Deerseeker – Not Built To Last!
UPDATE: The bow has warped within less than one year. It’s what I expected. What I didn’t expect is a bow for $90.00 that would last any significant time. I cannot support or endorse anything that is not built to last with some measure of quality in mind. I advise discarding all below, but read on if you wish.
Presently, I cannot afford any of the bows I truly want. Among such bows would be Bodnik, Nalwany, Mr Bows and others. The good part of this pecuniary deficit is that I do not have to make the difficult decision of which expensive bow to purchase, although I find the Bodnik, with its 20 year warranty, extremely tempting — and they make custom builds and even horsebows.
The Deerseeker Archery Roland, however, is $89.00, with free shipping… all the way from China!
I’m serious about archery and seriously not rich.
Normally, the price alone would discourage me from even considering it. And from China? Typically this wouldn’t evoke much confidence either. Most folks have learned that products exported from China are more often than not, manufactured to accommodate the obstinate parsimony of insatiable consumers and ever tumescent bowels of landfills rather than built to last with quality and endurance as priority. Certainly this isn’t always so; the Chinese are fully capable of matching the quality of any producer on the planet however uninterested they may seem from a distant perspective. But $89.00, for a bow?
Alibow and other Chinese archery companies have been doing an astonishingly good job of producing cheap bows for a while. Many of these products hold their own against other much more expensive competitors. My friend recently purchased a bow from Nomad Warriors (custom made by Alibow) for $80.00 and it’s awesome.
I ordered the Roland @50lbs and one week later, it arrived from China, with free shipping. I had very low expectations, but during my search for a cheap bow, I encountered a video where Jack Fang of Historical Archery mentioned Deerseeker Archery and commented that they were a good company that actually cares about their product. I took the chance based on that, though still expected disappointment. I was immediately surprised after unboxing to behold a bow that felt solid and had appealing shape. Upon further examination, I expected to see signs of thrift and shoddiness, but didn’t. The handle was just the style I prefer. The finish was smooth and clean. The grip wrapping was even and tight. The arrow pass could be improved, but I’ll do that myself when the time comes. So far, I had a nice bow, much to my surprise.
Not that easily convinced, I took it to the range. It must be disclaimed, I am a new archer, having begun less than six months ago. My shots were a bit more wild than with the Monarq or SAS Ranger. My groupings were sloppier and shots less accurate. I attribute this primarily to myself, however, the bow is quite thin at center and requires a clean draw and deliberately maintaining a neutral pull to avoid bending the arrow in either lateral direction. This is, of course, applicable to all bows, but a bit more for this bow, perhaps.
While at the range, I stumbled unexpectedly upon the preparations of an informal tournament to which I was invited. I expressed my fears that I would be a severe handicap for my team and that I might even be an embarrassment in addition to my having a bow that I’d barely been acquainted with. I was encouraged to participate anyway. So I did, and was proven correct. I did poorly, but not much more so than I’d have with a more familiar bow. But I enjoyed it. I really do enjoy shooting this bow. If this bow lasts, I’ll be both grateful and amazed.
When I recall my efforts at making PVC bows, it took significant effort and time. I gained proficiency as I made them, but it always took earnest effort and time, especially if I decided to finish them with paint and leather grips. The results were impressive to me then, but don’t in any way compare to the cheapest of proper bows. I then think of the Roland (which I’m very happy to have) and the time, resources and effort that I’d have to endure to create something inferior. From my perspective, Deerseeker Archery gave me a free bow and made me pay for shipping. If it breaks with regular use, I’ll never buy a cheap bow again. And I shouldn’t expect that it won’t. But if it doesn’t, well, I’ll be shooting a stolen bow.
Below is a crappy video of a 70 and 60 yard shot with the Roland, hours after unboxing it. I’m not suggesting that there’s anything significant about some doofus shooting at 70 yards, but be reminded, I am a new archer. That, and the arrows did hit reasonably hard. The 50lbs printed on the limb is no joke here, as cannot be said for many other budget bows.
Assuming the design of this bow is well executed and it lasts, I would definitely recommend it. Be aware that it may be more sensitive to error than some bows, but I cannot be sure of this. Because it is a less expensive bow, a slightly lower poundage, e.g. 40-45lbs may be better, as higher poundages do bring out certain imperfections in any bow. I’m confident that in short time, my accuracy with this bow will improve. And of penultimate importance, I really do enjoy shooting it.