A question about the DAS bows

[jeff w]

I don't know if the DAS will make you shoot better, but a bow you have confidence in and really like shooting will be a step in that direction.  I have convinced myself that my Bear TD w/magn. riser is the best bow I have ever shot--as a result, I always shoot it better than anything else.  Try a DAS, maybe it's the one for you.

[Bill Carlsen]

Dale: You need to shoot one to understand. When my wife got her bow I took one shot with it and went inside and ordered one for myself. A while back Doug Chase took a DAS to OZ to hunt buffalo. His bow was in the mid 60's and I believe he was shooting 800 grain arrows. Two of his kills were pass thrus on mature bulls, as I recall....something the guide had never seen with a trad bow... and his third kill had the arrow sticking out both sides but wasn't a bonafide pass thru. The chrono numbers you have seen may not have been impressive....I can only speak for my experience with the bows. I've had a bow in my hands since I was 8 (1951) and I have not shot a better performing hunting bow in all that time. Whenever we go to a tournament and other women shoot her bow they cannot believe the performance. I will also say it again, the better the limb on the bow, the better the performance. So the numbers you have seen need to be taken in context relative to the limbs used and whether the bow was set up for optimum performance for those limbs because they can be weight adjusted to the minimum weight with a resulting decrease in performance....which would be, in my experience, about what an average guy would get with an average bow....good performance but maybe not great. In other words, my 60# DAS is at its max weight. I could lower the weight to 55# but would be giving up performance. If I used limbs that maxed out at 55#  they would outperform my 60# limbs adjusted for 55#.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

I've had a DAS Master Hunter with Winex limbs since March. And near as I can remember looking at my log, I've put around 10k shots through it. It's a nice bow and shoots well, but it's no speed demon. Truth be known, it shoots the same speed as any of the Chek-Mate recurves I've ever owned, as well as my homemade recurves. It's a bit slower than my old Palmer double carbon and my Thunderstick MOAB longbow.

The main reason I bought it was because I could get extra limbs for it pretty much anywhere, cheap and with no wait. With replacement limbs for most custom bows running $500 or so and taking 6 months-plus to get, that advantage was huge to me.

I can't say it's extended my effective range as a bowhunter because, quite honestly, my "effective range" is already a lot further than I'd shoot animals anyway. If you really think you need a new bow to extend your range, my honest advice would be to practice more with what you currently have. That's not meant as an insult, by the way, just one of those "been there, done that" sort of things.

[Rico]

A bow that adds yardage? You want easy? 45 yard groups and squirrels at 75, why leave your compound?

[James Wrenn]

Personally I would stick with the x-force for the longer range stuff and enjoy shooting the longbow when you can.

If you can't shoot 45 yards with your longbow I doubt if you are going to do it with any other stickbow no matter the brand or material it is made from.It is the guy pulling the string not what the string is hooked to that sets yardage. jmho

[Bill Carlsen]

Rico: I left the compound behind for the very simple reason that the recurve, for me, is a much more efficient hunting weapon with a lot less maintenance. The bow does not add yards, it has inherent stability which makes me more accurate. I still limit my shots but I have always been pretty decent on the longer shots when field archery was in vogue. However, those long shots are not typical hunting shots and the squirrel I got, well, let's just say I missed a lot before I nailed one. In any event, not to be contrary, but Paul Schaefer was an excellent long distance shot on game. I think if a guy can do it and wants to....why not? I spent nearly 5 grand on a caribou hunt and was advised by a well known bowhunter to practice out to 50 yards. i am glad I did.

[Rico]

Fair enough answer,Bill I was wondering why denny was wanting to leave his compound. Just curious.  Thats good shooting with or with out a compound.
  I can see where you could set the recurve up just as you would a compound. If thats the case why would you have to give up any yardage.

[denny]

I have hunted with a longbow the past two Septembers and am actually going back to the compound rather than leaving it, as I mentioned in the original post I hunt solo in a great spot on public land (Idaho) and have gotten into several bulls the past two seasons.(thanks Elknut) I"ve had satellites in real close but have had two mother of all herd bulls hang up at 45 yards. I live in the sticks and don't get to see other trad equipment very much and thought maybe the das setups with the sights would work for me. I just bought this compound and honestly it's so easy to shoot tight groups way out there that the practice isn't that much fun.
I know long shots at game can be a tough subject and fortunately everyone here has showed great restraint, both days after my encounters I pulled out the yellow jacket target and stuck broadheads right in the center from 45 yards, I practice at that range daily all year but I'm to old to start taking those sort of shots at game. denny

[Rico]

I would think that the Das or any bow with a sight and maybe a range finder 45 yds woulld be very doable on elk size game. The trajectory may not be quite as flat as your compound but thats were the practice  and knowing your bow would pay off. Good Luck

[stabow]

I never had or shot a DAS but I have trad tech titian and being left handed I would have to agree with Jason Wesbrock about getting limbs, try getting LH limbs for a Black Widow for 200.00 or less, good luck. The ILF limb system is the main reason I like it.........stabow

[Shawn Leonard]

I have got to agree with LBR and Biggie. I have been to lots and lots of Traditional shoots and I will tell you there is not a guy at any I have been to that can keep a pie plate group at 45 yards with any Trad bow, Das, RER, Morrison. Not one guy in 200 at the Muzzy, canguys do it, yup I can and so can others but not consistently, not every time. I have shot a Das that was tuned to perfection and also my RER Arroyo that is tuned to perfection, I could kill whatever I wanted with either bow at 20 yards, that is how it is meant to be. It may make you more effective at 45 yards but you should only have to be effective out to 35 in the first place. Shawn

[WESTBROOK]

Maybe they can hit the plate purty good at 45yds, is that deer over there at 45, 43, 47, BIG difference, hows the wind, shooting uphill - downhill? Yardage looks alot different in a clear field than it does in the woods.

I would focus my efforts on getting closer.

Eric