WhippenStick Whipplash

I recently had the good fortune to come across a listing on TradTalk for a WhippenStick Whipplash and jumped on the opportunity to own one.

Whipplash by WhippenStick

This particular model is AMO 62" and draws 48# @ 28".  I contacted Ken at WhippenStick and inquired about recommended brace height and he replied saying 6 3/4" is a good starting point.  I just happened to have a new flemish string made by Rick Barbee that fit the bow and gave me the 6 3/4" brace with a few added twists.  A few bareshaft tests and I had my nocking point figured out and had the string served up and string puffs tied in place.  Even without any string puffs, the Whipplash launched arrows with some kick and relatively quietly.  There was a pronounced thunk sound with a little bit of string buzz, but all that turned into a subdued thump with a couple dyneema puffs tied on.

The limbs appear to have bamboo cores with clear glass back and belly over a veneer of zebrawood.  The riser is a single piece of cocobolo.  Limb tips are reinforced and can accept modern string materials.  Overall, the bow is well finished, attractive, and very lightweight at 1.38# on the scale.

There is a small shelf that is cut before center and is lined with leather.  The leather is neatly tucked under the leather wrapped grip which is very much like a typical longbow grip.  There is a very slight palm swell and a hint of a thumb shelf, but other than those features, the grip is straight and you end up with a fair bit of palm pressure.  I generally prefer pistol-type grips found on recurves where I am able to put more of the pressure in the webbing of my hand, but the Whipplash grip was easy to locate and quite comfortable.

Very handsome, elegant M-shape string up

Unstrung profile shows the reflexed limbs

Shooting the Whipplash, I found the draw to be nice and smooth with weight gradually building up as I pulled further.  At my 27" draw, my digital scale read 44.4#.  I did not notice any stacking even out past my anchor by a couple inches.  This bow is definitely a smooth drawing bow.  The shelf is cut well before center and thus, my arrows as set up have a tendency to spine stiff.  A quick swap for some heavier points made up the difference and I soon had the Whipplash sending arrows where I was aiming.  A 3-shot average through the chronograph registered 174.6 FPS shooting 405gr. arrows.  Not the fastest in my stable of bows, but it is definitely not the slowest.  It is, however, among the quietest of the bows I have giving off only a soft thump on the release.  There is really no recoil or handshock to speak of making it quite pleasant to shoot.

A view of the back side 

Belly side view

I think the Whipplash is really fun to shoot and a very attractive bow.  I would have liked to see the riser cut to center and perhaps have a little more pistol-type grip, but those are just very minor nitpicks I have that probably would not be fair to apply to a bow like this.  As it is, the bow shoots very well and is only limited by the person holding it.  I am glad I got my hands on this Whipplash.