what bow do you shoot?

[JGaruti3]

I started going to the range by my house.  The guys there are really in to the PSE bows.  I was thinking about buying the Nova bow.  They said it was a great bow for beginners.  Anyone shoot that bow?

How many bows do you all have?  I'm sure some of you might be in to buying bows just like you are in to buying guns.

[Doc]

Early on I had Ben Pearson, Shakespeare, Wing, Damon Howatt Super Diablo and two Bear recurves, and then bought my first compound ..... a butt-ugly bear whitetail which by the way probably still holds the record for the most deer I've taken with a single bow.

My first quality compound bow was a PSE Citation. I shot that for a few years for hunting and field archery and then bought some 40# competition limbs and rebuilt the whole bow giving it a new fancy paint job (of course that made it shoot better scores). Then I bought a PSE Laser for hunting. Both PSE bows were exceptional for the time as far as being top of the line, high performance bows. Of course, I was getting into the mode where I had to always have the best ..... ha-ha, so I bought a Bear Tamerlane for tournament shooting and then started making my way through Golden Eagle, pro-line, and finally up to the Mathews MQ-32 that I still shoot today. Oh yeah, I won a Ben Pearson compound as a door prize when Jim's pro-shop first opened up on route 332. He's in Manchester now. That one I gave to one of my sons who needed a new bow at the time.

But I must say that the early PSE bows treated me pretty good and I was always a fan, but I simply couldn't stay with one manufacturer (Always chasing that elusive fastest, smoothest, quietest and best bow) until I finally bought the Matthews. Now it looks like that will be the last bow I ever will buy unless it breaks or something. I've now entered the "cheapskate" stage of my life ..... lol. The same old bow and 1980's vintage Easton Autumn Orange XX-75 arrows, and they are still killing deer.

Doc

[sweet old bill]

I have several bows that I continue to keep and they all work well for me. I use to go about every year and get the new model but now being retired on fixed income it is about every 4 years. The best way to find out what is the bow for you is to go to several bow shops and shoot a lot of the bows, when you get the right one in your hand you will know it. By the way they may have some two years or less old bows that are trades that you can get for a reduced price.

[Lawdwaz]

I'm on my 3rd compound in 35 years.  Started with recurves, bought a Darton SL 50 in the late 70's, went back to traditional stuff for 10 years.  Bought another Darton (Maverick) in '99 and shot that until buying my current Bowtech Guardian after the hunting season in 2007.  Couldn't be happier with it.

[rock]

hang on to that guardian one of the best bows ever made imho

[rock]

i shoot a strothers sr71

[Gthphtm]

It depends how the body feels that day, it could start off with a long bow,reflex deflex or a recurve.If it is hurting a little then it might be the compound,for a while. My firs bow was an all fiberglass bow with fiberglass arrows around 1953,my nex bow after that was a Bear recurve (wish I still had it) the next was a Browning two wheel compound.( been shhootin for awhile). 

[SweetMike]

I myself favor Hoyt. last year i retired a 2000 magna-tech sport. for an alpha-max 32 and i couldn't be happier with it. Fast and smooth.

[burmjohn]

PSE Brute.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Ive had 2 PSEs in a row. The only reason I will get away from them is lack of factory support in the area to take care of warranty issues. Other than that, they are great bows.

[Caveman]

I shoot the Nova.  As a bow I like it a lot.  I got it at Bass Pro a few years back for around 250 all set up.  One thing to watch for though, I hear the guys at PSE are real pricks with their warranty service.  I work the lodge at Dick's and I hear horror stories about their customer service on a daily basis.  If you want to perform your own services this won't be a problem for you.  All in all though, it's a great beginner bow to get started with. 

[Geno C]

i have a few older bows from when i was younger... i shoot a Matthews Switchback XT (70#)

i love Matthews...

[Bernie P.]

I'm shooting the Bowtech General.About all I like about shooting compounds is long range target practice.Otherwise they don't do much for me.My favorite bow to shoot be it hunting,stump,or target by far is my custom Scorpion longbow made by M.R. Hamilton.I dearly love it!!!

[Fantail]

I shoot a PSE LiteSpeed, NRG cam, ata is only 30 3/4". Good shooting Bow.

[Fitzy]

I started out with a Bear Kodiak Magnum compound with the aluminum brackets for the wheels! Right around when the Whitetail Special was popular.It was a gift. I used it for about twenty years and managed to bring home venison now and then! Three years ago I moved up to a bow marketed by Cabela's. The limbs and cams where made by PSE. It shoots OK but one day I'll have that Matthews hot rod.

[Doc]

I started out with a Bear Kodiak Magnum compound with the aluminum brackets for the wheels! Right around when the Whitetail Special was popular.It was a gift. I used it for about twenty years and managed to bring home venison now and then! Three years ago I moved up to a bow marketed by Cabela's. The limbs and cams where made by PSE. It shoots OK but one day I'll have that Matthews hot rod.

I forgot to mention that one. I also have a Bear Kodiak Magnum hanging on the wall downstairs.

[vipertech]

My first hunting bow was a PSE Thunderbolt.  Great bow.  I shot it for a number of years.  The bow I shoot now is a Hoyt Vipertech.  But I'm thinking about getting a new bow and handing mine down to my son.  Who in turn, will hand his bow (A Browning Micro Adrenaline) down to the other son.  The youngest is almost to bow hunting age. 

[Nomad]

First bow was a Golden Eagle , shot fingers, one pin, 5 inch feathers .That worked well for close to 20 years, couple years back I got a Reflex Highlander, I shoot it at 40 yards as good as i shot old bow at 20.

But all my kills with it have been from 9-20 yards.....

[nyslowhand]

Forty years ago I had a couple of different bows that I don't recall what they were.

Chances are they were the cheapest thing on the rack at Hesselson's or Fay's.

Got back into archery 10-12 years ago and got an Archery Research (div. PSE), AR-31.

Excellent bow except it had a very small, distinct valley/back wall.

At full draw if you backed off into the valley it would almost jerk your arm off.

Last summer I shot two arrows through a BowTech Swat at the local shop and bought it the same day.

Really like the feel of the smooth draw. No valley/back wall issues, so I can hold at full draw longer.

Not the fastest or fanciest bow on the market. I shoot well (good enough) with this bow. No Robin Hoods!

Excellent bow for me, but may not be for everyone. To each, his own.

[ELMER J. FUDD]

2005 Darton Avalanche Extreme in Realtree Hardwoods. I hear Darton is the most underated bow manufacturer and that they own alot of patents, and that they've helped Bowtech, mathews, PSE, and Hoyt with problems on their new bows during R & D. Supposedly darton doesn't advertise as heavy as the others because they collect on the use of their (Darton's) patents. Actually, if anyone knows about any of this, please comment.

  Funny thing is, it was a xmas gift in '06. It was the last Darton to leave one of the local big box stores because darton refused to make a cheaper bow for them to exclusively sell. (dick's or gander). the first arrows didn't even fly thru it until LAST FALL! (2009) I'm happy with it. It fits me perfect (29'' draw) thanks to a good bro-in-law and wife. She didn't even know that all my camo was RT Hardwoods either.

[doulos]

Right now shooting a Bowtech Tomkat but ordered a Matthews Z7 after shooting one yesterday.

[SteveMcD]

Longbow - Northern Mist Reverse Handle "Whisper" - 51# @ 28

- Bamboo Limbs & Core, Cocobolo Handle and Nock/Overlays

Longbow - Northern Mist Reflex/Deflex "Baraga" - 53# @ 28

- American Elm & Bacote Handle and Nock/Overlays

Longbow - Howard Hill "Halfbreed" 52# @ 28

- Bamboo Core, Yew Back & Belly, Cocobolo Handle and Nock/Overlays

Flatbow - Northwind Flatbow 55# @ 28

- Red Elm Limbs & Core, Bubinga & Maple stripped Handle

[orion]

Darton Magnum 33

[DoubleO]

i have only owned 2 bows since 94

94 PSE Thunderflite express

2008 PSE XForce Treestand HF...LOVE IT

although the Mathews Z7 has kinda caught my eye lately same for the PSE XForce AXE 6 and 7 lol

[WNY_Whitetailer]

I started hunting with a Browning wheel bow that I bought off of a friend of mine...That was 1997, the same year that I started hunting.  I took a doe with it my second time out hunting...

About 6 years later, I purchased my first new bow...It was a Pearson Spoiler Lite and I am still shooting it to this day...It is set up with a 30" draw and a string loop as I require a 30.5" draw...

I have to admit though, that new Mathews Z7 does interest me...