# Hoyt Satori vs Hoyt Buffalo



## whitt3rx (Jan 17, 2017)

Wondering if anyone has been able to compare the Hoyt satori and buffalo recurves. Kind of interested in getting a Hoyt recurve. Have found some good deals on the dorado and buffalo. Just wonder if there is a big advantage to the new satori?


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## JParanee (Oct 13, 2009)

Biggest advantage it that the Satori is Ilf


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## Jim Casto Jr (Aug 20, 2002)

Like JParanee says, the Satori is ILF and the limb options, new, used, quality and cost is virtually endless. Grip options on the Satori is more varied as well. The Dorado (and GameMaster II) will also accept ILF limbs with a simple bushing swap. The Buffalo (and Tiburon) is a nice bow, for sure, but you're locked in to Formula limbs, which generally cost more and are not as readily available. 

Since the release of the Satori, it's turned in to a buyers market for the Buffalo, GameMaster II, Tiburon and Dorado.


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## centershot (Sep 13, 2002)

I have owned all the Hoyt bows you mentioned above (and a few others) the only one I have now is a Satori. I have no desire to own any of the others again. One thing I would suggest is getting Tradtech 2.0 limbs instead of Hoyt limbs, they are cheaper and every bit as good if not better.


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## j.conner (Nov 12, 2009)

You might consider the Hoyt Excel in Blackout color too.


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## shamus275 (Oct 10, 2010)

There are days when I wish I hadn't sold my Buffalo to buy the Satori. I'm on the third grip (Best 2.0) and now my third set of limbs. Started with the standard satori limbs, bought some Xtours, now I have Uukha's and I've finally got it to where I like it. The biggest issue with the buffalo was limb availability but I shot that bow better than any I've owned.


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## Yooper-travler (Feb 28, 2011)

JParanee said:


> Biggest advantage it that the Satori is Ilf


This. I've owned the buffalo and I have a satori. The only advantage to purchasing a buffalo riser may be price in the short term as Hoyt stopped making them. However a satori riser and a set of TT 2's makes a fine ILF rig.


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## lunger 66 (Feb 16, 2017)

The only two risers I had experience with from the above, are the dorado, and the 21 inch hoyt excel in blackout. My neighbor owns the dorado, and I put 32lb limbs on it after installing a bushing kit. It's a 19 inch riser, and shoots very well with sf longs. The excel is mine, and currently has 38lb samick medium limbs, and I'm a little more accurate with the excel. "Probably because I shoot it all the time" Anyway, I sure wouldn't overlook the excel. Mine came new for 200 dollars, I believe. The satori may be a better riser than all of them, but i've never had the opportunity to try one out yet. I know you will have to pay a lot more for it, but there may be a reason for it. I'd like to hear from someone who's owned an excel, plus these other risers. Interesting thread.....Lunger


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## lunger 66 (Feb 16, 2017)

Whitt, whatever you do for your riser, make sure you get limbs of the right draw weight forYOU. For instance, my 38lb limbs on the 21 inch excel riser are actually about 42lbs draw weight, the way I have it set up. Lunger


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## jbgoodstok (Jan 13, 2006)

I am new to the ILF thing and renewed to the recurve market after being out of it for quite some time - bought a 17 and 19 inch Satori riser and swapped a set of Blackmax and Hoyt limbs back and forth for about 2 months - the BlackMax were 35# and the Hoyts were 45# - both shoot superbly for me - but I decided to keep the 19" riser and sell the 17 - although I really liked the 58" bow my 17 riser and short BMs made together - have had no issues other than I think the short limbs may be a tad louder - but I never put string silencers/beaver balls on it - they are on the other - just my fyi - hope this helps you some - JB


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## whitt3rx (Jan 17, 2017)

does the 19" riser seem to point and aim better by feel? What's your draw length?


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## Daniel L (Nov 23, 2013)

I find a lot of it comes down to grip preferences and mass preferences. I've owned the 21" Excel, 21" Satori and the 19" Buffalo. I liked the 21" Excel for great value and it's a nice light riser and with some weight / short heavy stab, it shoots great without the annoying roll back. The 21" Satori is similar but heavier in mass... but it also has the same "tip back" feeling like the Excel. It really bothered me as I wanted to shoot it as bare as possible The Buffalo is the bow that I seemed to just point and shoot naturally, with least tip back bare bow, but finding good performing Formula limbs at a reasonable price is tough. 

If you're past the point of experimenting, there's nothing wrong with a Buffalo if you wanted a 19" riser. The Excel and the Satori are also fine risers... I just preferred something different.


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## lunger 66 (Feb 16, 2017)

Daniel, do you find more or less tip back as the riser length increases? Wondering if a 19 has more tip back than a 21, basically. Thanks, lunger


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## Daniel L (Nov 23, 2013)

lunger 66 said:


> Daniel, do you find more or less tip back as the riser length increases? Wondering if a 19 has more tip back than a 21, basically. Thanks, lunger


I didn't own the 19" Satori so I can't compare my 21" Satori to that. It's not so much the length, it's the weight distribution in the design. For some reason when I held my 21" Satori at arms length, it always felt it wanted to tip back on it's own... I could feel the mass wanting to tip back and I hadn't begun drawing... it's the thing I really disliked about it. My 19" Titan doesn't have the same sensation of wanting to pull back at arms length, and neither did the 19" Buffalo. For reference the 21" Excel since it was so light, it did NOT have as heavy a tip back feeling as the S21" atori.

My 21" Dalaa has the least tip back sensation of them all (its weighted low). Theoretically tip back is not supposed to matter since the arrow has left the riser.... but it bothers me and I am ok with tip back as long as the mass feels ok. (e.g. 19" Titan, but not the 21" Satori.) A big question is whether or not your want to shoot bare, or with a little weight . I also grip the riser lightly (index finger touching the thumb, rest of fingers tucked into grip) so that can help manage roll back versus a fully open grip.... I don't (want) to shoot with a sling.


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## lunger 66 (Feb 16, 2017)

Thanks Daniel, for clearing up a bunch of questions. Sounds like I grip the bow about like you do. Weight helps my groups, and consistency. I don't mind a heavier outfit,as long as it feels comfortable. lunger


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## maddog20/20 (Oct 13, 2015)

As a Buffalo owner, I can tell you two things:

1) It sucks only having an extremely limited (and expensive) range of options in limbs.
2) The finish on the Hoyt limbs is largely awful meaning that when you see them, you want to replace them....see problem 1.

That said, I can say that my Buffalo shoots beautifully. It's stable, little if any hand shock and after a little tuning, it's pretty quiet. I think the Formula design was an experiment to keep themselves out of the seemingly endless pool of ILF options to not have to compete more than an "improvement" on ILF...as evidenced by their new version being ILF compatible.


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