Hard time picking a bow

[AaronBlaine]

Hey guys I keep going back and forth on which bow to purchase.  At first I was all about the PSE Dream Season DNA which goes for $899 the bow has tremendous power and a fps of around 320 depending on the grain.  However I heard it has no valley and very little creep.  Then I came across the the bow tech experience $999.  Field and stream gave it there number one pick and it seems to get great reviews all over.  However its not very fast for the price they are asking.  It seems to come across as a very well balanced bow.  I know a lot of this comes down to preference and I will make sure I shoot them before I make my decision however then comes number three which personally I fell in love with the looks of and light weight which would be the CARBON KNIGHT! Im sorry but this is one sweeeeeet lookin bow! If I was a ninja I would be shooting this bow for sure its cool as hell!  Seems to have some great reviews so I dunno guys let me know what u think!

 

 

 

[Arrow Flinger]

Shoot as many as you can before deciding on one. Do not buy one without shooting it first. I see so many guys selling bows a month after they buy them because they didn't shoot them first. Personally, I would not buy a Bowtech because they seem to have let the customers do their quality control for them in the past and would not stand behind their crappy finish issues. I have not heard of any problems with this years models though. Don't buy a bow cause it looks cool, buy it because it feels perfect to you when you shoot it! Do yourself a favor and check out the Elite lineup and also the Bear Motive.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I second that. Shoot every bow you can get your hands on before you buy. Most good pro shops will have them rigged up to shoot, or can rig one for you to shoot. Once you figure out the one that feels best, go on Archerytalk and buy one thats a few months old from someone and save yourself some cash. Guys on there will shoot 100 arrows through a bow and sell it to buy something else.

[shawnhu]

I'm all for a great deal and buying online most of the time, but I feel that if you use the resources of a local pro shop(testing out different bows), I'd give them first dibs on my business. If there's a bow I wanted, and I can get a new one for a great price, I'd offer the shop to see if they want to match that price. It is then their choice to have me as a customer or not. Give them a chance. Support your local pro shops. They may not be there when it comes time for your kids to try out those bows you got a chance to.

[Chromeslayer]

Not that speed kills but most guys are seeing roughly 10fps over Ibo rating on the bowtech experience

[shawnhu]

Not that speed kills but most guys are seeing roughly 10fps over Ibo rating on the bowtech experience

10fps faster than IBO? Did their marketing team screw up or something?

[F-150]

First and foremost start with a bow that feels good in your hand. Don't go crazy on the draw weight a bow at 50 pounds will kill a deer as well as a 70- 80 pounds. If your sitting in the stand on a very cold day you don't want to struggle to pull the bow and risk scaring away your deer. Look at a bow as a long term investment, theydon't reseell for much. I get much more pleasure from shooting and hunting with the bow, than the gun.

Edited August 26, 2013 by F-150

[NFA-ADK]

Great advice.  Don't worry about speed, get a bow weight that is easy to pull and hold and any new bow will work for target or deer.  Forget about how it looks, how does it feel when drawing, release point and back wall, brace hieght.  Does the grip feel good in your hand?  Does it vibrate when shot?  How is it's balance, how about with a 3 arrow quiver? 

 

I recommend using a shop as they are very advanced pieces of equipment that require string changes, D-Loops if used and some times they need to be adjusted causing the need of a press...  They have arrows, releases, arrow rests, arm guards, fletching, glue, tips, broad heads and many other tools and equipment and hopefully the knowledge to help you out...   Good luck!!!

[asav2013]

Iwent from a Hoyt to a Mathews to a pse now have a bowtech experience , Mathews... Junk..hoyt junk. Pse was fast but real stiff hard drawing bow, wanted to jump out ot your hand, grip was odd and very cold on cold days, my experience well I am disappointed with the speed to say the least, but what it lacks in speed it makes up for in its shoot ability, wicked smooth , easy,drawing good valley, let off is incredible, pulling 62 pounds and im only holding 11-12 pounds at full,draw, its quiet, I'm shooting my best I ever have with this bow, but I can say is bowtech comes up with something faster but as shootable as this bow next year ill be on it but I may go for an insanity for a 3d bow, but the experience is a bow hunters dream,the carbon night doesn't appeal to me, I dont like parallel limb bows , good luck with your choice and I agree big time with shoot as many bows as you can and become confortable and pick which suits you best, ( just kidding by the way with the Hoyt and Mathews being junk I just couldn't get a feel for my Hoyt or my z7 extreme, pse does have the fastest bows on the market but the draw stiffness becomes a problem on stand, good luck!

[TheTruth2]

It's all preference. Some like this brand some like that brand. Shoot them all and decide yourself don't base it off of others ideas.

[sweet old bill]

speed means nothing, try several bows and the one that feels great in your hand is the one to buy. It also may not be the top one  in the brand. I find the cast riser Hoyt is one of the best around for being a good hunting bow at a price in the $600 range., and also  is the Mathews $500 hunting bow, this one also has lots of draw length and draw weight adjustments so it is a bow that can grow with the younger archers.

[jesse.james]

Speed difference is minor. Try an elite hunter or answer and thank me later. Would have taken #1 in the field and stream ranking had it not come in at the bottom in speed although 326 ibo is nothing to scoff about.

pulling 72 on the elite felt like 55 or 60 on my mathews monster. Extremely solid back wall. And thing was whisper quiet on the shot.

Edited August 26, 2013 by jesse.james

[WNYBuckHunter]

Iwent from a Hoyt to a Mathews to a pse now have a bowtech experience , Mathews... Junk..hoyt junk. Pse was fast but real stiff hard drawing bow, wanted to jump out ot your hand, grip was odd and very cold on cold days, my experience well I am disappointed with the speed to say the least, but what it lacks in speed it makes up for in its shoot ability, wicked smooth , easy,drawing good valley, let off is incredible, pulling 62 pounds and im only holding 11-12 pounds at full,draw, its quiet, I'm shooting my best I ever have with this bow, but I can say is bowtech comes up with something faster but as shootable as this bow next year ill be on it but I may go for an insanity for a 3d bow, but the experience is a bow hunters dream,the carbon night doesn't appeal to me, I dont like parallel limb bows , good luck with your choice and I agree big time with shoot as many bows as you can and become confortable and pick which suits you best, ( just kidding by the way with the Hoyt and Mathews being junk I just couldn't get a feel for my Hoyt or my z7 extreme, pse does have the fastest bows on the market but the draw stiffness becomes a problem on stand, good luck!

 

Perfect example of why you should shoot as many as you can before buying one.

[Fantail]

What is the ata on each? I mean I don't need to know but something to consider if you are going for a shorter bow.

[AaronBlaine]

thanks guys Im checking them out but I think I am going to make a stop off at my local pro shop!

[HuntOrBeHunted]

I would look at a bunch of last years models. It sorta sucks buying a bow right before the season, and right after seeing the same bow for 150 or more cheaper.

 

 

Good luck with you're purchase.

[F-150]

congrats, your making a wise move a good archery pro shop can watch you shoot and probably recommend a bow best suited for your style. Don't be afraid to ask questions , will you still hunt ,stand or ground blind hunt.? A satisfied  customer is their best advertisement.

[AaronBlaine]

I am planning on hunting from a tree climber. Any good climbers you guys swear by?

[TheTruth2]

Summit open shot. Easily one if the best on the market for bow hunting

[Sogaard]

If its your first time using a climber, you might be more comfortable in a Summit Viper, or something with a front bar.  I found it a lot easier to get up and down than one without.

[thphm]

Bow = the one you are most comfortable with and can hold at full draw for at least a minute ( or more ).

Tree stand = one that is sturdy and does not woble when you move around and one that has a swivel seat. ( buy extra 1" 0 load biders to make it more secure.

And by all means buy a good safety harness and strap.

[NYbuck50]

ill say this as a hoyt guy..  I've never seen anyone shoot an Elite, and not be absolutely in love with it. 

[jjb4900]

you'll drive yourself crazy if you start looking at too many bows.........most pro shops are dealers for certain brands and will push whatever they sell........settle on a price range and stick to looking at bows that fall into what you're willing to spend........find a company with good customer service and go with them. A lot of the reliable company's have bows to fit everyone's need and budget.

[jjb4900]

and even if it cost's a little more and it's your first bow, buy from a pro-shop, any shop who cares about their customers should bend over backwards setting you up and pointing you in the right direction......the shop I use gives a year of free range usage with a new bow purchase, worth about $200.00.

[shawnhu]

and even if it cost's a little more and it's your first bow, buy from a pro-shop, any shop who cares about their customers should bend over backwards setting you up and pointing you in the right direction......the shop I use gives a year of free range usage with a new bow purchase, worth about $200.00.

Sounds like smith point.