Is a Flagship Bow Worth It?

[BoilerBowHunter]

Hi all,

I have been mulling this over in my own head but don’t have the resources (friends and family) to debate this sort of thing with. I am primarily a whitetail hunter with aspirations of elk hunting every 2-3 years (building points now). My whitetail shots are typically <20 yards based on my setups; I could see scenarios where a 30 yard shot was achievable. I would ultimately like to be proficient out to 40 yards for Western hunting. I am somewhat limited in my ability to practice long range because I live in the city, so I don’t think it’s practical for me to be proficient past 40 yards due to space constraints and what that does to my ability to practice.

My question- is buying a flagship/$1,000 bare bow worth it? Or is that really more for people pushing the limits on performance more than I will? I am sure a top line Mathews is smoother than a $500-600 bow from other name brands, but is the increased accuracy <40 yards noticeable? I understand much of this is likely personal preference, but I am looking more for insight on the performance aspect. As much as I would love to own a top of the line bow, I am inclined to think that I could have a standard bow from a reputable brand shooting similarly out to 40 yards and have that extra $500+ to spend elsewhere.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

[OutdoorAg]

What I've done, and enjoyed doing, is buying 3-5 year old flagship bows.

Then you're right in the $500-$700 range for the bare bow, unless its something that gets a cult following and goes for more.

So for the Mathews brand example, go find a Vertix, or VXR, or Halon. Don't overthink it. Don't go shoot it next to something brand new. Just know that a few short years ago it was THE thing to have, and it still has plenty of life to be a killer out to your 40 yard example. And beyond. Well beyond.

 

[crich]

Same thing goes for $2k rifles vs a tikka. If your even contemplating if its worth it Id buy a few year old flagship bow and get after it. The differences are so minute aside from a couple revolutionary features. They all shoot great and will smoke deer and elk no problem. Just depends on what you want and what you want to spend.

 

[BoilerBowHunter]

What I've done, and enjoyed doing, is buying 3-5 year old flagship bows.

Then you're right in the $500-$700 range for the bare bow, unless its something that gets a cult following and goes for more.

So for the Mathews brand example, go find a Vertix, or VXR, or Halon. Don't overthink it. Don't go shoot it next to something brand new. Just know that a few short years ago it was THE thing to have, and it still has plenty of life to be a killer out to your 40 yard example. And beyond. Well beyond.

Best ways to get your hands on a used Mathews in your opinion??

 

[MuleyFever]

Best ways to get your hands on a used Mathews in your opinion??

When I have wanted to sell a bow I sold on Archerytalk forum. Have not been there in a while so not sure how it is now but lots of stuff for sale over there when I looked.

 

[Miflatlander91]

Archery talk classified. I've bought a few year old flagship bows over the years and saved a few 100 dollar bills. In my opinion really nothing new has happened in the last 4-5 years you mentioned mathews I'd look for a halos or newer buy it and shoot it the deer and elk won't know a difference

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

 

[CApighunter]

Archerytalk, buy last years flagship model for half or less of retail. Gotta have money ready to go and be quick to jump on the deals, paid $700 for my RX4 Ultra a few months back when the RX5s came out.

 

[Miflatlander91]

Archerytalk, buy last years flagship model for half or less of retail. Gotta have money ready to go and be quick to jump on the deals, paid $700 for my RX4 Ultra a few months back when the RX5s came out.

That's a deal!

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

 

[OutdoorAg]

Best ways to get your hands on a used Mathews in your opinion??

Same as others are saying - Classifieds here or Archery Talk.

If you watch the Archery Talk forums for a few weeks, you will get a good idea of what the diff model bows go for. And then you can have your money ready.

IMO, bare bow prices, depending on condition...

Halon: 550
Vertix: 650
VXR: 750
V3: 850

Take that number up and down by $50 depending on a variety of factors.

 

[BoilerBowHunter]

Appreciate the insight gents.

For those with experience with both types of bows - do you think the performance <40 yards is noticeable? And if so, why? Is there just better overall balance that allows for improved accuracy?

 

[Miflatlander91]

I don't think there's enough difference in a new bow todsy and a bow made 5 years ago to notice out to 80 or 100 yards let alone 40

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

 

[Billy Goat]

There's little difference in these bows anymore. Tuning is different from bow to bow, but they all shoot great. Balance and grip styles change. A slower ibo bow is generally easier to shoot, but it won't push the numbers that a speed bow will.

I still have a Bear Kuma hanging on a peg that I keep as my backup. Has more handshock, not the purdiest, but it shoots as good as any other hunting bow I have had. Nothing has surpassed the fps of it by more than 2 fps either. It works, and works well. Embarrassed many on a 3d course with it too.

 

[bojangles808]

theres a buy sell mathews facebook group that i joined as I was looking for deals on bows. this time of the year lots of guys are posting their grip n grins. what was refreshing was to see just how many guys are still killing deer with bows from 3, 5, 8, 10+ years old. just find something that fits you and fire away don't worry about having the latest and greatest, deer don't know any better. that said your best bet is a used bow loaded with premium accessories. I like buying on ebay bc I feel I'm more protected and they are very buyer friendly if item not described.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

Buy a switchback xt for 300 and some other quality optics or pack.

 

[sndmn11]

I think if you listed out 5-10 qualities in a bow in order of importance, you could get a 20 model list to go seek out from the used market.

I think speeds have been plateaued for a while, ease of tuning has been the biggest stride the last handful of years.

 

[big44a4]

As others said get a 1-5 year old flagship for cheap new or used! Many people upgrade every year so great deals can be found in the $300-600 range depending on brand/model/year. Just remember may need to account for new strings on a used bow when you get it as well as paying a shop to setup/tune if you can’t do that yourself. Check classifieds and check pro shops around you.

 

[dreamingWest]

IMO flagship bows tend to be more forgiving with less noise, and are easier to tune/work-on. But I've never owned a mid-range bow and made the leap from budget bows a long time ago. The new mid-tier stuff looks great.

I may be selling an Elite Kure soon. First I'm going to see if my nephew wants it. I like rotating through bows and testing what different companies offer.

I agree with planning to buy new string and cables if buying used.

 

[JBiggs]

Buy a switchback xt for 300 and some other quality optics or pack.

That or If you can find a Z7 extreme!!! I would set your price you want to spend and find every bow you can get your hands on and shoot them and what ever feels the best/shoots the best for you buy it!

 

[Drenalin]

I don't think there's any reason you couldn't be perfectly happy with a $500 bow. Go to a pro shop and shoot as many as you can until you find the one that feels best to you. I think arrows and broadheads are more important than the bow, once you get out of the absolute bottom of the barrel model bows.

I also don't think a flagship bow is always a bad idea. When I started bowhunting, I started with a really cheap entry level bow. After a couple of years, I decided I wanted something better and ended buying a new Mathews Drenalin, which was top of the line then (maybe 12 years ago?). I spent the money on the bow, good accessories, good arrows and broadheads, and then I hunted with it for 10 years until an old shoulder injury finally forced me to give up bowhunting. For me, that bow was an investment and ended up being well worth it. That said, a significantly reduced 2-3 year old model accomplishes the same thing with a little less pain up front.

 

[isocyanate]

40 yards is literally nothing for any bow made by one of the big names in the last 10-15 years. Think Hoyt, mathews, pse, etc. The difference will come from things like sights, releases, tuning, fit, and training (in ascending order probably).

But if new is what you want, go scratch the itch. Have fun. It’s only money.

I have a switchback xt that I simply adore, so while the new bows are measurably better in every way, that little bow still puts a smile on my face. Won’t go shoot a new one, because I might have to have it.