# Bosen "Horn" vs. Hoyt "Satori"



## TopherNJ (Mar 27, 2015)

So the wife is approving a new purchase (read: she's helping me out as a Christmas gift). 

I'm betwixt and between the Bosen Horn 17" ILF riser and the Hoyt Satori 17".

Is it literally flip a coin and go with that or are there some serious glaring differences on quality that I'm missing? I like the looks of both bows as well as the features. The biggest difference that I can see is that the Bosen has drilled and tapped sight holes on the 17" and the Satori does not (in the same length) which I would use to mount a quiver. 

28.5" draw. 
Short limbs in 40 (should be 42ish on that riser I imagine)
This will be primarily a hunting bow that I may buy lighter limbs for later on for putzing around on this summer.

These are the two risers I'm considering. I know about most of the other stuff out there and none of them have caught my eye. I've also had several others and don't want them back. So suggestions to buy an "XXXXX" riser will be pretty meaningless. 

I also don't want to get into the US vs. China debate. Please and thank you.


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## Jeffro83 (Aug 29, 2019)

I am far from an expert, and I've never owned a single bosen archery product, but I have owned a Hoyt Satori, and I have some a good and some bad things to say about it. the good things are it is built like a tank. I liked the mass weight of it, and the adjustable strike plate was okay. now for the bad stuff. the adjustable strike plate is limited to what you can get with the shims, there is no in between distances. which is still pretty versatile though. and I did like it. I did not like the grip so unless you're willing to reshape it or try some aftermarket, which I did as well but after 3 I grow tired of spending fifty bucks a pop on them, especially when each one was worse to me than the factory. now that I know more about what I like in a grip I could probably find something that would work a little easier. but the one thing that really put me off of it was the Finish was just not that durable in my experience I pulled the limb bolts out and some bigger pieces flicked off in the limb pockets the same day I got the replacement riser, first thing that happened to it. and it just seemed to Nick and scratch pretty easy compared to my Morrison, and especially compared to my Das. the finish on the Das seems tougher than all of them. one other thing, and I know this can happen to any bow, from any Bowyer, but I drop down almost $850 to get the Satori. and the first one I got was so far out of whack with the limb alignment that the adjustments had to be pushed all the way in complete opposite directions to get it even close, which caused severe binding when trying to remove the limbs. it took me a long time to figure out what was going on because I was completely new to ilf, or even recurves, in my adult life anyway. both me and my dealer thought It was a limb problem, cuz it didn't seem as evident on my Trad Tech limbs, or Morrison limbs. but after really trying to align it we both realized it had to be sent back. then they told me that that was within their spec, because even though all the way out it did align. and didn't want to swap it out, but my dealer stepped up for me and told them that was ridiculous and after some back-and-forth they did eventually swap it out. the alignment on the second one it seems good. But after all that and the paint chipping in the limb Pockets I'm just over the Satori. Plus at me in that Riser never really got along thanks to the grip, I believe. so I'll be selling it soon enough. Sorry for the poor punctuation, hopefully it still makes enough sense. The last thing I want to say is that a lot of guys love the Satori and don't have the issues I did you might get it and love it but this is my experience and opinion. Yours might be very different.


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## TopherNJ (Mar 27, 2015)

Thank you @Jeffro83. I really appreciate it. It seems as though most have nothing but positive to say about the Satori, it's kind of refreshing to hear some one with a negative spin. And trust me, I get it. You may be one of the rarer cases. That doesn't mean it isn't important.


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## richmeister (Dec 13, 2015)

I would look into the TBOW (Hoyt copy).
I have a couple friends who have been life long Hoyt shooters and they have moved to different brands because of the quality and customer service. Neither will own a Hoyt again.


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## g54 (May 6, 2014)

The satori is built like a brickouthouse solid, weighty and fills the hand.The paint is crap but theirs plenty of other finishes, ie duracote ect if ones not happy with it.
Although you shouldnt have do that with a $800 plus item.


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## 123 4/8 P&Y (Jul 10, 2008)

Jeffro did you take pics of the issue with the finish? I am curious what it looks like when it chips off.


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## Jeffro83 (Aug 29, 2019)

123 4/8 P&Y said:


> Jeffro did you take pics of the issue with the finish? I am curious what it looks like when it chips off.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk



No man I didn't, but it chipped off down to the bare metal. the bow is not with me right now, and probably won't be back home for a couple weeks at least. but when I get it I will throw some pictures either in this thread or in the classifieds because I probably will be letting that one go. also I should probably say that the only affected area was right by the limb bolts where they thread into the riser, probably up to a quarter inch out from the edge of the hole in certain areas, and it came off like it was never really bonded in those areas. It's really hard to notice especially with the limbs plugged in so it wasn't that big of a deal I was just happy to have a straight riser with no alignment issues.


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## Jeffro83 (Aug 29, 2019)

TopherNJ said:


> Thank you @Jeffro83. I really appreciate it. It seems as though most have nothing but positive to say about the Satori, it's kind of refreshing to hear some one with a negative spin. And trust me, I get it. You may be one of the rarer cases. That doesn't mean it isn't important.



No problem at all man. I'm just glad I could actually give some good solid advice and opinions on at least a couple things around here


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## boofhead (Jul 15, 2007)

richmeister said:


> I would look into the TBOW (Hoyt copy).
> I have a couple friends who have been life long Hoyt shooters and they have moved to different brands because of the quality and customer service. Neither will own a Hoyt again.


Hoyt guys wont like this but the Tbow is not a hoyt "copy". It is exactly the same thing, just with a different sticker. I have heard of people with both versions to compare against each other and they are the same down to the machining marks. My Tbow with big rock carbon limbs shoots extremely well.


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## TopherNJ (Mar 27, 2015)

FWIW, I'm not interested in anything but the two I listed. The TBow looks interesting but I'd most likely pass.


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## TopherNJ (Mar 27, 2015)

Jeffro83 said:


> No problem at all man. I'm just glad I could actually give some good solid advice and opinions on at least a couple things around here


Heh. It's a tough crowd here. Not as bad as some of the gun forums I'm on, but close.


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## deepwater3 (Aug 25, 2019)

TopherNJ said:


> FWIW, I'm not interested in anything but the two I listed. The TBow looks interesting but I'd most likely pass.


What made you choose so strongly these two risers? You've had a number of others, what are the things you like or don't like about them? Grip? Machining? Weight? Balance? Limb pad angle? Amount of deflex /reflex in the handle? 

Seems like the only info you are seeking is for the few people who own both the Bosen and Satori to comment on the quality differences between the two?

How did you settle on these two risers? Have you held or shot either? 

Generally speaking either riser will work just fine. But I'm willing to bet, sight unseen, that most of the other risers you've owned will work just fine too. So it really boils down to personal preference and what fits /feels good to you.

I've held and shot a floor model satori. I liked the grip a lot and how it fit my hand. I shoot off the shelf so their shelf system is nice but I don't like it, too clunky and unnecessary *to me*. That doesn't mean it didn't work very well, just not what I want to look at all the time. Weight and balance was OK but I'd personally add a bit of stab weight. I'm a big guy with big hands and I actually prefer a heavier bow for hunting. The stab hole was too close to the grip (iirc, it's been a year since I tested it) for my hands, but almost every riser has that issue for me. Fit and finish of the riser looked nice but I have no long term experience with durability. I also think that wear adds character and doesn't matter to me at all. I'm buying a tool not a show car.

Lack of quiver /sight holes would be a big negative for me, but I also would have no issue filling and tapping my own holes.

Finally, while the price is certainly fair, I'm cheap and wouldnt pay that price for a new satori. For the money I'd buy something else (wood Morrison, Dalaa or tradtech Titan). I say this being the guy shooting a older Hoyt Dorado I got used. I've modified it a bit to fit my needs.

That is obviously all personal opinion. I've no experience with Bosen. It all boils down to what feels good to you. Letting us know what you lied and didn't like in other risers might help give you more useful feedback. I'm certain though that either riser would serve you well for a lifetime of it feels good to you. I don't believe you need to be concerned with manufacturing quality with either.


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## grantmac (May 31, 2007)

The Bosen risers I've had were finished much better than the Satori


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## anthonyray (Jun 26, 2019)

I really like the Bosen rises, and the grip on the Horn riser feels a lot better the the grip on my satori. The Bosen rises see very well made, and fit to finish is fantastic. The arrow side plate is simple but highly effective, and the short 17" riser has the amo holes, while the satori doesn't. I'm a huge fan of the Horn riser, the only ilf riser that really had a grip that I liked. 
I recently got a Bosen Reaper riser, that I'll liking a lot. Lots of cutouts to reduce dome weight, but still has that grip that feels very good. Doesn't come in the colors the Horn riser does, but that's fine with me.


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## TopherNJ (Mar 27, 2015)

grantmac said:


> The Bosen risers I've had were finished much better than the Satori


Seems to be the case most ways around. It's most likely the way I will go. 
Can I hunt with a purple bow...? :shade:


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## strugglesticks (Dec 26, 2017)

Where is the best place to shop for Bosen bows? The ones I'm finding online are more expensive than I thought they would be.

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## anthonyray (Jun 26, 2019)

eBay or Amazon carries Bosen risers. When I bought my first Horn riser in 2017, I got it for under 200.00. They've gone up in price, but the warranty on them is great, and Alex from Bosen Archery responses to emails faster than most American companies. Great customer service. 
They made me a set of custom double carbon bamboo medium longbow limbs. Great company to deal with.


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## kentsabrina (Aug 23, 2017)

Hi, I have owned 2 Satori before getting my Bosen (s) including a horn

The satori is no where near the horn, u just need to spend some time to get
used to the different LLA setting 

But if u have doubt on Chinese riser, I am not going to convince u

Get a Morrison Phenoix instead.

Cheers


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## kentsabrina (Aug 23, 2017)

strugglesticks said:


> Where is the best place to shop for Bosen bows? The ones I'm finding online are more expensive than I thought they would be.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


eBay

Name go by something like "topfashion" 

Or Facebook by the name of Lucas Gao


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## digikuo2 (Oct 5, 2018)

I have a bosen horn 17" riser, it's beautiful, well-built and solid. It's cheap compare to Satory.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Horn-A...a=0&pg=2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100008.m2219


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## strugglesticks (Dec 26, 2017)

anthonyray said:


> eBay or Amazon carries Bosen risers. When I bought my first Horn riser in 2017, I got it for under 200.00. They've gone up in price, but the warranty on them is great, and Alex from Bosen Archery responses to emails faster than most American companies. Great customer service.
> They made me a set of custom double carbon bamboo medium longbow limbs. Great company to deal with.


Does anyone know if Bosen does their own manufacturing? Or do they outsource their products with the big bowyers in China?

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## grantmac (May 31, 2007)

Bosen does their own design work, unlike most Chinese companies. But I think they source production.

It's very hard to find a company which does both well. Personally I'd rather designers which know archery do the design and QC then leave production to the experts. The only issue with that is little room to tweak the design during production.


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## TopherNJ (Mar 27, 2015)

@kentsabrina, it's " topfashion-79 "
Their pricing is the same as everyone else. I have not reached out to them via email.


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## anthonyray (Jun 26, 2019)

Bosen makes their own risers and limbs. They produce some top end limbs as well.


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## TopherNJ (Mar 27, 2015)

Does anyone use a riser mounted quiver for their Bosen? If so, how do you have it mounted? Pics are very helpful as I am a visual guy. 
Thanks.


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## deadwooddan (Nov 27, 2019)

richmeister said:


> I would look into the TBOW (Hoyt copy).
> I have a couple friends who have been life long Hoyt shooters and they have moved to different brands because of the quality and customer service. Neither will own a Hoyt again.


I tried looking for a USA supplier of T-Bow, but could not find anyone? Looks like Australian mfg? You have me interested now Rich


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## deadwooddan (Nov 27, 2019)

richmeister said:


> I would look into the TBOW (Hoyt copy).
> I have a couple friends who have been life long Hoyt shooters and they have moved to different brands because of the quality and customer service. Neither will own a Hoyt again.


I tried looking for a USA supplier of T-Bow, but could not find anyone? Looks like Australian mfg? You have me interested now Rich


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## s.a.w. (Apr 14, 2009)

I have had my Bosen Horn for about a month now love it is built very well . I love the way they setup the adjustments.
It is top heavy. I put weight on it and it shoots awesome. Also bought the medium bamboo limbs. These limbs are really smooth.
I shoot 29” and no stacking. Everything I read about them is positive. I guess they do very well on the Olympic side also.
Their shelf setup is nice also.


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## TopherNJ (Mar 27, 2015)

I'm almost certain that I'll grab the Bosen. 
Thank you to all that responded to this thread. I really appreciate it.


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## strugglesticks (Dec 26, 2017)

deadwooddan said:


> I tried looking for a USA supplier of T-Bow, but could not find anyone? Looks like Australian mfg? You have me interested now Rich


I'm sure no dealer in the USA wants to touch the Hoyt Satori copy. Or the clone of the Buffalo that was available a few years ago. Hoyt cannot be happy about these, especially because people say the finish on the TBOW is superior to the coating on the Satori. It's like someone inside Hoyt is leaking their drawings to China. Then the Chinese are doing a comparable job of manufacturing it for 1/4 of the price.

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## dacair (Mar 13, 2018)

strugglesticks said:


> I'm sure no dealer in the USA wants to touch the Hoyt Satori copy. Or the clone of the Buffalo that was available a few years ago. Hoyt cannot be happy about these, especially because people say the finish on the TBOW is superior to the coating on the Satori. It's like someone inside Hoyt is leaking their drawings to China. Then the Chinese are doing a comparable job of manufacturing it for 1/4 of the price.


Hello,
I read these posts in 2019 and decided to try Bosen Horn longbow carbone limbs. My intention was to use the limbs on my 17" Satori riser but the riser pad angle for the limb wasn't right and I had to set 9" brace height which I didn't like.
I endup buying also the "Heifeng" or translated "Ebony" 17" riser. After shooting with the full Bose bow for a while I sold my Satori on some second hand online site.

The Bosen Horn riser has the same adjustable accessories like Satori. It is also possible to adjust the alignement of the limbs. They do not deliver plates for the arrow rest like Hoyt does , but I used some small metal pads at the thickness I needed.
The specs of the two risers are very similar. The grip I find it better than the Satori, and this was the main reason I decided on Bosen finaly. With the Satori - possibly because of the grip design - when release I had the filling of some wobbling of the riser in hand that make me fill shooting was not consistent. On Bosen the finishing is very nice and more durable then the Satori.

Some time true but not always, this "handmade" or "crafted" in USA or Germany we always should balance and evaluate case by case, some manufacturers makes use of this for advertisment and not really true. I hope I do not offend someone in the USA or DE. Anyway as I know it Bose Horn they have own design team and they are not copies.


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