Which Brand and Model to Buy

[Redman]

Greetings,

 

I am going to purchase a new bow. I currently shoot a PSE which I bought used, and it's time to retire it, its 5-7 years old.

 

I have been looking at PSE, AR, and Hoyt.

 

I can spend around $600 ( I would like to get the bow, sight, and rest)

 

Please help me decide (but please provide reasons.. Like I had a Hoyt, but found the AR to be better because....etc... not just PSE sucks..etc.)

 

I like the fact PSE and AR can be serviced here and the folks at PSE have for the been good to me.

 

Redman

[TREESTANDMAN]

My advice to you would be to pick the bow that you feel the most comforatable with. I do a lot of hunting from a treestand so I chose a bow that is fairly compact, has great balance, and has a handle that fits my hand perfectly. It is a Mathews ultra 2. I used to work at an archery shop so I have shot PSE, Hoyt, High country, Browning, the works. I decided to go w/ mathews for several reasons. 1. Great customer service and warranty 2. Harmonic dampers (which do make a big difference) 3. I love the handles 4. has great balance 5. fps speed on my ultra 2 is around 320.

 

My second choice would be the older Hoyt model. There was hardly any vibration. I haven't shot the AR models enough to give an opinion. PSE-Forget it. No offense to those that shoot PSE's.

 

Good luck. For that price range you might want to look at some newer model used bows. You can get some great deals that way.

[Noel Arnold]

Darton (Maverick) For the money is my favorite bow. 500.00 dollars for the bow alone. First bow to come out with the cam and a half. If you have the extra 200.00 dollars, buy the matthews. The darton shoots just as good.The only difference is the matthews will probally last longer due to the stronger parts. If you do not shoot year round, then the darton will last for years.

Noel Arnold

[reddog]

You got to go with the Mathews (sp) for all the reasons already stated. I shoot PSE now but everyone I know that shoots Mathews just loves them.

[BASS]

I shoot a Martain Phanton "tree stand bow" or in othe words it's compact. I love it, and think that I may be sold on their newer bows already. I do a bunch of shooting on the ground, but am ussually squatted down. This is why I chose a smaller bow. It's been a great bow for my needs, and has done it's job when ever I have done mine. I can't give you a price on what I paid for it, as it was a gift to me. I had a guy set one up for me to shoot to see how I liked it along with a few others. I loved the way it felt, the cams roll back so smoothly, an was just the best bow of the ones that I was considering. Later on I was told it was sold out from under me. I then got the same bow a week later as a gift. I use to shoot a PSE, and have considered buying a new Hoyt. But then I shoot my Martain, and I forget about all the others.

 

I would take TREESTANDMAN's advice, and have a shop set up one of each for you to shoot. See which one fits you. Let it fit you, don't allow you to fit the bow. That way later on when you need that one quick shot it will feel much better. I don't know where you are, but Four Peaks Archery (mesa) has some very nice bows for not a lot of green. I was going to buy a very old compound set up for a 30 lb draw for fishing. I think it was around $75. But lost the money when I decided I needed to get my old jeep ready for a show instead. Check around, shoot a couple, and good luck!

[Kaffer62]

If your thinking about hoyt, you might want to look at their reflex line, a little less expensive, but solid shooting bows www.reflexbow.com

[jamaro]

Have the fun is finding a bow that shoots well for you.. Go out and try them all...

I shoot a Hoyt but I have been thinking about shooting a Switchback...

 

jason

[ultramag]

i shoot a 700 rem.oh wait i mean bowtech.i like it because its smooth, fast and quite,just like i like my women

[25-06]

By all means, I am no bow expert, But living here in Tucson with there being plenty of PSE bows around here I have noticed a BIG difference in noise. The PSE's are loud...I would take TREESTANDMAN'S advice and go with either a Matthews or a Hoyt P.S. I own a PSE

[hunterdude]

I own a PSE and love it. I don't think it is noisy but I have on limb savers and leaches. I put on a vibracheck stabilizer and I think it is somewhat quite. Of coarse there are going to be people that tell me it is still noisy, but everyone has their own thought I don't care for somethings but if it works good for me I don't care what others think of my equipment. I think PSE makes a good product and have never had any problems with it. I went hunting with a cuople of guys in august and one of them had a Matthews bow and was shooting it while I was taking a snooze and I thought he was chopping wood. Not to quite to me!

[grizzly]

Definitely go with the Mathews, I have been shooting a Q2XL for over 4 years and just recently picked up a SQ2 off of ebay as a 2nd bow. By all means check out the deals on ebay.

[bowsniper]

I own a PSE, and it was noisy until I put on leeches and stabilizer/damper, and now it's very quiet. Ask at any archery shop and they will tell you that the PSE customer service is very good, I had a limb crack and PSE replaced it no questions asked. That being said, I read a lot of archery forums, and A LOT of guys say "try a Mathews and you'll never go back".

 

Try them all, and go for the one that feels the best to you.

 

Bowsniper

[GRANDE BEAR]

Just like most have been saying, go out and try every bow the dealer stocks

and pick the one that feels the best for you. I don't think there is really a bad bow

that is made today. Just some that are maybe better. I purchased last year

a BowTech VFT Justice and absolutely love it. It's fast, forgiving, no recoil and

super quiet. In fact I don't have any silencers or dampeners on the limb

 

Albert

[Redman]

Grizzly,

 

What do you think of the Outback have you ever shot one? I seen some loaded 2004's in my price range.

 

Redman

[ultramag]

well pse probably makes a good product,but every pse i bought liked to crack limbs during elk hunts for some reason.that happened to 2 bows i owned,if anybody ever finds a bow in unit 9 while out hunting thats mine.because i got so pissed that i tossed it.went back home and bought a new bow.just my bad luck with pse.2 bows cracked limbs and during elk hunts.one is excuseable 2 is not