Bow advice

[Eagle Eye]

Archery headquarters has excellent customer service. I shoot hoyt crx 32 and love it. hoyt has discontinued the rampage xt so you won't find them in the stores anymore. Mathews is a great bow but for my short draw length hoyt was a better bow for me to get more speed

[gauchoand]

Well there are a few things that I have learned. I didnt stick with my first bow long. Lets be honest how much do you really know about what you want. So heres a suggestion:

 

Looking back I would have bought my first bow as one I knew would hold its value the best. Let me say : "I DO NOT think Mathews are the best bows" but I know they hold their value the best due to the huge fanbase. I have bought and sold almost every mathews out there. Hands down you will loose the least money while you "Figure" archery out. The other side of this coin is sooooo many people love and worship their Mathews that its likily you will like it from the get go and stick with it. Either way its a good way to go. Currently have a Rytera. Favorite bow ever was PSE x-force 6hf. Favorite Mathews was the Legacy. Favorite Bowtech was the Allegiance. Hoyt never owned one they look ugly.

 

Next someone said stick to Archery talk for used accessories. Im 100% with him I spend a lot of time over there and there are lots of good deals to be had. But know what your buying do your research.

 

Someone said buy a good rest (Ultrarest or Ripcord) I agree. I'd just like to add stick with something thats full capture like those two it will make learning easier.

 

Someone said a 7 pin site. Uh..... why..... hes learning not trying to win the triple crown. KISS ( Keep It Simple Stupid) is what I say. A good 5 pin is good enough I started with a 3.

 

I like Bear Mountain I just like the guys I deal with at the archery counter. I dont know as much as they do but at least they dont make me feel dumb.

[6ANut]

Wow you guys are all great I will be they Guy at the archery counter with cwt open reading this post cause like gauchoand I know just about zero when it comes to bows. I will be shopping around on Saturday. Have a merry Xmas all of you.

[CaptSam]

I would recommend you read up on bows on AT, figure out which one(s) you like and find a shop that carries them, then shoot 'em. I think a comfortable grip is very important, if it don't feel good, move on, because you if you have to focus on getting that right feel every time you draw that string, you're not going to feel confident.

I got back into archery for years, then got me my first bow since I was a kid, which was a Parker. It was a nice bow, kill lots of animals, but wanted to up grade to a speed bow. I narrowed it to a Hoyt, Bowtech, and Mathews (bows carried in my area).

Some of my hunting buddies told me to go with the Bowtech Invasion. I shot it and it was nice but felt weird, and the draw cycle was harsh. Shot the Hoyt bows and liked them, but the one I like was out of my price range, the Carbon Element. I tried the Bowtech Destroyer 350, and I couldn't believe how well I shot it and the grip felt good. This bow was very easy to tune, for me anyway. Never shot the Mathews, don't care for the hype, but that is me.

Good luck in your search.

[elpepe25]

the handiest pieces of equipment to have when testing bows is a blindfold and a large bale target. No hype, no bs, just feel.

[mattys281]

As you've already seen, every single archer has a different opinion as to which brand & even which model is the best. I'll throw in my .02 as well.

 

I've killed three deer with archery equipment in the last 5 years & the one thing I can tell you from my experience is this: for a late season archery hunter, the bow is probably the least important link in the chain. Dang near all the new ones shoot great & fast, there's no need to drop huge coin on one. Diamond Archery, Bear, Mission & many others make great shooting, mid priced bows. Then, of course, there's also used equipment.

 

I've been shooting the same bow for 3 years now (Diamond Black Ice) & have been investing in better clothing, optics & trail cameras, things that get me closer & keep me comfortable so I can stay out longer. You can't hunt if you're shivering your butt off 3 hourst into an all day sit. If you're spot & stalk hunting, you now need to get within probably 60 yards or less (depending on the archer, I've killed at 80). That's a world of difference compared to setting up at 300+ & taking a high-powered rifle shot. Better glass will not only help find a trophy, but also help you find all those does & smaller bucks that are between you & your trophy, not to mention evaluate the land better.

 

For me, my prioritization of gear goes: 1.) clothing, 2.) glass, 3.) Weapon. But that's just my opinion.

[WinMag]

All these talks about the newer bows are making me feel dated with my Hoyt Magnatec. Go see Randy at Archery HQ great bow shop with great service.