Just wonder if any of you traditional archers have had any experience with the Hoyt Dorado recurve? Do they perform as well as most of the traditional recurves out there? Thanks.

My dad has the Hoyt game master the model before the dorado and he loves it it's a very smooth shooting bow and yes it performs just as well as any other recurve I recommend it!!!

I have a Dorado with two sets of limbs and really like it! It is a great bow that is meant to be used. All business...

I have a Dorado with 2 sets of recurve limbs and 1 set of longbow limbs. Great shooting bow for sure.

I'd like to have a Dorado riser to use with my ILF limbs. I have read nothing but great things about them whether using their stock limbs or whether you rig it to use ILF limbs.

It is a 19 inch riser and I think would be perfect for hunting and rec shooting in the yard.

Does anyone know if the ILF fittings to allow the Dorado to use ILF limbs are hard to find?

Good luck with your choice, I'm sure you'll like the Dorado if you get one.

Nalajr

I think you can pop the original fittings out of the dorado limbs and pop them right into the ILF. I believe it's a straight swap.

You can get the bushing kit to convert ILF limbs to fit the Dorado riser from Trad Tech/Lancaster Archery for $17.99 or so. Just give John Wert a call and he will set you up. I have 2 sets of TradTech limbs that I have removed the ILF fittings and replaced them with the bushing kit. Works great.

i was looking at buying a dorado riser. when you install the bushing kit on an ILF limb for use on this riser, it basically then becomes a bolt down 3 piece recurve, is this correct?

in other words, the limbs are secure when the bow is unstrung and there are no adjustments like on an ilf set-up?

You won't go wrong with a Dorado as far as 'modern' trad bows go.

Correct Elkhuntr,there is no adjustment.

Yeah I didn't think there would be any adjustments like what you have on the ILF risers. I don't know if it would be worth doing that way if you lose all the advantages you gain with having ILF in the first place. I may need to think this out more or just get s Dorado with Dorado limbs. Am I missing something or does that sound about right?

Seems as though I'd be better off going with a Hoyt Excel riser to use my ILF limbs on or pick up one of the TradTech risers.

Thoughts anyone?

nala, from what i have read it seems many people recommend the excel riser. it sounds like a good option if you want ilf.

i was more interested in the dorado because i like the riser better, do not need adjustments, but can still use all the ilf limb options. i also like the appearance of a solid connection. i do not like the looks of the gap between the limb annd riser on many ilf rigs (to include the excel). just my preference, which admittedly may be ignorant given my lack of ilf experience.

the trad tech apex riser looks nice, and it seems to hide some of the gap between limb and riser. the grip is too high wrist for my liking though, i think?

Elkhuntr, I'm sorta in the same boat you are. I'm planning on buying another bow, and had it narrowed down to the Dorado and the Excel with TT limbs. In the end, I think the Excel is going to win out with me though'. I'm likin' the interchangability thingy idea with all this ILF going on. Being able to tinker with draw weight adj's with the same limbs and tiller tweeking inside the same also, seems like a great way to micro-tune a rig. You "can" use aftermarket limbs on the Dorado, but it involves retrofitting and there's no range of adjustment. That's just my reasoning though' and if I pull the trigger on one shortly after the holiday(pretty sure I'm gonna), I'll write up a little thread sort of reviewing it.......was considering one of the wood handled ILF's too, but in the end, the metal riser lends itself to grip options that obviously the former doesn't......food for thought, rog'.

Elkhuntr totally with you in this. That's why I sold my excel riser w tt limbs and am waiting for my dorado riser w aftermarket limbs to deliver. The excel felt very small and I'm not a fan of how loose the limb fit is. I'm sure bows performance is good like that. For a hunting/3d bow I don't think the ILF adjustments are necessary IMO. I would think the big bow makers like Hoyt would market the hell out of such an animal. There is alot guys that like the ILF set up.

I have been shooting one with TT Black Max limbs and it is very smooth, fast, and the metal riser with all the fittings for a plunger, quiver, sight is very convenient.

As a side, I converted the ILF limbs to fit using small diameter PVC from Lowes and some automotive push pins to fill the hole on the back. You can buy enough to convert 10 or more sets of limbs for less than $20.

The Dorado limbs are good shooting limbs, but the TT are better in my opinion and the short Dorado limbs start to stack before my draw(30").

t-dog, are your Black Max limbs the carbon core, or the glass/wood ones?

glass/wood

Mark

Thanks, Mark. I couldn't find any info on the glass/wood Black Max as to whether or not they are a single lam of maple, or double laminated. TT does state the clear glass/wood ones for $179.00 are a total of 4 lams. Just wondering if the ones for $179.00 are an actual upgrade, or you just pay an extra $50.00 for clear glass...??

When choosing the IFL limbs, you dont have to stick with the TT limbs. Hoyt limbs are very tough to beat, as are the W&W limbs and the Samminck limbs. And I've read some impressive stuff on Bob Morrison limbs, and the Sky limbs. With my aftermarket limbs, I use the carbon/foam limbs or the high end wood/carbon limbs. When buying limbs, it really does show that you get what you pay for.

just be aware that most ILF limb weights are measured on a 25in riser and will gain at least 5-7lbs when put on the Dorado riser. TradTech limb weights are measured on a 17" riser and may lose a pound or two when put on the Dorado riser.

I don't have a real good set of scales to measure draw weight, but I ordered the 40lb limbs and from what others have told me, the TT limbs scale almost identical on the Dorado riser due to it's limb pocket angle. All I can say is that they are fast and smooth out to 30 inches of draw and are hard to beat for the money.

Mark

With the Dorado riser, if you use the long ILF limbs will it be a 60 or 62 inch bow? I have been thinking of getting a Dorado because I like the riser, but I have issues with a 60 inch bow when shooting. I would love to get one if I could make it a 62 inch bow. DANNY

Linecutter,

With long ILF limbs the Dorado will be a 64" recurve--it's a 19" riser.

Jim is right Linecutter. The Dorado limbs are shorts which make it 60". I have the mediums TT on mine so it is 62" and quite smooth all the way to 30" of draw.

Mark

I like my dorado but it does seem noticeably slower than any recurve I've owned and I've owned a bunch. I have a gamemaster 2 as well and it seems to shoot much harder to my eye. I've never chrono'd them but there is definitely a difference in performance.

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