Hoyt Eclipse riser vs KAP Winstar II riser vs Sebastien Flute SF Forged riser

[addo]

As far as riser is concerned

Owned a couple of winstar 2 risers.Very good riser to shoot with,IF left at factory default,but has a silly draw weight and alignment system.Both adjusments are on the same bolt.If you adjust draw weight for any reason you will have to realign bow,which will mean that you will then have to probably have to readjust draw weight again Also have to be careful not to strip thread or shear bolt.(Easily done in my opinion) The screw supplied to put the clicker plate on is to short as well I think the SF riser has same adjustment set up.I believe both KAP + SF are connected with Win & Win so that would make sense

I ended up changing to a Hoyt riser.Seperate adjustment for dwaw weight and alignment and now i'm so glad i done it.I,ve upped my draw weight twice since buying and its still perfectly aligned.Its also a very sturdy arrangement so no worries about stripping threads etc (so far)

[EVC]

Originally Posted by addo

If you adjust draw weight for any reason you will have to realign bow,which will mean that you will then have to probably have to readjust draw weight again

The trick is to adjst draw weight and tighten the bottom lock bolt. Then loosen the top nut to adjust alignment. A hint I had long ago was marking the alignment bolt and nearby bushing with a CD marker before changing the poundage to return it to the optimum alignment after poundage adjust.

I agree this system is not very good though.



Elder.

[sambow]

My advice if you are newish to archery is go to your local shop. If it is who I think it is, they may be 10% dearer, but that could save you £'s compared to guessing what would be the best kit to buy. You are also likely to get the limbs best matched to your ability which will aid your development and scores. If you try guessing what limbs you need, you will end up either replacing them quickly if you buy too light or screwing your form / injuring yourself if you go too heavy. Also bear in mind all limbs have tolerances so the poundage you order may not be the poundage you get ( I have been in a shop once and found a set of 24Lb limbs for my son actually weighed in less than his existing 22lb limbs!). By visiting your local shop you can mix and match limbs and risers and find which feels best for you.

On the risers. I once owned a Winstar II and I currently own a Hoyt Nexus. I never liked the winstar I found the build quality was not up to a hoyt. In particular the paint was not durable (bear in mind the Hoyt Eclipse is also painted not anodised) and I hated the adjustment mechanism because I found it a great deal more difficult to set up compared to a Hoyt and I also had difficulties avoiding changing the limb alignment each time I changed the poundage.

Add to that one of the rear threads started to feel quite weak and I was worried about stripping the threads. Given that the W&W risers and the SF risers share the same adjustment system I would not be keen on either of them.

Note although EVC defended the limb mechanism he conceded it was not very good. I would go further than that, I think just about every other manufacturers limb adjustment system I have come across is better.

Also bear in mind if ever you need to sell a hoyt, they hold their value better than virtually all other bows.

One other bow I would add to the list is a Spig Revolution (but I don't think quicks stock them). Its unconventional but most people who shoot them say they are very good.

But the best advice of all re risers is get to a shop and find what feels best for you.

[Russ]

Just to add my two cents worth: go to a trusted store in person for your first bow. I made a 6-hour round trip to buy my first bow and was very happy I did; had I ordered over the internet I would have bought something completely different and probably regretted it.

I have the Eclipse, can't fault it but after a year and a half I'm itching for something else. I don't get a lot of reaction from it (it's quite stiff) for better or worse. If I had to buy it all over again I'd be looking at a Nexus.

Have a look at the Samick Athlete (Merlin Archery; Samick Athelete Recurve Riser), similar in price to the SF, and in my experience Samick has more reliable quality than W&W (who also make SF) in this price range.

[Rhys]

Originally Posted by Russ

Have a look at the Samick Athlete (Merlin Archery; Samick Athelete Recurve Riser), similar in price to the SF, and in my experience Samick has more reliable quality than W&W (who also make SF) in this price range.

Really?????

[Sparra]

Originally Posted by Russ

I have the Eclipse, can't fault it but after a year and a half I'm itching for something else. I don't get a lot of reaction from it (it's quite stiff) for better or worse. If I had to buy it all over again I'd be looking at a Nexus.

If a beginner had the means to buy a really good riser would you recommend it or is buying an excellent riser and sticking cheap, low poundage limbs on it a bit of a waste? I'm only wondering as i am about to buy my own kit and have been saving like a nutter as i'd like to get something i wont need to replace very soon.

[Hidden Hippo]

I wouldn't say that was a waste - its cheaper than replacing an entire bow a couple of months down the line.

[Random_guy]

It depends really. On the one hand, if you spend more money now, then you won't *NEED* to upgrade for the foreseeable future (if ever). On the other hand, IMO its impossible to know what you are going to want from a riser before you've ever owned one.

This won't effect your ability to shoot good scores with the riser, but it may be that you end up with a riser that isn't quite what you'd choose with hindsight.

[darthTer]

I am currently shooting an Eclipse....IMO an excellent riser (granted I don't have anything to compare it with....)

I have been shooting about 18month and got the eclipse straight after my beginners course. I originally went to Eastcote's with a view to getting a Winstar II. However, after holding the Winstar,the Eclipse & the SF, the Winstar was very quickly put to the side.

It was a VERY close call between the SF & eclipse. In the end it came down to looks - preferred the Eclipse.

As mentioned above, I have never shot a different riser, so have no direct comaprison, but I do know that I enjoy shooting the Eclipse and have absolutely no plans to change it.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Rhys

Really?????

Thanks for calling me on that one, Rhys - on reflection, my comments on the SF were a bit too hasty. So to qualify my comments:

For comparison between SF and Samick risers I've really only read posts on forums like this one, and based on that I've heard isolated incidents of SF limb bolts or bushings not holding up (and since it's only an online forum, there's no way to tell if it was the fault of the archers in question either). I have also seen problems with the bushings on W&W's entry- and mid-level risers but I don't know first-hand how these might compare to their SF line.

However I will say that many of my clubmates have been using several generations of Samick equipment (new and used, with varying degrees of abuse) and have never had a problem with worn limb bolts, alignment, or stripped bushings.

Hope that clears it up! And thanks again for keeping me honest...