Wood vs. Acrylic

[Fowlquest]

Dear Avery Pro Staffers,

I am going to buy a new Zink call this year and i was wondering what the advantaves and disadvantages of getting wood or Acrylic. also i was wondering what call you would recomend, the little man or the paralyzer sr-1, or the power clucker.
Ive been thinking about maybe getting started in some calling tournamenet. But mostly for geese in michigan.

Charlie Williams

[Mark Brendemuehl]

Charlie- All of Zinks are great sounding calls. The best thing you can do is try them and see which one fits you best.
Acrylic is loud and sharp. Wood is generally more mellow sounding. Over water its hard to beat wood, and in the field, sometimes one can be better on any given day.
I have an acrylic PC-1 that I love. It fits me better than the SR-1. Try them all, and get the one that fits you.
Mark

[Rusty Hallock]

Charlie,

Mark is correct about a wood call generally having a mellower sound then an acrylic call. The tone difference in a call is due to the density of the material. Acrylic is the densest material. Acrylic calls are usually louder with a sharper crack. An acrylic call is also more durable then wood and will not be affected by moisture. Zink offers some of their calls in maple, bocote, and cocabola. Maple is the least dense of the available wood. I have a Maple SR-1. The Maple Sr-1 has a mellow/raspy sound. This is my go to call over water and still days field hunting. Cocabola is the densest of the three woods. Cocabola's density is close to acrylic, so the tone of a cocabola call is close to an acrylic call. Cocabola is also an oily wood, so the call is less likely to be affected by moisture. Bocote is also an oily wood that has a wood density that is between cocabola and maple with a corresponding tone.

The two calls that you have mentioned; LM-1 and SR-1 are both great calls. The LM-1 is tuned higher in tone then a SR-1, but the LM-1 is just as deadly on big geese as it is on little geese. The SR-1 is designed to be deeper in tone. The SR-1 is also capable of producing some great moans that can seal the deal especially over water or on still days a field. If you are looking at getting into contest calling, I would choose a SR-1 or a PM-1. Both of these calls have the needed volume for contest calling and still get low for finishing notes to put the birds at your feet. I would encourage you to contact Zink Calls at (937) 832-3436 and let the guys set up a call to fit you. I hope this helps.