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.  

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