PETE WARD

"WELCOME TO MY OUTDOOR WORLD"



GEAR REVIEW

"SHANNON"

formerly known as
"SWISS MILITARY BOW"

MERLIN ARCHERY{SWITZERLAND}
Fin de la Croix 22
1762 Givisiez
Switzerland
www.merlinarchery.ch

e mail hostmaster@merlinarchery.ch
Tél: +41 26 466 43 20
Nat: +41 79 606 36 70


{CLIQUEZ ICI POUR LA VERSION FRANCAISE}


Please note that the "Shannon" was previously known as the Swiss Military Bow {SMB} at the time of this review.In honor of Shannon Kuzik who helped me greatly with this review and was the first person to take a trophy Whitetail with this bow Francois Merlin has renamed the "Swiss Military Bow"{SMB} .It is now called "SHANNON".As we continue to test and report back ,the reports will be using this new signature name, "SHANNON".

Thank you Francois for this Honor.

Shannon Kuzik / Pete Ward




I have been shooting the Merlin "SWISS MILITARY BOW" for about a month now and I am ready to report my findings.It is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship that is a joy to hold and shoot.The combination of beautiful woods that make up the riser neatly blend into the same patterns on the limbs.
The limbs have a lot of recurve built into them and they are held in place by a steel dowell and brass bushing together with a standard limb bolt for a secure and reliable limb to riser connection.The limbs are gracefull and narrow as well as finely finished like the riser.
The riser grip is very comfortable as well as finely detailed by the 24 laminations that make up its composition.As the laminations are cut away they leave an almost camo like appearance made up of fine woods.



The material used for making this bow is:
- for the grip: Coreflex Wood block (Rocky Mountain Maple) camo.
- for the limbs: Coreflex/superaction Wood (Rocky Mountain Maple) camo Laminations, Fiberglass and red Uni-Weft Glass.
Tips reinforced with Core-Tuff.
Fastflight String.
I questioned the Master Bowyer, Francois Merlin in Switzerland about the origin of the name.To me a bow with such fine features did not look or feel like a soldiers weapon.The name was chosen because of the popularity of swiss army products world wide.This bow is much better than the name implies, and it is far above the standards of what we associate with "SWISS ARMY " products in North America.
I have been shooting many different types and weights of arrows to find the ones that I will be hunting with this year when I take the SWISS MILLITARY BOW into Alberta's woods.As we all know there is a tuning session to perform with any bow and a recurve is no exception. After testing cedar and sitka spruce, Fir,Aluminun and carbons I discovered that I am better off with commercialy made shafts.I am not as good at straightening wood arrows as I should be.This being said I decided on some 2117 aluminum and #340 carbons for my shooting sessions.


After some fine tuning of the shelf pad this bow is very easy to get the feel of.It is consistant in accuracy and speed.Draw weight is steadily progressive reaching the 60 pound rating at exactly 28 inches. At 25" it makes 50 pounds and at 26 and 27 it makes 54 and 57 pounds respectively.{see draw weight chart}This bow is reccommended to have an 8 1/2" brace height, however I found that an 8" brace height was better suited to me.All testing was done with an 8" brace height.


DRAW LENGTH..........DRAW WEIGHT
14".................................25#
15".................................28#
16".................................30#
17".................................33#
18".................................35#
19".................................37#
20".................................38#
21".................................40#
22".................................44#
23".................................45#
24".................................47#
25".................................50#
26".................................54#
27".................................57#
28".................................60#{SPECIFIED DRAW WEIGHT AND LENGTH}
29".................................64#
30".................................68#


I shot several weights of arrows thru the chronograph and was very pleased with the speed this bow delivered its arrows.It does not have any hand shock/vibrations with arrows weighing as little as 404 grains up to and including the big 23/64", 646 grain spruce poles that it handled with ease and good speed also.{162 FPS / 38FP. KE}.With all of the shafts I tested The bow is quiet.The only silencing devices on it are a pair of string silencers that came installed on the Fast flight string.{see below for chronograph results.}


ALL CHRONOGRAPH RESULTS WERE TAKEN AT 27" DRAW LENGTH / 57#DRAW WEIGHT 8" BRACE HEIGHT.

ARROW.....weight....speed...ke...ke@20yds...speed@20yds..momentum@20yds

ICS400.......404........210.....39...36.................200.................357
ICS340.......428........205.....40...36.................196.................371
CEDAR......460........190.....37...34.................181.................370
FIR.............500........180.....36...33.................173.................382
ALUM........505........180.....36...33.................173.................386
ALUM........535........173.....35...33.................167.................395
SPRUCE....608........167.....38...35..................161.................435
SPRUCE....615........166.....38...35..................161.................437
SPRUCE....646........162.....38...35..................161.................450
I will be taking the Swiss Millitary Bow with me on hunting trips this fall and with luck and good fortune I will be updating this review with a success photo and a good tale about the hunt.Until then I find that I totaly enjoy shooting this bow.It is light weight, quick to handle , asembles quickly and easily, and is a joy to shoot.The SWISS MILITARY BOW is a fine example of a master bowyers work.Francois Merlin has produced a truly wonderfull bow that any archer can be proud to own.


This bow exists also in "Osage " under the name "YUKON".
Another model in Bamboo will also be released in the near future.
All merlin bows are warrantied for one year.


"Shanon Kuzic Recaps Two Exciting Hunts WITH THE SMB and Magnus Broadheads."

"4 X 4 WHITETAIL BUCK"


When Pete brought over the SWISS MILITARY BOW to the range, I was amazed how the lamanations flowed from the riser to the limbs. When we started shooting it, there was no hand shock and was whisper quiet. I set the bow up with 29” internally

weighted Carbon Epic 400 arrows, weighting 650 grains tipped with a two blade 125 Grain Magnus broadhead. At my draw length the bow was pushing them out at 165 feet per second for 39 foot pounds kinetic energy. I could not wait to try it out this hunting season.

I was not able to do any serious hunting till November. I managed to get a couple days off work to go in late season elk. In five days, I hiked over 100 kms looking for a big bull elk. I saw elk ever day but only one bull. He would not come closer then 50 yards. I had dozens of cow elk at under 10 yards but my tag was only good for bulls.

Finally, on Saturday November 22, my luck turned. The problem was that it was -30 degrees Celsius. I arrived at my hunting spot two hours before daylight since it takes 1 ½ hours to get to the fields where the elk are feeding during the night. I set up on their trails and try to ambush them as they walk to there bedding areas. Just as the sun was coming up two cow elk came down the trail and past by me at 7 yards. I was hoping that a bull would be following them so I sat for another two hours with out any more action.

My toes and fingers were frozen solid. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to pull the bow back. I had to get moving and warm up so I started still hunting my way back to my truck. I stopped to call every 500 yards with my buck grunt call and doe bleat. On the fifth set up, I found a swamp that was full of tracks. I set up on a log that was laying between two of the main trails and started calling. About five minutes later, I heard something walking through the bushes to my right. I saw patches of brown moving through the white limbs. When the deer crossed my trail, he smelt the Buck Fever Synthetics sent that I dripped on my boots, put his nose down and walked in my direction. I saw that it was a nice 4x4 whitetail buck. I turned my body to the right so I could get a better broadside shot. The buck walked right pass me at 5 yards with his nose to the ground. When he was quartering away, I came to full draw and released my arrow. The arrow passed completely though the buck and he ran though the swamp and out of sight. I would like to say it was a perfect heart shot but it wasn’t. It looked like the arrow might of hit the liver and maybe the far lung.

>
It took 30 minutes to find the arrow in the long swamp grass and snow. The arrow had snow frozen on the blood so there was no clues on what kind of hit. I waited another 45 minutes before I started to track down the wounded buck. There was a consistent blood trail but after 300 yards I started to get worried that it might not have been a fatal hit. I started to go slower with an arrow ready just in case I jumped the buck at close range. A hundred yards later I finally found the buck in the middle of the trail. The Magnus broadhead had hit the last rib going in and exited the back of the right lung. After pictures I still had to drag the buck 2 ½ kms out of the bush to my truck. Even at -30 degrees Celsius the Merlin Swiss Military Bow performed flawless and was a treat to carry all those miles.

SHANNON KUZIK

"A 5 X 5 WHITETAIL FALLS TO THE SMB"



November 28, only two days left of the 2003 hunting season, I had to get out to one of my favourite tree stands in search of whitetail and moose. On the way to my tree stand, I put a couple of drops of Buck Fever Synthetics scents on my boots and a scent pad 10 yards from my tree stand. When there was enough light to see, I called a couple of times on my grunt call and doe bleat. About 15 minutes later, I saw a whitetail doe walking down the trail I had walked in on. The doe came in to 10 yards and started to lick the sent pad. When she turned broad side, I came to full draw, released my arrow and missed just under her chest. I thought how could I miss at only 10 yards but I guess buck fever works with does too.

About 45 minutes later, I noticed movement to the west. Looking through my binoculars, I saw a 30 inch bull moose walking through the bush. I watch him bed down in a willow flat about 400 yards away. If he would stay bedded there till noon, I would climb down out of my tree stand and put a stalk on him.

>
Just as I was sitting back down, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. 125 yards away, a buck was looking in my direction. Looking through my binoculars, I saw he was a 140 class 5x5. I grunted at him and he started to walk slowly in my direction, taking his time, smelling every branch he walked by. A couple of doe bleats and he picked up the pace. I grabbed my bow and got ready for the shot. He was going to walk on the right hand side of my tree stand so I had to turn and face the tree. At 15 yards he turned 90 degrees and started to walk behind the tree. I came to full draw and released the arrow right over his back. The buck did not react or run off, he just kept walking. By the time I pulled another arrow out of my bow quiver and put it on the string, the buck was standing over my first arrow and smelling the scent pad hanging on a branch. I came to full draw, anchored and released in one fluid motion. The arrow flew true, entering the back of the rib cage and punched though the far shoulder. The buck jumped and ran down the hill 50 yards before he expired. I couldn’t stop my right leg from shaking; my adrenaline was pumping from all the action. After the pictures and field dressing, I found that the arrow and Magnus 125 grain broadhead had gone through a rib on the way in and completely through the shoulder blade, stopping on the hide.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get my bull elk or moose this year but I know the Swiss Military Bow would have no problem penetrating any big animal. It was a pleasure hunting with this bow this year. Merlin put a lot of pride and thought into building this bow. I know you would enjoy shooting one too.

SHANNON KUZIK



Pete Ward
“Welcome to my outdoor world”


Copyright © 2002 PETER WARD
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