i bought a new limited howatt hunter which shoots awesome.  my question is what is to gain (if anything)from a custom bow besides wood choices?

I've got a 2010 Hunter and I doubt many bows will outshoot it. I do prefer my Great Northerns just for weight and sleekness though.

Lots of "depends" there.  If the Hunter suits your every need, then no sense in trying to fix what isn't broken.

For my draw length, I don't know of a good "over the counter" choice in a hunting bow, and I don't care for most factory grips.

Some custom bows offer a better warranty (and some much worse), some can be had at as good or better a price than a Martin (with a better warranty), but a lot of it is "bragging rights" and cosmetics.  Your Howatt will kill a deer just as dead as any, as long as you do your part.

Chad

if the bow you have shoots 'awesome' then there is absolutely no need to look further and yer question is a moot point at best.

Do you have a Picture of this Limited Edition Hunter?  what are the Differences between it and the standard?

Thanks  Mark

i cant post pics right now but the bow has a very dark brown dyed maple with a two broad beams of bubinga and zebrawood.  it also has white maple highlights.  the limbs are black glass as usual but i am going to install copperhead limbstations.  i bought the bow kinda on a whim (like i need another one) because the price was unbelievable ($335 2010 brand new).  i was suprised how well it shoots!

The 62" Howatt Hunter is advertised on the Howatt site for archers with up to a 30" draw length.

http://www.damonhowatt.com/hunter.php

A custom boywer can build the same model bow, but it comes in longer overall lenghts for people with longer draw lengths than 30". An example would be a Blacktail recurve. It can be built in lengths from 60"-66" to accommodate draw lengths from 24"-33".

I just got off the phone with Martin Archery (Joel), looks like they went away from all the laminated risers (action wood). No Liminted models offered but said that some Prototypes were sent out with different wood combo's.....

the guy i bought this from i believe picked up quite a few (if not all) of these prototypes since hes near the factory.  i bought it being different from other howatt hunters.  really grew on me fast and will probably head out into the woods with me after being tunes with a sbd skinny string.

I can't find a bow I like more than one of the special run Mambas I bought a few months ago at a very good price as well.

Mamba's are awesome bows,nice length and they handle well. I have never shot a Martin/Damon Howatt
bow that did not perform.

The Martin Hunter is in fact a custom bow.
You can reqest different woods,grip styles,draw wheights to your exact draw length ect,ect.

You only need to ask.

Oh yeah,I don't think give away anything to other customs.

There's a Martin dealer on a certain large auction site that we don't mention here who's been selling 2010 limited editions of Howatt recurves and longbows. They have different woods than the standard models, such as a Hunter with a pupleheart riser. He even sells new 2010 models of bows that Martin-Howatt no longer offers in their own catalog, such as the discontinued Pioneer and Mountaineer longbows. This Martin dealer is from Washington state, so maybe he has close ties with Martin-Howatt. I keep watching for a limited edition of the Bushmaster longbow, but so far no luck.

I sure love the hunter new looks

Hunter is a really good bow. It performs like it ought to.  I miss mine.