Martin Dream Catcher Review

Image	Length	Bow Weight	Draw Weight	Takedown?
Martin Dream Catcher See on Amazon.com	60"	2 lbs. How to: choose arrows, draw weight, and tune your recurve	45, 50, 55, 60, 65 lbs.	No

Pros - Beautifully crafted of contrasting woods - Simple assembly - Very powerful, and smooth to draw - Included stringer and arrow rest - Beautiful hand-painted dream catcher on the riser!	Cons - Draw weight was 52 pounds instead of 50 pounds, as marked on the riser
Also recommended: Best Martin Bows

Compare With Other Recurve Bows

Package Contents

Welcome to my Martin Archery Dream Catcher Recurve Bow review. Martin Archery bows are known for being some of the best in the industry, and the Dream Catcher is no exception. This is a beautiful bow to look at and to shoot. Each package delivered by includes the following items:

• The Dream Catcher riser and limbs
• Limb tightening bolts with Allen key
• Traditional arrow rest
• Flemish bowstring and stringer
• Owner’s manual
• Warranty card

Assembling The Martin Archery Dream Catcher

Assembling the Martin Dream Catcher is quick and easy, involving nothing more than attaching the limbs using the included bolts and Allen key. Be careful not to tighten the bolts too much. Martin Archery includes a stringer in the box, which will be appreciated by beginners who don’t have any archery equipment.

How Powerful and Accurate is the Bow?

The Dream Catcher draws and shoots with silky smoothness. You can order the Dream Catcher in either right-handed or left-handed shooting, with draw weights ranging from 45 lbs. to 65 lbs. Mine was rated at 50 lbs., but I found that it was actually a couple of pounds heavier on the draw, so you might want to keep that in mind when ordering. Still, the bow draws so smoothly that if you normally shoot a 40 lb. recurve, you might want to go ahead and get a Dream Catcher at 45 lbs. or even 50 lbs.

This bow is extremely accurate and very dependable. I tuned the bow once, and it was good to go after that without any more adjustments. The bow shoots fast, but how fast depends on what draw weight you get. With my 50# Dream Catcher, I was easily hitting 40-50 yard targets with 2-inch groupings on the bull’s-eye.

As a demonstration of the accuracy of the bow, Martin Archery filmed founder Gail Martin shoot an arrow through an egg with the Dream Catcher.

Is The Dream Catcher Suitable For Hunting?

That depends on how much it might break your heart to get this beautiful bow dirty! I haven’t taken mine out into the bush yet, but the bow is so light (only 2 pounds), powerful, and accurate that I could easily see this bow rivaling Martin’s famed Hunter line of recurves for deer and elk.

Is The Dream Catcher Suitable For Beginners?

This bow is definitely suitable for beginners, because it’s easy to assemble and the parabolic lamination helps prevent limb twist. The Dream Catcher is low-maintenance and will be extremely forgiving of problems with a beginner’s shooting technique. I’d say this bow is great for any archer, from beginner to seasoned veteran. For more bow recommendations for beginners, check out this guide.

Does This Bow Accept Accessories?

Yes, it does. Threaded holes are already drilled into the bow, so you easily install your own accessories. When I’m using a recurve, I prefer natural shooting without any aiming devices, but if you prefer or require a sighting device to help with your shooting form, feel free to install one. You can also attach a quiver to the bow.

Arrows For The Dream Catcher

Which arrows you choose is a mixture of personal preference and characteristics of the bow like draw length and weight. For my 50# Dream Catcher, I used 425-grain Easton carbon arrows and field tips with excellent results, but you can check our guide to choosing arrows for more help picking out the right arrows for you.

Is This Recurve Comfortable To Hold?

The Dream Catcher is beautiful in all things you’d expect from a custom-made recurve bow: looks, accuracy, and grip. At just 2 lbs., the bow is light to hold and the design of the riser is so well thought out that the bow feels wonderful in your palm. The handle will fit both smaller and larger hands equally well.

Durability And Materials

The Martin Dream Catcher’s riser is made of Shedua and Bubinga woods with accent lines, and incorporates a new parabolic lamination design to help eliminate limb twist. The limbs are laminated Red Elm and clear glass, and include a hardwood speed lamination in order to give solid performance without affecting the smooth, silky draw.

Each Martin Archery Dream Catcher is custom-made, and includes a hand-painted dream catcher logo and lettering on the riser. This is a nice touch, and adds dramatically to the beauty of the bow.

What String Fits The Martin Dream Catcher?

The Flemish string that comes with the package is quite high quality in itself, which is a pleasant surprise. However, if you want to replace the strings with an even higher quality strong, the reinforced tips on the Dream Catcher will readily accept other strings.

Is The Martin Archery Dream Catcher a Heavy Bow?

The Dream Catcher weighs in at just 2 lbs., making it one of the lightest recurve bows I’ve ever held. With accessories, you might find your bow coming out at closer to 3 or 4 pounds, but it’s still an exceptionally light bow.

How Loud Is The Dream Catcher?

Even without whisker biscuits, the bow is very quiet. With two whisker silencers placed on the string, the Dream Catcher was the quietest shoots I’ve ever heard (or almost didn’t hear!) This should work out great when I take the bow out into the bush for some hunting time.

Vibration of the bow is very manageable, making the Dream Catcher quiet and much more comfortable to shoot than recurves with vibration problems.

Martin Dream Catcher Recurve Bow Review – Summary

I appreciate you reading my review of the Martin Archery Dream Catcher recurve. Gail Martin definitely outdid himself on this bow, and I believe it to be one of the finest recurve bows on the market today. The bow is gorgeous to look at, beautiful to hold, and amazing to shoot. It’s by no means an inexpensive bow, but the years of powerful and accurate shooting you’ll get out of it make it well worth the price tag. Check out Today's Amazon.com price on this bow.