Howatt Hunter vs. Super Diablo

[Hatrick]

ECHO62, good choice. I have both, love both, like the Hunter a bit better and I draw 27". IMO, the older brazilian rosewood Damon Howatt models are superior to anything that went out with the Martin name on it.

IMHO, the Martin Zebrawood Super Diablo's are one of the ugliest production bows ever made. Just an opinion.    

[damascusdave]

Caution...those old Rosewood riser Hunters will just blow up for no apparent reason...please send me the seller's information so that I can take that bow out of circulation asap...how much did you say they were asking                

DDave

[damascusdave]

I was just saying that the 62 inch Hunter is the better choice for people with longer draws than the "standard" of 28 inches...if I had a shorter draw length I would own one of pretty much every Damon Howatt bow ever made...as has already been said;the best value in used bows today...not so big on the Martin label...maybe because of a Hatfield Takedown in an archery shop with an obviously twisted limb and a guy bringing a Dreamcatcher with a delaminated limb into the same shop while I was there...those situations could both very well have been caused by incorrect stringing but it left a bad taste in my mouth

DDave

[Achilles1]

My Martin Super-D. If you have a beefy-grip,
you'll love-it. A Classic recurve, with no
bad habits. [/url] [/IMG]

[reddogge]

I bought a Howatt Super Diablo new in 1972 and it was one of the fastest shooting bows I had shot at the time. It's performance drawfed Bears. I have a '73 model now and also a '63 Hunter and an early 70s Monterey. All good shooters.

[jrbows]

Own and shoot both they are 55 pounders and to me the difference between the 2 is kind of hair splitting not enough for me to tell but I may overlook things sometimes that others may not. I will say that both of these bows are so fast that they will reveal any form or release issue I am having during a given practice session they are both smooth fast and visually appealing bows shoot both models as many times as possible before you decide. I don't think there's a wrong answer between these 2 good luck.

[Dave Lay]

are the newer DH bows FF compatible? I had a hunter years ago and it was a great bow...

[Jack Whitmire Jr]

I have a hunter model also great bow !

[Bonebuster]

I have owned both back in the early nineties.

The Super "D" was my favorite of the two, mostly because of looks. The Zebrawood made for a sharp looking bow.

Performance was exceptional from both...draw weights of BOTH were actually heavier than marked.

I wish I had the Super "D" back.

[longbowman]

Let's see.  I've killed Bull Elk, Black Bear, Mulies and a ton of whitetails with my Howatt Hunter.  I've killed a ton of whitetails with my Super Diablo.  The Diablo is prettier but both are great shooters.  If I could only have one....I'd stick with my Super D. only for looks.

[reddogge]

The Super Diablo when introduced was one of the sexiest bows in the world back then and I was in a fever to own one ever since I saw one in a magazine. Since there were no DH dealers on the east coast I ordered one directly from DH. Apparently it was sort of a west coat "thang". When it came with the soft leather cast and hunting stabilzer I was mesmorized by its beauty.

[dragonheart]

So how would a DH Super Diablo compare to say a Hoyt Buffalo as far as speed?  Close to the same?  

Does the SD point well at the target.  What were the shooting traits you guys really liked?

[reddogge]

Whew, that's a tough one to answer and I own one of each. I don't have a chronograph so there is no way I could reply. I just know back then compared to what I had been exposed to it was significant.

[knobby]

To me, the difference between the two bows is while the Buffalo is a wonderful, smooth-shooting hunting weapon, the rosewood Super Diablo is a beautifully hand-crafted piece of bowhunting's romance and history. They'll both get the job done for you.

[Wudstix]

I had a DH Hunter 65# that pulled a bit more at 27 1/2".  It was the Rosewood version don't know what year got it circa 1980 used.  One of the fastest/smoothest factory bows available.  Like a fool I traded it away.  Wish I had it for my son to shoot.
   

When a friend of mine bought a hunter, we had the chance to compare it to the diablo. In this case the same weight Hunter had the Diablo by 6 fps.