Specs
| Martin Mamba | Draw | Bow Weight | Bow Length | Take-down | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Check Current Price on Amazon.com | 45 - 65 lbs. | 1.84 lbs. | 58" | No | 8.9/10 |
Pro’s
- High quality materials used
- Design is customizable
- One of the lightest recurve bows on the market
- Great for target practice, solid for hunting
Con’s
- Not for beginner archers
- Somewhat loud with no silencers installed
Package Contents:
Welcome to our Martin Mamba review. Below are the package contents:
1. Martin Mamba recurve bow
2. Bowstring
3. Stringer
4. User manual and warranty card
It’s always a good idea to get some of the standard archery accessories with your first bow (archer’s glove, armguard, broadhead wrench, nocking points). I did get free arrows with my set, but that will not be the same for you guys, so don’t forget to buy some arrows.
Assembling the Martin Mamba
The Mamba is a one-piece recurve bow. There are no limb pockets or locking mechanisms on this recurve, and it is ready to shoot as soon as you string it. The package does not include a stringer, so make sure to get one if you don’t have it.
The Grip of Martin Mamba
- Made of Bubinga and Maple Hardwood, the grip is bare and does not come with any padding. There are no fancy leather or rubber surfaces for you to hold, so it’s a good idea to use a glove with this bow to help reduce hand shock.
- It is not ambidextrous, so make sure to pick a left- or right-handed version.
- The grip can be custom made if you contact the company, and the support staff will call you to finalize the order. I did not customize it, since this was supposed to be a review of the mass market unit. But you can do it if you want to. You can take photographs of the grip by holding your old bow, and Martin will shape the grip specifically for your needs.
- Apart from the above, the grip doesn’t show any signs of wear. I shot more than 20000 arrows over the last two years using this bow, and it’s still in as good a condition as it ever was.
Riser of Martin Mamba
- The Mamba riser is made from Shedua and Bubinga wood. The life and efficiency of this bow are increased due to the fact that these materials provide for more durability than maple wood alone does.
- The color of the wood is retained and not painted over by the company. You can add extra camo if required (patented ASAT Leafy, True Timber, or simple Camo paints can be ordered).
- Life of the riser and its strength has been steady and has not depleted over the last two years of usage. Regular travel and change in weather conditions has not yet affected the riser in anyway.
- I have not experienced any limb twisting so far.
- Please take care of the bow; regular use of wax and polishing the bow a few times a year will make it last much longer. This is particularly important in the case of 100% wooden bows such as this one, and especially in this price range.
Limbs of Martin Mamba
- Unlike in the case of takedown recurve bow, in one-piece recurves the limbs are a part of the whole bow and cannot be detached from it. The limbs and riser are machined separately and joined permanently during factory assembly. This makes the bow more durable, but also can be problematic during storage as you can’t detach the limbs.
- The limbs are made from maple, laminated with black fiberglass. The design is rather traditional and I didn’t find anything particularly great in their appearance – just a set of two durable limbs.
- Since the riser doesn’t come drilled, you can’t install a sight (unless it’s a glue-on sight), stabilizer or quiver. You would need to drill the bow yourself for that, or have it drilled for you.
Martin Mamba String
- The company-made default string is a great high performance Flemish bowstring.
- You can add any third-party strings once the old one wears off. The provided string should last you for a good 20,000 arrows before it starts exhibiting signs of wear.
- I highly recommend getting the Fast Flight bow string, especially if you are tall, as it will help reduce stacking.
- Remember that each time you re-string the bow, you will need to tune it again, as the string will lose tension every time it is removed.
Accuracy of Martin Mamba
- The bow remains very accurate for many weeks and even months after tuning, and doesn’t require frequent re-tuning (this will of course partly depend on your method of handling the bow).
- Due to it’s extremely light weight, it’s a great bow for target shooting.
- After 5 – 10 mins of tuning, you are good to go, as long as you have the proper arrows.
- Hitting 50+ yard targets is very achievable with this bow, provided you have the skill for it.
Arrows For The Mamba
- I use both carbon and wooden arrows. Wooden arrows are good for practice while carbon arrows are great for hunting, at least in my experience.
- Please make sure to read our guide to choosing arrows, which will help you figure out which ones to get for this bow.
Is The Mamba Good For Beginners?
- The Mamba is not a beginner’s recurve bow. You can’t install any accessories by default, which is a major drawback for many beginners.
- Vibration is somewhat noticeable on this bow, which can make it hard for beginners to learn proper form.
- Since it’s made entirely of wood, it will require a bit more maintenance than say the Martin Saber or Samick Sage.
Overall: not recommended for beginners.
Is This Bow Good For Hunting?
- The Martin Mamba is accurate at up to 40-60 yards, depending on the draw weight and arrows you use. I’ve successfully used the 50 lbs. version to take down elk from over 30 yards.
- The bow is somewhat loud, but this can be addressed by installing string silencers and limb dampeners.
- It’s extremely light-weight, making it very easy to carry in the forest.
- The length of this bow is 58’’ – very easy to maneuver.
- Available in a wide selection of draw weights from 45 to 65 lbs., so you can use it to hunt pretty much any game on the planet.
Where To Buy The Martin Mamba?
Your local archery pro shop might have it in stock, and you can always contact Martin Archery directly and ask them for a dealer in your area. If you want to shop online, check out Amazon.com’s price on the Mamba.
Thanks for reading our review of the Martin Mamba.
