Just wondering who else is shooting a Checkmate Hunter II besides me and Crookedstix. What are your specs ,arrows ,likes and dislikes. Mine is 62 inches long and 50#'s @28. Right now I'm playing with the brace height ,and it seems to like 2114 arrows with a 150 grain heads. The grip is little large for my hand ,which is about my only gripe. Thanks for all replies.

I sboot one! I bought mine based off Kerry's review of them and I'm glad I did! Mine is 58" and 50@28,,,likes a 500 spine carbon with 145gr point or a 600 spine with 125gr point. My only gripe is the grip also, but that quickly goes away once the arrows start flying!

Just for the record, mine is 58" and I brace it at 8"... and the 51# limbs like 540-gr. cedars that spine 67# (my draw is 29.5"). When I shoot carbons, it does pretty well with Gold Tip .400 blems.

I checkered the grip on mine--my hand is pretty big, and the grip suits me well.

I recently bought a pair of 55# limbs to try with it; when I use them it becomes a 62" bow, and I've decided I like it best back at 58" with the lighter limbs, so I'll be listing the 55-pounders in classifieds soon.

Is this the same model? This one was actually made by a local bowyer Don jackson. It really resembles a checkmate I've seen. I wish it was a better draw weight for me. 57 lbs at 28. Good for a work out bow

I have a light/dark walnut riser, elm limbs, 58 " and 51@28. Shoots great with CE 45/60 traditionals or 2016's.

Jamie: "Is this the same model? This one was actually made by a local bowyer Don jackson."

Jamie---Chek-Mate bows were made by Marc Moriez out of British Columbia. The riser design in your pic does look similar to the ones Marc made, yes. Perhaps a copy/reproduction?

I do not have a Hunter II exactly but Marc built my Hunter III lefty riser with some walnut that I sent him...walnut is not necessarily the best wood for risers so he both included a couple of phenolic stripes and left the grip on the larger side making it more like the Hunter II and proving that custom is custom...the set of limbs I use make a 60 inch bow and started life on the first Hunter III Marc made for his friend Dennis...after Dennis told me that the original Hunters are faster because of very little deflex in the riser I traded that riser for an original...what I have now is one set of 49 pound limbs with a left handed and a right handed riser...true the grips are a little on the bulky side and the limbs are kind of wide...thing is I shoot that bow very well

DDave

Here is a picture with my lefty riser on the right and the Hunter III riser in the middle...they are both technically Hunter III but it is obvious how much more material Marc left in the lefty...the other riser is from that other great Canadian bowyer Jack Kempf...Marc and Jack are two bowyers who both put phenolic underlays on the belly side of their tips...not necessary, just a really classy touch

DDave

When I bought the bow Dennis had it braced quite low, somewhere around 7 inches...I draw about 30 inches and generally prefer my bows braced on the high side so I twisted the string up a fair bit...not long after I got it I started thinking there was something wrong with a limb since it was very buzzy...turns out this set of limbs has to be braced low to get ride of that...these limbs are some of the nicest yew I have ever seen

DDave

Kent Alan

Yeah I think it's a copy of a checkmate. I'd like to find 45 lbs limbs. My very first bow was a 28# jackson bow that i got when i was 12.

My buddy sandy (codjigger) found a checkmate version for 90 bucks canadian at a gun auction recently.

Kent Alan

Yeah I think it's a copy of a checkmate. I'd like to find 45 lbs limbs. My very first bow was a 28# jackson bow that i got when i was 12.

My buddy sandy (codjigger) found a checkmate version for 90 bucks canadian at a gun auction recently.

Oops. Blurry photo

I could never shoot the (Hunter II) very well, but my (Hunter I) is a fantastic bow.

What happened to Chekmate Archery? Can you still get their bows or are they out of business?

I own two T.D. hunters, they are both 56", one is bubinga riser, with black locust limbs, 47lbs @ 28, The other is 46lbs @ 28 with bubinga and maple riser, with hickory limbs. Neither bow has seen the woods, but I hate to dump them, because I don't know if Marc will ever build His bows again, and I bought both for $800.00, brand new. They are the two shortest bows I own, also, yes their grip is hefty, but I do have large hands so it's o.k. Brian...

Here's one I used to own; I probably should have kept it. It was a lot of horsepower on a short chassis (60# draw and a 56"bow), but in spite of that it was a smoothie. Just the original Hunter, not the Hunter II...but quite similar in appearance.

Festivus, one hears different answers to your question. You can't still order a bow from Marc by direct contact, but there are tantalizing rumors that he will still make bows for certain dealers in Canada. It's worth digging around I think...maybe DDave knows more about it than I do.

Here's a new Hunter 111 I received from Marc last Aug

another pic

1 more

I do know more and am still waiting for a set of limbs I ordered 2 years ago. As Billy demonstrates Marc is still building bows when he is in the mood. Which is hit and miss. Wish I could convey better news. They do show up on the used market in both Chek-Mate and Cascade configuration.

DDave

I have 2, sold another a few years ago I thought they only came in 58". If anyone is in the market for some 60#ish limbs, pm me.

Have a 62 in. 44@28 love the bow just cant get usedto the grip.

I'm shooting a Hunter II that's 62" and 57#. It loves 28" 2115's with 145 up front.

It's pretty fast, points well and is steady in the hand and not twitchy.

Here's a quick picture...

I had a real bueaty 73#er. Then I got a whippenstick end of story. Rooty

I've got both the hunter I and hunter II. Love them both. They are the smoothest recurves I've ever shot including my BW. I'm lucky enuf to life about two hours from Marc.

1Longbow if the handle is a bit big (common complaint) any good bowyer including Marc can take it down for you. I had Marc do both of mine. Your best bet is to be there when it's being worked on so you can judge where you want the handle reduced.

I have been investigating the new to me Chek-Mate hunter. After numerous emails to U.S. and Canadian bowers. It seems Marc could not fulfill orders for his bows. He quit leaving many folks and dealers with out their bows. I have been in contact with several of them. He started building bows for Cascade and is well thought of there. Again he couldn't meet demand and gave up. Cascade seems to have made good on there orders and were very helpful to me.They still make the same style bows. It seems he still builds bows for himself but on his own schedule. He was an excellent bowyer but either a terrible business man or something was preventing him from meeting the demands. An X dealer in the States, gave me his phone number but said he didn't always answer. I found what I was looking for and haven't tried to call. PM me if you want it. >>>---> Ken

Okay, time for some bow porn...here's the 51# Hunter II that I got from fellow 'Waller Kevin Cummings. Cocobolo and maple, with a nice orange sunset behind me for lighting.

Many people consider this particular bow to be the most beautiful recurve ever made. Well, at least two people anyway.

Sorry. Kerry..the picture on my post above depicts the most beautiful recurve north and south of the 49th and all environs between!

Here is another.

I don't know why we ever let these across the border...too bad there wasn't The Wall! ;)

Seriously, I think Marc Moriez did the best he could fielding the number of orders that must have come in once everyone realized what plums these and the Cascades were.

Classic case of too much demand vs the supply and a lack of reality on the limits of the supply chain.

The big giggle is the risers are virtually identical...

Here's the side no one sees...

Last Dec I went to a gun auction mainly as they had a ch Mate recurve listed on their web site as a wooden long bow with a pre bid of $80.oo . I had a good feeling about it, and sure enough when it came up at $90.oo and I stuck up my hand no one else bid..sold..to the old guy over there with the big grin on his face. It came with 6 fletched 2117s tipped with stainless insert br heads that rotate..unknown to me, but look promising as turkey heads; in a quicky quiver; a cloth case, and a tab. The 3pc bow is 62# & 46lb. I have no idea which model it is..the #on the riser is H3555.

Sandy from the straight appearance of the riser and the serial number that should be a Hunter. The follow up bows, the Hunter 2, and Hunter 3 both have more deflexed risers which actually makes for lower velocities. The Hunter 3 is designed to address concerns about the thickness of the grip on the Hunter and Hunter 2.

DDave

Thanks Dave. The grip..to me; seems a little long ..from web of hand to back of riser, than I like, but you soon get used to it. If I keep it, i'm considering filing a bit of a finger groove. On Friday Jamie Robinson and myself met up with a few senior archery folk at an indoor range. We were both shooting that bow&liking it. It was great to see Doug Newman there, still getting around and still shooting his recurve. Doug is now up in his 90s..he is the last of the ww2 vets that I know of, an inspiration to me, and we respect him much. Sandy

For us Canucks. There is a wonderful long running outdoor program on CBC tv 11am ont time called 'Land and Sea' not sure if our Us brothers can get it.Anyhow this morn it was about a young woman who lives just outside St John's Newfoundland. Who forages around the land and sea shore.It showed her with her mother cooking up fish, mussels, sea urchins etc on a fire on the beach. She harvests mushrooms, plants, berries etc and butchers and processes her own meat. I know this has little to do with archery other than it is a form of hunting. AT a time when there is so much B.S on tv this show is genuine, I get homesick when I watch it. Thanks for listening. Sandy

Peter,; and stiks.. the bows you pictured sure are prettier than the one I have..or is it just that you post better pictures??.. Sandy

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