rml127

I tried a search on this and didn't find anything so forgive me if it has been discussed. I am shopping for a lightweight aluminum climbing stand with a cable type system. I am sick of my old heavy steel climber with the bolts and wingnuts. Anyhow, I saw a nice looking stand at wal-mart for about $159 I think, I can't remember the brand name. It has all the features I want including a removeable shooting rest on the front. I also found a used viper xls for $150 that is supposed to be like new. I offered the guy $125 but he refused. Is the viper a good comfortable stand? I will use it primarily for bowhunting. I like the idea of the removeable shooting platform on the wal-mart unit but I would rather buy the stand that is a better unit. Is $150 a good price for the viper?

slicendice

rml,

You need to look real close at the Viper before paying $150. See how much it weights, what kind of seat (air inflated seat or other). If it's 21 pounds and had a regular seat, it's an older model and isn't worth the money. I got a new Viper for $189 and free shipping from Natchez Shooters Supply. Try them, they may have a similar deal going on. www.natchezss.com

jetblast

If you are primarily going to bowhunt, I suggest the Summit Cobra. It's basically the viper but without the front bar. It makes it nice when you can draw sitting down when a deer is out front of you.

Jeepnut

Of the two, I think I'd lean toward the Viper. But check it out first like Slicendice mentioned. I just bought a Viper last night so maybe I'm a little biased. Last year, a friend of mine tagged out early so I borrowed his API for the rest of the season. While it was very comfortable it was a little on the heavy side. I also found it to be noisy to set up (trying to fit the pins in the holes in the dark. And what a pain when you drop one in the dark...) and it took longer than I liked to set it up. The newer Summit stands don't have any pins and are a lot quicker and quieter to set up. The weight is comparable to other brands, depending on the model. A friend of mine just purchased one of those stands from Wal Mart. It looks like a good quality stand for the price but it reminds me a lot of the API (pins, noise, etc.) so I opted to spend a little extra for the Summit (probably should've shopped around more. I paid $239).

kc_bowhunter

I have a Viper XLS. I've owned for 2-3 years now, and I love it more than when I first bought it. The front bar is EXTREMELY helpful. YOu may sit on it and comfortably look at what's behind your tree for several minutes without having to twist your neck around the tree. You may use the bar as support at knee level in order to 'anchor' yourself to the stand and take a more precise shot. With the bar, you are 100% certain where the stand ends. No need to rely on your feet to find out where it ends. You may even lean on it to take a shot. etc. etc. etc.
I paid around $240 for mine , and I will buy another one if it gets stolen. It's quite a deal to pay $150 for it.

NJ-Bowhunter

I have a Viper and it will be my 3rd year with it. I like the idea of the bar on the front- I keep it at a level where it is just touching the top of my knee-caps when sitting so when I stand, I can lean out and use it a support. Additionally, I will turn around and sit on the bar for extended periods of time and survey the land behind me. I actually paid for the Air-cusion seat with the extended backrest, and after trying it, I switched back to the original....just another gimmick in my opinion and something else to tie down when transporting. Overall I love the stand and think that it sounds like a deal if it is truly in good shape.

&quot;Measure twice, shoot once <img src=icon_smile_evil.gif border=0 align=middle>
http://www.hunting-pictures.com/memb...dex.html&quot;

VAhuntr

I use the Summit Bushmaster for bowhunting.....it has a completely open top for bowhunting and only weighs 16 pounds. Give the Summit stands a look b4 you buy anything else.

Deleted User

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jetblast

I bowhunt exclusively. I own a viper and an api gs bowhunter. No front bar is the way to go for bowhunting.

W. Dale

I like my Viper !!The front bar does not get in my way...I paid $245.00....I think $150.00 is a deal.