Anybody try the Darton Marauder?

[Michihunter]

After reading the reviews in this months Outdoor Life I'm really interested in this bow. Quiet and shock free has never been one of Dartons selling points yet this bow ranked #1 in both areas. Anybody got any personal experience with it?

[Grouse Hunter]

I have not shot the bow, so I cannot comment on it specifically. I will say that Darton seems to be more content with collecting royalties these days than pursuing cutting edge designs.

[Michihunter]

I'd normally agree with that GH but after reading the "objective" side of Outdoor Lifes review on that thing, I wonder.;)

[Kelly Johnson]

OL is a good mag for the outdoorsman. Not where I'd look for in depth archery gear reviews from guys I trust are giving me the real story instead of who pays for the most ad's.

That being said..I haven't shot the Marauder but have shot a few others in the 2004-2005 lineup and they have quieted them down...still not the quietest bow on the block and they still have a bit of a kick but MUCH better than in years past.

[Michihunter]

Hey Kelly, the tests I'm referring to are the objective ones. Decibal levels, speed, vibration levels.All things that can be measured scientifically without subjective opinions. Marauder had the lowest db at 87.97 and the lowest vibration at 58.38 m/second squared. Kind of impressive when you look back at Dartons past performance in these areas.;)

[Kelly Johnson]

Sorry...thought your reference to objective was satirical.:lol:

They've come a long way anyway;)

[Swamp Monster]

Not knocking the bow, as it looks like a good one from Darton, but my guess is it was quieter and had less shock than the others because it's also the slowest or one of the slowest in the test bunch. To get down to those speeds with say a Hoyt or Mathews etc, you'd have to shoot those bows at 64 or 65 pounds. Slower bows in theory should be quieter and have less vibration. Set all those bows up shooting the same arrow at the same speed (not poundage) and re-do those tests and than lets see the results.
If that bow was 10-15 fps faster, I'd be interested in trying it out, but being that slow, it will never get a midweight hunting arrow to the speeds and KE I want with my shorter 28.5" draw.

The Darton grip is comfortable and I like the feel, but it is sticky and difficult to get it to settle in your hand the same time everytime, especially with lightweight hunting gloves on. It's still the same grip that my Darton Wrangler used.

[Joe Archer]

I have been shooting Dartons for decades and have always been satisfied. However, I shoot fingers (bare-handed) and am happy with a 5 inch group from 50 yards. I do not shoot for blazing speed, or enter many competitions. All I can say is that when it comes to putting deer in the freezer over the past 25 years or so.... Darton has been berry berry good to me. ;)
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[Michihunter]

Only 10fps slower than the Switchback at testing. Won't be that much KE difference there. Maybe a pound or 2. And 292fps (compared to 302 for the SB) is still smoking fast and plenty of KE can be produced for any whitetail in N. America. ;) Makes the $150 price tag cut seem like a winner to me!!

[Joe Archer]

Only 10fps slower than the Switchback at testing. Won't be that much KE difference there. Maybe a pound or 2. And 292fps (compared to 302 for the SB) is still smoking fast and plenty of KE can be produced for any whitetail in N. America. ;) Makes the $150 price tag cut seem like a winner to me!!

Well then....
..."If it feels nice.....don't think twice!'
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[Swamp Monster]

Only 10fps slower than the Switchback at testing. Won't be that much KE difference there. Maybe a pound or 2. And 292fps (compared to 302 for the SB) is still smoking fast and plenty of KE can be produced for any whitetail in N. America. ;) Makes the $150 price tag cut seem like a winner to me!!


Actually just under 4#'s difference. But in real world hunting use with middleweight arrows and string accesories, shorter draw lengths etc, that difference will grow. And KE# really isn't the issue....all modern hunting equipment produces KE that is more than enough for deer. Now, for some of use that use a single pin or red dot scope, trajectory is far more important so choosing a bow that is fast, quiet and shootable is a priority. Give me two smooth quiet accurate bows, one that shoots 280fps with a hunting weight shaft and one that shoots 260 fps with that same shaft, I'll take the faster of the two everytime (assuming both have the feel I'm looking for etc). 10 fps may not sound like much, but it's a start, figure 15 fps with most other top end bows besides the switchback, and the difference starts to be considerable. I'm not knocking the bow or Darton, but a top hunting bow today should easily be shootable and obtain a minimum of 300 fps IBO. I looked at the Darton yesterday and it's well built, just like most Dartons. Price was about $80-$100 less than most of the other top end bows from Mathews, Hoyt, Bowtech etc. Not that big a difference considering the newer technology available on the more expensive bows. I'll give it to Darton though, they have finally decided to label their 10 year old grip design "Vibra Grip".....that ought to be good for at least a $10-$15 price increase. Their cam system is great and has really kept Darton afloat and I know Rex has it in him to someday update the rest of the package. And ofcourse, we all know that the newest technology is certainly not needed to kill animals or enjoy archery. I'm sure the Marauder is a nice shooting bow, no doubt, as Darton has consistantly designed a nice shooting bow.