Need honest opinions on AIM/Martin bows?

[koger]

Hey guys, my name is Sam Koger, new to this site, love it!! I have continually shot traditonal along with modern bows all my life,never could go completley modern. Now I have went traditional the last two years, aint looking back. I havent saw much wrote on here about AIM bows. I have a Internature T/D hunter, #60@28" and with the carbon backed limbs this is one sweet shooting bow. I also have a Martin Dreamcatcher #50@28" and it is a sweet shooter, but doesnt shoot one bit better than the AIM bow at about 3 times the price. I had an older Black Widow, #53 pounds that was the best shooting bow I ever shot, but again, at a formidable price and not appreiable better shooting bow. Now I'm not the best shot in the world, but not that bad either as I can regularly shoot 5 arrows in a snuff can anywhere betweeen 15-25 yards, which is what I have used as my self appointed cutoff shooting distance for big game for now. Any feedback would be appreciated! Thanks all.

[NorthShoreLB]

regularly 5 arrows in a snuff can from 25 yards ?...I wish I could do that !

[koger]

Thats on a good day and when I'm shooting regulary, that' about 50-75 shots a day. Been doing this for around 30 years and getting nigh on to 50! Most of the time though I can do this regulary at 20 yards even if I am a little rusty. This year I took my 50th whitetail, and did it with a recurve, like when i started all those years ago. Took 2 does and a 6 point last fall here in KY.   I bet the weathers great overe there, snowing here!

[NorthShoreLB]

Sorry I thought you said you just started shooting, ...my bad,  I'd still like to be able to do it      

[George D. Stout]

Shootability doesn't carry a brand name koger.  You've already found that out apparently 8^).  The Black Widow Company makes wonderful bows and they have a huge following.  They are indeed great shooters, but so are myriad other bows.  Sometimes we tend to equate money with shootability....not so.  The Black Widow is bomb proof and has a proven design.  The Bear Custom Kodiak also has a great design and shoots very well.  These companies also have to pay higher wages and greater advertising fees....that relates to more costs and more retail.  

Pride in ownership is a hard thing to measure, yet it bears perusal.  If you think your bow is the best ever and you shoot it well and love it, it is indeed the best ever....for you.  The man with an PSA hanging on his bow rack is very proud of his bow....how it was made and the reputation, etc.  It's like a fine rifle that he just can't miss with....an heirloom in the making.

We are lucky at this point to have so many good and great bows to choose from.  The bottom line is, and always will be, shoot what you shoot best, regardless of the name on the bow.  And, like other sports, it doesn't hurt to have a room-full of them to experiment with 8^).

[Caleb the bow breaker]

Something you may want to think about is this.  A buddy of mine had an AIM bow and left it in his tent one day.  Got hot and the riser must have delaminated bc when he dew it the riser broke across the thin part of the grip.  He called the company and they were great about it and sent him a new bow to replace it.  Everything good to this point right. Well I got a call a couple months and his new bow broke in the same place but had been store indoors the entire time.  The first was definetly his fault but the second I am not so sure.  

Caleb

[George D. Stout]

Caleb....That can happen to "great" bows as well.  A thread on another forum has a photo of a new Black Widow with a cracked handle.  Like Black  Widow, Bear, Martin, etc., Samick makes thousands of bows per year and there is bound to be breakage. For everyone that breaks, there are a thousand that don't.  The bottom line is how the warranty is taken care of.  Something else you may want to think about 8^).

[Caleb the bow breaker]

exactly and you are right.  That is why I related the story.  They are good bows for the money.  Didnt mean to give the wrong impression

Caleb

[George D. Stout]

Gotcha!    

[koger]

Thaks guys. Like you said you get good ones and bad ones in all of them. The dreamcatcher I have is the second one. The first delaminated in the bottom half of the riser last year, big gap opened up while I was shooting it. I sent it back to Martin and 2 weeks later they sent me a new one, no charge, great service. So I guess that meens you either get lucky or not.