New Bow Time - Poll Included

[WapitiTalk1]

OK, it may be time to push my old Alpine to backup duty. It's been a great bow, has done its duty, but I'm gonna treat myself to a new hunting bow at some point this winter . I already have a bow manufacturer/model in mind but am curious to what the WT members would consider getting if "you" were in the market for a new arrow flinger. What are your considerations for a compound hunting bow (please do a brief post on what you feel is important when shopping for a new bow)... price point, weight, brace height, where its made, rated speed, looks, feel when holding/shooting, etc.?

OK, poll is above. Please choose your top two manufacturers you would look at if you were in the market for a new hunting bow.

[Rangerz]

I voted for the Elite. Not the fastest out there but a smooth shooter with a great back wall.

[WapitiTalk1]

I voted for the Elite. Not the fastest out there but a smooth shooter with a great back wall.

Yes sir, I have two hunting buddies with new Elites and they both love them.

[lamrith]

I voted for the Elite. Not the fastest out there but a smooth shooter with a great back wall.

Yes sir, I have two hunting buddies with new Elites and they both love them.

:cough: ELITE E32! :cough:
Sportco in Fife should have them in stock for you to give a test drive.

[Fridaythe13th]

I went with Matthews because the local shops are great and I can't say that for the other name brand bows

[jmez]

I'd go with a carbon Hoyt. My last three bows have been carbon and I don't see myself ever going back to an aluminum riser. They shoot different and have a different feel to them, something you have to experience to appreciate. Once you have shot one you can tell a distinct difference from aluminum.

I haven't shot the new PSE carbon but haven't been real impressed with their other stuff but it would be worth a look as well this year.

I don't buy flagship bows the first year they are released. I'd rather not be a beta tester for the bow companies.

I'm kind of torn on the newer Hoyt. One of my primary concerns with a bow is durability. I am not a fan of the past parallel shorty limbs with the huge cams. Hoyt has now went that direction. Backcountry hunting is hard on bows and the cams take some abuse, I don't like it when they are the size of dinner plates.

Personally I won't buy a bow that doesn't have a yoke system. I like to tinker and tune and a yoke system has much finer adjustment than the binaries. I don't want to have to remove the axles and shim the cams to tune the bow. I know the system works but I'd rather have yokes to twist. IMO they are far more adjustable.

I look at shootability/draw cycle/forgiveness and durability as the main attributes. I don't care what the speed of the bow is. I can adjust my sight to match.

[lamrith]

I look at shootability/draw cycle/forgiveness and durability as the main attributes. I don't care what the speed of the bow is. I can adjust my sight to match.

Great points Jmez!

Bow Weight: I have a Bowtech CK and now the Elite E35. For a hunting bow, never underestimate how nice it is to have a Carbon bow, may "only be a pound", but think about that. People spend hundreds of dollars in gear to lighten their packs that they carry on their backs by 1/2 a pound so that it is easier to hike in and out with. Dropping from 6# to 5# ready to hunt is big and adds up when you are carrying a bow in your hands all day long. Some of the new carbon bows also shoot pretty dead in the hand as well.

Draw cycle: This to me is probably one of the most important factors and plays into shootability and forgiveness to some extent. 3 years ago I could not feel the difference in draws between bows. Now I can and that is why when I shot the E35 I had to have it. Draw is a huge factor in how a bow feels and also how high of # you will be able to draw. My E35 is a 60-70# bow, the CK is a 50-60#, for me the E35 at higher poundage is more enjoyable to draw and shoot than the lower power CK due to that draw cycle. I have not shot a Hoyt Carbon, and better not just in case they are buttery smooth too, I can't afford another bow!!

Based on limited number of bows I have shot my dream bow would be a CK with Elite E35 cams. Light, short ATA bow with a buttery smooth draw. Now look what you guys did, got me thinking about a new bow when I just bought one 3 months ago!

RJ, you need to call around and see who has a number of brands in the 50-60# range that you can try out side by side. I wish the Elite was easier to change draw length on, I would let you shoot mine, you are welcome to shoot the CK for comparison but I think you would be better served with an Elite if you are going to buy something new.

[Tigger]

I think you should focus on the bows that are advertised the most and bring about the most prestige to own. Face it, as the owner of WT, you are now a celebrity and image is everything. You cannot and should not own anything but what is the latest craze. How they shoot is fairly irrelevant as I am not sure you will actually shoot an animal with it anyway, so it is all about how you present yourself. In addition to the bow, I think you should check out LL Bean to update your hunting duds. I hear they make some in style of "skinny jeans" which I think would fit the persona you need to project. Face it, a bow for you is not about practicality, but all about vanity. Risers, cams, carbon...hogwash! It is all about keeping and increasing your celebrity status!

I hope I have been some help to you in your search for a bow! That paragraph was hard to write on a number of levels!

In all seriousness, this is how I picked out my bow. I went to a big archery shop and told the guy to start handing me bows with my eyes closed. I pulled them back and the one I liked best I bought. It was a Matthews Z7 Extreme. Pretty darn scientific! But I love it and am happy with it.

[lamrith]

I think you should focus on the bows that are advertised the most and bring about the most prestige to own. Face it, as the owner of WT, you are now a celebrity and image is everything. You cannot and should not own anything but what is the latest craze. How they shoot is fairly irrelevant as I am not sure you will actually shoot an animal with it anyway, so it is all about how you present yourself. In addition to the bow, I think you should check out LL Bean to update your hunting duds. I hear they make some in style of "skinny jeans" which I think would fit the persona you need to project. Face it, a bow for you is not about practicality, but all about vanity. Risers, cams, carbon...hogwash! It is all about keeping and increasing your celebrity status!

I hope I have been some help to you in your search for a bow! That paragraph was hard to write on a number of levels!

HAH! Well played Tigger, well played

In all seriousness, this is how I picked out my bow. I went to a big archery shop and told the guy to start handing me bows with my eyes closed. I pulled them back and the one I liked best I bought. It was a Matthews Z7 Extreme. Pretty darn scientific! But I love it and am happy with it.

The Ultimate blind bow test as it were. I like that idea, though can be $$$ I hear good things about those Z7's

[WapitiTalk1]

HAH! Well played Tigger, well played

I think you should focus on the bows that are advertised the most and bring about the most prestige to own. Face it, as the owner of WT, you are now a celebrity and image is everything. You cannot and should not own anything but what is the latest craze. How they shoot is fairly irrelevant as I am not sure you will actually shoot an animal with it anyway, so it is all about how you present yourself. In addition to the bow, I think you should check out LL Bean to update your hunting duds. I hear they make some in style of "skinny jeans" which I think would fit the persona you need to project. Face it, a bow for you is not about practicality, but all about vanity. Risers, cams, carbon...hogwash! It is all about keeping and increasing your celebrity status!

I hope I have been some help to you in your search for a bow! That paragraph was hard to write on a number of levels!

That's one Wapiti Talk demerit for each of you two jokers . If you receive a second demerit, I'm gonna change your avatars to an image of my choosing for one week (think Minnie Mouse and My Little Pony images)... .

[lamrith]

HAH! Well played Tigger, well played

I think you should focus on the bows that are advertised the most and bring about the most prestige to own. Face it, as the owner of WT, you are now a celebrity and image is everything. You cannot and should not own anything but what is the latest craze. How they shoot is fairly irrelevant as I am not sure you will actually shoot an animal with it anyway, so it is all about how you present yourself. In addition to the bow, I think you should check out LL Bean to update your hunting duds. I hear they make some in style of "skinny jeans" which I think would fit the persona you need to project. Face it, a bow for you is not about practicality, but all about vanity. Risers, cams, carbon...hogwash! It is all about keeping and increasing your celebrity status!

I hope I have been some help to you in your search for a bow! That paragraph was hard to write on a number of levels!

That's one Wapiti Talk demerit for each of you two jokers . If you receive a second demerit, I'm gonna change your avatars to an image of my choosing for one week (think Minnie Mouse and My Little Pony images)... .

That's a Gig for Bean!



And Gigs mean trouble.

[Tigger]

What? Here I am, just offering up my best knowledge trying to help you out in your time of need....I am starting to get the impression you didn't like my advice Exactly how do you expect to succeed in Hollywood if you don't take said advice? I would have thought you would have shown some gratitude!

[JimKirk]

I shoot a bear but have been interested in a mathews no cam or something from the bowtech line

[Ben Nicholson]

I'm primarily a stick bow shooter, but I did recently purchase a new compound. I got a Bear Arena 34.
Man is it a sweet shooter! Good luck in your quest.

-Ben

[Backyard]

Ive owned and used for quite a few years each PSE, Darton, and currently an almost Mathews: Mission. I like it. Its fast,smooth and not too heavy. But I think if I were to purchase a new one in the near future Id try a Hoyt. They seem to be a well put together bow Light , fast and not too spendy.


Aim small.
Dave

[ishy]

I shoot an old Bowtech Tomkat for it's 8.5" brace height and still has decent speed. I can wear my bulkiest winter clothes and have never had a clearance issue. I haven't been shopping, but looks like bigger brace heights are fading away and I rarely see any over 7" anymore.

[Lefty]

May this year,.. or two or three down the road
My Switchback shoots fairly good, Ill buy what ever I can, a good used or some special the local shops have

[JJ Overkill]

youll never guess what bow id recommend rory. PSE just released their 2017 line up. The new carbon air 32 and 34 look very interesting. They changed the cam design drastically and came out with a binary cam of sorts which includes two differnt mods for letoff. The one everyone is talking about is a 80 - 90% letoff. Im considering the 32 for this yr since they discontinued my bow. Colorado hunter on A/T has had the carbon air since this past spring and absolutely loves it. With a mass weight of 3.2 lbs and shooting at 340+ fps what else could you ask for. Me personally i wanted it faster but thats just me. I do know of a shop were everyone was shootinghthe cabon hoyts, after shooting the carbon air they all ordered the CA. But the best advice i can give you is to shoot as many bows as you can and see which one speaks to the best. Good luck.

[WapitiTalk1]

Holy catfish Jeremy, PSE is darn proud of those new Carbon Air bows

[Rangerz]

Some states have/used to have let off restrictions. Might want to double check.

[CurlyTail]

I tried to like the Elite
I tried to like the Hoyt Carbon Spyder

But I bought a Hoyt Nitrum , because it felt the best to me. Admittedly , I am a novice archery guy. But I cant believe how good I can shoot my bow , and how few tuning problems that I have encountered. You can probably get one at a steep discount now, as it was last years model.

[JJ Overkill]

Holy catfish Jeremy, PSE is darn proud of those new Carbon Air bows

Oh trust me i know. Im looking forward to getting one but dreading it at the same time.


Rangerz, youre right about the letoff restrictions. The states im familiar with is an 80% letoff max. Now with that said, when was the last time you've seen an warden check the percentage of let off. Im personally going to see how the 65% feels and at the lightest go with a 75%.

[stringunner]

No one talking about the Matthews Halon 5,6,7?

Admittantly I have shot a Matthews for the past 20 years. I'm definitely retiring my SBXT this winter. I have been down shooting the Halon 6 and both No Cams. I prefer the Halon to the No Cam. Want to try the Halon 7 as it has a longer brace height than the 6 but you loose some speed. Most guys are saying the 7 isn't much different to the 6.

Next week I'm going to try Hoyts. The bow shop I'm at only carries Hoyt, Matthews and Bowtec.

Waiting to see what changes, if any, Matthews comes out with to the Halon in November before I pull the trigger. And still need to shoot the Hoyt for comparison. If a Halon comes out with a 32" a2a I might just order one on the spot. There is talk about a carbon Halon (probably just rumor) but if so, I might have to wait another year just to try that one. As someone else mentioned above I don't want to test drive one in the first year a flagship bow comes out.

All that said, I only buy a bow about once every 10-11 years so it's got to be the right one.

[Tigger]

My brother has the Halon 6 I believe and loves it! The only problem so far is that it isn't oozing good luck. He had a big 5X5 bull at 40 yards.....but a teeny weeny tree was in the way. He had a 150" whitetail at 40 yards.....but a branch was in the way. So my advice to all new bow shoppers is to do you good luck dance with the bow in hand and see how it responds.

[Yooper]

I really wanted to like the Halon, but to me, it just felt too blocky in my hands. It's balanced well, but not what I wanted to tote around in the mountains. I had visions of those huge cams taking a beating. If they come out with a more streamlined version of the Halon I'd highly consider it.

Another brand that you don't have listed that I'd like to get out and shoot is Prime bows. The Rize is nearly perfect in specs for what I'm personally looking for.

[jmez]

I've heard good things about the Halon. Haven't shot or handled one. I'm not a fan of the AVS cam system.

[Game Planner Maps]

I picked up an APA Mamba 34 this summer. Shoots sweet, has good speed, great draw, nice and light, and you dont need a bow press to work on it. Price isn't bad either.

[JJ Overkill]

i just got my pro staff book from pse. I finally had a chance to look at all the 2017s. I know the price is up there for the carbon bows but also look at the evolve 32 and 34. The same cam system thats on the carbon ECS bows without the big price. There is a little more weight to the bows but still has the option of 80-90% letoff. There are a couple more that are interesting. Personally im curious to see which bow is smoother to draw. The new pse or elite. Before if i knew someone had a bad shoulder i would tell them to look into an elite due to the smooth draw cycle and long valley. Now im not sure until i get one in my hands to see for myself. I have a feeling its going to be really close.

[husky390]

Holy catfish Jeremy, PSE is darn proud of those new Carbon Air bows

No doubt, and it looks almost like a Hoyt.

I voted for Elite and Hoyt. I have a 13 Answer and it's very pleasant to shoot though I do like my PSE Full Throttle. One big advantage of the carbon bows over aluminum is they don't get cold. Now that the old Hoyt Carbon Element/Matrix bows have dropped in value to my comfortable price range, I'm going to try and pick one up.

[82ndreddevil]

Poor Diamond bows, nobody wants them.

[>>>---WW---->]

Asking everyone what they shoot or would like to have doesn't mean all that much. Try several out and pick the one that feels the best to you. Honestly, none of them are worth the price they ask for them.

[WapitiTalk1]

Honestly, none of them are worth the price they ask for them.

No trout about that! Ridiculous prices on some of the big name brand bows.

[mottlet]

I went down this road over the summer. I shot Mathews, Elite, Prime, Xpedition, and BowTech. I walked out with a Mathews Halon 6, with the Elite Impulse 34 a close second. Some may not like its chunkiness, but I like a girl with some curves and a little beefiness in my risers, I guess. Didn't have any problems toting it all over an OTC unit in Colorado in September and killed my first elk. Word of my new bow's deadliness has now spread from the westslope all the way to northern Virginia, so much so that I can't get even a single whitetail doe to come within forty yards of this sexy killing machine.

I shot bows in the pro shop for two and a half hours, talking about bow hunting and my upcoming elk trip while the staff handed me bows, set up rests so I could shoot other bows, and offered advice. When I walked in, I was sure I wanted an Elite but walked out with a Mathews. Go shoot em. One'll find you.

[Steve O]

I've not shot a compound in 15 years. I'm having an incredibly severe case of target panic with my stickbows. I decided I better start over so went to Kodiak in August and killed a big Sitka Blacktail with my rifle (have not rifle hunted in a decade), then came home and tried out all the top end compounds. Those Elites are a couple feet per second slower than the fastest Hoyt or Mathews but those bows are HARSH. The Elites are smooth as butter on the draw and solid on the back. I'm glad I shot all three side by side. It was an easy decision to get the Elite Impulse 34.

[lamrith]

I've not shot a compound in 15 years. I'm having an incredibly severe case of target panic with my stickbows. I decided I better start over so went to Kodiak in August and killed a big Sitka Blacktail with my rifle (have not rifle hunted in a decade), then came home and tried out all the top end compounds. Those Elites are a couple feet per second slower than the fastest Hoyt or Mathews but those bows are HARSH. The Elites are smooth as butter on the draw and solid on the back. I'm glad I shot all three side by side. It was an easy decision to get the Elite Impulse 34.

Nothing beats shooting/drawing bows back to back. Preferably all at the same shop and not having to drive across town to try different models/brands. That can be tough to accomplish it seems as most shops tend to specialize in one of the big brands, maybe two. Only shop off the top of my head that carries at least 3 is Sportco in Fife. Elite, Bowtech for sure and I am pretty sure Matthews? Most shops seem to carry one premier brand and then a second "sub brand" (like Diamond is the econo line for Bowtech)

I started with a Parker Velocity 3 yrs ago now, my 1st every compound bow. Nice solid shooter that I cut my teeth on and got the archery bug with. At some point when I was in a shop having it tuned I shot a Diamond Carbon Cure. The release on it was really nice and it was much faster bow. 6 months later I stumbled on a steal of a deal on a Bowtech Carbon Knight. I ran out and shot one at a shop and then snagged it and sold the Parker. I never shot them back to back, and I was a new shooter so at that time I did not notice any difference in draw, but the CK felt better on release, more crisp and less vibration, it was a clear better shooting bow. HOWEVER I did have to adjust my grip, the parker has a rounded grip, the CK is flat sided, I was inconsistent with the CK and took me a few weeks to realize I was torquing the bow. I tried open hand and did not car for the feel of it so I eventually moved to a "OK" type of grip. I touch tip of pointer finger to point of thumb like making the "OK" sign and never looked back. The CK shot well and I liked the draw and shot, but I never stacked arrows quite like the parker did.

Fast forward 2years, I was prepping for the 2016 season and considering going up to 70# limbs, so I kept an eye on various forums. Had an Elite E35 pop up for a really good price, contacted the seller and he agreed to bring it to my home and let me shoot it. It took ONE shot for me to love it. I had shot my CK earlier in the day and could tell the E35 was a smoother draw and shot, but not just how much as it had been 30-40minutes. I kept the CK as a backup thru my early archery season (E35 was purchased <1month before hunt) and while in camp one day drew both bows back to back for the 1st time. The difference was very noticeable in the draw when I got to draw both within a minute of each other. That CK had a pronounced spike in the draw cycle right before it dropped into the window I had never noticed until I got to draw a smooth bow like the Elite. The elite starts high and just drops into the window, the hard part of the draw is where your hands are closer together and you have strength versus late in the draw, this makes it just very smooth. That can be nice for those with bad back/shoulders :cough: RJ :cough: The E35 I picked up is actually a 60-70# bow and I drew it @ 70# which I had never done before and is a testament for how nice they draw. Sorry did not mean to pimp the Elite, or maybe I did... Now that the season is over I have sold the CK, the Elite is here to stay and I have no desire (for now) to shoot any other bow.

The moral of that drawn ( thank you thank you I will be here all week...) out story though is that if you can, find a place that has as many brands and models as possible so you can compare them head to head for a real comparison of what you like. Someone mentioned testing eyes closed and that is a great idea, get the brand and looks out of the equation, let your arms/shoulders tell you which one is the one for you.

[Dr. Rx]

honestly they are all about the same.. i think you just got to shoot them all to get a true feel for the one you like..

i love my hoyt nitrum 30... compact, light, and powerful..

Kris

[dotman]

I voted Elite. Now I have only shot Hoyt for the last 6 years but a good friend is a bow whore, he buys between 3 and 4 new bows each year. Historically he has been a huge Hoyt guy but he loves the new Elites and just picked up a Mathews Halon, he really likes the Mathews but has said he has never shot a bow as smooth as the Elites.

Now you need a accessories poll, I vote Hameska pro hunter rest and MBG Accent Verdict single pin. Loving my new single pin and no longer having to deal with a cluster of pins just set it to 35 yards and you pretty much are good from 20 to 40 yards.

[WapitiTalk1]

New bow ordered

[Elkhntr08]

Do tell? What did you get?

[WapitiTalk1]

Do tell? What did you get?

Got this anti elk weapon on the way. Call me a rebel

http://www.dartonarchery.com/store/!/Ma ... 3D13445436

[Elkhntr08]

When I hit the link, a xbow came up. My heart almost stopped. Then the bow loaded. Good looking bow. Used to be big in this area, no dealers around any more.

[WapitiTalk1]

Yep, when you go to that link, it temporarily shows a Xbow and then the actual bow will pop up. I started archery hunting with a Darton in the mid/late 70s, had another one in the early 90s, and have came back full circle to Darton. They used to be big out west of the big river but over the years, they became virtually absent from pro shops, replaced by the big three name brands. A little known fact about Darton is that they are one of the oldest and most innovative bow manufacturers in the business. In fact, they collect royalties from some of the big/commercial bow brands due to them using quite a bit of Darton's technology over the years. Anxious to get the new bow, set it up, and fling some arrows.

[pointysticks]

assuming you're one of the guys that keep a bow a long time:

i vote Hoyt. go big..go CARBON. i would love to have yokes to tune..to learn that method.

i shoot an Elite now and there is no denying the smoothness, but i shot an Hoyt and it was no jumpy slouch either. if it were me, i would be shoot a carbon hoyt with a 34" ATA. it would be a great western bow.