What bow do you have? Do you like it? If you had to do it over would you get the same or upgrade?
I am looking around at different bows and would appreciate any advice. ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### Fubar
I shoot a 2001 Hoyt Havoc with Sabre Cams. ###A very sweet bow. ###No complaints what so ever. ###I would get the same bow again. ###It's light, short axle to axle, forgiving with an 8.5" brace height and very quiet. ###
I've been pretty happy with Bear bows. ###Right now I'm going back and forth between a Grizzly and a Kodiak Magnum, both about 70's vintage and both great shooters. ###I don't see much reason to get a more costly bow when these put the arrow where I want it.
Yah, I know, you meant compounds. ###I couldn't resist.
I love my Martin Cougar MX200. Shoots 252fps last I checked and just feels good to me. I shot the Matthews and a few others and went with the most comfortable one. I even opted for the twin cam because it just felt better when drawing back with it. I go for good solid construction because they can take a beating in the woods sometime. If tou are a serious Bowhunter and plan on doing it forever, I wouldn't let the price have any effect in making my decision. I spent a grand on my set-up but plan on having it until it falls apart or at least the next ten years. I am a firm believer in the saying "You get what you pay for". I would buy the one that feels the best to you and doesn't cost less than $500 for the complete set-up. As for which company, they all make great bows(Matthews,Martin,Browning,PSE, Hoyt, just to name a few). But like I always say, any bow, any arrow, and any broadhead can and will kill an animal humanely. Let us know what you end up going with.
I've been shooting a PSE Nova Vector IV for three years and it shoots smooth and quiet. I like the dual round cam system over the singles and the high torque oblong cams. I may not be able to rifle an arrow as fast as others but I'm not that much slower and a lot quieter. yes, I would prefer to keep the bow I have over a new one.
BROWNING - I've shot the same Browning Mirage Hunter (45-70#) for 9 years now. After multiple paint jobs, various components, and several strings, this 40" axle-to-axle bow is still one of the quietest, fastest, smoothest and most accurate bows in the field. I've got two other Brownings (Sumit for bow fishing, and the Afterburner for primary big game) but I can use this mirage as a walking stick (and have) and still count on it at go time. As time goes by, more and more people comment on this "old" bow. They mention how quiet and fast it is (278FPS at 76#).
Not a salseman, but really appreciate good equipment and wanted to pass it on. You can still find them almost new - on ebay. ###< Browning Mirage Hunter > They make a 45-70# and 60-80#
Hey Shane, I still have my Browning Summit II also. It is not that quiet but it still works fine. I bought the Martin last year because it just felt good to shoot and I love it. Browning is a really good line of bows.
I think bows are alot like rifles everyone has there own preference. Shop around and find one that feels good to shoot and you are accurate with. There are alot of good bows out there. One big decision is to buy single cam or two cam. I have two High Country bows and am pleased with both of them. The Ultra Force is a single cam set on 74# and is a pleasure to shoot with 85% let off. The 4-runner has two hatchet cams and 65% let off. Set on 70# this bow is very fast! HCA also has great customer service.
I shoot a Jennings Buckmaster G2. It's a sweet shooting quite bow at only 31'' ata
Perfect for a treestand. If you are going to buy a new bow don't buy one because it looks good or somebody said that brand x is the only one to buy. Go to your local pro shop and shoot several just because a bow shoots good for me does not mean that you will enjoy it. Look for a bow that feels good in your hands and shoots like you expect a bow to shoot.Believe me you will enjoy your purchase if you buy a bow that fits YOU.
I guess I have been lucky, I just got back into bowhunting a while back and purchased a Mathews MQ1 bow from ebay, now I understand that ebay is hit and miss on somethings but I guess I hit a homerun on this one cause I bought the bow with sight, quiver, dloop, rest and silencers all for 465$ believe me this bow is ready to go and in almost perfect shape, just needed arrows. ###Since I had not been shooting in quite a number of years I decided to get a good match of arrows for the new bow, I went with the Beman ICS hunters 400, bought 6 for a very steep 56 bucks and believe me I was shock at that price compared to the old XX75 I used to shoot..hahah! ###Now I decided check ole ebay again for arrows and I found a Dozen of the same arrows cut to length for ya at 70 dollars so I got them also. ###I shot this bow for the first time at the shop I bought the arrows at with a borrowed Truball release and it was super fast and it was putting the arrows in about a 5 in pattern just high and to the right. ###The bow shop wanted me to get my release that I was going to use and then they would tune the bow, so I went back to ebay and got a Locjaw 2000 release and I love that too..I shot the bow at an outdoor range the other day and did some sight adjustments for the middle pin at about 20-25 yards and believe me this is right on the money 6 arrows in the 10 ring. ###I am totally happy with this bow so you might think about taking a chance with ebay. granted you don't get to shoot it but check out the local shops and try a bow you like then look for it at basement bargin prices on ole ebay. ###One last thing I don't work for ebay just like the service..haha!
Dmac
I really liked my ICS Hunters when I had them Drmac22. I upgraded to the EASTON A/C/C Carbon Aluminums 3-71 300's. Now that is one fine shooting arrow. The price about floored me though. $140 for a dozen. Now, everytime I lauch an arrow at an animal, I am shooting $17 through the air(counting my broadhead). That was all I could think about when I shot that pig last month. "Hey porker, you better get back here with my $17". That damn pig ran all the way up this mountain and I couldn't get up there after him. ###I would of been better off throwing a case of beer at that sow. Now that would be a shame. Damn this sport gets expensive.
Currently shooting a PSE Carrera. its a great shooter but if i had my choice of bows right now id go with the new PSE Nitro. Nothing against my Carrera. Just like the new Phase3 grip system on the Nitro and its solid riser design.
Just got a Mathews Legacy in April, have shot probably 1-2000 arrows through it, 30 yards, 80% in the '10' ring. ###It shoots 273fps with ICS400s at 27.5" and 66#'s. ###Prior bows:
Hoyt MagnaTech ###Great bow for the money, forgiving and with some speed
Hoyt Heat ###Good Bow
Darton - single cam - Bad Bow
PSE Fireflight - Good bow
Hoyt Tracer - Great Bow for the era(forgiving)
Bear Brown Bear - Fine bow, busted a limb post warranty
Bear Whitetail 2
Bear Whitetail
I shoot a Hoyt HavocTec. ###Looked and shot a large number of bows before giving up my old Hoyt Pro Hunter and this was the bow for me. ###Just the feel in the hand and the short axel feeling like a lot of the longer bows. ###I knew it was the one, and I would not give it up..
I gave my old bow an XI Impulse to my son in 1997 and bought a Matthews Z-Max.
Although it was pretty pricey at the time (and even now) I am totally satisfied with it.
Total set up was around $900 at the time. The only thing I kept was my release. Am shooting Gold Tip graphite arrows with 100 gr. Thunderheads. Shoots @ 265ft./sec. Although the brace height is 6 1/2 in. I have learned to shhot it pretty good. I love this set up and with all the new bows out today I have no desire to give this one to my son and get another one.
I like my PSE Quantum but most guys at the club I'm joining shoot Mathews and Hoyt mostly. ###Shoots great, is quiet, and I don't notice any vibration...then again, it's my first bow and I've only had it a month. ###I'm already gathering that a lot of people badmouth PSEs. ###But, PSE does put out some lower end bows too.
One thing the guy in the shop said is that I'd probably be unhappy within a year with a low end bow...that has been the case with a lower end shotgun and muzzleloader I bought in the past. ###
If I'm still as excited about archery in a few years, I'll probably go with a Mathews or one of the smaller custom bow mfg's out there.
Fubar,
### ### I shoot a Pearson 440 quad. ###I chose Pearson because they are made in Brewton, Al. ###That is only a 40 min drive for me. ###I have nothing to say but positive things about the service I have received from Pearson. ###I originally bought a close-out bow NIB from them for a hundred dollars. ###I got it home and ###the limbs were over sanded. ###I took it back and they replaced them for free. ###Well about six months later, I noticed a small crack in one of the new limbs. ###I took it back to them and I got a 2002 model bow and they set it up for me all for no cost. ###I walked out with about 750.00 for the origingal 100.00 I put out on the closeout. ###How cool is that?
I just picked up a Mathews Legacy. ###Its the best thing out their. ###Easy to shot. Easy to draw. Easy to hold back forever. ###Nice groups. ###And is very very quiet. ###But I have to warn ya be prepared for sticker shock. ###It took two days to revive me after I added all the items needed to set it up.
I bought a Champion Storm last season and couldn't have been more pleased. Great manufactured bow with a great warranty. I fixed it up with a zero effect and just love it.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks