Experiences with Hoyt or PSE

[Bowhunter57]

I'm considering the purchase of a metalic riser recurve. Like a Hoyt Buffalo or GameMaster II or maybe the PSE Coyote or KingFisher.

I would like to hear from anyone that has shot/owned any of these bows.
* Do they tend to stack?
* Are they noisier than wood riser recurves?
* Is there more hand-shock associated with them?

Your opinions and experiences are appreciated.
Thank you, Bowhunter57

[stevewills]

id go with the gm...you can change limbs with any ilf limbs by just changing the bushing....

[koger]

The Pse Coyote and Kingfisher are ok, you have a 50% chance of getting crappy limbs etc, we have them both in our 4H clu, and have seen limbs delamintate on them both. Samic Sage is a much better bow, and only $129. I just tuned one up today, and it shoots like a dream, flings an arrow too. If you want an aluminum riser, which I love, get in touch with Terry Quinn, Quinns archery, and you will start out with a bow that will last a lifetime, and shoot as good as bows lthat cost $1000, only about$300 new. Pm me if I can be of more help.

[michaelschwister]

I have shot the Bufalo and was amazed at how quiet and easy to shoot the thing was. You almost have to try and miss, and it was as dead quiet as my great northern critter gitter, which is as about as quiet as a glass lam bow can get. I worry about the whole limb connection thing, but I guess that is true of any take apart bow.

[d from phx]

For the money check out the Hoyt Excel in flat black. the 23 in riser. It is a great riser and would make a great hunting or 3D rig.

[Rock 'N Bow]

I think the Hoyt Dorado is a great bow. It seems to be quieter then my wood risered Bear Grizzly. The only caveat is that it is cut well past center. I managed to find an adjustable rest mount to adjust the sideplate that made tuning easier. Haven't tried PSE's offerings but they look like they wouldn't hold up as well. I've heard nothing but good things about the Buffalo.

[Kentucky Jeff]

As a Buffalo owner I will tell you I have had a lot of frustration with the bow until I learned how to tiller it and set it up here on the forums.  The DVD that comes with the bow is the ONLY publication that Hoyt has for the Buffalo and its sorely lacking in many of the things you need to know.   My tiller was WAY off from the factory and the DVD tells you next to nothing how to set it up to start.

Also Hoyt accessories are a PITA to get for the bow...you have to go through a Hoyt dealer and they take 4-6 weeks to get something from Hoyt which is ridiculous for a manufactured bow these days.  

You can buy a new Hoyt Excel riser for right at $200 and go with a set of ILF limbs from Trad Tech or anyone else that makes ILF limbs.  A set of Black Max limbs is right at $200 so for about $400 you are in business.  

Hoyt Buffalo limbs are proprietary to the Hoyt Formula line of bows and cost $400 a pop or more...and again 4-6 weeks wait.  

Don't get me wrong.  I like my Buffalo.  Especially since its set up to shoot off the shelf.  But if I were to do it again I'd probably go with a Excel and have WAY more limb options available.

[Bowhunter57]

Thank you, for the replies, so far.    Sounds like the PSE recurves are something to stay away from and with good reason.

How does the Martin Jaguar fall into this catagory?

Bowhunter57

[bayoulongbowman]

hands down the Hoyt Buffalo...

[mahantango]

I'll second the GM or Dorado because of the ability to easily convert to ILF limbs which gives you infinite choices for reasonable $. As for handshock - no. Probably the deadest feeling bows you'll ever shoot. Can be made as quiet as any other TD, But takes a little work.

[Hit-or-Miss]

I can't vouch for todays PSE recurves, but the old PSE Blackhawk T/D 50# recurve I bought almost 20 years ago, is still going strong. It is a rugged, powerful bow. The finish was rough, but construction superb. I did reprofile the grip w/a Dremel tool in order to mimick a Bear S/K, as it was thick and blocky, and I put on several coats of poly. I suspect it was made by Samick in Korea in the early 90's, as it bears a VERY close resemblence in construction and appearence to to Samick T/D's offered today. But todays PSE... I can't say, never shot one. For a low cost entry bow, the Samick Sage is hard to beat. I own one of those too, purchased last spring. For the money, its a good, rugged, fast shooter @ 45#, although I had to put 10 coats of finish on it to get out the rough spots. But for $129.00, who's complaining? Reviews I have seen on the Martin Jag.... are not good. Not at all.

[Bowhunter57]

Originally posted by d from phx:
For the money check out the Hoyt Excel in flat black. the 23 in riser. It is a great riser and would make a great hunting or 3D rig.

d from phx,
I don't think I could go wrong with this set up. Very affordable and available too.    I used to own a Hoyt Pro Medalist that was 66" and 43# @ 28"...very smooth and quiet. I would think that the Excel would be very simular.  

Bowhunter57

[huntnmuleys]

i absolutely love my GMII.  very smooth and quiet.  seems like someone is always selling limbs for em at reasonable prices too...

[Uncle Buck]

I second the Quinn Stallion You can get one from Tollgate bowhunting supply. They are also a sponsor here. Do a search for Quinn Stallion on this site and you will find nothing but good reports. Its also $400 dollars less that the Hoyt Buffalo. Buy the Quinn and put the $400 towards a hunting trip.

God Bless,
Buck

[Ed Q]

Out of all the bows mentioned above, I've only owned and shot the PSE Kingfisher and the Samick Sage (wood riser).

I thought the PSE Kingfisher shot pretty good when I had it.  I liked it for the most part but gave it away to a buddy who now enjoys shooting it.  I only have a few complaints about it.  It's much heavier in the hand than any other trad bow I've held.  It was noticeably much louder upon release than my other bows, no matter the brace height, but I never bothered trying string silencers or any other bow string except for the one that came stock with it.  It's metal riser was always cold to the touch in the winter time, and if I remember correctly, the shelf wasn't radiused, making it hard to shoot off it.  But it did have threaded bushings for a plunger/rest and one in the front for a stabilizer or bowfishing reel.  One of the limbs immediately developed a very slight twist somehow even though I always used a stringer, though.

I have one RH Samick Sage riser and two LH risers.  I also have two sets of 45# limbs.  Each of my Sages shot very well.  However, every riser I got had some weird scratches and little indentations in them.  I guess for the price, Samick had to cut corners, leaving the risers looking kind of crappy like that.  Or, I just got the bad luck and coincidence of somehow getting 3 crappy-looking risers.

I accidentally dropped the LH bow on a concrete floor while strung, causing some really bad scratches on the riser, which I tried to sand down, and one of the limbs to delaminate.  Thought that was weird since I figured an accidental drop shouldn't cause so much damage, but maybe it fell at an awkward angle.  I ordered another set of limbs to replace the damaged one, and the new top limb came with a very slight twist to it, which kind of irked me a little bit considering it was new.  But it shoots pretty good, and again, considering the price, it's not too bad of a deal.

I've heard nothing but goods things about the other bows mentioned above and wouldn't hesitate to try them.

[KHALVERSON]

ive owned both the hoyt gm and the pse coyote
the riser on the coyote is pretty heavy
and worked well for me bowfishin
the gamemaster is a great bow  but they tend to be a little noisy
till ya get everythig right

id still have the gamemaster but my son wanted my  buddys widow and my buddy wanted the gamemaster so we did a swap
kevin

[Johnny Reb]

I'm a little behind the curb here...whats a ILF limb ??

[huntmaster70]

Real pleased with my 21"hoyt excel riser w/Trad tech Black Max wood/glass limbs. smooth,quiet,w/plenty of speed. the martin Jaguars I've shot I think were absolute junk!

[Warden609]

I have been shootin a PSE Coyote for five years bowfishing and have not had one problem. I just picked up a Buffalo and have been tinkering with the bow and I am really startin to like it. If you can it would be best to shoot both but if I had to pick one for me it would be the Buffalo. Have fun looking for your new bow!

[Bowhunter57]

Originally posted by Johnny Reb:
I'm a little behind the curb here...whats a ILF limb ??

Johnny Reb,
ILF = International Limb Fit.

By the way... Go Vols!

Bowhunter57