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choosing a bow sucks! #4991614 02/25/14 03:35 PM
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freonfreak82 Offline OP
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After shooting some, annoying the guys at local shops, etc. I still haven't decided. Thought I had it between Bowtech and Elite, but now I think I like Mathews... particularly the ZXT model. I am open to any one of the big 4 brands out there. Unfortunately, I can't shoot every brand side by side as most shops that carry several don't carry all etc... I don't even know what I like at this point.. I need some advice on what y'all like or dislike about certain bows. I do know that Im not interested in PSE, Bear, Strothers etc... I don't want a Mission, Diamond or any of the low end brands. So Im down between the big 4. HELP PLEASE!


" get busy livin' or get busy dyin' "
Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4991654 02/25/14 04:01 PM
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The big 4???

I consider 3 top tier companies...Hoyt, Mathews, and PSE...with Bowtech being an outside 4th.

What do you have against PSE and Strothers? Both are great bows. You couldnt give me a free Bear or Diamond so I feel ya there.

If you are considering Mathews...then bite the bullet. You wont regret it.


Originally Posted By: Chief Joe
I avoid Dick's and hope they fold.
Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4991655 02/25/14 04:01 PM
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I'm there with you sir. The guy who said he wanted my bow just requested my address to mail a check so I need to move soon on it. I'm going to try all the ones I haven't shot in years then go check out the Creed because I'm afraid I will try it and never sampling the waters. Hoyt probably won't get a try though as their bows are ugly and from what I've experienced, loud. The other higher end bows deserve a look though.


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Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: passthru] #4991657 02/25/14 04:03 PM
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Originally Posted By: passthru
Hoyt probably won't get a try though as their bows are ugly and from what I've experienced, loud.


Im glad that I am not the only one who thinks this...


Originally Posted By: Chief Joe
I avoid Dick's and hope they fold.
Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4991668 02/25/14 04:13 PM
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freonfreak82 Offline OP
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Nothing against PSE, just the ones I have shot, I don't like them. They didn't fit me as well as I would like. I really like almost everything about an Elite. But same with the others I mentioned... I am having a hard time deciding what makes one better than the other, etc. speed, sound, blah blah. Watching tons of videos hoping I hear or see something I didnt when I shot.. Just gets aggravating. I pulled the trigger without shooting anything else when I bought my Mathews Drenalin. Loved that bow, but I didn't know any better. Bought a Mathews cause it was a Mathews...


" get busy livin' or get busy dyin' "
Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4991692 02/25/14 04:26 PM
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I used to love Mathews but since I started shooting dual/binary cams bows I just can't go back to the single (solo) cam bow. The only bow in Mathews lineup I would even try is the Chill, and it is their only non solocam bow. I like the increase in performance in the dual cam bows and just can't go back to the soft wall of a single cam.

Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: Chuck McDonald] #4991749 02/25/14 05:00 PM
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Originally Posted By: Chuck McDonald
I used to love Mathews but since I started shooting dual/binary cams bows I just can't go back to the single (solo) cam bow. The only bow in Mathews lineup I would even try is the Chill, and it is their only non solocam bow. I like the increase in performance in the dual cam bows and just can't go back to the soft wall of a single cam.


X2

I still shoot my elite GTO every day. love my insanity, but hard to ignore the smooth draw cycle of the GTO


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Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4991750 02/25/14 05:01 PM
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I shot bows and hunted before solo cam technology existed. I'm on the other end. In looking at the line ups of Elite, PSE, Hoyt and others I'm seeing nothing but binary cam bows. Is Mathews the only manufacturer left selling the single cam technology? The soft wall is not just associated with the solo cam but cam timing issues are not associated with single cam technology and that is what I like. Personally I've been solocam for 13 years and am a little unsure about going back the other direction.


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Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4991786 02/25/14 05:28 PM
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Like you I have been shooting a long time (since 89), with just wheels and no real backwall to speak of. Moved to Solocam bows and loved them, but they still were soft on the back. I will never forget the first time I drew a bowtech and hit that backwall like a rock, I was instantly hooked.

Jump forward to now and yes as far as I know Mathews is the only company that still makes single cam bows. I think everyone else realized you can only take one cam so far. I think this even shows with Mathews line up of bows for the last 4 years. They have not done anything with the solocam line, new or exciting, change one little spec or shave off some weight and call it extreme or something. I am still waiting and hoping for Mathews to do something exciting and new, but for the last few years it is just kind of vanilla if you really look at the bows they are doing now versus 4 or 5 years ago, they are awfully similar. Mathews is an awesome company and spends a lot of money on Christian charities and Missions (Hence the name of there low cost line, which nearly all profits go to Christian Missions). I really want and expect more from them, but until they step up again I will look elsewhere.

Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4991790 02/25/14 05:29 PM
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Bear,parker and diamond

Think pse even still has one


My first bow was a Pearson


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Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4991813 02/25/14 05:50 PM
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My first new bow was a Pearson Spoiler, Back in 91 or 92, can't remember. I do remember my buddies were envious. Before that I shot a bunch of used hand me downs. I actually wish I still had it along with my Mathews Q2XL and some others.

Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4991846 02/25/14 06:12 PM
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My quest torrent is a single cam bow. I'm sure there are others in the quest/prime lines that are as well.

Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: Chuck McDonald] #4991883 02/25/14 06:34 PM
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Originally Posted By: Chuck McDonald
My first new bow was a Pearson Spoiler, Back in 91 or 92, can't remember. I do remember my buddies were envious. Before that I shot a bunch of used hand me downs. I actually wish I still had it along with my Mathews Q2XL and some others.


I remember when that bow came out...speed bow of the decade


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Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4992219 02/25/14 09:34 PM
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ok well I shot several bows today... First off, I don't like the Elite, overall it wasn't the bow for me... I shot a Mathews Chill R and really like it, shot a Hoyt Faktor and loved that one too.. Hoyt was a touch louder than the Mathews, but the grip felt so much better. I originally was going to stay with a mid priced bow, but now I think theres no way around getting a premium bow for me. I could definitely tell the difference from a bow like the ZXT.. I still need to shoot the Bowtech higher end bows.. but does anyone have an opinion on the ones I talked about? Problems, issues etc?


" get busy livin' or get busy dyin' "
Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4992350 02/25/14 11:06 PM
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Which grip did the Mathews have on it? The walnut or the focus?


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Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4992354 02/25/14 11:08 PM
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focus... felt cheap and very blocky to me


" get busy livin' or get busy dyin' "
Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4992452 02/25/14 11:50 PM
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One universal complaint about Mathews bows is always the grip. They are still good bows, you either love the grip, hate it, or learn to live with it. Frankly I like the grip one my Bowtech better than my Elite even though I can see much difference between them. I have always liked how Hoyts felt in my hand but have never owned one.

Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4992461 02/25/14 11:56 PM
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I have a hoyt crx and have shot Matthews, bear, and bowtech, the hoyt felt the best in my hand by far, which is why I picked it.

Last edited by jshouse; 02/25/14 11:58 PM.

Originally Posted By: cameron00
If I send my neighbors a text and ask them to give me feedback on my lawn and plant rye into a giant dong pattern, I'm probably going to get some less than positive feedback. Same goes here.
Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4992849 02/26/14 02:58 AM
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Oh one more thing, I am assuming you are shooting off the shelf bows. Just because unequipped the bow is loud is not a good indication it will always be. Once you add a stabilizer and suppressors like BowJax accessories it will really take the loud out of them. I really don't pay much attention to how loud a bow is, because I have seen from experience you can get them all about decently quiet with the right accessories.

Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: Chuck McDonald] #4993280 02/26/14 01:55 PM
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Originally Posted By: Chuck McDonald
Oh one more thing, I am assuming you are shooting off the shelf bows. Just because unequipped the bow is loud is not a good indication it will always be. Once you add a stabilizer and suppressors like BowJax accessories it will really take the loud out of them. I really don't pay much attention to how loud a bow is, because I have seen from experience you can get them all about decently quiet with the right accessories.


Chuck, I disagree with you here. I will not buy a bow that is loud off the shelf. I have to invest my hard earned money into a bow and I certainly dont want to buy stuff that I dont need. Noise cancelling accessories are not considered needs for my bow. Yes I do have a stabilizer on my bow. My bow came with a few dampeners on it so that is all that I have on mine and my bow is super quiet.


Originally Posted By: Chief Joe
I avoid Dick's and hope they fold.
Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4993322 02/26/14 02:18 PM
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Yeah I agree with the fact that you shouldn't have to add more sound dampers. I mean honestly nowadays I don't think the higher end bows that I'm looking at are "that loud" shot a zxt and that was loud comparatively. I'm thinking I want the hoyt. But not 100 percent yet.


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Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4993341 02/26/14 02:25 PM
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Originally Posted By: freonfreak82
focus... felt cheap and very blocky to me

I agree. Have one on my not soon to be mine anymore Z7E and would have preferred the walnut like on my LX.


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Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4993346 02/26/14 02:27 PM
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I will be choosing a bow based on noise, vibration, smoothness and shock on shooting. Speed and weight are secondary considerations.


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Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: FoxTrot] #4993406 02/26/14 02:58 PM
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Originally Posted By: FoxTrot
Originally Posted By: Chuck McDonald
Oh one more thing, I am assuming you are shooting off the shelf bows. Just because unequipped the bow is loud is not a good indication it will always be. Once you add a stabilizer and suppressors like BowJax accessories it will really take the loud out of them. I really don't pay much attention to how loud a bow is, because I have seen from experience you can get them all about decently quiet with the right accessories.


Chuck, I disagree with you here. I will not buy a bow that is loud off the shelf. I have to invest my hard earned money into a bow and I certainly dont want to buy stuff that I dont need. Noise cancelling accessories are not considered needs for my bow. Yes I do have a stabilizer on my bow. My bow came with a few dampeners on it so that is all that I have on mine and my bow is super quiet.
If you already have a stabilizer and dampeners, then how can you disagree, those are the items I am talking about. Maybe some monkey tails or something similar on the string, but those are all you should need.

Re: choosing a bow sucks! [Re: freonfreak82] #4993415 02/26/14 03:01 PM
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If you do a lot of walking you wont like the Matthews... Bowtech is nice depending on which one your looking at... I see Elite as putting both of those bow together... they are really nice... oh don't shoot a new pse cuz youll want one of those too

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