" paper on the Dryad site, as well as this and other threads on these limbs, I'm even more excited than ever about this combination.
I miss My Orion. :banghead: I have replaced it with 2 sets of Epic limbs. A set of mediums and a set of longs. Just looking for the right riser now.
Mike, do You think You'll build a 19" riser someday?
bretto
Pretty interested in the new ACS RC limbs on an Orion riser, especially after this review. Question though, do these limbs only come in the black glass or can you get wood on them as well?
I've been shooting the Orin for a long time. It was and still is the finest bow i've shot. Thanks Mike for a great product. Thanks Friend for a great review.
Great review!
Thanks.
Hey Friend , I`ve appreciated your comments over the years . I enjoyed the feel and observations of this bow report , well done.
Cheers from the Westcoast of Canada,,,
what is the wait time to recieve the custom order Orion with ACS recurve limbs?
QuoteOriginally posted by wasapt:
what is the wait time to recieve the custom order Orion with ACS recurve limbs?
Don't know, but it's worth it, I bought a set of the limbs used and put on an existing riser. Today was the first time I really quit messing around experimenting and settled on the arrow setup I was going to use and I beat my best 3d score by over 30 points, can't wait to apply them to some elk!
QuoteOriginally posted by wasapt:
what is the wait time to recieve the custom order Orion with ACS recurve limbs?
We normally run about four months on custom orders.
Mike
How does the smoothness of draw compare to your ACS longbow? I shoot several of A&H Archery's takedown longbows which I think are smooth, easy drawing. I test drove one of Dryad's ACS recurves last year at Compton's and to me the bow seemed to pull a bit hard for the marked poundage.
John, if you were shooting an ILF recurve it would have been 3# draw weight higher when mounted on our riser. Perhaps that was it?
The A&H longbows are exceptional - the draw on the Dryad ACS longbow limbs is somewhat similar and somewhat different. It's a different design altogether. The Dryad recurve has a strong early energy storage hump with something resembling let-off from around 25" through 31" of draw. So to me, the recurve actually feels "smoother" than the longbow because of the shape of the F/D curve (the incremental increase in draw weight per incremental inch of draw through the critical 25"-31" is quite low).
QuoteOriginally posted by JohnV:
How does the smoothness of draw compare to your ACS longbow? I shoot several of A&H Archery's takedown longbows which I think are smooth, easy drawing. I test drove one of Dryad's ACS recurves last year at Compton's and to me the bow seemed to pull a bit hard for the marked poundage.
John, for what it's worth, I haven't shot a Dryad ACS longbow, but i have shot the A&H longbow. With my 31" draw the Dryad ACS recurve is way smoother. Don't know how it feels in comparison for a person with a shorter draw though. I've had several very experienced archers shoot my bow and they universally said it was so smooth that it almost felt like it had a letoff feel to it.
Thank you Friend great review.... The older I get the more I look for ststements like these in my hunting bows :)
"Draw: Effortless...Smooth...Did not notice the preload as mentioned from other posts.
I was assume this was a reasonable assessment since I am drawing 10#'s less(58") than what I was accustomed to and the static tips draw as if the bow was 64"s vs. the 62" actual."
>>>Thank you gentlemen for the benevolent complements<<<
Further elaboration is likely to be biased. After ~8000 rounds, the union has been firmly established and the grip seems to be an unparalleled personal best match.
Something noteworthy and unbiased was the experience encountered yesterday while wishfully dreaming that the 62" Orion would freely function and unimpeded w/I the confines of an original 67" tall Double Bull Matrix.
Shot 30 rounds from different possible window shooting opportunities with the bow held vertical.....found I had extra room while confidently loosing arrows which found their mark.
The combination of utilizing the low setting Asbell pac seat and the shortened bow length due to the static tips yielded these personally favorable results.
***Still need to evaluate shooting from w/I the blind while resting on my heels.
QuoteOriginally posted by John Havard:
John, if you were shooting an ILF recurve it would have been 3# draw weight higher when mounted on our riser. Perhaps that was it?
The A&H longbows are exceptional - the draw on the Dryad ACS longbow limbs is somewhat similar and somewhat different. It's a different design altogether. The Dryad recurve has a strong early energy storage hump with something resembling let-off from around 25" through 31" of draw. So to me, the recurve actually feels "smoother" than the longbow because of the shape of the F/D curve (the incremental increase in draw weight per incremental inch of draw through the critical 25"-31" is quite low).
Hey John, what kind of speed are you getting out of that bolt on static limb of yours in 9-10 gpp?
That's a good looking limb you guys are building there...Kirk
Kirk...John Havard may well have more definitive updated info...Blacky's evaluation using fingers at 9gpp resulted in 193 fps. The bolt-on Orion is ~5 fps faster primarily due to optimizing a more specific set-up vs. an ILF design to accommodate the multitude of various ILF limbs.
The Orion shoots a 9 gpp arrow approximately 198 fps.
You guys are getting me excited. I should be receiving an Orion from Wingnut any day now!
17" riser with medium limbs, does that make a 60" AMO recurve?
Bryce, yes - a 60" AMO recurve.
QuoteOriginally posted by Friend:
Kirk...John Havard may well have more definitive updated info...Blacky's evaluation using fingers at 9gpp resulted in 193 fps. The bolt-on Orion is ~5 fps faster primarily due to optimizing a more specific set-up vs. an ILF design to accommodate the multitude of various ILF limbs.
The Orion shoots a 9 gpp arrow approximately 198 fps.
Thanks Scott.... those are respectable numbers. you have to be enjoying that bow.... Congrats. :clapper:
Does a 17" riser with medium limbs, have a limit on the shooters draw length?
I love Mikes bows but I would need him to make me a custom grip, too slender for my meathooks. I will own one again, soon I hope!! Nice review! Shawn
Bryce, yes - we have recommended draw length limits with various limb and riser length combinations. Memory is the second thing that goes and I don't remember the first (!) but I think a 17" with medium recurve limbs has a recommended max draw length of 30".
I'll drop a note to Mike and have him check the cheat sheet to confirm.
The 17" with mediums has a max draw recommendation on 29". Longs get you to 30".
I shoot longs on a 17" with a 30 1/2 with no problem on the ACS-RC limbs.
Mike
If a bow is ordered with the camo dip, Orion bolt down 17' riser with medium limbs, then action wood is sufficient for the riser, correct? and the Recurve limbs that are the best performing are which material?
Bryce,
We don't camo dip, but it can obviously be done. Certainly any riser material would be fine under that circumstance. The ACS RC limbs have a combination of carbon and fiberglass in them with either dirty bamboo limb core or a composite limb core. Those would be the top-end limbs.
wow, picking the right combo of woods with all those pics to look at is tough! Onyx Actionwood and cocobolo maybe my favorite...of what I see in stock.
Yep we actually need to remove the camo dip option now that the guy we trusted sold the business to a not so trustworth individual.
But I'm sure we can come up with a camo look riser if you want. We have some great Olive/charcoal actionwood in stock.
Mike
I draw up to 30", settle in and hold about 29.75". Can I safely shoot a 17" riser with Medium limbs? I really don't want a bow longer than 60"
Bryce,
You can in a curve but not a longbow. The ACS-RC will work fine at your draw in the 17" / medium combo.
Mike
I just bought a slightly used Orion and I can't believe how well it shoots. In one weeks time it has become my favorite. Jack
I bought a slightly used Orion longbow about a week and a half ago. To say i'm impressed would be putting it lightly. 62", 45# @ 28" and she shoots as good as she looks. Jack
I picked up a used Orion lb about 2 weeks ago. It has become my favorite. She's a beauty and shoots as good as she looks. Jack.
What is the bow length of a 17" riser with longs?
QuoteOriginally posted by wasapt:
What is the bow length of a 17" riser with longs?
62"
Thank you! Can the risers be drilled for bow quivers?
Yep and we'll do it and install the bushings.
Mike
Please excuse my multiple posts. Ididn't know there was more than one page on this subject. Maybe someday I'll learn how to use this thing. Jack