Coby Moulton, owner of Strawberry Wilderness Archery, will probably respond: "Of course it is!" when he reads my descriptions.  That's because Coby founded the company specifically to provide high quality, long-lasting accessories to compliment the premium bows that he sold in his pro shop.  He couldn't find archery accessories that met his high standards for design, performance and craftsmanship, so he decided to make them himself.  He now offers a range of products including quivers, peep sites, stabilizers and slings. 

The Machined Sling:
We all recognize that the bow sling isn't the part of your bow that contains the highest technology.  It's a strap that lets you shoot in a relaxed, consistent manner by keeping your bow from falling to the ground when you release the string.  However, that is not to say that all slings are created equally!  I have personally owned slings that mounted with brackets made of thin tin-like metal and which had straps that were clumsy to adjust.  In fact, 

The Machined Sling has four parts.

1) The mounting bar - is a solid ¾" diameter cylinder of 6061 aluminum that has been CNC machined to its final shape. The bar is anodized, and is available in Real Tree extra gray or black (for hunters); and in blue purple, red and silver (for target shooters.)  It holds the sling strap at a 45-degree angle, and has two holes bored through each end to accept the rope strap. 
2) The strap itself - is a length of ¼" diameter nylon rope that matches the color of the mounting bar.  
3 & 4) Adjusting/retaining screws are  ¼" set screws that are threaded into each end of the cylinder and pinch the rope, thereby securing it.

Note: CNC machining is a process where the cutting machine (a milling machine and perhaps a lathe in this case) is Computer Numerically Controlled.  A computer issues commands to drive motors on the machine that control all of the movements needed to create a part. (These movements are made by hand on a conventional machine).  CNC machining insures accurate parts that can be repeatedly manufactured to tight tolerances. .  

Testing:
I mounted the Machined Sling to 3 bows of different vintages to see how it fit new, old and very old models.  The new was a Matthews Legacy, the old - an 8 year old PSE Dominator, and the very old a 12 year old PSE Fireflight.  A 5/16"-24 fastener is slipped through a clearance hole at the center of the mounting bar and is threaded into the tapped stabilizer hole in the bow riser. One would normally use the stabilizer itself as the fastener, but a bolt can be substituted if you prefer to shoot without a stabilizer. 

The Machined Sling fit well on all three bows - but did have to be mounted and adjusted differently on one.   The Legacy has a very low tapped hole and the rope strap was too far from the handle when mounted on the front of the riser using my stabilizer.  Therefore, I used a bolt and mounted the sling in the second tapped hole provided on the back side of the riser.  

The fact that the mounting bar on the sling can be reversed allowed me to successfully attach it in this position.  Additionally, since the rope strap provided was amply long and could be pinched at any point along its length, it could be adjusted infinitely (versus fixed increments with a sling secured with a buckle) allowing me to tailor the length to each bow.  Once the rope length is adjusted to your liking, the ends can be trimmed.  I would recommend that you fuse the trimmed ends to prevent fraying by melting the ends slightly with a match or lighter.  I also discovered that by securing one end of the rope then intentionally twisting it before securing the other end, you could favorably "lean" the opening through which you insert your hand and wrist.  Example: a right hand shooter would want the opening pointing back and to the left so that his left hand and wrist could be quickly and easily slipped through to gain access to the grip.

I preferred the sling adjusted with the "lean" described above (in case a rutting buck would come charging toward my stand and I had to retrieve my bow from its holder in a hurry!) Set this way, the sling felt comfortable on all three bows.  Since I'm a paranoid scent control freak, I would recommend that you wash and rinse the rope thoroughly just before hunting season.  This would eliminate any odors that may have collected in the braid during hot summer practice sessions.

Ruggedness Testing: (don't try this at home):
Soon after I received the Machined Sling, I joked to a friend that the rope strap looked heavy-duty enough to be part of my safety harness!  Later, during my testing, I was thinking about that comment and asked my daughters to help me with a little experiment.  

First, I mounted the sling in its normal position on my oldest bow.  Next, I attached my climbing treestand to a maple tree in my front yard with the platform about 6 feet off the ground. I then laid the bow on the stand in a position as if the bow was shooting straight upward.  The rope strap of the Machined Sling was fed straight downward through an opening in the stand platform.  

I then asked Jenna (my youngest and lightest daughter) to grab the rope and see if she could do a pull-up on it.  Try as she might, the rope cut into her hands too much and she couldn't muster the strength to pull herself up.  

So?..I called for Kahla, my older and stronger daughter.  To my amazement, she was able to do a pull-up on the sling rope without damaging the mounting bar or rope in any way!  

The rope did not even slip within the mounting bar. This test was obviously excessive, and a little silly, but it was fun and does confirm that the sling is indeed heavy-duty.

Ratings:

Design: 4.5 of 5

Durability/Ruggedness: 5 of 5
Weighing in a 1.25 ounces, a sling couldn?t be much tougher.

Installation:  4 of 5

Value: 4.5 of 5
At $ 12.65 in black, or $13.85 in colors, the machined sling is a long-lasting value.

Appearance 4.5 of 5
The machined sling can even ?dress up? the appearance of a target bow.

Packaging/Instructions: 3.5 of 5
Packaging was fine, but there were minimal instructions.  (I do admit that the installation is so basic, that Strawberry Wilderness probably feels instructions aren?t necessary.  Come to think of it - the last toothbrush I bought didn?t come with instructions either!  Perhaps some things just don?t need instructions)

For information on these and other products contact:

Strawberry Wilderness Archery Products
Coby Moulton
1031 Bridge Street
Prairie City, Oregon 97869

Phone:  541-820-4346
Email:  cobymoulton@msn.com
Web Site:  http://www.strawberrywilderness.com

Phone:  541-820-4346
Email:  cobymoulton@msn.com
Web Site:  http://www.strawberrywilderness.com