Samick SLB-II Longbow

Since I got back into archery at the end of last year I have been shooting my 40# draw Seven Meadows Archery Magyar Horsebow. I'd bought it because my old bow, a Martin Damon Howatt Hunter recurve with a 55# draw, was too heavy for me after a 15 year lapse in archery practice.

With a few months' shooting under my belt I strung the Martin this week and shot it a couple of times. It still feels heavy but not nearly as much as it would've had I not been working on getting my arm, shoulder, and upper back muscles back into shooting shape with the horsebow. As I'd remembered, the Howatt Hunter draws smooth and shoots fast. I found it easier to shoot consistently good groups with the recurve compared with the horsebow. A good part of this is due to the recurve having an arrow rest other than my knuckle.

Today I drove out to Lancaster Archery Supply, which is a bit more than an hour from home. I'm not sure what happened but a Samick SLB-II longbow hopped off the rack and followed me home. :)

The Samick is a 69", 50# draw longbow with flatbow-type limbs. It's made from laminated fiberglass, walnut, and maple. When unstrung there is a slight reflex but when strung it is a "D" shape.

The service at Lancaster Archery Supply was great and I was able to shoot the bow before deciding whether to purchase it. We put a target out at about seven yards and I put several arrows into a first-sized cluster. It draws smoothly but did have some hand shock. Along with the bow I got a set of wool string silencers that I put on after I got home. Adding the silencers got rid of virtually all the hand shock.

LAS didn't have the correct arrows already setup to go with the bow so I decided to try the cedars I already had at home, that I use with my horsebow. As it turns out, they shoot better in the Samick than the SMA horsebow, for which I think I need shafts with a lighter spine.

Along with the bow I bought a stringer, Neet armguard, and a leather back quiver by Big Tradition Archery. This quiver is to replace the nylon back quiver I got from 3 Rivers Archery, which while well made, is too floppy for my taste.

Upon getting home and installing the string silencers, I went out back and put about 72 shots through the Samick. I like it. It was quiet even without the silencers, it's now ever more so. Compared with the Martin recurve it's a little easier to pull, and is the most forgiving of my three bows.

The Samick seems like it's a great value and I look forward to shooting it a lot, and hopefully bagging some venison with it.