Root Hunt Master X122

A bow brave enough to call itself 

“HUNT MASTER”   

The Root by Shakespeare- 
Hunt Master X122

by Larry Vienneau

If you do an internet search of “Hunt Master Recurve” you will find dozens of links to the Hoyt Hunt Master Takedown Recurve. I once owned a Hoyt Hunt Master 55#. I really enjoyed shooting that bow. It was very consistent, accurate, and fast. I took a moose, several grouse, and dozens of snowshoe hares with it. It had an exotic wooden riser black fiberglass limbs and a 58" AMO. It had the typical large text logo of the period and was a Korean-made bow. Hoyt sold the design, and it became the PSE 60-inch Blackhawk. Today it lives on as the Samick Sage 64” AMO takedown. If you own a Hoyt Hunt Master, you can use Samick Sage limbs because the takedown hardware is identical. 

 You will also find links to a contemporary bowyer, Mike Steliga, and Bruin Custom Bows.  Mr. Steliga has been making bows for 27 years. Bruin Custom Bows makes a versatile and beautiful bow called the “Hunt Master”. https://bruinbows.com/HUNTMASTER.html

visit https://bruinbows.com/

Ernie Root was famous for naming his bows” Master”. He had the Score Master, Target Master, Field Master, Range Master, Game Master, and Brush Master.  Ernie Root began making bows in the late 1940s in Chicago with American Archery. In the early 1950s, Root Archery started as a family business in suburban Chicago.  After outgrowing a couple of small spaces it moved out of the city, eventually settling in Big Rapids, MI.  In 1960 Shakespeare Archery partnered with Mr. Root and together they created outstanding and affordable bows. Root Archery had been a supplier of bows to Shakespeare Archery, in fact, all of the Shakespeare bows were designed and built by Ernie Root. In 1968-69 Shakespeare and Root merged. The first bows after the merger bore the name "Root, by Shakespeare". By 1970 the name Root was dropped. Ernie Root left Shakespeare in 1973.

 I thought I knew of all of the Root Archery models, so when I saw the “Root by Shakespeare” - Hunt Master X122 listed on eBay, I was excited and curious.  I fully expected a bidding war but fortunately, I won the bow at a reasonable price. I think one reason there was so little interest is because there is virtually nothing written about the bow in any archery forum or blogs. The bow was only made in 1969-71. I can’t find any Root catalog reference to it nor does it appear in Shakespeare catalogs. This is the first detailed description of the bow.

 

When the bow arrived I was delighted with its condition. I will need to do a few things to the bow but it is in very good shape. The arrow rest and strike plate will be replaced and there are typical mild stress lines, scuffs, and dings. The eBay photos did not show the very wide limbs. In fact, they are the widest limbs of any bow. In 1969 Shakespeare introduced the Shakespeare Cascade X29. The Cascade was nicknamed BLACK BEAUTY and was marketed as the "Broad Bow.”  In the late 1960s, there was a trend toward ever-shorter hunting bows. Ernie Root and Shakespeare were pushing the technology. The theory was the wide limb requires a thinner limb and would allow for better weight distribution and result in a smoother draw. A 1969 Shakespeare Ad claimed it could “handle 25% more stress and deliver 33% more speed than other short bows.” The 1968 Root Hunt Master was the precursor to the 1969 Cascade. The Hunt Master is 52 inches, and the Cascade is 50 inches. Both bows have 2 ½ wide limbs and both bows are experimenting with phenolic thermosetting resin risers. Ernie Root was not a fan of short-limbed bows, because with shorter limbs the bow is stressed at the full draw of 28 inches or higher. Ernie Root was a tinker. He correctly thought that the wide limbs would aid in stress distribution. My Cascade is 50# and is quiet and accurate. My Hunt Master is a very rare left-hand 66# and is also a fine shooter. Both these bows have no string pinch, nor do they show any stress or stacking. The high poundage takes a bit of getting used to but with practice, it will be an outstanding hunting bow, a great blind bow.

My left hand 66# "Root by Shakespeare" Hunt Master X122

ROOT BY SHAKESPEARE -  Hunt Master X122 1969-71

·         52” AMO

·         2 ½ wide limbs

·         Black fiberglass

·         Originally had leather strike plate and feather rest.

·         Pistol grip Riser, Resin/ wood composite

·         Draw weights -  45, 50, 55, 60, 65 lbs.

·         Chronograph Avg. 192.6 feet per second!

·         Brace height for Cascade is 9 inches, so a safe bet is 8 ½ - 9 inch

·         4 1/2 inch shooting window

·         Wood tip overlays

© Copyright, Larry Vienneau Jr.

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