Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Bodnik Slick Stick

Picked this bow up last fall, got some practice in over the winter inside the garage, distance limit 14 yards.

Now that the weather is nice, I'm getting in some backyard practice.

This is 60", 50#, Slick Stick. Bought it from Kustom King Archery. Fast service.

I'm shooting 32" GT400 Traditional, with 200gr points. Drawing 31"...guessing around 58# on the fingers.

Went from 20 out to 40 yards. 40 was tough, missed the bag a few times. Wind wasn't helping. Good time though. Usually I'm up on the hill top, but moved down near the trees for some windbreak.

I only take it serious out to 20-25 or so, but going back to 40 is a good mental exercise for me, and makes 20 seem close up.

20 yards,





Fair group from 20. I was shooting for the hex at 3 o'clock.


40 yards, seems like a loooong way to my brain.





This bow is described as having bamboo limbs, that are stained pecan, and clear glass. They are nice looking in the sun especially.

Looks like you had a sweet afternoon there. 40 yards is a good long shot with a stick bow. You're doing something there!

The 40 is a challenge, I'm not even holding a consistent group at that distance, but if I can stay with it and eventually hold something the size of a dinner plate, it would be rewarding.

I’ve been wanting to toy with one of those. Most folks that have them, love them. I believe the 60” version is semi-new to their line-up.

I just started shooting for this fall and 40yds is way outside my comfort zone. But your right, if you can get there, 20 yds would be a chip shot.

I started almost a year ago, after not picking up a bow of any kind since around 1973.

Started at 5 yards, and made my way back to 20 over a few weeks. But 20 yards seemed a bit daunting at the time.

Forcing myself to go further back to 25, 30, 35, and 40 has been a very good mental exercise for me. After those distances , coming back to 15-20 yards feels very comfortable.

Could be. I only see the 60" offered by Kustom King.

Slick Sticks are nice bows. Their 30 year transferable warranty is incredible. Your 60" Slick Stick would be my preference over the 58" standard build length.

I have a Slick Stick. Bought it 4 years ago. It is a "custom model of standard materials" Slick Stick but amo 64" . I emailed Bodnik Bows four years ago to inquire if a 64" amo version was possible. A few days later , I received a reply- from owner Henry Bodnik in himself, stating "yes, no problem.". Standard materials (clear glass, bamboo limbs, walnut riser), just longer to be amo 64" . Not sure if they do this custom build anymore. I wish they made at least a 62" amo factory stock Slick Stick- would be a popular option. They make a 62" Quick Stick-so it must be possible.

Wolfie Hughes shooting a 58" Slick Stick:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pUIJhcmVsw


About six weeks later, I had the bow in my hand ( made and shipped from Germany). It pulls 45# at my 29"++ draw length. I put a strap on quiver on it ( from Big Jim's Bow Company). The quiver, with arrows, adds little more stability to a lightweight sub-1 lb bow. Love the svelte walnut grip. Very smooth and quick.
https://bigjimsbowcompany.com/product/big-jims-bow-quivers/


Very happy with my Slick Stick. Beautifully made. Shoots great.

64" sounds pretty nice.

MontanaMarine,

What is your "point on" distance with your Slick Stick / arrow set up? There is some variation of what a shooter used for the "point on" aiming reference. Let's define it as the 12 o'clock spot on top of your arrow point. Also depends on if you use a split finger of 3-under release. I'm guessing, if you use 3-under, your "point on" (12 o'clock position) would be about 35 yards, and 42-45 yards if you use split finger.

Knowing your point on distance will give you a reference for aiming, and help your accuracy. Also, find your distance for the top of your strike plate. You can adjust your strike plate height to give you an aiming reference at a certain distance. I shoot three-under, and set the top of my strike plate for 20 yards. You can also move your jock point higher to lower your arrow impact. My jock point height is about 3/4" -1" above perpendicular. To lower arrow impact even more, you can use a higher anchor point. Experinment, and determine the difference in arrow height impact of your anchor point is at the gum! one of your upper eye tootn, and the timeline of your lower eye tooth. .

Putting these things together can really and in accuracy. Good luck

buttstock, Thanks for all the tips. Good stuff.

With this 50# bow and arrow, and three under anchoring on the mouth corner, my point on is somewhere just past 40, I was holding at the base of the bag, anf hitting on the bag somewhere.

With my 40# Toelke, same arrow, point on is right at 40 somewhere.

Glad to see that your shooting is coming together.

Been many years ago that I started at 5 yards, thought the neighbor kid was nuts for suggesting starting at 5 yds.

Then 10, 15 and so on. Before long I was all the way to the edge of the lake at 55 yds.

Thank goodness the the bails were in a big sand hill, the misses didn't matter.

Even now, after shooting at 35, makes 20 seem very close.

Did some chrono testing today. This was with the 35# Slick Stick. I'm drawing 31".

335 gr - 193 fps
394 gr - 186 fps
492 gr - 178 fps
576 gr - 170 fps

You have two bad habits going on there.

First you are gripping the bow, your hand is open on the draw and you "catch" the bow on the release.

Second you are lowering your bow hand to get on target, STOP doing that! Bend at the waist. Always keep your arms in plane with your shoulders.

Yeah, I picked up on that one myself, while watching the vid.

For someone like myself who generally shoots alone, video is a pretty good 'second set of eyes' to take advantage of.

Absolutely

Thats dang impressive for 35 lb bow. Thanks for posting

that's what a long cast can do for you. Plus, is that bow 35# @ 28 or 31? if It's @ 28 then a true 31 inch draw would put that bow in the low to mid 40s. Still really impressive @ 10+gpi

It's marked 35# at 28". I haven't measured it on a scale, likely around 42-43# at 31"

Forty yards is a poke, even so with many compound shooters.

Not sure what "poke" means.

I believe he is saying a far'ish shot. I don't think he has every shot 3D or Field Archery.

Gotcha. And agree. 40-yards with a stick bow is quite a poke!

Yesterday I was playing around at 40 yards with the Samick Discovery 45#. Managed 8 of 8 in the bag, with about half in the middle area. I do seem to do a bit better with the ILF bow, and it really shows at the further distance.

I wouldn't take a shot at game past 15-20 yards, but going longer for practice is a great mental exercise, and I can see where it helps my closer game.

Anyhoo, I completed the required MT Bowhunter Ed course, and received my certificate for that.

I also picked up some 200gr Grizzly single bevel broadheads, and getting them honed up. I feel I will be competent to hunt this archery season. Have a deer tag. So I'll keep practicing, and we'll see how things pan out.

Very nice!

Is it a 50# or a 35#? You pick up both?

Wondering how this compares to Bodnik’s 64” Dakota? Kinda been eyeballing that one.

I've got the Slick Stick in both 35#, and 50#. They are both the 60" model from Kustom King.

I shot the 35# all winter in the garage at 14 yards. Now that I'm back outside, spending more time with the 50#, and that is the bow I will most likely use to hunt.

I've been looking at that 64" Bodnik Dakota myself. I like the very basic, and clean look of the Slick Stick, and the Dakota. I'd imagine the 64" would draw pretty smooth.

Been shooting my 64” Martin Hunter, still stuck at 15-20 yards. I want to eliminate the flyer I get every 3-4 arrows before moving back. I have a bad habit of holding the bow with an open hand, trying to hold with a closed but not tight grip. Old habits are hard to break.

I shoot 100% instinctively, split finger (also shoot wheel bow with fingers). Most of the trad shooting buds I know shoot gap with 3-under and cite tremendous improvement with this method. I just can’t get used to it. Been shooting split for almost 30 yrs, but the arrow/target alignment is what I struggle with most. My point on distance is crazy long with my 30” arrows. At 25yds, my point is below the bag in my peripheral to get to mid target impact. I anchor with my pointer finger in the corner of my mouth. I’d hate to change that as my release is one thing I do well. No plucking, just smooth through years of practice. Everything else needs work before the late Sept opener.

Have you tried the OK grip?

Neve heard of it?

Make an OK hand sign, that is the grip on your bow. Index finger touching thumb for a closed loop, other three fingers open. Bow is contained but you don't need to grip it and rip it!

Actually, longer D can sometimes be easier, if its "point on" or closer to it.
Low anchor and close can make for a very large gap that is hard to repeat.

My first kill w my new Blackwidow in 2001 was 42 yards. Coyote spooked a doe I had crawled in to shoot.
Smoked him.

I don't shoot past 30 on deer w stickbow.
Used to shoot 3D at a few clubs, shooting the compound stakes out to 45 yards.

480 gr carbons. 55#............is doable.

Another shooter used to call head shots on all turkey targets.
And he'd nail em.

Was shooting a 65# Palmer w carbon limbs and clocking 235 FPS
It was loud and shocky, but with that shooting so much flatter..........

I shot his arrows from my widow and got 211 FPS. It was nasty.
Also wasn't sponsored like he was LOL
Wasn't gonna tear up my 500 dollar limbs every year.

I put a 4-arrow quiver on the 50# Slick Stick. It's labeled 3Rivers, but packing material says it's actually made by Thunderhorn. Anyhoo, I like it. Shot a little vid trying out the bow with the quiver on it.

That slick stick looks like it is zinging them. My Martin Hunter shoots a 500 grain arrow at 45lbs and doesn’t seem that fast though I have never filmed it, so might be an aspect of perspective.

Never got used to bow quivers, still use a back quiver that gets hung on a limb when I get on stand.

nice shootin ! i still perfer heavy Aluminum arrows like 2219`s my son shoots a few more lbs. but he is young and he now believes me heavy aluminum arrows are very forgiving.good luck this fall,Pete53
oh thanks for the video !

I haven't put this 50# Slick Stick over the chrono yet, but I'm kind of curious myself. The arrows in the vid are about 525 grains.

My first somewhat spendy quiver was a side-quiver by Safari Tuff. It's nice, but for hunting, I believe it's too noisy getting an arrow out of it. The fletchings rub all the through the quiver making too much noise.

So after thinking it over a while, I decided to try one of these bow mounted quivers, even though I wasn't too excited about hanging stuff on the bow. So far I'm getting along with it though.

I have no experience at all with aluminum arrows. Maybe I should try them out sometime. Right now I'm trying to get myself sorted out, and keep equipment changes kind of minimal.

What's with that big dang black backstop????? Shooter like you don't need no stinkin' backstop!!!

BTW: Nice bow. Nice quiver. Nice Shooting!!

LOL, well ,I would beg to differ. I've spent too much time going over the back of the hill looking for arrows in waist deep sage and grass.

I picked up the 4x6' rubber horse mat at Murdoch's for $39.00....about the same cost as three lost/broken arrows.

That's a great idea! Wonder if it comes in 8 x 10 ??

I only see 4x6' here.

The 4x6 is about 3/4" or so thick. It is heavy. I wouldn't even want to wrestle with an 8x10'.

I assuming here, but have you shot the backstop yet? Do you use carbon arrows? Any damage to your arrow?

Seriously considering that set up. I'd appreciate some pics showing how the stand is built and that backstop is attached to it.

Yes I've put several arrows into it already. They penetrated out the back about 5" with the 50# bow at 20 yards. With the 35# bow at 35 yards, just the point and maybe an inch of shaft was visible on the back.

There was no damage to the arrows. The rubber slowed them down and stopped them without any apparent shock. The rubber grips the arrow pretty good, but no trouble pulling them out with a little side-to-side pulling.

I'll get some pics, but not today. Windy here today.

I used the swingset brackets from my steel rifle target, and conduit tubing. Secured the mat to the top tube with zip ties every six inches.

No problem. I finally found a few pics of how others did about the same as you. I'm going to use saw horse brackets and treat 2x4's for hanging the stall mat.

I'm shooting a ton and working on form. I get the magical group of 6 and then a shotgun splatter on the next end. Once I get a tad more consistent I'll back up to 20 or 25 yards. Don't won't loose a bunch of arrows.

Did a chrono test at different draw lengths with the 50# Slick Stick. It definitely picks up speed the further you pull it back.

Checked at 26" up to 32" at 2" intervals, picking up speed from 155 fps up to 199 fps, with a 510 gr arrow.

MM,

Interesting video. Thanks for sharing.

You bet!

18 yards this morning, with the 35# Slick Stick. Managed four of six in a pretty tight cluster....and in the center....grin