Ernie Root's Field Master

Root Field Master

by Larry Vienneau

 

Ernie Root was one of the finest bowyers of the golden age of archery. His talent was appreciated by other famous bowyers with whom he often collaborated such as Harry Drake, Phil Grable, Owen Jeffery, and of course Fred Bear.  Ernie Root is famous for his collaboration with Shakespeare Archery, but few people know that Root also made bows for Browning, Colt Industries, and Anderson Archery. Root also made bows for several department stores, such as JC Penny, and even for the US Military.  In 1967 Bob Bitner shot the first perfect 300 score at the US Open in Las Vegas with a Root Golden Eagle. Root created divisions within his company to oversee production and distribution. Archery Research oversaw the Golden Eagle production. In fact, it can be argued that Ernie Root was responsible for the birth of several archery manufacturers such as Shakespeare, Proline, and Dalton to name a few. Ernie was a busy man. What is amazing is he actually had time to continue his own line of archery equipment while he was overseeing production at Shakespeare and other companies. Ernie was a busy man.
 

my 1957 Root Field Master left hand 45#

mid-1950s Field Master

Like many bows of the late 1950 and early 1960s the older Field Master had a longbow style grip and a slim riser, if the grip is more contoured--like a modern one-piece bow, then it's a 60's model. Root Field Master was a beautiful multi-use bow. It could be used as a target bow and as a hunting weapon. Ernie Root’s designs are very obvious when you look at the profile of Shakespeare bow. For example, the Field Master design was used for the Shakespeare Ocala X17. 

 The Field Master shown below belongs to my friend Lewis Kent. He bought this bow on eBay. The seller described the bow as “great from a distance and rough up close” meaning it needed some work. Lewis, like me, loves to rework these old beauties. He did an excellent job with this bow.  I do own an Ocala and these two bows have many similarities. The Field Master was designed for both the range and for hunting, while the Ocala was primarily a hunting weapon. However, both have similar profiles, both are stable shooters and both are longer AMO (66 and 62 AMO). I own an older 1957 Field Master and it is a smooth shooter.

Lewis Kent's Root Field Master X176

UPDATE: May 24, '15. I bought a Field Master like Lewis's bow. It is 50# and it is an outstanding shooter. At 66" AMO it is very stable, consistent, and accurate. My bow is a year older than Lewis' bow. His has the "Root by Shakespeare" 1968-69. It has a "Root" logo, dating to 1967-68.

my Lefty Field Master 50#

Update: Summer 2019. I acquired another excellent lefty Field Master. This is not a standard bow but rather it is a custom bow. Root would make custom bows upon request. This bow is different because it has a 68" AMO vs the usual 66". It also has an odd serial number that does not follow the format of other bows from the period which makes it difficult to precisely date this bow. However, based on its similar profile and length to the 1959-60 Shakespeare Model 100 I would date this bow approximately 1959-60 also. based on photo comparisons from the 1959-60 catalogs I believe my bow falls within this period. Because of the long limbs, it is an excellent target bow!!

Root 1959-60 catalog photos

my newest Root Field Master Custom 68"

Field Master and Field Master X176

• 1957 - 1969
• Green and Brown 1957-59 White Glass 60-69
• 1 7/8 wide limbs
• 7 ½ inch sight window
• Triple Exotic wood laminated riser,
• Brace height 8 ¼
• Weight 25# - 50#
• 62 and 66 AMO
• Triple laminated tips 

© Copyright, Larry Vienneau Jr.

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