Stalker Recurve

Stalker Recurve by Pete Ward
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46″ stalker recurve
41# at 28″
Osage/bamboo limbs with Armtex clear glass,
Black phenolic and moose antler tip reinforcements.
Bacote riser with Osage accent stripes
Available in weights up to 65#

The 46″ Stalker Recurve from Rodney Wright Archery is the smallest bow I have reviewed to date. We often hear that short bows are hard to shoot, have excessive finger pinch and are not accurate. We did not have these issues with the stalker. I found that the stalker was a great little bow to shoot. The Stalker is not a bow for shooters with a draw length of more than 28″. It draws very smooth to 28″ and then hits a wall. It does not stack, it stops.

With an AMO of only 46″ and a strung up length of 40″ it is ideally suited for what it’s name implies, stalking. This bow is also ideal in any close quarter situation where our normal length bows are hard to shoot. In a blind it is the easiest trad bow to shoot that I can imagine. The typical limb clearance problems with longer bows are not there. In heavy cover it is very maneuverable, making clean shots possible where other bows just could not get limb clearance.

The very large brace height makes the stalker very easy to like. This is a factor that I feel helps reduce the finger pinch issue. We all shoot 3 under, and that is an advantage with pinch also.

The craftsmanship on the Stalker is flawless. Rodney does not cut corners. Glue lines are perfect, and the finish is impeccable. The ARMTEX clear glass is flawless and clear without the streaks and spots we find in other glass laminations today.

We shot the bow extensively before this review was written and have not one complaint with it other than the draw weight. A heavier weight would have been preferred but this is the bow that was available. Shannon liked the stalker so much that he chose to hunt all fall with it even though he had free access to some very high performance bows in draw weights that would be considered a better choice by myself and other hunters. He was concerned with not being able to shoot a heavier bow because of shoulder injuries. His success story is below.

If the Stalker had been a heavier draw weight I would have been hunting with it, instead of Shannon, but I chose not to, only because of the draw weight.

For those that hunt in close quarters, thick bush and blinds the Stalker is an ideal design. It is completely shock free, quiet and extremely maneuverable. Turkey hunters will love it. You can even sit flat on the ground and shoot straight ahead without any worry of having to cant the bow to get ground clearance.

46” Stalker Recurve By Shannon Kuzik
I have always been a fan of short bows and when Pete called and told me that Rodney Wright was sending the 46” Stalker Recurve, I couldn’t wait for it to arrive. When I first saw it, it looked like a kids bow, small and very light. It is 41 pounds at 28”, a little on the light side for moose and elk but I was up for the challenge. Shoulder injuries have made shooting with heavier poundage bows a problem this year and the Stalker was a bow that I could draw and shoot without any difficulty. It seemed a better choice to drop the draw weight and shoot accurately than to run into trouble with a heavy draw weight that I could not handle properly.

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