ok so sales pitch me......

[Robhuntandfish]

I gotta know what makes a $900 bow that much better?  

Now i primarily bow hunt so i would drop that much on a bow as i spend way more time with that in my hands than a gun.  I have a 2 year old Bear that i just love.  Its light, quiet and i heart punched a doe at 35 yards last year with it.  So why is a Matthews etc $900 and my bow was $400?  what is the difference. I have never shot a high end bow and just wondering what the advantages are.  Or is it like a gun where a savage is $400 and a Blaser is $3000 and they are both MOA but one is just a name brand and pretty and just maybe a more solid build?  Just curious.  I do want to go to a sporting shop sometime and shoot another bow to see what they are like.  But from you folks that might be using them all the time ... what is the upgrade?   thanks 

And the new Mathews Triax seems to be a beauty for sure , but i really do like my $400 Bear.  

Edited August 22, 2018 by Robhuntandfish

[WNYBuckHunter]

Shoot some high end bows and you will see. I started out thinking people were nuts for shooting high end bows, and Id buy lower or middle of the road ones. Every year I had consistency issues, constantly re-tuning them, etc etc etc. Then I shot a few high end bows, and everything about them was better. Draw cycle, vibration (or lack thereof), build quality and just the way they handle. I figured out what worked best for me, and bought a 1 year old Hoyt Maxxis 35 on the ArcheryTalk classifieds from a guy that swapped out his bows every year. I got it for half of what a new one costs, and it even had custom strings/cables and a couple of other goodies on it. I have owned it since 2011, and have had it tuned twice, and have had no issues that I can think of. My shooting has been far more consistent since I started shooting it as well.

You dont have to drop a grand on a high end bow unless you just have to have the very newest model out there. The next time Im ready to buy, I will go shoot a bunch of bows, figure out what I want, and then stalk the AT classifieds until I find the right deal on one.

[G-Man]

less weight, better quality ,and better materials, less vibration , less need of tuning, more comfortable in grip amd weight distribution. . i stopped with low end bows and have only bought 2 higer end bows since 95. a mathews mq 32. and then a drenalin when they came out.i still have and use both. i only bough the drenalin when it came out due to horizontal limb tech compared to the more vertical limb mq32.  tech hasnt changed enough since then to warrent me buying a new one yet. 

if money is an issue then buy a used year or teo old bow..some people just need the newest and teade in bows all the time they are often significantly less but nothing is wrong with them. myself this is hard to do as im left handed and they are a bit harder to come by.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Without a doubt  your bow and the high enders will get the job done. A Volkswagen beetle and a Ferrari will both get you to the grocery store as well. I've never had the ability to shoot the distances I do consistently until I stepped up and got the Hoyt Carbon Element when they first came out. I had the money and shot it and it just fit. I was shooting a buddy's and with his release I was in the vitals at 40 yards consistently. And it wasn't even set up for me. The balance was amazing before during and after the shot. Open handed and it still sat on my bow hand

[moog5050]

Good advice by John.  I loved buying and selling compounds on AT.  Probably owned more bows in my first 3 years of hunting than most will buy in 2 lifetimes.   Buy em a year or more old and you can get top of the line for 1/2 price and not lose anything when you resell it.  Is there a difference, yes.  Is it worth $500 more for that difference - personal choice.  Both will get the job done on deer.  I found some high end bows (ex. my first bow was a Helium - had no valley to speak of) I really didn't like either so best to shoot one if you can before buying.  If you like your bear, no need to "upgrade" either.

And Rob, if you want to question your sanity, think about paying $2500 or so for a stick and string recurve.  lol  Makes the triax seem like a steal.

[Marion]

First off if you are between matthews and bear keep the bear and then eventually get an ELITE. They are branded such because they truly are Elite and the best ever. I'll be an Elitist for Life!

You Can't Beat My Meat!!!

[Steve D]

I recently went to a local archery shop to "look" at a sight I was looking to buy. They didn't have what I was looking for but he showed me a comparable one at the price of $200.00. After looking at the sight he says "and I also have the perfect bow to put it on". He showed me the Mathews Triax and let me shoot it.

 I must say it is a very nice shooting bow, super smooth and zero vibration at the price of $899.00.  I explained that I was current shooting a Mathews Solocam and was pretty pleased with it. He proceeded to educate me on the advantages of the Triax blah, blah, blah. So when I asked if he would consider a trade in on my Solocam he balked and stated as a rule they don't take trade ins.

 So basically he wanted me to drop $1100 on a bow and sight and would also have to purchase everything else such as arrows, quiver, rest, etc. Easily $1500.

 I would rather be like Cochise and go carve a new one, have the squaw chew me a string for it, than drop that kind of change.

Absolutely crazy.

[dbHunterNY]

10 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

.....And Rob, if you want to question your sanity, think about paying $2500 or so for a stick and string recurve.  lol  Makes the triax seem like a steal.

as simple as one is though the difference in stacking and drawing on a custom recurve versus a cheaper one is crazy. they're faster somehow too. a good bowyer turning out custom bows is like a magician in my mind. being an engineer i understand materials and limb dynamics. still... magician. 

[WNYBuckHunter]

Heres an example. $575 for a Mathews Halon X ($1300 retail)

https://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5500081

[Robhuntandfish]

just did a little online and was surprised to see on a search for best rated bows - there wasnt a matthews to be seen on any of the lists.  There were several Bear bows which i have always used .  Bear also has high end bows avail.  So guess sometime i need to shoot some to see how they are.  Have heard a lot about the Elites as well being real nice.  Just my new bow is so light and quiet just seems hard to believe there are so many that are double the price. http://bestcompoundbowsource.com/bear-archery-attitude-review/http://bestcompoundbowsource.com/#10

Edited August 22, 2018 by Robhuntandfish

[dbHunterNY]

all bows have qualities and weak links, even in name brand expensive side of it all. higher end bows are usually easier to tune, have better materials, and have improved design. design being cams, risers, etc. a good bow riser will be light but solid in all the right places. when you shoot it there's minimal flex and it's only in the right planes.  cams and risers together will afford straight nock travel from full draw to rest both up and down and left to right. then like others said it'll have minimal vibration, all things equal will be quieter, and will "pop" less in your hand... this is without adding stuff.

[WNYBuckHunter]

12 minutes ago, The Jerkman said:

First off if you are between matthews and bear keep the bear and then eventually get an ELITE. They are branded such because they truly are Elite and the best ever. I'll be an Elitist for Life!

You Can't Beat My Meat!!!
 

One should actually shoot as many different bows as they can, and choose based on what feels and shoots better. Not just what brand name is stamped on it. Elites are great bows, but not for everyone. I shot a couple of them when I was shopping, the Hoyt was a better fit for me.

[Marion]

One should actually shoot as many different bows as they can, and choose based on what feels and shoots better. Not just what brand name is stamped on it. Elites are great bows, but not for everyone. I shot a couple of them when I was shopping, the Hoyt was a better fit for me.

Yes I totally agree. Definitely should shoot as many as you can within your budget. You should shoot both the high end and the lower end of your budget and everything in between. You may just be surprised. Also I love my Elite! It's a 2012 Hunter and I'll likely not get a new bow for a very long time. Part of the reason why I am afraid to shoot new ones is I can only imagine how far bows have come in even a short 6 years since mine was made. Any better than what I have and it may just be cheating at that point

You Can't Beat My Meat!!!

[moog5050]

The only compound I have owned since I went primarily to trad bows 3 years ago is an obsession.  So quiet and dead in hand with like 85% let off, I have a hard time comprehending how it could be improved.  I always liked elites and some bowtechs too.  It becomes personal preference at some point.

Edited August 22, 2018 by moog5050

[Steve D]

5 minutes ago, WNYBuckHunter said:

One should actually shoot as many different bows as they can, and choose based on what feels and shoots better. Not just what brand name is stamped on it. Elites are great bows, but not for everyone. I shot a couple of them when I was shopping, the Hoyt was a better fit for me

I absolutely agree. It doesn't matter what brand you shoot as long as it is comfortable to shoot, fits the way you want and shoots the way you like. You have to have one that "fits" and hopefully will recognize it when you wrap your arms around it

Edited August 22, 2018 by Steve D

[WNYBuckHunter]

7 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

just did a little online and was surprised to see on a search for best rated bows - there wasnt a matthews to be seen on any of the lists.  There were several Bear bows which i have always used .  Bear also has high end bows avail.  So guess sometime i need to shoot some to see how they are.  Have heard a lot about the Elites as well being real nice.  Just my new bow is so light and quiet just seems hard to believe there are so many that are double the price. http://bestcompoundbowsource.com/bear-archery-attitude-review/

Be careful what reviews you are looking at. The one you posted is 3 years old. The review is also titled "Best compound bows for the money", not best bows.

[moog5050]

9 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

just did a little online and was surprised to see on a search for best rated bows - there wasnt a matthews to be seen on any of the lists.  There were several Bear bows which i have always used .  Bear also has high end bows avail.  So guess sometime i need to shoot some to see how they are.  Have heard a lot about the Elites as well being real nice.  Just my new bow is so light and quiet just seems hard to believe there are so many that are double the price. http://bestcompoundbowsource.com/bear-archery-attitude-review/http://bestcompoundbowsource.com/#10

A lot of those online "best" reviews are sponsored and typically have only the bigger name brands.  Not what I would call reliable. 

[Robhuntandfish]

1 minute ago, moog5050 said:

A lot of those online "best" reviews are sponsored and typically have only the bigger name brands.  Not what I would call reliable. 

that does make sense for sure!  trying them is def the way to go.  Noticed that when i was shopping for a crossbow.  See something online and then heft it and not like it at all.   thanks 

[Robhuntandfish]

4 minutes ago, WNYBuckHunter said:

Be careful what reviews you are looking at. The one you posted is 3 years old. The review is also titled "Best compound bows for the money", not best bows.

yeah it was the one with the year of my current bow.  But yeah def need to heft one.  Everyone that i know that has bought a Matthews has been very happy with - so was surprised not to see them listed.  Gotta go shoot em and see.  Thanks 

[rob-c]

I am going to kinda go against everything everyone else has said. Are higher end bows made with better materials yes, but in the end it’s usually not the bow but the Indian that determines how well one shoots. 

When my wife and I were shooting indoors (around 10 years ago ) there was a guy I worked with and he would pound X’s all night every time we shot. Bunch of the other shooters would get on him about if it weren’t for his newest Mathews that he wouldn’t be shooting as well as he did. Well he brought in a 94 Hoyt super slam and proceed to finish the rest of the indoor season with it and his scores never changed.

Can a higher end bow help with improving ones shooting,  sure. But if one is shooting and grouping well then why change.. 

[WNYBuckHunter]

3 minutes ago, The Jerkman said:

Yes I totally agree. Definitely should shoot as many as you can within your budget. You should shoot both the high end and the lower end of your budget and everything in between. You may just be surprised. Also I love my Elite! It's a 2012 Hunter and I'll likely not get a new bow for a very long time. Part of the reason why I am afraid to shoot new ones is I can only imagine how far bows have come in even a short 6 years since mine was made. Any better than what I have and it may just be cheating at that point

You Can't Beat My Meat!!!
 

They actually havent come that far in that time. Speeds are pretty much maxed out, and have been for a while. There will have to be some type of engineering and design leap at this point to get more speed out of them. The last 5-6 years have been companies playing around with gimmicks and working on weight and vibration tweaks. My 2010 Hoyt isnt a speed bow, but it pushes a hunting arrow over the 300 fps mark, is very quiet and dead in my hand. I shot a Hoyt Carbon RX1 Ultra, which is similar to my bow, in axle to axle and brace height, and it was not much different from mine. a bit lighter, as its a carbon fiber riser vs aluminum, but overall it felt very similar to shooting my bow.

[WNYBuckHunter]

4 minutes ago, rob-c said:

I am going to kinda go against everything everyone else has said. Are higher end bows made with better materials yes, but in the end it’s usually not the bow but the Indian that determines how well one shoots. 

When my wife and I were shooting indoors (around 10 years ago ) there was a guy I worked with and he would pound X’s all night every time we shot. Bunch of the other shooters would get on him about if it weren’t for his newest Mathews that he wouldn’t be shooting as well as he did. Well he brought in a 94 Hoyt super slam and proceed to finish the rest of the indoor season with it and his scores never changed.

Can a higher end bow help with improving ones shooting,  sure. But if one is shooting and grouping well then why change.. 

You just compared an older high end bow with a newer high end bow lol.

[Robhuntandfish]

I really do love my current bow and its sure been a killer and shoots well for me and dont plan on any changes soon.  But i do a lot of bowhunting and when i bought this bow it wasnt overly expensive and it was a great upgrade from my bow that was 5 years old. But def am curious to shoot them to see what the difference is.  I always stuck to Bear bows and will have to try there top line too.  I really liked the Bear Empire that was out a few years ago but didnt buy one.  But always curious about the high end bows.  I have a $900 gun that i barely use - bows i def get my money out of them!

[steve863]

5 minutes ago, rob-c said:

I am going to kinda go against everything everyone else has said. Are higher end bows made with better materials yes, but in the end it’s usually not the bow but the Indian that determines how well one shoots. 

When my wife and I were shooting indoors (around 10 years ago ) there was a guy I worked with and he would pound X’s all night every time we shot. Bunch of the other shooters would get on him about if it weren’t for his newest Mathews that he wouldn’t be shooting as well as he did. Well he brought in a 94 Hoyt super slam and proceed to finish the rest of the indoor season with it and his scores never changed.

Can a higher end bow help with improving ones shooting,  sure. But if one is shooting and grouping well then why change.. 

 

And then shooting at game is a completely different ballgame also.  Plenty of expert shots at the range can't hit anything in the hunting fields.  Same goes for gun shooters.  Why spend $1,500 on a bow when you can miss that deer just the same with a $300 bow??  LOL

 

 

 

[G-Man]

1 minute ago, Robhuntandfish said:

I really do love my current bow and its sure been a killer and shoots well for me and dont plan on any changes soon.  But i do a lot of bowhunting and when i bought this bow it wasnt overly expensive and it was a great upgrade from my bow that was 5 years old. But def am curious to shoot them to see what the difference is.  I always stuck to Bear bows and will have to try there top line too.  I really liked the Bear Empire that was out a few years ago but didnt buy one.  But always curious about the high end bows.  I have a $900 gun that i barely use - bows i def get my money out of them!

if you lijed the older model find a used year old one. tech hasnt changed most things are maxed out with out new materials or some radically innovative design coming out any high end bow last few years is about the same