Are Grizzlystiks worth the money?

[Matabele]

Just wondering if they are worth the extra money compared to a "normal" shaft like an Easton Axis? Would you cough up the extra cash?

[Tom Leemans]

Yes, just like certain bows!
 

[cajuntec]

Matabele,
I'm still testing, but right now, the answer would have to be "yes" from me.  I'm looking for "bigger, badder, heavier" in an arrow shaft, as I am not happy with what I've been shooting.  I am testing two new shafts - I ordered a dozen AD Trad Lite shafts, and (happily) found that Grizzly Stik offers "test kits", so I ordered two shafts from them to test.  Ed at Alaskan Archery Supply is one of the most friendly people I've spoken to over the phone, and he is very proud of what he offers in the Grizzly Stik line.  Call him - I'm sure he would be happy to speak with you, answer your questions, and set you up properly.  I'm shooting a 47lb recurve bow (Chek-Mate Hunter), and so far, nothing hits the target quite like a Grizzly Stik Sitka - these things are HEAVY, and bad to the bone so far.  I've been very impressed, and plan to order a dozen more after these tests are done.  The AD shafts are nice too, and I'm torn between the two of them right now.  I really like the finish on the AD's (matte grey) compared to the shinier finish on the Grizzly Stiks, but nothing I've ever shot hits quite as hard as a Grizzly Stik.

All the best,
Glenn

[Matabele]

Thanks for your input Glenn and Tom!

[d. ward]

I have not shot them alot myself,but during the late season.One of my hunting buddy's was shooting the Grizzlysticks (not sure which one's but super heavy weights) from a 69# Bear Static tip Grizzly recurve.No kills were made on the trip.But Big Mike did miss a doe and stuck the Grizzlystick into one of those scrub oak or white oak maybe (native to Northeast Washington State) but for sure hard wood.It trashed the blank river weasel woodsman like you would not believe she was hammerd.It bent the ferrule as well as all 3 blades.But the Grizzlystick was unscaved,Big Mike unscrewed that one,left it in the oak and screwed in a new head and was on his way.I shot the same tree with a wood shaft and bear razorhead,which the head was fine.But the woodie was a goner.Them Grizzlysticks are for sure tough as nails at least.The extra weight was an added plus.Pretty plain to see in the old oak....bd     PS weasel woodsman is only a joke and I love them guy's at 3r's and mean no disrespect to them or there fine broadhead.Just wanted to note the weight of the Grizzlystick may have been to much for the Wensel to absorb.

[JBiorn]

I sure do like my Griz stiks! They fly beautifully---I think the tapered design makes them very easy to tune through a wide range of bow weights. And they hit like a sledgehammer even with field points. I'm shooting my Sitkas through a 54# self/flatbow.

 

[Bowmania]

Never shot one they're too heavy for my liking.  A guy did come to the bar at our archery club and put a doz and a 1/2 on the bar and walked away saying, "Anyone who wants these can have "em."  The guy was related to the big accomplishment mentioned in the last TBM.

Bowmania

[Footed Shaft]

Cajuntec, have you spun the shafts on a straightner to test how straight they are?? ALL of the carbon shafts i have tested (easton,black hawk,gold tips) are all very crooked.This is the main reason i hve stayed away from ALL carbon shafts.The FMJ made from Easton were ok,as are the ACC's but until they can make a heavy,all carbon shaft that has a straightness tolerence of less than .0015(like eastons Super slam series of aluminum shafts) i will stick with aluminum. Bill

[foudarme]

no they really don't...I shoot heavy bows between 80 and 100#, so I thought the safaris could be a good choice for me...but:
- the nock's insert cone doesn't perfectly fit the nock: so the nocks burst quickly and I ruined a marvelous 100# LB cause of that with a brand new nock which had exploded after a 30 of releases...                 :mad:                
- the broadhead's insert doesn't completly cover all the safari shaft's external diameter...so this part of the shaft is not armoured and becomes fragile when you shoot in the fields
- the spine differences between each shaft are huge (some safaris are 200# spined (0.130 deflection)) and some of them are too stiff to be shoot by 100# bows !!!
- the external cover of the shaft doesn't resist to the arrow contacts' when you shoot too tight and become quickly fissored...during a bare shaft tuning period I ruined 2 shafts cause of that
- they are not versatile at all: they need special inserts (you cannot use the 100gr brass inserts) and nocks (you cannot use illuminated nocks); they can't be fulfilled to get more weight (they don't accept weight tubes cause of the conic internal diameter)

for all of that I definetly let down these highly priced shafts and wouldn't use them again for nothing in the world...I quickly change them for the GT big game 100 + and got the perfect 900gr + arrow that I needed...for half price, they have all the advantages that the safari doesn't have for equal hardness and solidity with a smaller external diameter what is better for an increased penetration...

the safari shafts are the worst I have used

[BobCo 1965]

To me they were not. But keep in mind, that I love to take practice shots that test my limits. Misses do happen. I had a hard time taking these types of shots with the GrizzlyStiks. I also have a hard time hunting with arrows that I do not practice with. I also didn't care for the tolerences on the inserts.

[Alex.B]

have Sitkas and Alaskans. I think they are perfect for the traditional non center-shot bow. I love them and I never had any of the problems mentioned above. I abuse the h... out of them, not a scratch.

[Matabele]

Thanks for the info all,

Foudarme can I ask when you bought those shafts that you had problems with? I stand to be corrected here but Ive heard that Grizzlystiks have undergone several modifications over time and are a lot better now than what they were, in terms of spine/weight consistency and durability etc. Do you think you got an "earlier" batch?

Seems the jury is still out on these!

[foudarme]

I have bought them 8 monthes ago at alaskan bowhunting supply....

[md126]

in my experience,  i'd have to say no...

ed is a super nice guy and his customer service is excellent tho

[ronda]

i have some of the sitkas and i cant get them to fly good out of any of my recurves or longbows. Todd

[ishiwannabe]

I have never shot them personally, but I saw one take a cedar tree sideways after it deflected at the muzzy. That arrow didnt even flinch...I was impressed.

[Shawn Leonard]

It depends on the person I guess. They are tough but seemed inconsistent in spine and weight. Ya have to find the stiff side as well as they are layered and one wall is a bit thicker at least in the ones I had. Ya can see it, if ya look down inside the shaft. They were not for me but you may love them. A good tapered carbon is the AD Trads and Trad-lites, I experimented with them a while back and have some again and I am liking them. Let us know how ya make out!! Shawn

[Matabele]

Thanks all, will do Shawn! Going to look into those AD Trads tho now you told me:)

[BLACK WOLF]

IMO...No. I was expecting much better durability and penetration than what I got out of my set-up. Both my friend and I used them on elk and we both only got about 18" of penetration. I thought for sure I would blow through the chest cavity of where I hit my elk, which was through the heart and both lungs. I used the heavy Safari's out of my 69lbs. @ 29"  BW.

The next year I switched to Easton Axis arrows and got complete pass throughs like a hot knife through butter and footed the front of those skinny shafts with a 1" piece of aluminum. I believe I have found my ultimate arrow that's fast, extremely durable and penetrates like crazy.

Ray  

[Matabele]

Thats interesting Black Wolf, what broadhead were you using out of curiosity?

Are the Grizzlystiks larger in diameter than the broadhead ferrule generally? And the AD Trads are they larger in diameter?