Jaguar Take-Down limb problems

[msnowstorm]

I just registered to this forum to get some help and comments from anyone on a Martin Jaguar bow. I bought a new one two weeks ago from Cabela's in Dundee MI and was having a blast shooting it. I had it tuned in and I was shooting great groups (life was good). Then last Wednesday I shot one group of three arrows and when I pulled back to shoot the 4th I hear a crack and punch myself in the chin... The lower limb delaminated and cracked. Emailed Martin and they responded right away about it being covered under warrenty. I did not want to wait for shipping of new limbs and such so I returned it to Cabelas (a 110 mile drive one way...). I wanted to shoot a few other take down models but they did not have anything in stock so I bought another Jag. I get home with it last night and string it up and pull it back a few times and bang goes another limb. Not one arrow shot thru it.

Now I have been practicing archery for over 30 years so I know better than to dry fire a bow and to always us a bow stringer on a recurve and such so lets rule out user error. In fact I still have my origninal compoud Bear which still shoots fine after 30 + years. I have a Hoyt compound that is rock solid also.

I just recently got a bug to go back to old school and do the recurve thing and wanted to buy American. I also shot a Martin Warthog years ago that served me well. That is why I bought the Jag, besides it's fair price.

So has anyone else had any problems with the Jag take down? Am I just extremely unlucky? My confidence in this bow is very low right now and I don't want to make another 220 mile round trip to Cabela's to return it.

I know for a $150 bow you can't expect the world but you can expect it not to break (twice) in such a short amount of time. I did ask the Martin Tech if there was a higher end limb for this bow and I guess there is not.

Sorry for being long winded, just looking for some ideas on how to best proceed with this.

Thanks for any comments.

[alex]

I'm afraid you're not alone in your troubles with the Jaguar. The best thing you can do is to wait for the new limbs from Martin - i'm sure they will change them as many times as is needed (unless the breaking is by your fault). Another thing you can do, if you want to shoot a recurve soon, is to buy a cheap but very good taiwanian bow - Perfect Line takedown recurve RE 007 or RE009. RE007 is the same as the PSE Kingfisher, i have it and like it very much.

[Destroyer]

I know for a $150 bow you can't expect the world but you can expect it not to break (twice) in such a short amount of time.

Wouldn't matter if it was a $20 bow imho, no way they should break. Stack maybe, slow maybe, not finished well maybe, but not break. You should check out the ArcheryTalk forums for more info. As soon as I found out who was making the limbs for the Jaguar, I said no way. I've had bows from the same manufacturer before and guess what happened?

Perfect Line takedown recurve RE 007 or RE009. RE007 is the same as the PSE Kingfisher, i have it and like it very much.

Had a Perfectline, very tough bow with its fiberglass limbs. Very smooth draw but heavy weight and a little rough to shoot. Good choice for a beginner that doesn't want to spend much though. Apart from them, I would recommend going for one of the better Martin Howatt bows.

[Montalaar]

As soon as I found out who was making the limbs for the Jaguar, I said no way. I've had bows from the same manufacturer before and guess what happened?

So who is making the limbs then?

[Destroyer]

So who is making the limbs then?

The people who make the limbs

[alex]

Had a Perfectline, very tough bow with its fiberglass limbs. Very smooth draw but heavy weight and a little rough to shoot. Good choice for a beginner that doesn't want to spend much though. Apart from them, I would recommend going for one of the better Martin Howatt bows.

I can compare it only to my horsebow and some homemade selfbows and it's not rough, and its weight is nothing if you compare it to a compound . I wish i can have a Martin-Howatt but the price range is beyond my possibilities.

[Dave308]

Ha, I just ordered one of these last week. Oh well, I just hope the limb won't snap and put my eye out or something

[Destroyer]

I can compare it only to my horsebow and some homemade selfbows and it's not rough, and its weight is nothing if you compare it to a compound .

What I meant buy rough is the hand shock on release, wasn't terrible or a deal breaker, just not as nice as a good wood recurve. Same thing with the weight of it too

What was really good was how smooth it pulled. No stacking at any draw length!

I wish i can have a Martin-Howatt but the price range is beyond my possibilities.

Same here

[Destroyer]

Ha, I just ordered one of these last week. Oh well, I just hope the limb won't snap and put my eye out or something

Hope not too. My last recurve, a Ragim Impala Deluxe broke at full draw, nothing really happened. Just a loud bang and the string went slack. Wasn't a happy chappy though

[gr8whitehuntr]

I agree with Alex. I have the RE-002 and it's really smooth to draw. It is a little heavy but there are ways to keep weight down by using a back quiver for example. It's draw weight is only 30# but it's great to hunt small game like rabbits and foxes. I use a Limbsaver S-Coil stabilizer on mine which cuts down noise and shock too. I attached Limbsaver tenticle wrap to the handle and have fitted a Hoyt Super Rest and limb socks. I'm thinking of customizing the riser a bit more by painting it black or camo to get rid of the blue finish on it. They don't seem to stock the RE-007 anywhere in Australia but I've seen the RE-009. It's a nice looking bow with an autumn camo finish and a magnesium riser which is different to the Kingfisher which has an aluminium one. The perfectline bows have fibreglass limbs and metal risers so they are a tough bow.