Martin Cheetah Review

Overview

Where to buy

Review

Specifications

Average user rating

out of 6 user reviews

from $175
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Pros

quiet single cam bow with a smooth draw cycle
very compact and maneuverable bow
great value for money

Cons

standard strings set could be of better quality

Video

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Editors' review

Ideal for tree-stand or blind hunting, the Martin Cheetah is a compact, smooth, and quiet bow at a very affordable price. With a forgiving brace height and efficient eccentric system, this bow is a great performer with a very smooth draw.

Eccentric system

The engine behind this bow is an efficient and smooth single cam M-Pro eccentric system. With the draw length adjustable from 25 to 30 inches, this cam system is capable of generating IBO speeds of up to 310 fps (and up to 320 fps for the 2008, 2009, and 2010 Martin Cheetah modifications - see full Martin Cheetah specs). Overall, this cam system is very efficient, delivers good speeds, and is very smooth to draw as noticed by many shooters.

Quietness and vibration

With parallel limbs and machined aluminum riser, the Cheetah is very quiet and has very little hand shock and vibration according to multiple Martin Cheetah tests conducted by experts and archers. In fact, many shooters are surprised with how quiet this bow is, considering its price.

Value for money

Speaking about the price, it is worthwhile to note this bow is a great value for money. We were overwhelmed with the number of comments indicating that this bow is a fantastic value for money. A lot of people say the Cheetah is too good for the price. So, if you are on a budget and looking for a quality bow, the Cheetah could be a great choice.

Overall quality

While the majority of comments from archers indicate the Martin Cheetah is a great bow, there is something minor that hunters did not like. Some shooters say the strings on the Cheetah could be of better quality. While this is not a big deal for some of them, others prefer to get rid of the standard strings and get a better quality set. Those who dislike the strings still like this bow and say that once the standard set is replaced the bow becomes immaculate.

Other recommendations

Bow	Martin Cheetah	Martin Bengal	Martin Pantera
Version	2010 Mag	2010 Mag	2013
Picture
Brace Height	7.25 "	7 "	7 "
AtA Length	30 "	32.25 "	34 "
Draw Length	25 " - 30 "	25 " - 30 "	25.5 " - 32 "
Draw Weight	40 lbs - 70 lbs	40 lbs - 70 lbs	35 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed	315 fps - 320 fps	315 fps - 320 fps	320 fps
Weight	3.4 lbs	3.5 lbs	4.1 lbs
Let-Off	65% - 80%	65% - 80%	80%
Where to buy Best prices online	$175 Compare prices	$150 to $172.99 Compare prices	$70 to $249.99 Compare prices
Where to buy Best prices online	compare more bows

If you prefer a longer bow, look at the Martin Bengal or Martin Pantera. Equipped with the same cam system and having very similar specs, these two bows have a longer axle-to-axle length.

Summary

To summarize, the Martin Cheetah is a very quiet, compact, and forgiving bow with high maneuverability and lack of hand shock. While the standard strings set could be of better quality, this is a high quality bow. Parallel limbs and efficient eccentric system make this bow a great choice for those shooters who like getting value for money.

User Reviews

Great shooting bow for hunting all game

by Steve Bradford from Cabot ar 72023 - August 8, 2015 at 7:17 pm

Version: 2009 Martin Cheetah

Rating:

Pros: Short, fast, and quite

Cons: Strings could be better

Full review:

I live for bow hunting and this is the best shooting bow for the price you will find.I have tried the rest and this is the best I have seen by far, it's a deer and turkey killing machine.I got this bow killed two deer the first week, then entered my first bow shooting comp. Won fist in hunting and 3th in the open division

Best bow for the money, fast, quite

by Steve Bradford from Cabot ar 72023 - July 13, 2015 at 3:21 am

Version: 2009 Martin Cheetah

Rating:

Pros: Smooth draw shoots hard fast short bow for deerstand

Cons: Nothing

Full review:

Best compound bow for deer hunting, short for easy movement in deer stand shoots hard and fast, smother draw with a let off you can hold a day, you can not buy a better bow for the money, shooting in my first bow competition placed first and just started shooting last year, also shoot two deer last year killed both on at 45 yards,

i bought this bow last year. i mainly use it for competition shooting and it works very well.

by kenneth avery yeoman from Cabot ar 72023 - October 4, 2011 at 1:21 am

Version: 2010 Martin Cheetah Mag

Rating:

Pros: fast quiet gets good distance smooth easy to pull back easy to hold back very tight grouping

Cons: string could be better quality

Full review:

i shoot beman 500 from 60 meters for competition my groups are smaller than a quarter (3 arrows). i have a sword apex 5 pin sight no lens and a qad drop away rest with a homemade stabilizer made out of a pool stick. the bow gets great speed even with heavier arrows im only pulling 60 lbs and able to easily get 60 meters out of it. the bow is very light no problem holding it. it has a very comfertable grip on it i just wish it would have string silencers on it. overall it is a very good competition bow.

2009 Cheetah with (CCS) and (STS), bow was inexpensive, fast, light, very smooth quiet and compact

by Ben W from Gresham, Oregon - September 22, 2010 at 5:40 pm

Version: 2009 Martin Cheetah

Rating:

Pros: inexpensive, very light Compact, Super smooth, Fast shooter.
I got the bow with nap rest, three pin sight,quiver, CCS and STS for under 450.00 new.

Cons: STS comes loose every 20 shots (lock tight just a pain to get screw to re-tighten)
CCS wears the cable and they have to be served
Even with STS bow needs string leaches or bojax to really quiet down.

Full review:

I use this bow to chase Elk in Oregon and love this thing. My Cheetah is light compact, quiet and very fast and smooth with the CCS. The bow is short not as forgiving, take a little time to get used to but in the woods there's not many nicer.
I have other comounds and would not trade this bow for any of them.

Great bow!

by Brandon T from Illinois - June 30, 2010 at 7:13 pm

Version: 2010 Martin Cheetah Mag

Rating:

Pros: You will not find a better quality bow for the price. Love the short axle to axle.

Cons: Seems a little noisy at times but you can dampen it

Full review:

This bow has the same specs as the Mathews DXT and is about $500 less. Don't waste your money on a Mathews

Quiet, Solid, Accurate.

by Nathan B. from Illinois - June 17, 2010 at 5:07 pm

Version: 2010 Martin Cheetah Mag

Rating:

Pros: quiet, light

Cons: nothing

Full review:

First time shooting 3 arrows my group was very tight. I also attached the Alpine Soft-loc 5 arrow quiver and the bow is silent.

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