ideas for a good bow

I am looking to buy a new bow, I have owned a PSE before and never really shot it, I sold it because I never did shoot it. Now I have 3 kids that all own mathews genisis bows and are getting into shooting them and I would like to get into a bow that I can not only use for shooting with the kids but also get into hunting with it. I have shot alot of stuff with a rifle but wanting to challenge myself and get some solid kills with a bow. not looking to spend $1200 for just a bow, but wouldn’t mind the $500-$600 range.

so if you can, tell me what you shoot and why you choose that bow over the rest.

thanks in advance

shane

Are you looking new or used?

Lot of good options out there, in my opinion the biggest factor is to try some out and find the one that ‘feels’ right to you (and may not be the same one that I would pick). Most all the manufacturers put out a good product so the feel and comfort you have in it plays a far greater role in you performance than who’s name is on it. My previous bow was a Reflex and I could consistently shoot as well or better than my buddies who had Mathews, but I shot that bow for 8 years and shot it a lot, my comfort with it overcame its manufactured shortcomings.

Now I did replace that bow with a Mathews (DXT), but I had a much higher budget to work with this time around so that I could even consider them. A friend of mine works at Mathews and gets a new bow every year, they have made some since I got mine (2008) that, to me, don’t ‘feel’ right at all and that’s even from the same manufacturer.

Bottom line, make a list of the needs/wants/don’t wants and try out several you find within your description till one feels right. If for you like it was for me, you will know it once you find it.

Best thing I can say is shoot every bow you can get your hands on and see what feels good to you and then go from there. Biggest reason I shoot a mathews is I love the draw cycle on a single cam bow vs a two cam bow. Even if you’re looking at used there is not that much difference from new to a couple year old bows. If your looking at used I would definitely go to a bow shop and get measured to see what your draw length is, otherwise you could dump a lot of money getting it set to your draw length if its not adjustable.

thanks for the ideas of what i want and dont want. I was planning on just getting some ideas of names and lines that are being used so I have some kind of list of ones i want to try after doing some intel gathering on the individual bows themselves.

I am open to either used or new. just looking to get into one that is in my price range and get me out shooting with my kids sooner than later. I know I can go to gander and get one off the shelf tommarow if I wanted, but I am looking for a bow that I can hand down to my son in a few years when he gets older and outgrows his.

ok just to clarify, not the smartest on bow lingo and stuff like that. this is something new to me so i am trying to challenge myself and work at getting it down and hopefully getting the chance to take some wild game with it.

Read my post and realized I left out a part that I was going to describe what my major list was (though yours may be different):

Single cam bow
lighter weight (that Reflex was heavy)
shorter axle length to be more maneuverable in stand
more speed (this was a gimme, everything was faster than my 7 year old bow)
I wanted a 70 lb draw weight (not needed, but even now 7 years later I’m only 32 so since I can handily draw the extra weight, why not)
smooth draw cycle
a bow that was ‘naturally’ quieter/less vibration, my reflex I got fairly quiet and the vibration down, but I had to try hanging a lot of different products onto it to get there. Outside of a stabilizer I haven’t put anything on my mathews that didn’t come that way out of the box and its quiet and hardly any vibration at all.
I did not want a narrow brace height bow, from messing around with bows I found those to be too ‘jumpy’ and just didn’t feel right, to me

And lastly the aforementioned correct ‘feel’ as I held/drew/released and arrow from it.

Those were the major items that I still remember at least for the bow itself. Accessories were/are a whole other story that were totally separate from choosing the bow itself.

3 yrs ago I picked up a Mathews maniac. They are around your price range. Like others said shoot a lot of them, but I would give that one a try, I really like it

i wanna shoot a mathews, hoyt, diamond, and possibably a bear

Have you looked at Mission bows? They are made by Mathews and have the same great warranty like any Mathews bows have. You should be able to get close to your price point with one of these. I purchased mine at Schaffer Archery in Burnsville but I’m sure you can find them elsewhere in the cities.

My advice to you is to go to a pro shop and shoot as many as you can. By shooting many different models you will find what’s most comfortable for you. I shot a dozen different bows and ended up purchasing a Mission Eliminator. I’ve had this bow for about 5 years now and not a single problem. I shoot quite a bit during the summer too.

Edit: I should have read all the replies first. It looks like others have mention shooting many bows too. I agree with the other guys, spend an evening at a pro shop shooting.

Good luck to you. It’s always fun getting a new toy!

Like everyone has already said go and shoot as many bows as you can. My first bow was a PSE that worked for me being the first one I owned. After I had the money to buy a newer one I went online and figured out what I liked for my price range $400-$500 and then went and shot every bow in that range.

I ended up buying a Diamond Outlaw with the RAK package which came with the stabilizer, quiver, sight among other things. It came down to the feel when I shot it that made me buy the bow. So far it’s been a great bow killed many a deer and I still manage to out shoot buddies who bought the Z7 Extreme for twice as much. The Outlaw was the mid-range Diamond at that time so what they have might be different now but they’ve got bows in all price ranges.

I would stay away from retail stores and deal with a bow shop the one I go to has unbelievable customer service not too far from Madison wi. They are Mathews/mission dealer.

with purchasing my kids bows, i have been dealing with archery country in Rogers. So far the guy that I was talking with has seemed pretty straight forward and honest with me when answering my questions. we will have to see how it goes from there, but I am going to take a day here probably in the next couple of weeks and go up there and spend some time.

Best thing you can do is shoot a bunch of different bows. Then start to take away from least favorite and get down to two or three and which ever ony you like best out of that. I will also say the Hoyt Charger is a great bow and a few people I know picked up and love it. I have shot a couple times also for the price range you are in not a bad option but there are many choices. Just shoot till you find one you don’t want to put back down.

ok, what are some of the comfort features that are a necessity to have in a bow. like i said this is my first time purchasing one that will be mine and i want to make sure i am knowledgeable about the product i am buying, that is why i am asking for imput. I figured i would be shooting a few, looking to see what the normal is out there.

Shane Hildebrandt wrote:

I am looking to buy a new bow, I have owned a PSE before and never really shot it, I sold it because I never did shoot it. Now I have 3 kids that all own mathews genisis bows and are getting into shooting them and I would like to get into a bow that I can not only use for shooting with the kids but also get into hunting with it. I have shot alot of stuff with a rifle but wanting to challenge myself and get some solid kills with a bow. not looking to spend $1200 for just a bow, but wouldn’t mind the $500-$600 range.

so if you can, tell me what you shoot and why you choose that bow over the rest.

thanks in advance

shane

No one can tell you what to buy. Go shoot all the models in your price range and see for yourself what you like.

Me personally, I am Elite fan. I think Mathews are ugly as heck regardless of how they shoot. I like Bowtech but thought the Elite had a slight edge over them. Don’t like Hoyt just because of the local dealer and the “Hoyt Fanboy Club” up here. There are a ton of factors. Everyone has a preference as to what feels good, looks good and shoots good.

Shane Hildebrandt wrote:

ok, what are some of the comfort features that are a necessity to have in a bow. like i said this is my first time purchasing one that will be mine and i want to make sure i am knowledgeable about the product i am buying, that is why i am asking for imput. I figured i would be shooting a few, looking to see what the normal is out there.

Grip is key for shooting good. A bow that fits your hand.

Don’t worry about balance off the rack. Balance in hand at draw means little to how a bow shoots. Balance in hand at rest means nothing.

See how you like the draw, the valley and the back wall. Some bows have a rough draw, jump in the valley and a soft back wall. Others are just the opposite. Faster, more aggressive bows will have that jump in the valley that I talk about.

Same goes for letting the bow down. Some bows all but jump out of your hand while others seem like you have to push the sting to let them down.

I’m shooting the same bow I got back in 2008 or 09 either way the reason I’m still shooting this one over buying or trying something new is because this bow feels and fits me so well that I don’t really want to look at anything else until this bow breaks or I really want to get something new. In other words you really need to pick up different brands and see for yourself. I shoot a Mathews DXT now but before that I shot a Bowtech Tomkat and loved that bow till it got stolen out my car the night before opener.

I’m shooting the same bow I got back in 2008 or 09 either way the reason I’m still shooting this one over buying or trying something new is because this bow feels and fits me so well that I don’t really want to look at anything else until this bow breaks or I really want to get something new. In other words you really need to pick up different brands and see for yourself. I shoot a Mathews DXT now but before that I shot a Bowtech Tomkat and loved that bow till it got stolen out my car the night before opener.

Agreed. Go to a archery shop and shoot as many bows they have in your price range. I was told to do thisrefy when i purchased my first bow and i am glad i did. I went there to buy a $1300 bow and ended walking out with a $900 bow because it just felt right. Still have the bow and shoot often as i can.

well I want to thank you all for your input. I went to archery country with my kids yesterday and let them all shoot on the range for a couple of hours while i did some shopping. the bow i settled on that felt good in my hand and smooth draw and release was an Elite pulse fully loaded for $799.00. A tad out of my price range but it felt so good to shoot it, i had to spend the extra couple of bucks and get that one. I did shoot a mathews, hoyt, bear, mission, bowtech, and non of them seemed as smooth as the Elite. Now i was told that they bow i purchased was an expensive bow or considered top of the lane in last years model. I will post a picture of it when I pick it up. I ended up putting it on layaway at the store due to buying my daughters bow yesterday.

Shane Hildebrandt wrote:

I did shoot a mathews, hoyt, bear, mission, bowtech, and non of them seemed as smooth as the Elite. Now i was told that they bow i purchased was an expensive bow or considered top of the lane in last years model.

Congrats on the new toy. Yes, they are right. Elite doesn’t make a mid level bow. As far as I am aware, Elite has decided to make only “top shelf” equipment and sell them as such. Which excludes them from some part of the market. But as you’ve learned, they gambled that they just need guys shopping for mid-range bows to come into the dealer and shoot an Elite and then spend the extra few bucks.

Haven’t hunted in a few years now, but when I did, I started with a recurve and switched to a longbow and loved it! Very light weight and quiet. Had complete pass throughs with a fairly light weight bow. I know this isn’t for everyone, but for me it was very rewarding.

jighead-two wrote:

Haven’t hunted in a few years now, but when I did, I started with a recurve and switched to a longbow and loved it! Very light weight and quiet. Had complete pass throughs with a fairly light weight bow. I know this isn’t for everyone, but for me it was very rewarding.

i also own a sears recurve, it was a bow that I got for xmas used from my father at the age of 14. I like it, still shoots nice but its 4 hours away, I am hoping to get it back down here to my house and get a new string for it and shoot a few arrows with that as well. break out the antiques.