why Hoyt.....

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why Hoyt..... UPDATE

Looking to have an honest conversation about why so many people choose Hoyt. My reason for interest is I just won a raffle at a 3d shoot for a custom order Hoyt. So I just ordered a Pro defiant to my specs. Having never shot a hoyt I went down to the bow shop and shot both the carbon defiant and pro defiant before ordering. Now a little back history, I have never had any interest in shooting a hoyt simply because that is what so many people shoot and swear is the best. Me I never buy into hype or listen to people with strict brand loyalty. I don't want to be a cool kid lol. I feel like anyone who puts out social media or videos all shoot hoyt, so hoyt must be giving those things away. That said I know there are a lot of real serious archers and bowhunters who shoot hoyt. Looking for the why......

In all honesty, I was let down shooting he hoyts. Could just be a personal feel thing (im used to shooting a prime rival, but have shot Elite, Bowtech, mathews and now hoyt). The hoyt felt like pulling a spring into a sponge( for lack of better words) and was not as dead in the hand as my prime.

Im going to give the Hoyt an honest chance once I have it and hope to love it. Not trying to make this about bow bashing, just looking for reasons why Hoyt is the most popular bow, if not for their flashy looks, excessive marketing, and name recognition.
 
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Grumman

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I finally switched to Hoyt from Mathews when I got a Carbon Spyder ZT. That bow just seemed to fit me really well. Before that I shot the new flagships every year from most of the manufacturers and the Hoyts just weren't my pick. Now that I have shot it a bunch the Hoyts are what I am used to. Hoyt's carbon line has helped the brand popularity I am sure.


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HuntHarder

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Hoyt, like Mathews does a great job of advertising and sponsoring shooters. This, in turn, creates the illusion that Hoyt is the bow to get. In reality, everyone looks for something different in a bow. I much prefer a dead in the hand after the shot and smooth draw. I have yet to find a hoyt that has both of those attributes. Some guys think they do, others do not. It is all in the eye of the beholder. I switched to Mathews 2 years ago, and like the bow, but I am not in love with it. Just seems like the bow companies are all so close to each other in quality and advancements, that it really comes down to very small details to sway one from one brand to another. Social media is really starting to become one of the bigger factors IMO. Advertising and sponsorships are swaying a guy that might be on the fence, then he sees a guy that he follows shooting one and hypeing them up, so that gives him that last little push.
 

SunShine

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I've owned and shot them all big league.

I was a PSE guy I'd say most my life. I started back with Hoyt with an Alpha Max, then Went Carbon with the Matrix, 2 Elements and my favourite the Z cam Turbo Carbon Spyder.

I prefer a string stop instead of a limb stop. I've listened to top shooters say they prefer this too.

The mushiness might be you are a "tweeter" cam 2-3. You were probably set up on a 3 @ 28-29 inch draw. It's mushy. Drop down a cam to a 2 and it's stout. Not like a dead end street limb stop but plenty hard enough to hold on.

I'm not a fan boy nor will I say Hoyt is the best and the rest junk. But I'll choose a Hoyt first right now, biggly.


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I am fairly new to bow hunting, so a bit of a different perspective than most who have years of shooting and brand experience. I bought my first bow two years ago. I went into my bow shop which is primarily a Matthews dealer, but has other brands. I did the Pepsi challenge across 6-8 flagship level bows. I ended up coming down to a carbon spyder turbo and a nitrum. I went with the turbo.

I offer that anecdote because I feel like advertising had something to do with it but the bow shot and felt better for me.

Now, due to some issues just before season this year that actually involved some very solid warranty help from HOYT, I decided I wanted to own 2 bows. I just pulled the trigger on a Defiant pro 34.

The first bow was based on a novices assessment of across the brands. Number 2 is honestly a lot to do with brand loyalty based on how my first bow performed and how the warranty service was handled. At this point, not only am I a HOYT fan and advocate, I would have to have a really good reason to take a risk on another brand. And it is unlikely I will be in the market again soon.
 
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OP
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i am a 29 1/2" draw, right in between a #2 and #3 cam. I ordered a #2 cam so that I would be at the top end rather than right at the bottom. not sure what cams the test bows had, but I expected a smoother draw thats for sure. Not that it was tough to pull, it just felt like pulling on spring tension rather than a fluid unwinding cam.
 

MattB

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No reason to shoot a bow you have already decided you don't like. Get it and sell it on Ebay.

Lot's of guys shoot Hoyt because they make a very high quality bow - much like why guys use Swarovski, leica, Mystery Ranch, or Kifaru.
 

excaliber

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I've shot a few bows starting with a High Country Excaliber with the hatchet cams and recurve limbs, a few Mathews bows, Prime and Bowtech and ended up with a Hoyt Spyder 34. I never liked the looks of the Hoyt riser and that was why I didn't even want to shoot one. I also thought that Hoyt's were all hype. After all how good could they be?

I went to my local shop and tried the Hoyt Spyder 34 when it came out.

To me it was so much smoother and stable than anything I'd shot up to then. The bow just held perfectly for me. It wasn't the fastest bow in the world but just felt perfect ( 72 lb 28.5" DL #2 cam 412 gr arrow 296 fps)
I've never ruined so many arrows as I have with this bow. It didn't take long to realize I couldn't shoot at the same spot on the target. I'd never had any Robin Hoods until I got this bow. It's unreal how accurate it is.

None of my other bows were anywhere close to this accurate for me.

I think it's the bow mostly with a small % to the shooter. I wish I would have shot the Hoyt bows many years ago.
 

DEW0341

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I personally was up for a new bow. Went to shop shot bowtech's, mathews, Hoyt, elite and bear. The new defiant 34 is what I got back in nov 2015 just felt the best I don't care about names. I'm waiting on this years line of bows to come out I may be purchasing a new one specifically a PSE with the EVolve cam I love it. But we shall see


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OP
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No reason to shoot a bow you have already decided you don't like. Get it and sell it on Ebay.

Lot's of guys shoot Hoyt because they make a very high quality bow - much like why guys use Swarovski, leica, Mystery Ranch, or Kifaru.

tell me why hoyt is very high quality? I know they advertise they are the highest quality but why? because they dry fire them a butt load? I'm one of those guys, I run swaros and kifaru.
 

HookUp

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Ford, Dodge, Ram, and Toyota. Get what feels comfortable and drives good. I did hear Brian Call of Gritty Bowman say the new Hoyt he is shooting isn't as forgiving as his last bow. He didnt name it but he was shooting a bow tech. I have shot Hoyt defiants and it didnt feel like the one to me, doesnt mean i wont shoot one occasionally just to see if the newer models arent the glove that fits.

I have shot all the newest flag ships and am still happy with my 2015 Bowtech Prodigy.
 

kodiakfly

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No reason to shoot a bow you have already decided you don't like. Get it and sell it on Ebay.

Lot's of guys shoot Hoyt because they make a very high quality bow - much like why guys use Swarovski, leica, Mystery Ranch, or Kifaru.

Agree on all. I've shot Hoyt since the early 90's. And I've worked in several pro shops over the years so I've shot most of the brands and models available when I was working in those shops.

tell me why hoyt is very high quality? I know they advertise they are the highest quality but why? because they dry fire them a butt load? I'm one of those guys, I run swaros and kifaru.

For me, it's always been a few things. Back in the 90's it was fit and finish of the bow. Hoyt, High Country, and PSE were all really nice bows and it was small stuff...like paint overspray or the hardware they used on the cams or the cable guard. I think Xi (anyone remember Xi?) made good bows, but I just didn't like their final product. You could pick up a Hoyt and it just felt and looked like a classier bow. And when the Superstar hit the market in 94 it was game over! But that was over 20 years ago. Now there's so many awesome bows out there that are all top quality. I'd be hard-pressed to find a bow company that I could call junk in today's lineup, and the lineup is bigger than ever before. So today why do I still shoot Hoyt? A few reasons. I shoot them because their quality and fit and finish has remained uninterrupted for as long as I've known them. I shoot Hoyt because they never claim to be fastest. Claiming to be the fastest is hype. I shoot Hoyt because you have to go through a Hoyt dealer to get one. I like that dealer model, like Stihl chainsaws. It means some telephone operator at Bass Pro can't sell you a Hoyt. I shoot Hoyt because they haven't gone "tactical." They don't have picatinny rails or a tactical paint scheme. I just think it's classy to not have to appeal to the ninja or SEAL Team 6 crowd. But that's just me. And Hoyt has just done me right. Same as Chevy has, same as LaSportiva has, same as Easton has, same as Leica has, same as Kifaru has. It's not hype if they can back it up. And a lot of bows can, sure. But so can Hoyt. So me just liking Hoyt for a couple decades isn't hype when I've been happy with the quality and product and have tried other bows and none were that much more significant to pull me from Hoyt. I might be saying the same thing about Bowtech or Mathews or Elite if one of them were the first bow I shot, but Hoyt was my first bow and it's my bow now.
 
OP
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Ford, Dodge, Ram, and Toyota. Get what feels comfortable and drives good. I did hear Brian Call of Gritty Bowman say the new Hoyt he is shooting isn't as forgiving as his last bow. He didnt name it but he was shooting a bow tech. I have shot Hoyt defiants and it didnt feel like the one to me, doesnt mean i wont shoot one occasionally just to see if the newer models arent the glove that fits.

I have shot all the newest flag ships and am still happy with my 2015 Bowtech Prodigy.

yea you notice how once he made a name for himself, all of a sudden he when from being a Bowtech fan boy to shooting a hoyt. leaves me suspect lol
 
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I had three hoyts. Magnatec, first new bow, I was ~16 and it was 2002 and I saved money and got it. Killed deer, shot the poo out of it and eventually wore it out. Alphamax, awesome bow and regret selling that one. CRX32, never shot well, didn't like it. So that left me on the hunt for a new bow. I shot all the flagships, no bias, I was going to buy the one that fit me. Ended up being an Obsession DefCon6. Still have this bow and still love it. Have friends with carbon hoyts and I do not covet those one bit. One poster hated on limb stops but for me, they rock.
 

SquidHC

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I went into the shop after shooting the same old Bear package bow for 6 years knowing only that I was possibly interested in carbon (tired of cold hands) and that I might try a longer axel to axel bow because I hunt wide open spaces. Ended up purchasing a Defiant 34 because I liked the draw cycle and release feel the best of all the flagship bows. Only regret was not waiting to order one in Ridge Reaper camo; damn instant gratification.

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Brendan

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I've shot PSE, Hoyt, Bowtech, XPedition. But, the PSE probably wasn't new enough so I can't really count it.

I loved the bowtech primarily for the OD Binary cam and it's tune-ability and being able to adjust cam lean of both top and bottom cams. Hybrids like Hoyts are almost as good in that department.

I like the Carbon riser for when I'm sitting in a deer stand in late December.

I like the fact that I can use the limb stop, or just the string stops on the Defiant.

For me - I'm at the bottom edge of the #3 Cam on my Defiant Turbo - which gives me a bow that's pretty damn smooth and forgiving for a bow with that speed.

And - I beat my bow to shit all year. Shoot it a bunch, use it hard, don't baby it in a case. I replace strings at the beginning of every season, but other than that I haven't had an issue.

I would like to try a Prime and some of the newer Bowtechs for curiosity sake. But - Hoyt has worked for me, so until I find something that really is better for me, switching is a little bit of a risk just to try something else.
 
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All I'm gonna say is I've shot Hoyt's for around 20 years until buying my Reign 7. My new Hoyt CD 31 is for sale and I have a 2016 BTX in route for a second bow.
I personally think Hoyts cam system may be behind the times.
 
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i think we just get used to the feel of certain bows and it's hard to make a change. i've shot elites for a few seasons now and earlier this year bought a used hoyt to see what the hype was about and i couldn't get into it. it was a perfectly fine bow but i couldn't transition. it would probably be the same if i handed a hoyt guy one of my elites. that banana grip and locked up feeling at full draw would probably put them off.
 

Pramo

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I was a huge Hoyt guy for 10+ years and still have a 2014 CST that is a great bow but the new cam system really turned me off. I do all my own work and the thought of buying press adapters and not being able to use my bow master in a pinch was enough to give up on Hoyt. I'm also not sure what they fixed? I have never seen a target bow with limbs that past parallel so I can't imagine it's helping much except string angle which was never a problem for me if I used a 33+ inch bow.

I picked up a Prime Rival for under $600 new and could not be happier with it.
 
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I'm a Hoyt fan boy forsure. I like the durability of Hoyts and their limbs. They are a solid tough bow. I also like the cam and half system. Very easy to tune for me
 
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