riser recomendations

bjpower

Hi lads,
just started archery recently. Im a lefty so its hard to find second hand bows. I'm planning to buy a riser and get as much stuff second hand as possible. I want to get a decent one that will last a long time insted of having it change it in 12 months time.
Iv been told its mainly down to taste and feel.
so what are ye shooting and how do ye find them and what do you recommend.
oh and what to avoid

Thanks lads.

Renegade_Archer

Riser selection is a highly personal thing - a riser one person loves, another person will hate, etc. I would recommend going to your local club, and seeking out some lefties. Try out their bows, and see which one you like the feel of best.

Any modern CNC riser will last a good number of years, it mostly comes down to feel.

E

Panserborn

Yup, if you are looking to invest in something you'll keep then its worth some bow-in-hand research.

At the most base level, you want to see if you like the feel of a punchy bow or a bow with a more dead feel. Archers seem to be split 50/50 on this so you really need to try them yourself. As a punchy one see if you can get some shots on a Hoyt Matrix, I know there are a few lefties around the country shooting them. It will give you an idea what a "punchy" riser is like.

trekkypj

I can't speak for others but I liked using the KAP Winstar II riser myself. It does the job and it's not too finicky to use. They're also popular and so easy enough to find second hand, though I grant you leftie ones will be less easy to find.

There are better risers (but you often pay more), there are lighter ones (but you may prefer a nice heft to it, like me) and there are cheaper ones (but not as good generally) - but IMHO it's a good solid riser for the money, and it will do perfectly fine for someone on a budget.

Another option is the Hoyt Gold Medalist - a proven design which has been used to win many world championships in the past. I believe it's lighter than the KAP. I don't own one but those I know who have used one have said good things. I think it's no longer in production but I could be very wrong on that one.

It's a much older design but if you can get a good one second hand for reasonable money then go for it!

If buying new, go for the KAP Winstar II.

greysides

Another option is the Hoyt Gold Medalist - a proven design which has been used to win many world championships in the past. I believe it's lighter than the KAP. I don't own one but those I know who have used one have said good things. I think it's no longer in production but I could be very wrong on that one.

In similar circumstances to the OP this is what I went for. No regrets though I can't say I like the sky blue colour. It will always shoot better than me but it's not a great looker.
I shoot barebow and with a weight added it balances as good as the barebow orientated risers. It's light compared to some, even with the weight. It's cheap and I'm not afraid to hack it around a field course.

It's no longer being made but it enjoyed a record production run. It is the design geometry granddaddy of all Hoyt's current risers.

In short you can't really go wrong bar personal preferences.

The Winstar II was high on my list too. It's heavy compared to the GM and recieves a great testimonial on all the sites I searched.

The Hoyt Eclipse is a nice bow to shoot. I wouldn't mind one but it falls foul of barebow rules.

Buy your plunger new!
A Shibuya DX is worth it's price, which isn't excessive. I've always bought limbs around €70-€120 new but second hand ones are available. Compare second hand prices with new- this is a good site for this- look at the limbs in the recurve>>entry level catagory they're not all expensive, starting around €54.

Jazz arrows are cheap and safe and can be modified to take G-nocks for the price of a unibush (~50c) if you can access a cutter.

Take a look on Ebay as many people sell entire kits. The Second Hand equuipment thread on this board is also worth keeping an eye to.

Carebear11

greysides wrote: »

It is the design geometry granddaddy of all Hoyt's current risers.

Not strictly true, the real grandaddy of Hoyt's original geometry is the Pro Medalist Riser, followed by the Gold Medalist, think the icing on the cake was then with the TD4 which were all designed by Earl Hoyt himself, since then the only change was when Hoyt changed the geometry slightly two years ago and then again with the new Para-lever system.

As for a riser, I would still advocate a punchy riser to all. My current bow, Win&Win Winact, is a sweet bow, great punch, the only factor that lets it down is its weight. I find it way to light, only 1100 grams, in my opinion need to be at least 1250 grams, especially if you shoot over 40lbs. For beginner poundage cant go wrong with any riser really, they are mostly the same, most archers will customize the grip and after that weight is the only real consideration, then looks! As always, you can spend as much as you like on a bow, but as long as it shoots, cant go wrong!

greysides

How about: LH Matrix 25" riser on Ebay.

Completely different league, would a KAP Prostyle better suit your pocket? A sufficiently good riser with limbs for £73 sterling. It would make changing limbs cheaper till you reach final weight. It's a training bow not an ILF fitting bow.
Just a thought, it may not be what you had in mind.