When a bow is sold most often with a kit of some sort, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that it is a specialty bow for a specialty purpose, and if its called the Kingfisher, well that sort of tips it. The PSE Kingfisher is primarily a fishing bow made to be sold with various kits to turn it into a complete bow fishing package.
On it’s own it’s a pretty good entry level recurve at a very good price. Being designed as a fishing bow is a major plus, few bows are and the economics of the Kingfisher and various packages make it easy and economical to get into bow fishing.
The Kingfisher at 50# may be a bit over powered for a fishing bow and the 60” length may be a bit too long for complete comfort on the water.
Review
A good many archers find the Kingfisher a bit inconsistent, however the inconsistency is most likely a product of the arrow rather than the bow itself.
Fishing arrows tend to be fiberglass, they are longer, warp easily and are not fletched so even the slightest mistake is magnified. Shooting a regular fletched arrow the Kingfisher is a pretty solid, forgiving bow.
A take down recurve the Kingfisher is resistant to weather, water and a lot of rough treatment. There are instances of the Kingfisher being dropped in the water, and continuing to be used with no ill effects, long or short term, after being dried off. The Kingfisher has a fiberglass riser with fiberglass limbs.
The accessories drilled into the riser of the Kingfisher are naturally for bow fishing, which doesn’t stop their use for other things such as sights, stabilizers and the like.
The plus with the Kingfisher is that it is often offered with a package of bow fishing accessories which add greatly to it’s affordability and the affordability of bow fishing.
Amazon usually carries more than one package to mate with the Kingfisher and turn it into the best and most economical way to begin an adventure in bow fishing.
The Kingfisher is a powerful bow and some people find the 50# limbs a bit too much going through smaller fish and stringing them on the line. There are, however calls for heavier limbs to take on such larger game fish as an alligator gar.
I have heard one story of a bow fisherman taking a small shark with a Kingfisher off of Catalina Island.
Some archers use the Kingfisher as their primary bow, and it is versatile enough to hold it’s own in target, field archery, and I have even heard of it being used as a hunting bow. My own preference is to use a bow designed to fish, for fishing.
The PSE Kingfisher by name and design is a bow fishing tool and made to mate with bow fishing packages and accessories to make it the ultimate traditional bow fishing machine.
The PSE Kingfisher Features:
- Draw weight 40 – 50#
- AMO Length: 60″
- Brace Height: 7.5””
- Mass Weight: 2 lbs.
- It is sold for either hand.
PSE Kingfisher Review – Final Thoughts
The PSE Kingfisher is a fiberglass bow made and designed for Bow fishing, but in many cases is versatile enough for most archery activities including hunting. It is weather and water resistant and comfortable on the water. Packages and accessory deals make it extremely attractive, economically to give bow fishing a try.
