Bearpaw / Bodnik Bows Quick Stick

Is the Quick Stick a good choice for a hunting longbow?

It's an excellent hunting longbow — owners across every thread call it genuinely quick and flat-shooting (one posted his best-ever ABA field score with it), with a smooth draw, quiet release and little hand shock. The 60" length and bamboo-carbon limbs make it a natural pointer and an easy all-day carry. The only hunting caveat is its light mass, which some shooters love for carry and others find too light to hold steady. For most, it's a top-tier trad hunting choice.

If I'm used to heavier ILF or aluminum-riser bows, will the Quick Stick's very light mass weight be a problem?

It might be — the Quick Stick is very light in the hand, and that divides shooters. Fans love it as an all-day carry bow and a form teacher; shooters coming off heavy ILF or aluminum-riser rigs sometimes find it feels insubstantial, and one ex-owner said it just wasn't his favorite for that reason. If you like a little mass to steady your hold, you may want to add weight or look at a heavier bow; if you want a featherweight you can carry all day, the light mass is a feature.

How does the Quick Stick compare to the Old Mountain Mesa II for a shorter R/D hunting bow?

Both are short reflex/deflex hunting bows in a similar class; the Quick Stick's calling cards are the 30-year transferable Bodnik warranty and the bamboo-carbon speed, while the Mesa II has its own strong following for shootability. Owners who've run both tend to praise the Quick Stick's value and warranty. It comes down to feel and grip preference — try to handle both, but the Quick Stick's warranty is the best in traditional archery at this price.

Is it worth stepping up to the pricier Signature Stick, or is the Quick Stick the better value?

For most buyers the Quick Stick is the better value — owners of both call it hard to beat among production bows, and the dearer Signature Stick adds refinement and finish but not a transformative performance gain. Step up to the Signature Stick if you want the nicer wood and don't mind paying for it; stay with the Quick Stick if you want the most performance and the 30-year warranty for the least money. The Quick Stick is the value sweet spot.

How good is the fit and finish, and is the wood finish glossy or plain?

Most owners call fit and finish flawless — tight glue lines, attractive grain — but the factory wood finish is plain rather than glossy, and a minority were less impressed: one refinished his bow himself over open, unfilled pores. So expect good workmanship with a matte, understated finish, not a high-gloss custom look. If you want showpiece gloss, you may add your own finish; the build quality underneath is well regarded.

What does the grip feel like and how tall is the pistol grip?

The grip is a low pistol grip that gives consistent, repeatable hand placement shot to shot — owners credit it for the bow pointing naturally and feeling familiar fast. It's on the lower side rather than a tall, filled grip. One shooter noted the sight window is small compared to what he was used to, so if you come from a deep-cut riser there's a brief adjustment. Most find the low pistol grip a strength.

How does the Quick Stick differ from Bodnik's cheaper Slick Stick?

The Slick Stick is Bodnik's cheaper longbow; the Quick Stick steps up with the bamboo-and-carbon limb construction that makes it genuinely fast and flat-shooting, plus the premium feel. If budget is tight the Slick Stick gets you into the Bodnik line, but the Quick Stick's carbon limbs and speed are the reason it's the one owners rave about. Spend up to the Quick Stick if you can; the performance gap is the carbon.

Owners across every thread describe the Quick Stick as genuinely quick and flat-shooting, living up to its name; one shooter posted his best-ever ABA field-course score with it. The bamboo-and-carbon limbs are repeatedly credited for the speed.

A consistent refrain is that the bow draws smoothly, is very quiet, and has little to no hand shock, with several owners saying it points naturally and feels familiar in the hand.

Buyers repeatedly call it hard to beat among production bows and single out the 30-year transferable Bodnik warranty as the best in traditional archery. Owners of both the Quick Stick and the dearer Signature Stick say the Quick Stick is the more cost-effective pick with little real performance gap.

The bow is very light in the hand. Fans love it as an all-day carry bow and a form teacher, but others coming from heavy ILF rigs found it felt insubstantial; one ex-owner said it just wasn't his favorite for that reason, and several caution it may not suit shooters who want more mass to settle the bow.

Most owners call fit and finish flawless with tight glue lines and attractive grain. A minority were less impressed: one refinished his bow himself because of open, unfilled pores, and others describe the bows as well made but plain-looking rather than glossy or fancy.

At least one shooter noted the Quick Stick has a small sight window compared to what he normally shoots, though he felt it was something he could adapt to with time behind the bow.

Not specific to the Quick Stick, but in a Bodnik/Bearpaw brand thread one member reported deplorable service and 10+ months of silence on a paid-in-full custom Shrew order, and another recounted a custom (not Quick Stick) bow cracking at the riser, after which Bodnik refunded him promptly. Production Quick Sticks themselves were described as having an excellent track record.