japeter2

If you had $500 to spend would you buy a used Black Widow Greybark or a new HunterII?

stealthycat

I'd go with the Widow. Why ? Because you can ALWAYS get your money out of it, and if you trade/sell as much as I do its a VERY important factor !

Widow's are nice too, even though they're heavy and ugly

Broker

I own both a BW & Hunter ll........personally, I MUCH prefer my Chek-Mate. The Widow is OK, but the Chek-Mate is my "Go-To" bow.

Darrel

Troy n Oh

WOW that is a hard question to answer. They are both good bows so I would have to say buy whatever one feels best to you. You could get your money back if you didn't like the widow by reselling it. Good Luck

Arthur P

That's a tough one fer sure... I'd love to get a Widow into my arsenal, and it's nice to just pay for a used bow that's close to what you want and get it NOW. On the other hand, getting a bow specially made to order is great, even though you wind up gnawing your fingernails off while waiting for it.

There are pluses on both sides and no negatives I can think of. Time for the ol' coin flip routine. Best 2 out of 3.

LBR

That is a tough one. Obviously I am a bit biased towards Chek-Mate, but I'll try to be as objective as I can here.

If you are going into the deal (either one) with the thoughts of trading before you even get it, as long as the BW is in good condition and you keep it in good condition, you would most likely loose at most $100--and there is a good possibility you wouldn't loose anything. With the Hunter II, same circumstances, you would probably loose $100 selling it used--although I do know of cases where a used one sold for more than a new one.

A new CM will have a full 2 year warranty on it, the BW will have what's left of the pro-rated warranty. I have heard BW is good about covering bows beyond the warranty period, and I know Check-Mate does.

A new CM can be built to your specs, the BW is available right now. Depending on what you are looking for, a new Hunter II may be available right now, or you can wait approximately 4 months for a custom made one.

The BW comes with arrows and such that may work for you; with the Hunter II you will have enough money left over to buy new ones.

My personal opinion--I have shot several of both, and I like the Hunter II better. The Hunter II was, to me, a bit smoother and easier to quieten. I haven't shot a BW with the new limbs (yet).


If you are buying it to keep, either bow should last you a lifetime, and both companies should be here for the long haul in case you have any problems.

Chad

GEREP

I currently own a Hunter II with Cocobolo riser and Locust limbs. I have never owned a BW but I shot a few at Kzoo this year. All things being equal, I would not trade my CM for any of the Widows I shot. Is that to say that the Widows are not good bows? Nope. As a matter of fact, I think BW is one heck of a company, and Ken Beck is a class act. It's just that my Hunter II is so smooth and just feels perfect in my hand. To me, the Widows just felt "blocky," whereas the Hunter II is very sleek and graceful. If you prefer the forward riser like the BW, you may want to consider a CM Firebird. At 56". it was almost, if not as smooth as my Hunter II.

I would think to each his own. As far as resale, the Widows do seem to hold their value as do the CM's. (if you can find one). In my opinion, resale is kind of a subjective thing. I would get my hands on both bows, shoot them both and decide which one is right for you. After that decision is made, resale probably shouldn't enter into it, should it? Unless of course you simply want to trade bows for some reason. I can see myself buying other bows (I have a Firebird on order right now) but It would take one heck of a bow to get me to give up my Hunter II.

Good luck.

KPC

japeter2

This will be my first bow. Just to let you know. Is one or the other a better beginner bow?

Troy n Oh

As far as the beginner bow thing. One is as good as the other. Alll of the top end bows are so close performance wise and shootability wise that it is really nothing more than personal preference of the "feel" of the bow. The biggest thing you want to watch for with your first is not to overbow yourself. Make sure you are comfortable with the draw weight or you will have a heck of a time learning to shoot right. If you are coming from shooting compounds its a whole new set of muscles if you are completly new to bows you will be so much further ahead to start light. Good Luck

japeter2

I think I am going to go with the Widow. I want it now and with the other I may have to wait a while. I am going to go look at it Sunday.

It is about 5 years old, and set at #63 at 30". I will practice a lot and "hopefully" be ready to use it for spring bear in April. Probley wont be ready but I can hope.