Found another Howatt Hunter that is 58" AMO exactly like the one I got a year ago and was subject of a thread here. Appears to be early 80s vintage. Pawn shop find. Real performer. Was real grungy so did a refinish and now has New life. Anyone else have one ?

Post some pics...like to see it..have a few Howatt's myself.

I wonder of your the other Howatt guy I hear about?! I'm near Ottawa as well!.... :) certified Howatt nut

I only have five Howatts... :

Where are you?

Here's one - I'm the original owner, purchased new in 1980 when I was 14 (it was a gift actually). Really too short now for my 30" draw, I struggle to shoot this bow well, but I'll always keep it since it was my first recurve bow beyond the solid glass kid's bows that got me started. I remember Larry Hatfield posting that these 58" Hunters were their own design and are not re-labeled Mambas. I think this was made in 78 or 79 based on the serial number (?).

I have one.58" bought in the 80's or late 70's

West end Ottawa..hunt in Lanark twp...down to 2 Howatts from 7...

Here are some pics. Middle bow is the 58" amo Hunter I just got and refinished. Bottom bow is a twin I got last year and was subject of thread last Dec. Top bow is a Hi Speed just for comparison as several folks thought the 58 " amo Hunters might have been mis labelled. They are different. SN of Hunters are 6320 and 6141. Hi speed is 1992. I have read where vertical lams are 1964 to late 60s ?? Comments appreciated.

recurve40...I'm in Aylmer...work in Ottawa...small world.

goldentrout's bow is a 1977 from the serial number and riser design...they were most certainly not mislabelled as all came from that period. Nice touch to make a Hunter in 58"

stumshtr's two Hunters are both 1976... The Hi-Speed is a 1971 as they only built the Hi-Speeds from 1958 to 1975 and they were not using the first number of serial number to indicate year of manufacture in 1962...plus the 61's were Ne Plus Ultra bows and I think they had solid rosewood risers...the 1971 and 1972 had a riser of bubinga and east Indian rosewood...they went to the curved stripe in the riser of some of the bows in 1973.

What's interesting is that the limb length is the same on all of the bows, including the 62" Hunters...they just changed the riser length on the 62" Hunters. The picture of stumpshtr's three bows shows that the 58" Hunters had a totally different riser design than the 58" Hi-Speed.

Since they began to build the Mamba again in 1985 (plywood riser) and they stopped building the Hi-Speed in 1975 I wonder if they made these 58" Hunter's to fill the niche in the interim?

Pdiddly Thanks for the info and observations. Very interesting. These bows are real shooters.

Yeah, very interesting, I didn't know my bow was a 77. Also interesting that the bow must have sat in that archery shop in Marina Del Rey, CA for 3 years before being sold - I guess recurves weren't a big seller back then!!!

Funny thing is, the original gift was a brand-new redwing hunter - oh my God, that was the most BEAUTIFUL object I had ever laid my eyes on! Unfortunately, the redwing hunter was right-handed and I'm a south-paw. So, we went back to the shop, and they told us that Wing was out of business and he couldn't get a left-hand redwing, but he did have that left-hand Damon Howatt Hunter hanging on the wall (really, the only left-hand bow he had in stock). We exchanged the redwing for the Damon Howatt. I was 14 - I'm pretty sure that I shot that Howatt for at least 10 years exclusively, never even trying another bow until I bought a used blue-stripe super kodiak at a gun show for $100 in the early 90s.

Recurves were not a big seller back then at all...if you look at the bow companies that either stopped making recurves in a big way or went out of business in the late 70's (Browning, Shakespeare (Root),Wing, Pearson and I think Cravotta Brother (Blackhawk)) to name a few it's not unexpected a recurve would languish in a shop for a few years, especially a lefty.

1975 seemed to be the last year of manufacture for many of Browning's bows...Pearson a couple of more years...around early 1972 Shakespeare relocated manufacturing facilities to the south, prompting Ernie Root to part company in his consultant role with the enterprise and it did not last much longer.

I own two Red Wing Hunters, one a 58" pre Head and the other a 52" Head...I like them and shoot them often but (and my love of Howatt's is betrayed)I think you did better getting your hands on that unique Howatt...their quality and design are legendary.

When you say you struggle with your 30" draw is it because the bow stacks?

Yeah, the bow has noticeable stack for the last 1 to 1.5 inches of my draw cycle. I never noticed it before because I had no basis for comparison - I never had another bow to try out, AND at 14 my draw length was not 30", probably more like 28" or slightly longer. Now, is the 'stack' the reason I struggle to be consistent with this bow??? I don't know, all I know is I can't shoot this bow very well. I had no idea until I got the super kodiak, and that was a revelation to me. Right now, I shoot a 64" wes wallace mentor, and I've never shot so well in my life. FYI, I did acquire a 58" redwing (Head Ski) a few year ago, and I could shoot that bow better than the damon howatt - I think the longer working limbs of the redwing are more forgiving for my long draw length.

I have also owned two other damon howatt hunters in the standard 62" variety, both 1970s manufacture (both had the curved accent stripe). I sold one because I couldn't get an arrow to tune to save my life, the other shot great but I just didn't like how they finished the tips and it bugged me so I sold it, but with the 62" model I did not notice any stack, or at least if there was stack it wasn't very noticeable to me.

On hindsight, if that DH Hunter I bought in 1980 was 62", I'd probably still be using it as my main go-to bow today!

Interesting observations David...figured that's what it was...shows that 58" bows are not created equal and I think in the case of Howatt's they're not. I find I need a string one inch shorter than the listed AMO length to get proper brace for some of them. For example, my 1960 Ne Plus Ultra 62" Hunter needs a 57" string. I have heard other accounts of people encountering stacking with 58" Hi-Speeds. I guess my draw of a little over 27" is a blessing...it sure comes in handy when using my many short bows.

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