I just got my new bow set up and dialed in. It's a 2008 Forge Woodsman XL
and the bow is amazing. It's a 31 3/4" axle to axle bow with a newly
designed riser, so it's slightly longer overall than the Woodsman at 29
3/4". The riser, limb cam/wheel design gives an incredible brace height of
almost eight inches, so it's not only fast (305 fps), it's very forgiving
to shoot.

New for 2008 is the "Next" camo design, which is high definition sticks
and leaves camo that looks great and really makes for an attractive bow.
Also new for 2008 is select models of Forge Bows come with the BoJax
Silencer System, which makes the bow extremely quiet at the release. My
bow came with a no-stretch Vapor Trail string/cable system.

The handle is great, made of laminated hardwoods, it's nice and thin, plus
it will be warm to hold when the temps drop. It snuggles into my hand like
it was made for me and allows a comfortable grip.

The bow is poundage adjustable from 40 to 70 lbs, so there's a wide range
to satisfy just about any hunter, but of course, I had to crank it up to
70 lbs.! The bow comes back smooth and there's a definite stop when you're
at full draw, which is something that I really like.

I've got the bow set up with a Quality Archery Designs UltraRest Pro HD
dropaway rest, the Game Warning Systems Pro Hunter Micro sight, Limb Saver
Stabilizer and a three arrow Kwikee-Quiver. Even with all of the
accessories installed, the bow still only weighs 4 lbs., 11 oz.!

Shooting the bow is a dream come true. As I said, it comes back nice and
smooth, hitting a wall when you're at full draw. I use a Classic Caliper
release, and when I touch the trigger, the bow just sits dead in my hand,
with very little recoil for a bow this powerful and fast. Best of all, the
arrow goes where I aim, sinking deep into the target butt.

A friend of mine just spent $850.00 for a Bow-Tech bow, without any
accessories mounted, just the bow!!! With a suggested retail of $449.00
and a limited lifetime warranty, if you're considering a new bow for this
year, I would suggest you check out the Woodsman XL. Just think, you can
buy a bow, get it completely set up and still have money to go hunting!
You can learn more about the Forge Bow company by going to Forge Bow
Company

I'm taking this one to Idaho on Saturday for a spring bear hunt, so wish
me luck.
--
Steve at (no spam) OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

Good luck and sounds like a great setup. Be careful and don't feed the
bears! LOL You filming this one?
Jim

Steve,

Are you that excited or are you a spokesperson for the bow company?

I just bought a 2007 Bear Instinct and am similarly delighted. I got
it on eBay NIB (New In Box) for $260 including shipping and handling
because it was last year's model. I paid $100 for an accessory
package that included a Stock Dog 3-pin sight, Hostage rest, peep
sight, and stabilizer. I paid another $70 for a new Tru-Ball Short-n-
Sweet release, $45 for a layered-foam target, $22 for an Alpine
Archery Soft Loc 3 quiver, and $30 for six of the cheapest carbon
fiber arrows I could find. So that's $527 for a pretty sweet set-up.
I haven't weighed mine with the quiver on yet, but it is definitely a
little heavier than your 4lb 11oz. I've got the 3 pins set for 20,
30, and 40 yds and can regularly put three arrows in a 5-inch group,
and this is the first bow I've ever owned and I've only been shooting
it for about a month!

Great fun, isn't it?

Have you bow-hunted for bear before? A guy I talk to at the gym just
got back from a Canadian bear hunt and it sounded pretty easy - sit in
the stand next to the bait and wait for a good shot. Only difficulty
is deciding if the bear is big enough to be worth shooting...that, and
keeping the smaller ones from climbing into the stand with you. And
yes, he has pics. Wish I had them to share with you.

Elkaholic

 If you're going to hunt with the bow, try Slick Trick Magnum 100
broadheads.  

"celtex" <rsjdn at (no spam) HOTMAIL.COM> wrote in message <SNIP

Good luck and sounds like a great setup. Be careful and don't feed the
bears! LOL You filming this one?
Jim

Yep, we're heading out Saturday for the 27 hour drive for a five day hunt.
I was out there last year but passed on some smaller bears and the one big
one I did see was so large (and a color phase) that initially I thought it
could be a grizzly bear. By the time I figured out that it was just a
damn big colored black bear, we didn't have a good shot, either for me or
the video camera.

On a bright note, the outfitter said that when he was baiting the same
area, he saw the biggest black bear tracks in the snow that he's ever
seen! Evidently my big guy from last year survived the winter. Now all he
has to do is make another appearance!

Wish me luck, cuz after heart attack #2, I'm going to need it in the area
we're going to.
--
Steve at (no spam) OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

BTW, my arrows seem to fly something of a spiral and I've noticed that
my arrows are hitting the target at a slight angle compared to the
direction I shot from. I'm assuming that I need to do a paper test
and see if my bow needs tuning. Do you think it's something worth
messing with?

I'm shooting 5-inch 3-shot groups out to 40 yds on a
regular basis, so I don't want to mess with a good
thing, unless it's fairly easy to make the proper
adjustments.

Also, I've seen some bow hunting videos where the deer "jump the
string" and the hunter either aimed low intentionally or the arrow
flew over the deer's back, if he didn't aim low. I've also seen some
videos where the deer stand stock still until the arrow hits. What is
your experience? Do you aim low to anticipate the deer's reaction?

Regardless, I'd do the whole tuning thing now, early
before the season, so you know the bow (and have time to
have a pro dig you out of the mire if you really muck it
up).

Marty wrote:
)

Regardless, I'd do the whole tuning thing now, early
before the season, so you know the bow (and have time to
have a pro dig you out of the mire if you really muck it
up).

I took your advice before I read your reply.

I started paper tuning and the first tear was so bad I thought I must
have done something wrong. Unfortunately, the second one was
identical. Also unfortunate was the fact that the tear was diagonal,
which meant that I needed to adjust the rest vertically and
horizontally. After moving in the wrong direction (both vertically
and horizontally) I started to get tears that were much better than
when I started.

Just a little vertical tear now.

Then when I took it
out to the range, I realized my adjustments of the rest had completely
screwed-up my previous job of sighting-in. Now I have the pins
adjusted again and I'm afraid of checking the paper test again for
fear I'd have to sight-in yet again.

I read some tuning guides on-line and they talked about moving the
nock, but my nock is so tight, I can't get it to move at all.

I wondered what the pro shop was doing when they supposedly tuned my
bow when it was brand new? Then I read on-line that tuning a brand
new bow is a waste of time, because the string will stretch. Learn
something new everyday. I wish the pro shop had filled me in with
that little tidbit.

Oh well, still having fun shooting.

Perhaps you left it that way in cautious respect
for not changing the tuning too far at once?  

Here's something that took me a while to recognize
but that I don't remember reading anywhere--There
are settings that affect the way an arrow leaves
the bow, and they're critical and primary in importance
and order to get right.

If you have a loop, then keep it tight and just toss the
crimp.

Well, I imagine they *had* to tune it somewhat, but if they
made a show of its great accuracy after the tuning their
claiming something they shouldn't've, and I'd hold them to
it.  I'd go back and tell them to correct their defective
workmanship.

Unless you live and dream this stuff now.

 (I've been lusting after a front-
loader for years, just waiting for my 20yo cheapy to die.
Yaay!)

(I've been lusting after a front-
loader for years, just waiting for my 20yo cheapy to die.
Yaay!)

That's probably the least manly comment ever posted on this
newsgroup. Whether your'e proud of that or not, it's a
distinction you've earned.

Perhaps you left it that way in cautious respect
for not changing the tuning too far at once?

That was my idea...plus my shoulder was getting sore from firing so
many arrows. Also, I wanted to see how the arrows would fly when I
shot them more than 10 feet in my garage. Unfortunately, the nearest
place to shoot is not in my backyard.

Here's something that took me a while to recognize
but that I don't remember reading anywhere--There
are settings that affect the way an arrow leaves
the bow, and they're critical and primary in importance
and order to get right.

I realize the sights don't affect how the bow shoots, and you make a
good point that adjusting my sights before I'm done tuning is really
just a waste of time. It was just that when I got out to the range,
my arrows seemed to be flying better and I just got sidetracked into
adjusting my sights. I probably should have been more patient and
fine-tuned the bow before bothering with the sights.

If you have a loop, then keep it tight and just toss the
crimp.

I have a loop as well, and I'll try twisting it to see if I can move
it that way.

Well, I imagine they *had* to tune it somewhat, but if they
made a show of its great accuracy after the tuning their
claiming something they shouldn't've, and I'd hold them to
it. I'd go back and tell them to correct their defective
workmanship.

The pro shop didn't make any claims, but they did tune the bow and I
expected them to do good work. Like I said though, I wonder if the
string just stretched. Or maybe the bench tuned it, but never shot it
through any paper?

Unless you live and dream this stuff now.

No dreams yet, but if you ask my wife, she'll tell you I've been
spending plenty of time and money on archery since I got my bow.

Btw didn't get the stupid washer--Made the mistake
of describing the symptoms to a friend and he said
right off that it's obviously a broken coupler and
that it's about $20 to fix and easy.  Unfortunately
he was right.  _______________________________Marty

Well, I shot some holes in paper again last night and they looked even
better, actually looked really good, and that was without messing with
them at all. Maybe the string is still stretching???

Btw didn't get the stupid washer--Made the mistake
of describing the symptoms to a friend and he said
right off that it's obviously a broken coupler and
that it's about $20 to fix and easy. Unfortunately
he was right. _______________________________Marty

Yeah, don't you hate those cheap, easy fixes? (that's sarcasm, in
case someone didn't recognize it)

I also shot with my new quiver (Soft-loc 3) attached for the first
time last night. It's amazing but I definitely noticed the extra
weight that my left arm was holding up. I also noticed that the bow
wasn't evenly balanced anymore. I 'torqued' a few arrows as they left
the bow because I was applying rotational pressure with my left hand
to keep the bow vertical. I guess I won't plan to hunt with the
quiver and arrows attached.

Lastly, before I started shooting my bow, I thought it was my right
arm that would get tired from drawing the string. Turns out my left
shoulder is the one that gets tired and even sore after shooting as
few as a dozen arrows. Is that normal or is my body messed-up?