| Image | Length | Bow Weight | Draw Weight | Takedown? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ragim Wildcat Review See on Amazon.com | 62" | 3.9 lbs. How to: choose arrows, draw weight, and tune your recurve | 24, 29, 34 lbs. |  |
| Pros - Economically priced starter bow for either a beginner or a more experienced archer - Removable and replaceable limbs, so you can change the size of the bow as your young archer grows - Brass inserts included to install a sight, stabilizer or Berger button | Cons - Quite a bit of hand shock on firing - Unusually prone to limb twist - No bow stringer included |
| Also recommended: Best Ragim Bows |
Package Contents
Summer archery season is kicking into full swing, and it’s time to take a look at another recurve bow. For this review, we are having a look at the Ragim Wildcat, a beautiful-looking bow that is designed for archers of all experience levels. As a takedown bow, you can replace the limbs to change the size of the bow as your archer grows. Each package delivered by Ragim includes the following items:
- The Ragim Wildcat bow, including riser and limbs
- String
- Brass inserts to install a sight, stabilizer or Berger button
Assembling The Ragim Wildcat Recurve Bow
Assembly of the Ragim Wildcat was pretty straightforward, but the bow does not come with a bow stringer. I’d 
recommend buying one if you don’t already own a bow stringer—they make the job of stringing the bow so much safer and easier.
To assemble the Ragim Wildcat, you attach the limbs using the included bolts and an Allen wrench (also not included). Once you have the limbs attached, use your bow stringer to string the bow.
If you plan to use a Berger button, stabilizer, or sight, this is the time to go ahead and install those accessories. The included brass inserts make the job a snap, even if you’ve never installed accessories on a bow before.
How Powerful and Accurate is the Bow?
How powerful the Ragim Wildcat truly is depends on your draw weight. This bow is available in draw weights ranging from 12# to 40#, in 2 pound increments. Obviously, the heavier your draw weight is, the more powerful the force behind your arrows as they fly to target.
The Wildcat was fairly accurate, allowing me to shoot 3-inch groupings at 45 yards. Over time, though, limb twist began to set in and my accuracy dropped considerably. Installing a sight, stabilizer, and/or a Berger button would improve the accuracy somewhat, but the bow really suffers from limb twist.
Is The Bow Suitable For Hunting?
Ragim markets the Wildcat as a Beginner Bow, and it really is not suitable for bow hunting. The bow would just barely meet most states’ regulations with a 40# string, but I would not recommend hunting with this bow. The limb twist problem can be accentuated in a hunting environment, and the low draw weight is just barely legal for hunting, and possibly not a clean enough killer for ethical deer hunting.
If the groupings were improved under 3” with the installation of a stabilizer or sight, the bow might be suitable for small game hunting or bow fishing. Again, the limb twist problem would have to be resolved before I could recommend this bow for any type of hunting past the first season of the bow’s life.
Is The Bow Suitable For Beginners?
The Ragim Wildcat is designed as a beginner’s bow, so it is very useful for teaching the basics of archery. It would be important, however, for an experienced archer to take a close look at the bow before firing, though, to ensure the string is properly strung and there are not any signs of limb twist. Misaligned strings and limb twist would cause damage to the string as well as inaccurate shots, which would be very frustrating to a beginning archer.
Does This Recurve Accept Accessories?
The Wildcat does, indeed, accept accessories, and is pre-drilled to accept the accessories. Ragim includes the brass inserts, so installation of a sight, stabilizer, and/or Berger button is quick and painless. It’s always a good idea for a beginning archer to invest in at least a sight for their recurve bow, since a sight can reduce accuracy problems that can be the result of poor technique. Then again, if you would rather learn from your mistakes and have a skilled coach to help you learn archery, stick with instinctive shooting and bypass the use of a sight.
Arrows For The Ragim Wildcat
Choosing arrows for a recurve bow is always a matter of purpose and preference. Backyard target shooting, for example, requires much different arrows than hunting for rabbits and squirrels. To help you choose the right arrows for your bow, we have a fantastic guide on choosing the arrows that best suit your needs.
Is This Bow Comfortable To Hold?
This is an inexpensive bow, and you can tell that when you shoot it. Hand shock is a particular problem with this bow, but I found that installing string silencers helped quite a bit with that. It’s also a bit on the heavy side, but it is not the heaviest recurve bow I’ve held. I was able to shoot this bow for several hours with only a moderate amount of fatigue.
Materials And Durability (Riser, Limbs)
The Ragin Wildcat is constructed of laminated natural wood, and is quite beautiful to look at. It features reinforced limb 
tips, and is fairly well constructed. That being said, my Wildcat did show some signs of limb twist after a few months of regular shooting, even though I unstrung the bow between shooting sessions and always used a bow stringer to string the bow.
A few reports have come in about the bow having limb twist right out of the box, but I did not see that problem with my review unit. Still, it is something to check for when you unbox your Wildcat, so you can get the limbs replaced if need be.
What String Fits The Ragim Wildcat?
Any string that fits the size Wildcat you end up buying should work out just fine on this bow, up to 40# draw weight. You’ll want to make sure you properly string the bow, and unstring it between shooting sessions. The included string is lightweight but still fairly decent; I used mine all season long without any signs of string wear or any other problems.
Is The Ragim Wildcat a Heavy Bow?
Unfortunately, the Wildcat is a bit on the heavy side at almost 4 pounds. It is not the heaviest recurve I’ve ever shot, but it certainly tips the scales more than I would like it to.
How Loud Is The Wildcat?
This bow is quite loud, and suffers from a fair deal of hand shock. Tuning and retightening the limbs helped somewhat, and installing string silencers helped considerably. Still, these are not accessories most target archers would think to install since they are geared more for hunting. I would not recommend this bow for someone who will be shooting for a more than a couple of hours at a time.
Ragim Wildcat Recurve Bow Review – Summary
Thanks for stopping by and reading my review of the Ragim Wildcat. If you are in the market for an inexpensive starter bow, this is a halfway decent choice. I would only recommend you use the bow only under the guidance of an experienced archer to make sure you don’t have problems with limb twist. You can get the Ragim Wildcat at Today's Amazon.com price.
