Review: Greatree Osprey Takedown Recurve Bow - pic heavy
May 29, 2012 1:31:50 GMT
Post by chrisperoni on May 29, 2012 1:31:50 GMT
Greatree Osprey Takedown Recurve Bow
by Chris Peroni, May 2012
Introduction
Archery has been an interest of mine since I was about 12 years old. I started with simple fiberglass straight bows which were basically just a curved stick with a string and a grip. I learned how to shoot at summer camp and carried on taking classes at a local rec centre for a few summers.
My interest waned in my later teens but about 7 years ago it crossed my mind to hit up ebay and see what was available. I ended up buying 8 or 10 older model compound bows to try out. I sold or gave away most but kept a couple for me and practiced target shooting in my back yard. Since about last year I have had an itch for a recurve. I love the look and feel of a wood riser and I am very drawn to the appeal of more traditional shooting. Just a few weeks ago I found a local archery club and my first night there sealed the deal for me... enter my new recurve and my renewed love of all things archery!
I decided to order online from a store called Andover Archery located in Andover Connecticut. After finding them on ebay I asked several questions by both email and phone and I was extremely pleased with the prompt, courteous, informed and friendly responses from co-owner Mark Hall. I cannot speak well enough of this family run business! I highly recommend Andover Archery to anyone who wants low prices, quality products, earnest help, and speedy delivery. I ordered direct from Mark (not through an ebay auction). My order took 7 days to reach me and that included the extra day to make my custom coloured arrows. Excellent.
Historical Overview
The bow is a very old invention. Really old- thousands of years old. Takedown recurves are not as old. That's about as much as I know about that .
Full Disclosure
I have no affiliation with Greatree Archery or Andover Archery; I am simply another customer. I paid the listed price for my order with standard shipping costs.
One of the features that drew me to Andover was the fact they include a bow stringer with all recurves, as well as a rest, string with nock point, and usually bushings for sights etc.
In the interest of transparency I should mention that Andover Archery did provide me with an extra string, carpet rest and leather plate (meaning a 2nd set of these items apart from the set already included with every bow purchase as advertised). How did I end up with these things? Kind of by accident really See, I called Mark to ask if the shipping cost was right as it seemed too low (being in Canada I'm used to higher costs). Mark checked it and actually answered that if anything it could be lower as he quoted with priority shipping. I told him I was fine with priority at such a good price but he wasn't satisfied and hinted that I would get something "extra" in my order. So yes, this sort of thing would naturally have an effect on my perception of Andover Archery but imo this is a good thing. Mark took time to answer my call then check my order right away and even though I was already pleased with everything he still went the extra mile of his own accord.
I have owned/handled my fair share of straight and compound bows in my time casually practicing archery. Although I have shot with recurves before this is the first one I have ever owned.
Initial Impressions
Ordered/Paid on Sat. April 7
Shipped on Tue. April 10
Received on Tue. April 17
Everything came packaged in a USPS cardboard box - 37" x 7" x 3", divided into 2 compartments (10" & 27").
The riser was bagged/wrapped in 1/8"epe foam and the limbs each in their own cellophane bag. On top of these were the arrows held on each end with the typical plastic-lattice-thingy (you know what I mean, right?). The smaller compartment held all the extras in ziploc baggies and also included a letter on proper assembly, storage and use of the bow stringer. All was very organized and safely secured.
I first pulled an arrow out to examine the cool feather fletching and field point, but quickly went to the riser for a more in depth examination of the zebra wood grain. I was very pleased with the smooth finish and flowing lines of the riser as well as the balance. I noticed right away the rest and plate were already applied which I thought was a nice touch. I moved to the limbs next and carefully examined these for any flaws and found none. Clean lamination from side to side and end to end. I also noticed here that double nock sets were installed on the string (I had assumed it would be only one nock set).
I didn't assemble the bow right away as I have a habit of letting any wood materials coming into my home sit for at least a day to acclimate before fiddling with them- a carryover from woodworking I guess. When I did put it together I went straight to pictures. Afterwards I gave it a slow pull to get a feel for it and noted that I was a little out of shape for 45# limbs- lol . I took a few shots but stopped when I felt I was unable to maintain full draw for long enough to get my aim set.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention.... throughout all the above I had a grin from ear to ear of course! The look, colours, feeling, handling, quality, stack-free smooth draw, even the oxblood coloured serving (nice random touch I thought), all of it was just fantastic!
Components & Statistics
My bow:
60", right hand, 45#
Riser:
-18" long, 1 & 1/2" thick at most
-zebra wood with 3 layer centerline lamination
-deflexed
-inside edge of the grip (pivot point) is 1 & 3/4" inches from the back of the shelf (as per AMO/ATA spec)
-window is 4 & 3/8" long
-crowned shelf is 3" from front to back
-brace height is 8 & 5/8"
-very smooth/rounded on all edges, clear coat finished
-synthetic carpet, leather shield plate
-limb pockets are double steel pinned to aid in limb alignment, with red felt lining
Personally I find this riser to be both visually appealing and very comfortable. I narrows nicely at the thumb/forefinger and has a smooth and ergonomic fit into the palm. One of my friends at the club described the curves as "sexy" - I think that fits it well- curves in all the right places :twisted: . There are a couple of tiny flaws in the finish which can be seen in the pictures. For example the white spot at the front top right of the riser and the spots at the bottom right side. Maybe four places in total and all just a mm or so in size- minor stuff imho.
Limbs:
-21" length, 1 & 5/8" wide before tapering
-dual wood core, black fiberglass front and back
-mycarta limb tips
-allen bolt secures limbs to riser with 2 steel pin holes for alignment
Comparing these limbs to those found on the recurves at my club I find mine to be of noticeably better quality. Interestingly enough I made the choice to buy a Greatree before my first time at the club but by coincidence my club happens to be stocked with bows also made by Greatree; their entry model "Mohegan" (these have more basic squared risers & only single core limbs with wood tips).
The pin and bolt holes are cut a little rough but line up just right with no play and the brass bushings are machined/threaded well.
The mycarta tips are durable and a nice feature. They are bevelled and thick enough to allow a good groove for the string loop to recess into. I wish the front side of the tips also had mycarta but instead has only the fiberglass right up to the end.
**a word on this bow and its siblings**
Greatree makes four models of bows with interchangeable limbs and risers: Osprey, Goshawk, Highlander, Ridge Fire. Riser sizes for these bows are either 18" or 21 & 1/2". For the models mentioned the poundage of the limbs range from 35 to 60 at 5 pound increments more or less (some models skip an increment). Overall lengths for these bows are 56", 60" or 64" depending on the riser/limb combination as the limbs come in 2 lengths. See this page on Andover's website for more details: Hunting Bows. All these options make this line of bows an excellent choice for recurve shooting as there is a lot of variety that can be explored if you mix and match the equipment to find your best set up.
String:
-dacron 16 strand
-oxblood serving (I do not know if you can pick serving colour)
-dual nock sets
-brace height is 8 & 5/8"
The string is your standard fare. I acknowledge that some might feel having the nock point set already may be a negative. I think for a new user it's a good thing as this provides a good place to start from when you want to get used to recurve shooting. This way you don't need a bow square or nock pliers. If you want to tune your bow I'm sure you could ask Andover to leave the sets off your string.
Stringer:
-red/black leather one was provided with bow, has a rivet holding leather together, with a nylon string. I believe this is better suited for all wood and rubber coated tips.
-tan leather one was bought in a subsequent order from Andover, is all stitched, with a nylon string. I believe this one is better suited for a somewhat thicker limb tip and my particular type of tips.
Arrows:
-Easton Gamegetter aluminium XX75
-cut to 30"
-turkey feather fletched, helical
My first arrow order came with the bow and was 6 arrows fletched yellow/black with field points. Andover's field points are different from the ones I'm used to seeing; theirs are the sharper/more pointed ones in the pic below. Later I ordered 6 barred orange/white and 6 barred red/white which came with bullet points which I switched out for some field points I already had. The cost for these arrows is right on par with any store online or local to me.
The Good and Bad
As you can probably tell I like this bow a lot. However that does not mean I have blinders on. I know it's not the be-all end-all of bows. It is an affordable entry level hunting bow also suitable for target practice.
Two issues of note have occurred with my bow so far- one may have been my own fault and the other while being a more serious flaw is also more a case of bad luck.
-I chipped a limb tip. My conjecture is that due to the combination of the relatively thicker mycarta on one side, fiberglass on the other side and the type of bow stringer originally provided I ended up with a small chip off the fiberglass. This bow stringer uses a metal rivet to hold the leather end together and when this was pressed against the fiberglass side of the tip it ended up taking a bit off- you can see the piece in the picture below. It was only a couple of mm's wide and just a mm thin. To my understanding this type of thing can be common with any limb tip. On the advice of Mark I sanded the fiberglass smooth with high grit paper - this only took a couple of minutes and I was able to make it look like new. I then gave the tip a quick coat of lacquer as a bit of extra protection. I also ordered a different type of bow stringer; the one which is all stitched (no rivet). This new one works great for me. I consider this to have been a minor issue and not a big deal.
-I inspect my bow and limbs before every shooting session. After a month of use with no problems I unexpectedly found a few hairline cracks on my riser where none were before. I was quite certain they were new and had several pictures of the spot where I found these cracks showing they were not there before. Eventually when comparing my older pictures I could see what originally was only a white line in the lacquer in one place on the riser (if you look close you can see it in one of the pics above and I've highlighted the cracks in the pics below)... turned out this was the starting point of what was an escalating issue/failure; I now know this line was widening and becoming the one of the cracks.
As soon as I noticed the hairline cracks I stopped using the bow and sent an email to Mark along with a few pics. He replied very quickly and said this:
"They do seem to be hairline cracked. They are likely to continue to get worse. We will replace the riser under warranty....no need to get the old one back."
Just like that. No fuss no muss. To me that simple & reassuring response is more valuable than anything I could ever buy. Once more I'm left sounding like a promo-man for Andover Archery lol! But I believe everyone can agree with me that when it comes to anything made from wood there's a measure of random chance and s**t happens. What counts most is how the problem is dealt with. Mark went through Greatree's inventory and picked out a new riser for me. This time around I asked for the sight bushings and a bought an entry level sight to see if I prefer aiming this way. Mark took the sight to Greatree and had it boxed up with the replacement riser, and they were shipped direct from Greatree. I paid only for the new sight- no shipping charges.
Right away I noticed four things about the replacement riser which differ from the first:
-colour is more golden with lighter shading of the grain.
-rest has slightly more crowning
-Osprey name is a decal rather than being screened right onto the wood.
-no carpet rest or leather plate. I figure this is because Greatree supplies the replacement directly. I was able to reuse the plate from my first riser but had to use the 2nd rest supplied by Andover.
I have looked it over very closely and see none of the white lines I noticed in the finish of the first one. Hopefully this means I will not have the same problem again.
I have not shot with the sight yet and as it's my first one I have nothing to compare it against. After some time using it I'll give it a review of it's own. For now I'll just explain it's a Cartel Super Sight, $17.
All the photos above are of my first riser, and below I've included pictures of the replacement. As I had this review pretty much finished and ready to post just when I found the cracks I decided to keep the review as written and just add this section about the cracks and the replacement. I will update this review in a month or so and again every once in awhile to give a continued examination of the bow and to highlight how the replacement riser has held up. (no collages this time as photobucket has made that a real pain to do :evil: )
Handling Characteristics
To me this section is always the most subjective.
As I mentioned before I find the Osprey riser exceptionally comfortable in my hand. I have been trying a few different ways of gripping and it hasn't caused my hand to feel cramped even after several hours of shooting. The balance is centered right where it should be at the pivot point -go figure :lol: .
The draw is smooth and does not seem to have any stacking- I'd like to pick up a bow scale to confirm this but as far as I can tell the poundage increases evenly all the way through my draw. I don't get any vibration back into my grip hand when shooting.
I love the crowned rest and the arrows clear nicely. Naturally this is as much a part of the bow as it is the arrows themselves. I switched to 3 under for this bow as I found split finger was causing me to roll the string a bit and sometimes this turned the arrow off the rest.
Conclusions and The Bottom Line
Pros
-complete bow set up if you buy from Andover
-lots of variety to mix and match
-affordable arrows made to order
-good warranty and service
Cons
-flaw in the wood caused cracks
-bow stringer provided not to my liking
I can confidently recommend this bow for anyone who wants a great bow for around $150. As I've found out for myself Greatree's warranty is hassle free and Andover's service is top notch. It feels great, handles well, looks awesome, and is a helluva deal!
...some of the homemade archery related things I've put together...it's great to have scraps of leather around :lol:
hip/back quiver
Here's a link to the work in progress thread with more details:
quiver thread
bow holster
There's this one online but no way was I going to spend $25 plus shipping! However the only leather I had which was long enough was my 1.5oz stuff for grips and I didn't want to use that. So instead I just made the cup and decided to stitch it with some suede lace and go with a 4 strand braid for the length. End to end it's about 18" long. Works a beaut!
limb tip protectors
After fixing up the top tip I wanted to put something over both tips to protect them. These things are cheap online, about $5, but then cost another $10 to ship :roll: , so of course I'd look to make my own. First I made a matching pair. The lower one was easy enough to put on but the top one was proving to be a real b**** since I wanted to thread the string through it as I put it on. I asked online if anyone even bothers with protectors on the top limb-- and it seems no one really does. Well, I still wanted to so I made a second smaller top one with strips for lacing it on. I tuck these under the string then wrap them around to the backside of the limbs and tie them off. Works for me. BTW- don't have any sinew to stitch with? Just use floss! It's good and strong, and is ribbon-like rather than string-like so it works great!
bow stand adaptor
Convert your cutting stand into a bow stand in 3 easy steps :lol: , assuming you have made a stand like the one in my diy tutorial. All I did was (step 1) take a scrap piece of dowel and another of pine board. (step 2) I cut a notch out of the board then glued leather into the notch. (step 3) Last thing was to screw the dowel to the board. This is what I ended up with.
-Chris
by Chris Peroni, May 2012
Introduction
Archery has been an interest of mine since I was about 12 years old. I started with simple fiberglass straight bows which were basically just a curved stick with a string and a grip. I learned how to shoot at summer camp and carried on taking classes at a local rec centre for a few summers.
My interest waned in my later teens but about 7 years ago it crossed my mind to hit up ebay and see what was available. I ended up buying 8 or 10 older model compound bows to try out. I sold or gave away most but kept a couple for me and practiced target shooting in my back yard. Since about last year I have had an itch for a recurve. I love the look and feel of a wood riser and I am very drawn to the appeal of more traditional shooting. Just a few weeks ago I found a local archery club and my first night there sealed the deal for me... enter my new recurve and my renewed love of all things archery!
I decided to order online from a store called Andover Archery located in Andover Connecticut. After finding them on ebay I asked several questions by both email and phone and I was extremely pleased with the prompt, courteous, informed and friendly responses from co-owner Mark Hall. I cannot speak well enough of this family run business! I highly recommend Andover Archery to anyone who wants low prices, quality products, earnest help, and speedy delivery. I ordered direct from Mark (not through an ebay auction). My order took 7 days to reach me and that included the extra day to make my custom coloured arrows. Excellent.
Historical Overview
The bow is a very old invention. Really old- thousands of years old. Takedown recurves are not as old. That's about as much as I know about that .
Full Disclosure
I have no affiliation with Greatree Archery or Andover Archery; I am simply another customer. I paid the listed price for my order with standard shipping costs.
One of the features that drew me to Andover was the fact they include a bow stringer with all recurves, as well as a rest, string with nock point, and usually bushings for sights etc.
In the interest of transparency I should mention that Andover Archery did provide me with an extra string, carpet rest and leather plate (meaning a 2nd set of these items apart from the set already included with every bow purchase as advertised). How did I end up with these things? Kind of by accident really See, I called Mark to ask if the shipping cost was right as it seemed too low (being in Canada I'm used to higher costs). Mark checked it and actually answered that if anything it could be lower as he quoted with priority shipping. I told him I was fine with priority at such a good price but he wasn't satisfied and hinted that I would get something "extra" in my order. So yes, this sort of thing would naturally have an effect on my perception of Andover Archery but imo this is a good thing. Mark took time to answer my call then check my order right away and even though I was already pleased with everything he still went the extra mile of his own accord.
I have owned/handled my fair share of straight and compound bows in my time casually practicing archery. Although I have shot with recurves before this is the first one I have ever owned.
Initial Impressions
Ordered/Paid on Sat. April 7
Shipped on Tue. April 10
Received on Tue. April 17
Everything came packaged in a USPS cardboard box - 37" x 7" x 3", divided into 2 compartments (10" & 27").
The riser was bagged/wrapped in 1/8"epe foam and the limbs each in their own cellophane bag. On top of these were the arrows held on each end with the typical plastic-lattice-thingy (you know what I mean, right?). The smaller compartment held all the extras in ziploc baggies and also included a letter on proper assembly, storage and use of the bow stringer. All was very organized and safely secured.
I first pulled an arrow out to examine the cool feather fletching and field point, but quickly went to the riser for a more in depth examination of the zebra wood grain. I was very pleased with the smooth finish and flowing lines of the riser as well as the balance. I noticed right away the rest and plate were already applied which I thought was a nice touch. I moved to the limbs next and carefully examined these for any flaws and found none. Clean lamination from side to side and end to end. I also noticed here that double nock sets were installed on the string (I had assumed it would be only one nock set).
I didn't assemble the bow right away as I have a habit of letting any wood materials coming into my home sit for at least a day to acclimate before fiddling with them- a carryover from woodworking I guess. When I did put it together I went straight to pictures. Afterwards I gave it a slow pull to get a feel for it and noted that I was a little out of shape for 45# limbs- lol . I took a few shots but stopped when I felt I was unable to maintain full draw for long enough to get my aim set.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention.... throughout all the above I had a grin from ear to ear of course! The look, colours, feeling, handling, quality, stack-free smooth draw, even the oxblood coloured serving (nice random touch I thought), all of it was just fantastic!
Components & Statistics
My bow:
60", right hand, 45#
Riser:
-18" long, 1 & 1/2" thick at most
-zebra wood with 3 layer centerline lamination
-deflexed
-inside edge of the grip (pivot point) is 1 & 3/4" inches from the back of the shelf (as per AMO/ATA spec)
-window is 4 & 3/8" long
-crowned shelf is 3" from front to back
-brace height is 8 & 5/8"
-very smooth/rounded on all edges, clear coat finished
-synthetic carpet, leather shield plate
-limb pockets are double steel pinned to aid in limb alignment, with red felt lining
Personally I find this riser to be both visually appealing and very comfortable. I narrows nicely at the thumb/forefinger and has a smooth and ergonomic fit into the palm. One of my friends at the club described the curves as "sexy" - I think that fits it well- curves in all the right places :twisted: . There are a couple of tiny flaws in the finish which can be seen in the pictures. For example the white spot at the front top right of the riser and the spots at the bottom right side. Maybe four places in total and all just a mm or so in size- minor stuff imho.
Limbs:
-21" length, 1 & 5/8" wide before tapering
-dual wood core, black fiberglass front and back
-mycarta limb tips
-allen bolt secures limbs to riser with 2 steel pin holes for alignment
Comparing these limbs to those found on the recurves at my club I find mine to be of noticeably better quality. Interestingly enough I made the choice to buy a Greatree before my first time at the club but by coincidence my club happens to be stocked with bows also made by Greatree; their entry model "Mohegan" (these have more basic squared risers & only single core limbs with wood tips).
The pin and bolt holes are cut a little rough but line up just right with no play and the brass bushings are machined/threaded well.
The mycarta tips are durable and a nice feature. They are bevelled and thick enough to allow a good groove for the string loop to recess into. I wish the front side of the tips also had mycarta but instead has only the fiberglass right up to the end.
**a word on this bow and its siblings**
Greatree makes four models of bows with interchangeable limbs and risers: Osprey, Goshawk, Highlander, Ridge Fire. Riser sizes for these bows are either 18" or 21 & 1/2". For the models mentioned the poundage of the limbs range from 35 to 60 at 5 pound increments more or less (some models skip an increment). Overall lengths for these bows are 56", 60" or 64" depending on the riser/limb combination as the limbs come in 2 lengths. See this page on Andover's website for more details: Hunting Bows. All these options make this line of bows an excellent choice for recurve shooting as there is a lot of variety that can be explored if you mix and match the equipment to find your best set up.
String:
-dacron 16 strand
-oxblood serving (I do not know if you can pick serving colour)
-dual nock sets
-brace height is 8 & 5/8"
The string is your standard fare. I acknowledge that some might feel having the nock point set already may be a negative. I think for a new user it's a good thing as this provides a good place to start from when you want to get used to recurve shooting. This way you don't need a bow square or nock pliers. If you want to tune your bow I'm sure you could ask Andover to leave the sets off your string.
Stringer:
-red/black leather one was provided with bow, has a rivet holding leather together, with a nylon string. I believe this is better suited for all wood and rubber coated tips.
-tan leather one was bought in a subsequent order from Andover, is all stitched, with a nylon string. I believe this one is better suited for a somewhat thicker limb tip and my particular type of tips.
Arrows:
-Easton Gamegetter aluminium XX75
-cut to 30"
-turkey feather fletched, helical
My first arrow order came with the bow and was 6 arrows fletched yellow/black with field points. Andover's field points are different from the ones I'm used to seeing; theirs are the sharper/more pointed ones in the pic below. Later I ordered 6 barred orange/white and 6 barred red/white which came with bullet points which I switched out for some field points I already had. The cost for these arrows is right on par with any store online or local to me.
The Good and Bad
As you can probably tell I like this bow a lot. However that does not mean I have blinders on. I know it's not the be-all end-all of bows. It is an affordable entry level hunting bow also suitable for target practice.
Two issues of note have occurred with my bow so far- one may have been my own fault and the other while being a more serious flaw is also more a case of bad luck.
-I chipped a limb tip. My conjecture is that due to the combination of the relatively thicker mycarta on one side, fiberglass on the other side and the type of bow stringer originally provided I ended up with a small chip off the fiberglass. This bow stringer uses a metal rivet to hold the leather end together and when this was pressed against the fiberglass side of the tip it ended up taking a bit off- you can see the piece in the picture below. It was only a couple of mm's wide and just a mm thin. To my understanding this type of thing can be common with any limb tip. On the advice of Mark I sanded the fiberglass smooth with high grit paper - this only took a couple of minutes and I was able to make it look like new. I then gave the tip a quick coat of lacquer as a bit of extra protection. I also ordered a different type of bow stringer; the one which is all stitched (no rivet). This new one works great for me. I consider this to have been a minor issue and not a big deal.
-I inspect my bow and limbs before every shooting session. After a month of use with no problems I unexpectedly found a few hairline cracks on my riser where none were before. I was quite certain they were new and had several pictures of the spot where I found these cracks showing they were not there before. Eventually when comparing my older pictures I could see what originally was only a white line in the lacquer in one place on the riser (if you look close you can see it in one of the pics above and I've highlighted the cracks in the pics below)... turned out this was the starting point of what was an escalating issue/failure; I now know this line was widening and becoming the one of the cracks.
As soon as I noticed the hairline cracks I stopped using the bow and sent an email to Mark along with a few pics. He replied very quickly and said this:
"They do seem to be hairline cracked. They are likely to continue to get worse. We will replace the riser under warranty....no need to get the old one back."
Just like that. No fuss no muss. To me that simple & reassuring response is more valuable than anything I could ever buy. Once more I'm left sounding like a promo-man for Andover Archery lol! But I believe everyone can agree with me that when it comes to anything made from wood there's a measure of random chance and s**t happens. What counts most is how the problem is dealt with. Mark went through Greatree's inventory and picked out a new riser for me. This time around I asked for the sight bushings and a bought an entry level sight to see if I prefer aiming this way. Mark took the sight to Greatree and had it boxed up with the replacement riser, and they were shipped direct from Greatree. I paid only for the new sight- no shipping charges.
Right away I noticed four things about the replacement riser which differ from the first:
-colour is more golden with lighter shading of the grain.
-rest has slightly more crowning
-Osprey name is a decal rather than being screened right onto the wood.
-no carpet rest or leather plate. I figure this is because Greatree supplies the replacement directly. I was able to reuse the plate from my first riser but had to use the 2nd rest supplied by Andover.
I have looked it over very closely and see none of the white lines I noticed in the finish of the first one. Hopefully this means I will not have the same problem again.
I have not shot with the sight yet and as it's my first one I have nothing to compare it against. After some time using it I'll give it a review of it's own. For now I'll just explain it's a Cartel Super Sight, $17.
All the photos above are of my first riser, and below I've included pictures of the replacement. As I had this review pretty much finished and ready to post just when I found the cracks I decided to keep the review as written and just add this section about the cracks and the replacement. I will update this review in a month or so and again every once in awhile to give a continued examination of the bow and to highlight how the replacement riser has held up. (no collages this time as photobucket has made that a real pain to do :evil: )
Handling Characteristics
To me this section is always the most subjective.
As I mentioned before I find the Osprey riser exceptionally comfortable in my hand. I have been trying a few different ways of gripping and it hasn't caused my hand to feel cramped even after several hours of shooting. The balance is centered right where it should be at the pivot point -go figure :lol: .
The draw is smooth and does not seem to have any stacking- I'd like to pick up a bow scale to confirm this but as far as I can tell the poundage increases evenly all the way through my draw. I don't get any vibration back into my grip hand when shooting.
I love the crowned rest and the arrows clear nicely. Naturally this is as much a part of the bow as it is the arrows themselves. I switched to 3 under for this bow as I found split finger was causing me to roll the string a bit and sometimes this turned the arrow off the rest.
Conclusions and The Bottom Line
Pros
-complete bow set up if you buy from Andover
-lots of variety to mix and match
-affordable arrows made to order
-good warranty and service
Cons
-flaw in the wood caused cracks
-bow stringer provided not to my liking
I can confidently recommend this bow for anyone who wants a great bow for around $150. As I've found out for myself Greatree's warranty is hassle free and Andover's service is top notch. It feels great, handles well, looks awesome, and is a helluva deal!
...some of the homemade archery related things I've put together...it's great to have scraps of leather around :lol:
hip/back quiver
Here's a link to the work in progress thread with more details:
quiver thread
bow holster
There's this one online but no way was I going to spend $25 plus shipping! However the only leather I had which was long enough was my 1.5oz stuff for grips and I didn't want to use that. So instead I just made the cup and decided to stitch it with some suede lace and go with a 4 strand braid for the length. End to end it's about 18" long. Works a beaut!
limb tip protectors
After fixing up the top tip I wanted to put something over both tips to protect them. These things are cheap online, about $5, but then cost another $10 to ship :roll: , so of course I'd look to make my own. First I made a matching pair. The lower one was easy enough to put on but the top one was proving to be a real b**** since I wanted to thread the string through it as I put it on. I asked online if anyone even bothers with protectors on the top limb-- and it seems no one really does. Well, I still wanted to so I made a second smaller top one with strips for lacing it on. I tuck these under the string then wrap them around to the backside of the limbs and tie them off. Works for me. BTW- don't have any sinew to stitch with? Just use floss! It's good and strong, and is ribbon-like rather than string-like so it works great!
bow stand adaptor
Convert your cutting stand into a bow stand in 3 easy steps :lol: , assuming you have made a stand like the one in my diy tutorial. All I did was (step 1) take a scrap piece of dowel and another of pine board. (step 2) I cut a notch out of the board then glued leather into the notch. (step 3) Last thing was to screw the dowel to the board. This is what I ended up with.
-Chris