I need a new bow

[tstowater]

I'm anticipating that I am going to do an archery elk hunt next year. I haven't bought a bow for myself for over 20 years. I bought a Bowtech Diamond for my 14 year old son a month ago and had $500 tied up before I was done. That was a little sticker shock as I know that "adult" bow are higher yet. Older bows were 70lb.-31 inch draw using fingers. I know that the technology is on a complete different planet and not quite sure where to begin.

I want a sound setup that is forgiving. Needs to be reliable as much as anything. I know Matthews are probably good, but dont' want to pay the freight so all their "prostaff" can go hunting. I am not looking to spend a huge pile of money, but I expect that something decent isn't going to be cheap. By the time you buy a release, arrows, broadheads, quivers, etc., the bill can add up. I would rather do it right the first time than get cheap and cut corners (and later wish I didn't).

Would appreciate suggestions. Thanks for the input.

 

[Estvold7]

I send you a PM

 

[OR Archer]

Give the new Mission Ballistic a hard look. I'm VERY impressed with this bow. Smooth draw, good speed, and its ACCURATE!!. Bare bow price is only $499, but it shoots like a bow that costs twice as much.

 

[OR Archer]

Hers a little video review my coworker did on the Ballistic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N_lxMNoRZ0

 

[Lawnboi]

My suggestion is to wait for the new lines to come out.... which will be soon. Then go to archery shops in your area and shoot all the big dawgs bows.

PSE, hoyt, matthews, bowtech, ect...

Anyone telling you to buy "X" bow is selling you short. The only way to know what you like is for YOU to go shoot them.

Could even find a deal on this years bow since the new ones are coming in, If price matters to you thats a big bargaining chip on your end.

Regardless of weather you want to wait for the new lines to come out or not, i would go to a few shops in your area and shoot as many bows as you can. Picking one out of the blue only based on what a few guys said on a forum is the easiest way to be dissappointed.
Find a good shop as well! Nothing worse than buying a bow from one shop then having to deal with shoddy customer service. Shop around, and have fun!

 

[Maxhunter]

Totally agree on your comments!

My suggestion is to wait for the new lines to come out.... which will be soon. Then go to archery shops in your area and shoot all the big dawgs bows.

PSE, hoyt, matthews, bowtech, ect...

Anyone telling you to buy "X" bow is selling you short. The only way to know what you like is for YOU to go shoot them.

Could even find a deal on this years bow since the new ones are coming in, If price matters to you thats a big bargaining chip on your end.

Regardless of weather you want to wait for the new lines to come out or not, i would go to a few shops in your area and shoot as many bows as you can. Picking one out of the blue only based on what a few guys said on a forum is the easiest way to be dissappointed.
Find a good shop as well! Nothing worse than buying a bow from one shop then having to deal with shoddy customer service. Shop around, and have fun!

 

[tstowater]

Lawnboi: I agree with what you are saying, but what should I be looking for besides the broad concepts that I had in mind earlier (forgiving and reliable). Arguing brands of bows is like arguing brands of trucks, rifles, optics, etc.--sometimes just personal preference. I kinda knew that the new models were coming out or will be out soon and so the 2012 that are left might present a good value in the right shop. Ultimately, I want a bow that I can draw and shoot at 60 yards (after sufficient practicing) and feel confident that I will hit my target. Don't plan on shooting that distance, but want to be able to if circumstance dictate. Maybe I am trying to figure out what makes the different bows different.

 

[landont20]

tstowater: I highly encourage that you shoot a bow from Elite Archery. I don't own one, but I shot one last year and was very impressed. Smooth, accurate, QUIET. Brand new they are pricey, but their warranty is very similar to that of Vortex Optics (unconditional, lifetime). They don't care if you get it at a garage sale, if it has their name on it and something is wrong with it, they will fix it. Also, they have what is called the "hunters warranty." If you are hunting and something happens to your bow, they will overnight you a bow with the same specs as yours so you can finish out the hunt. Again, they are pricey, but because of the warranty I wouldn't hesitate to get a used one. They are at the top of my list when I start looking for another one. Good luck on finding one. The search is half the fun!

 

[Lawnboi]

All the top end bows now will preform.... as long as you do. As far as reliability, all the top dogs come with great warranties. Im a hoyt fan partially because of thier well known reliability. The hard part is finding a good shop to do any warranty work when its needed.

As far as forgivness goes. With your gorilla arms i personally would want something with a little longer brace height, and a little longer axle to axle. But on that note again, just about all the top end bows out now adays (even short ata and brace height) are going to be pretty forgiving and preform as long as your form is good. The shorter the brace height, the longer your arrow is on the string, theoretically making any mistakes on your end have greater effect. As far as ATA the longer bows tend to hold a little better than the short ones in my experience.

Your right with the truck statement! all about what you like. And i agree with you on the concept of getting what you want right away! Thats how i try to buy everything now.

Another thing i would suggest is to try a release, especially if you shot fingers in the past. A release will make things a whole lot easier imo.

A good shop with good employees should be able to explain to you in more detail about the differences. But if you like to know what is what before you walk in the door, like I do. I would highly suggest reading around and searching on (dare I say it) the archery talk or bowsite forums. There is alot of valuable information on bows on those sites after filtering through all the garbage. I am by no means an expert bow tech, or an expert archer, iv still got alot to learn, but those sources have helped me understand tremendously

 

[SDHNTR]

Buy used if you are on a budget. Look at the classifieds on archerytalk.com. Otherwise figure on $1500+ for a well set up bow and accessories.

 

[RosinBag]

New Houts will be out in less than two weeks. They always have a great mid range bow

 

[dotman]

I'm anticipating that I am going to do an archery elk hunt next year. I haven't bought a bow for myself for over 20 years. I bought a Bowtech Diamond for my 14 year old son a month ago and had $500 tied up before I was done. That was a little sticker shock as I know that "adult" bow are higher yet. Older bows were 70lb.-31 inch draw using fingers. I know that the technology is on a complete different planet and not quite sure where to begin.

I want a sound setup that is forgiving. Needs to be reliable as much as anything. I know Matthews are probably good, but dont' want to pay the freight so all their "prostaff" can go hunting. I am not looking to spend a huge pile of money, but I expect that something decent isn't going to be cheap. By the time you buy a release, arrows, broadheads, quivers, etc., the bill can add up. I would rather do it right the first time than get cheap and cut corners (and later wish I didn't).

Would appreciate suggestions. Thanks for the input.

Carbon Element is a smooth shooting bow but crazy expensive. If you are close to La Porte, IA go talk to Dave at Double Lung archery and let him know Tim from KC sent you, great guy and a cool little shop with tons of inventory, he carries Mathews, Hoyt, Elite, PSE and a few others. He also deals in bows so usually has a good selection of used bows. After the new bows start to come out his used selection gets good.

Dave is a good guy and will deal with you especially on his left over 2012, I drive from KC (5hrs) everytime I get a new bow and his customer service is awesome. Just let him know what your looking for and shoot a few bows.

Here is his website http://www.doublelungarcheryinc.com/

 

[Titaniumman]

I have several friends who are shooting Bowtech Assassins. Very nice bow without the top of the line sticker shock. I shoot a Bowtech Destroyer 340 @ 60 lbs. Best bow I ever shot. Fast, good brace height and a smooth shooter. If you can find one used it would be worth a serious look in my opinion.

 

[jmez]

I would look for something in the 35 inch ATA range with at least a 7 inch brace height. Don't get caught up in the IBO speeds on the bows, you want shootable and forgiving then a speed bow isn't the answer.

Most all the companies are going to have offerings with those specs so go out and shoot a bunch of them. They are all going to have a different "feel" to them, from company to company. If not wanting to spend an arm and a leg, most of the big manufacturers offer a cheaper line of bows that are very good products. Don't let someone talk you into anything, pick the one that feels right.

A ton of really good used bows to be had as well. Unless it is an Elite it won't come with a warranty. Likely you wouldn't ever need it but is a consideration. One year old bows that were $900 last year will sell for $500 this year when the new ones come out.

 

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

You definitely want a longer axle to axle bow with your long draw. That will really help the bow feel more stable and be more forgiving. Buying used will save you a TON of money... However, if you don't get exactly what you need you can also end up with a lot of issues trying to fit draw length, draw weight, etc...

Since you've been out of the loop for a while I would consult with a good pro shop that carries at least three of the top brands... Hoyt, Mathews, Bowtech, PSE and shoot as many different bows as you can. You'll fall in love with something. Don't pay much attention to advertising, just go in with an open mind and you'll find a bow that suits you best. Pro shops will generally set up and get everything dialed in for you for free if you buy from them - that's why most of the major brands are pro-shop only - they know you'll get good service with your purchase that way.

Pretty much all the major companies have excellent warranties and you know they will be around if you ever have to use that service, so I would look to one of them for that reason considering this will likely be your bow for quite a while. Sometimes the pro-shops have used or consignment bows also and that can be a really good option.

Coop

 

[JNDEER]

You need to get around and shoot some bows. Shoot a lot and do not just go to a shop, hit up the box stores as well.

All the talk about long brace heights and long ATA are assumed. Everyone is different. I have a 31" draw length (shoot at 30" though) and love to shoot shorter ATA and currently shoot at 32"

When I went through the same thing (without the budget) I shot every bow I could find. All brands/models at BPS and everyone in two different archery shops. It took some time, but that is what I did. I picked my top 4 and shot them together until I picked the best one for me.

 

[Evan Williams]

WAIT for the rest of the 2013 bows to hit the market!!!!

 

[tstowater]

Finally had a chance to shoot a few bows today. Tried a Bowtech Assassin and a Matthews X7. Both very nice bows and could be tack drivers, but lots of difference in how they feel as the prior comments said. The Assassin was definitely a shorter ATA and brace height and a 'harder' draw vs. the smoother Matthews with the longer ATA and brace height. The Assassin was a 2013 model and the Matthews a 2012. I see that bows are measured different these days as I am a 29 inch draw length in today's bow language. Man, they are all fast and fun to shoot. Almost feels like an unfair advantage compared to the ones of 25 years ago. I'm guessing that this is somewhat addictive. No decision yet as I need to look some more. Open for thoughts and comments.

Thanks, Todd.

 

[barmar65]

Todd, if you have a darton dealer near by test drive a ds-3800. Not as well known as the others, bit certainly a top of the line bow.