Monkey Business Sports Foam Strike Compound Bow

Updated review 11/21/2011 -- I noticed that the price seems to have gone up from $24.99 to close to $40. I wanted to buy a second one but I don't know if I'm so open at the higher price point. The product is good though but now slightly expensive.I purchased a toy bow & arrow set at the local toy store for my younger son's birthday. The thing broke almost immediately but he loved the idea of a bow set. So, I scoured the internet for a better version and found this one.1. It can shoot extremely long distances depending on the strength of the person using it.2. the design is pretty basic so it's very easy to understand the physics of shooting it far.3. it's so basic that it's hard to really break.Both my sons have been playing with it and are really enjoying it. Now, the only problem is that I only bought one. I think we may have to buy another one so that they both have one to play with.

My 7year old LOVED this gift! His favorite by far...but we have had to reattach something ('tail feathers' /arrow tip) with super glue of each foam arrow (only 3 are provided and no refills that I can find easily thru amazon). That said, I did buy his older brother (10 year old) the Hunterz Z Curve bow at same time...and fortunately the arrows provided with his set offer refill packs and also fit with this Foam Strike compound bow (whew). The Foam Strike bow is MUCH easier for my little one to use (vs. Hunterz Z bow) so all is not lost. Would totally rate this a 5 star, put the arrows just really are not up to par for that.

As a mother of two boys, I have done my fair share of research on toy weapons...My older son is 9.5 yrs old and had asked for a bow and arrow set two Christmases ago. I found this compound bow on Amazon back then and put it on my Wishlist, but I was skeptical since I had never heard of the company Monkey Business before, and at that time, I would have had to pay $9.99 extra for shipping. So, I held off on making the purchase.With all of the excitement revolving around archery in the media this year, my son was thrilled when Nerf unveiled their Big Bad Bow - arrows fly up to 40 ft. Since most of the kids' battles happen out in our backyard with friends and neighbors, we decided to try out the Monkey Business Compound Bow because their arrows were supposed to be able to fly "over 100 ft". I'm very pleased to say, "IT DOES!" As soon as the package arrived, my son (who has never had any type of archery training) took his compound bow outside and after just a few tries, he was shooting arrows 80-90 ft across our yard! With a slight breeze behind him, his arrows can fly 100+ ft easily!The other factor that convinced me to make this purchase was that recently I found this Monkey Business compound bow available at a lower price, AND it was an Amazon Prime item = free shipping for me! Two days after I placed my order, the box arrived in perfect condition.I believe this toy is designed for older children - Age 8+, just as stated on the box. There are parts of it that require care in handling - make sure you explain that to your kids before letting them run off with their VERY SAFE plastic and foam TOY. The elastic bands are stretchy and should not be left outside exposed to the elements. The bands will lose their elasticity, become brittle and snap. Also, because the arrows are made of foam, the vanes or "feathers" at the back may come apart if grabbed roughly by impatient little hands. We have fixed plenty of foam rockets and bullets with a couple of drops of gorilla glue, so we'll have it handy for this toy as well. Have fun!

I thought I had reached the top of the Nerf Wars food chain with the purchase of my Longshot. The problem is that eventually all weapons lose their intimidation factor, and the hordes of people wielding little Mavericks were willing to take the hits to get in close so they have a chance to get me.Enter the Surefire Compound Bow. They advertise 100 feet, and this will easily deliver on that range and more. It hits with a resounding THUD when shot completely across the length of my office. In fact, my problem is that I feel a little guilty sometimes hitting people at triple the distance that their little guns can manage. It's good that I can deal well and quickly with guilt.The intimidation factor is back. It doesn't hurt that this bow is completely silent. No telltale sounds from loading the darts, or even when firing. People can't tell the shot is coming until they are being knocked over as if the God of Thunder himself has struck.A couple of practical points:1 - The back string is useless at best and, at worst, hinders your aim. Fold it out of the way or remove it entirely. All the power comes from the rubber bands at the front of the bow.2 - The arrows are made of foam and have a soft head. That being said, a hard shot at close range can yield yelps and whimpers from your opponents. DO NOT SHOOT THIS AT CRY-BABIES. You should also probably be careful of head shots.3 - You get three shots, so make them count. There are 3-packs of arrows for sale, but they are always sold out.4 - When going for distance attacks in an office, it helps to kneel when taking your shot. This gives you a higher arc range.5 - If you are scared of hitting someone in the head at long range, aim in front or above of them. The fright factor from the noise of the impact is enough to reinforce your message of dominance.As far as durability, after a couple of months of regular use the elastic bands that provide all of the power begin to fail. This process happens slower if you don't use the full power of the bow. Once the bands fail, it takes a decent amount of time to repair using standard surgical tubing. If you are not particularly handy, just buy a replacement.When the arrow fins start to separate after a couple of months, a little Gorilla glue fixes them right up.