Our Story
Alaska Bowhunting Supply and the GrizzlyStik brand were founded in 1994, in Anchorage, Alaska, and grew into one of the largest traditional archery companies in the United States. Our original product line primarily focused on leather shooting gloves, tabs, quivers, and string silencers.
In 1998, we started production of our GrizzlyStik line of tapered arrows at the St. Croix Rod Company. Soon after we began US distribution of the German Kinetic Silver Flame broadhead line.
Starting in 2007, we began to shift GrizzlyStik away from our roots in traditional archery products. Our sole focus became researching, designing, testing, and manufacturing a premium arrow and broadhead system. Guided by the 30 years of Dr. Ed Ashby's arrow penetration research, our focus became supplying bowhunters with lethal arrow performance on trophy and dangerous game.
Our first Alaska Bowhunting Supply catalog had only 9 items for sale.
Our Manufacturing History - In 2008, we acquired the Silver Flame broadhead name and manufacturing rights. In the same year, we started working with Dr. Ed Ashby to design, test, and manufacture the Ashby single bevel, 440C stainless, 315 grain, hammer-forged broadhead.
Ed Schlief was an Alaskan registered guide passionate about hunting brown bears with the longbow. After a successful spring hunt in 2005, Ed commissioned this original work "Close Quarters" from outdoor artist Dan Burr.
Ed asked Dan to forever capture hunting the beaches of SE Alaska with his son (now President) Garrett Schlief backing him up with the .375 H&H.
GrizzlyStik and Victory Archery came together in 2017 to form an R&D, manufacturing, and royalty partnership. Both companies currently work together to design, test, manufacture and market the highest-quality bowhunting products in the world.
GrizzlyStik Momentum TDT arrows are manufactured using a Victory Archery 3K woven carbon and are designed with a .001"/per inch continuous external taper to maximize FOC, arrow flight, and structural integrity. Our tapered hunting arrows are built to an Olympic arrow tolerance and drive our broadheads through bone.
The late GrizzlyStik founder Ed Schlief testing Dr. Ashby's heavy bone threshold on Moose Bones in 2007.
The GrizzlyStik broadhead line is made up of the Ashby, Alaskan, Samurai, Maasai, and Silver Flame. All our broadheads are manufactured with 440C stainless steel, and are sub-zero quenched, and hardened to a 58 Rockwell. GrizzlyStik broadheads range from 100 to 315 grains and are unequaled in the industry for sharpness. The Ashby and Alaskan broadheads are the only hammer-forged heads in the marketplace.
In 2014, Alaska Bowhunting Supply (ABS) officially became GrizzlyStik, and our headquarters relocated to Bend, Oregon.
Prior to taking over the family business in 2007, GrizzlyStik President Garrett Schlief worked for Petersen Publishing (Guns & Ammo, Petersen's Bowhunting) and served as the Director of Membership Marketing at Ducks Unlimited.
The Gold Standard - Around the globe, the GrizzlyStik arrow and broadhead system has earned the Gold Standard among the world's top PHs, guides, & outfitters. Our GrizzlyStik customers have compiled an unmatched list ( 13 world records) of performance and success. The volume of customer testimonials, photos, and videos is a true testament to Dr. Ashby's research.
The crown jewel of our customer success - Chris Commack's 29-4/16 World Record taken (one shot/frontal) with the 650 GrizzlyStik System
From Elk to Elephant and Brown Bear to trophy Whitetail, we customize our arrow and broadhead systems to meet the individual bowhunter's needs. Our GrizzlyStik systems range from 500 to 1250 grains and reach an industry-leading 19% to 30% FOC.
GrizzlyStik is in the business of your bowhunting success - We are dedicated to the development of products that are best in class for bowhunters that don't compromise when it comes to their equipment. We firmly believe our customers should spend more time recovering their arrow after a shot than recovering their animal.
Dr. Ed Ashby (center) and the GrizzlyStik team at Dallas Safari Club. This core group envelopes the expertise of over 1,000 big game animals successfully harvested with bow, arrow, and broadhead.
Our "responsibility" is to give our customers the highest probability to quickly and humanely harvest the animals they bowhunt - regardless of the circumstances.
As bowhunters, we each have a limited number of shot opportunities on big game in our lifetime. Our goal at GrizzlyStik is to help bowhunters maximize the precious few opportunities they get while simultaneously increasing the odds of a quick/clean kill.
Video Podcast with Garrett Schlief giving the history of GrizzlyStik, our products, and our relationship with Dr. Ashby.
Two core passions drive GrizzlyStik
1. Developing, educating, and supplying bowhunters with the best products in the world. Our GrizzlyStik products are rigorously researched, designed and real-world tested.
2. Offering stellar customer service and technical advice that helps our customers select the best equipment for their specific needs. Gear that won't let them down and enhances their chances of success and - in the end - ensures their overall customer satisfaction.
If you ever have an issue with our products or customer service, I invite you to call me directly. I will do my best to rectify any situation to your 100% satisfaction. The buck stops with me - period. We pride ourselves on the one-on-one relationships we build with our customers.
When you succeed, we succeed.
Good hunting,
Garrett Schlief
President & Master Arrowsmith