Well, in my quest for the perfect bow, I was lucky enough to come across Bill Dunn. Thanks to him, I now have it. More to come later....
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j112/Dutch4duck/zipmax2_zpsba838d05.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/Dutch4duck/media/zipmax2_zpsba838d05.jpg.html)
Very nice!
:thumbsup:
I love my Zipper!!!
Very, very nice! I will be watching this thread closely for sure.
Good looking bow! Miss the Zipper I used to have. :rolleyes:
A couple of years ago, I picked up a bow that Tippit had brought on a turkey hunting trip. It was one of the Morrison aluminum riser ILF's with some spray painted limbs. Out of curiosity, I picked it up and sent an arrow though it. I just had to know how something so silly looking would shoot. Well, I was stunned at how this rig felt and shot. A thousand questions later, Tippit had me convinced I needed to find myself one of these little risers and get into the ILF game.
I have shot recurves and long bows over the last twenty years and have never been completely satisfied with a bow. Loved many but never had one that seemed like the go to for every situation. I've always shot 50s style recurves best. However, longbows can be soooo quiet and takedowns are soooo convenient. Most takedowns have toooo much mass in the riser, wrist is tooo high etc. The most beautiful bows I've seen never seem to feel like practical hunting weapons. I've just never been able to get everything to suit me in a bow and therefore, have never dropped fortunes on custom bows that would have left me wanting something else.
I found a 13 inch alum Morrison and started buying, selling and borrowing different ILF limbs. I got the shelf built out just right, had a custom grip made to meet my "low wrist, skinny throat" preferences. I finally had her fine tuned, was shooting this thing incredibly well and knew, looks aside, I was zeroing in on my perfect "hunting bow."
And then..........Tippit told me he had some Morrison limbs that were too heavy that I should try out before he sold them. I wasn't prepared for the Max1. I never imagined anything could be so fast, smooth and quiet. I really felt like I was playing in a different league with these things.
I really felt like I had the best bow I could get for me. It did feel strange that something made mostly of aluminum and carbon would be the best traditional hunting bow I could have, but that was the deal. "Hey Tippit, got any spray paint?"
Bill makes a beautiful and very functional bow. You Dunn well Julian.
There's a reason I have 2 Zipper ILF risers. Your gonna like it!!
Sweet set up Julian. Sounds like your quest is over!
Great looking bow and Bill is one of the most honest guys in the business.
How are the limb angles? Did the limb poundage change from what it was rated? And would love to see more pictures of the Max 2 limbs as well!
Am becoming more and more intrigued with Bill's Extreme riser design since it gives that little extra performance for shorter draws (like my 27" draw). :cool:
In March during the PBS convention, I had to opportunity to visit Bill at his home and shop with some other dudes you all know well. I'd seen Bill's bows and knew he was doing some ILF stuff, but didn't have any notion that he would or could do something I'd be interested in.
At some point, I spotted a bow with very different looking riser woods and it had some snake skin covered limbs that I couldn't really identify. When I pulled it off the rack, it had a skinnier throated grip than the others. I was in the wow mode and my wheels started turning.
A few minutes later, I found myself asking Bill, you do ILF risers right? What kind of wood is this? What kind of skns are these? What do you think of Bob's Max 1 limbs? etc etc etc etc???
If you like the Max I limbs save up and get some Max 2's.
Julian, now that you have joined the "Zipper" family you will have to go hunting with me. We have property not to far from you.
Julian,
I always have a can of Spray Paint if that riser is too bright for you :biglaugh: Sorry Bill couldn't resist...beautiful work as always...tippit
Bill C., I can't comprehend anything better than the Max 1's. It's like they defy gravity or something.
Benjy, if I had known owning a zipper came with such benefits, I'd have taken the plunge sooner.
When I opened the package from Bill earlier this week, I realized my friend had delivered my perfect hunting bow. So I felt obliged to include a thread about it. The last verse goes like this here...
On the trip back from the PBS gathering, I started going through all of the "criteria" I'd have to get Bill to agree to before this deal made sense. Bill being Bill, he had the "yep, can and will do it" attitude with every item on my list.
The riser woods are (I think) Black and White Ebony and Madagascar Ebony. Bill agreed to and absolutely nailed duplicating a custom grip I'd had made for the metal riser. I never could have imagined you could take a riser down to 13 inches, reduce the grip to my specs yet still have such a uniquely beautiful piece of art given the wood and Bill's craftsmanship.
The limbs are perfectly adorned with copperheads that have had a color change to take on the grays and browns of the riser's color scheme. This was one of Bill's tricks that really got me. I think skins are a great way to decorate a bow, but most of them that I see seem a bit loud and clash with the rest of the bow. Not these...
Finally, the most important part. It shoots just like the metal Morrison rig. It feels the same and is just as fast and quiet as before. If it gets better than this, I'm sure I can't afford it.
Bill, you are the man. Thanks again.
An overall profile of the bow. If you've never seen the deep hooks on the static tips for these limbs, it's something to behold. Having a bow that's less than 60" obviously has huge benefits for real hunting situations.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j112/Dutch4duck/zipmax1_zps1b3ec3cc.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/Dutch4duck/media/zipmax1_zps1b3ec3cc.jpg.html)
Look at the profile of the grip from this side and compare it to the one above. I had quite a unique idea on this one and Bill perfected it.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j112/Dutch4duck/zipmax3_zpsae4b3084.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/Dutch4duck/media/zipmax3_zpsae4b3084.jpg.html)
I think this is where the performance comes from. How cool is Bill to take Morrison limbs and treat this entire transaction like I was paying him double for a whole Zipper!?
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j112/Dutch4duck/zipmax5_zpseaa0d1fa.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/Dutch4duck/media/zipmax5_zpseaa0d1fa.jpg.html)
A few to help you understand why I was mesmorized when I saw this piece of wood in Bill's shop.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j112/Dutch4duck/bow3_zpse227e279.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/Dutch4duck/media/bow3_zpse227e279.jpg.html)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j112/Dutch4duck/bow4_zps19e3e8a9.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/Dutch4duck/media/bow4_zps19e3e8a9.jpg.html)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j112/Dutch4duck/bow5_zps02d6aa2d.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/Dutch4duck/media/bow5_zps02d6aa2d.jpg.html)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j112/Dutch4duck/bow6_zpsf069b378.jpg) (http://s78.photobucket.com/user/Dutch4duck/media/bow6_zpsf069b378.jpg.html)
That combination looks phenomenal (and the performance matches I'm sure)!
Wow, that is a looker! Bill is a master craftsman!
It would be tough to find a better bowyer or man then Bill Dunn. :notworthy: :notworthy:
Bill
Bows are personal, but the title and some of the other "puns" in this thread, surely made me smile big.
great to see another happy with their own configuration and a bowyer that "listens".
:thumbsup:
Beautius! :thumbsup:
Sweet :thumbsup: