Which Compound Bow??

1

1shot

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
83   0   0
Location
S. Ontario
This is a "Firearm" related website, but I know many people here also Bowhunt too- so here's a question:
How the hell do I sort through the huge variety of Compound Bows- I'd like one with parallel limbs, 30"+ draw, shooting around 300fps. Plinking and the odd Deer hunt.

Even with these limits the available selection is astounding! I'd like to spend 3-400ish on a bow before accessories. Any thoughts/suggestions?
I've seen a Martin MOAB, PSE Nova and similar so far. But there are so many bows that look exactly the same- how do you tell them apart?

I have a perfectly good Excalibur Crossbow which never fails me- (Deer hate it!) but I'd like to try/learn to shoot Compound effectively too

Cheers!
1Shot
 
Find an archery store with an indoor range near you. They will likely let you rent or try equipment. It's more important how the equipment fits you, and shoots for you, than brand specific BS.
That said, look for quality, I'd stay away from the off brand stuff.
 
X 2 on the bowtech.. I shoot an old fred bear and haven't killed enough game with it yet to justify a new one. I've shot a few differnt bows and the new bowtechs are just f*&^n awsome. Like JYC said... find a bow store that will let you try some (most archery lanes will have some on consignment) plus you may find a used one that fits your needs. Good luck and let us know what you decide.
 
There's ALOT of good bows out there. I've had good experience with Fred Bear. I have now changed to PSE and just love it.
Draw length will depend on your size. Get fitted for the bow.
Most new ones boast 300+ fps. They're all pretty fast, bearing in mind that when a manufacturer states Bow X will shoot 312fps. Yes, it will.....but tweaked as high as it can go.
Your price range should get you something modest, brand new. Or something pretty slick used.
 
here's a link you might find helpful in deciding on a new bow?Archery Talk's 2007 Hunting Bow Face-off.It's an objective comparison of 23 bows from 18 manufacturers(2007 models).ArcheryTalk forum itself is another resource with a wealth of info and thousands of archer members.it'd be comparable to GunNutz in scope and size,Bownutz if you will?

Just as a suggestion,the Bear Instinct ,which retails in the price range you've specified,was rated #1 and #2 in '06 and 07 respectively in the "Bang for yer buck" category,outperforming several higher priced bows?If money is no object,as mentioned above,Bowtech is generally considered as the industry leader these days,scoring at or near the top in all categories(except "bang for Buck,LOL).

http://www.archeryhistory.com/techevaluation/2007Face-Off_Results_ArcheryTalk.pdf
 
Last edited:
Try Huntersfriend.com out of Kentucky. I bought a very nice Reflex (built by Hoyt, but a lot cheaper) last year. I got the Highlander, which is now out of production. I really like my bow, it is quiet, forgiving, has a nice valley when the cams break over and looks good too.

I wouldn't get too hung up on the 300+ fps stuff though, as to generate the big speeds, most bow builders use a very short distance between the string and the bow (sorry, technical term escapes me for the moment) and this makes the bows harder to control. I'd spend the extra $$ on a drop away rest and good arrows.

It is also critical to match the spine characteristics of the arrow to your bow. Google arrow tuning and you'll find more info than you want to know.

Hope this helps.
 
I used to shoot competative 3D a few years back and learned the following.
1. A slow hit is better than a fast miss.
2. The arrow makes the speed (to a large extent)
3. Long axle to axle and brace height = easy to shoot and forgiving of errors.
4. The short fast bows are great for really close deer but are harder to shoot.

My $0.02

Brian
 
Shoshin,just curious how you made out with HuntersFriend?Did the shipping/duty etc. offset any real savings?I've been looking at ordering a new rig through them as well,their prices are great.
1 shot,depending on Shoshin's answer maybe look into HF as well.They sell "ready to hunt" packages including 6 arrows,broadheads,release,peep,sight,quiver,Flambeau hardcase etc.,pre-sighted,chronoed,tuned and set-up for your draw length in their pro-shop ........truly "ready to hunt" aside from fine-tuning the sights,for very good prices,actually substantial savings over buying componenets seperately.Also,unlike most mail-order cats,drop shippers etc.,big box stores,they are authorized to sell Bowtech and other high-end brands via mail order.

As a bonus,their website has a very comprehensive guide to taking the mystery out of and selecting a new bow,explaining in depth all the modern features,techs,gadgets,and terms.
 
I knew nothing about archery when I bought my bow but I did OK.
You seems to know what you want, now you just have to find the one you want.
Nice thing about being in S Ontario (I can't believe I just said that!) is that you can likely get a 2007 bow for half price! I got mine at BPS, they had a great selection but now that I am bit more educated, I maybe could have picked better.
I'm happy.
One thing I might reccomend, is find your comfortbale draw weight and get a bow that is a djustable from your comfort level UP. As in if you are comfortable with 60lbs, get a 60-70. I found 50lbs a bit heavy but after 2 weeks I had it adjusted to 60 and now I wish I had a 70!.
 
ICQ makes a good point,that being the arrow weight can greatly effect speed,and advertised IBO speeds are for all intents and purposes impossible to obtain with a bow set up for hunting due to the method used to calculate same.Expect any real world bow to acheive 10-20% less than the advertised speed.

longer brace heights are indeed more forgiving to technique flaws.Generally 7"+ is considered as ok or forgiving these days.Also longer ATA length "was" considered a forgiving feature,basically it gives you less "pinch" at the nock,but with todays parallel limb bows that's less of an issue and has allowed bows to become shorter.
 
I started with a Jennings 70lb bow, and , at the recommendation of the bow shop, (Jackson's Archery) turned it down to about 50 to start. It didn't take long before I could easily hold the 70 for extended periods. I think the let off on the Jennings compound was something like 30%. I'm a fairly big guy, and I found it a breeze to pull, even at full weight when I tried it, new in the store. However, I did work up to the full weight, as they recommended over a few months.
My problem was lack of time to actually shoot. And that's why I went to the crossbow.
 
I love my Hoyt. The reflex's are made by hoyt but I believe they lack the better laminated limbs and machined risers. Bowtech's are really nice. If I was in the market it would be between hoyt and bowtech.
 
I shot a Mathews Switchback XT for a bit then tried out the new PSE X-Force and was instantly sold on it even though I really dont care for most PSE products. The X-Force blows away all bows in speed, is very quiet and has the most energy of any bow on the market. The brace height is short but has very little effect on its shooting ability.
Whatever you do make sure you get something you like, feels good in your hands and that you can afford.

Cheers!!
 
grinrgrn:

I had a very good experience with HF, I figure I saved about $200 on a barebow. I had the rest of the toys on my old PSE that I transferred over to the new Reflex, but I would consider one of their ready to shoot packages. Shipping took about 2+ weeks, but I was in no hurry.

I would however give a lot of thought to the arrows you want to shoot and buy a bunch from them when you order; they are much cheaper down there. My Reflex is a 50-60 lb model, down from my old 70 lb PSE, but it is so much more efficient that it is scary. My bow likes the Carbon Force Hunter 200 arrows the best. The spine flexure sems to be most consistent and I was able to tune it very well using those. After a bit of work I could easily group my broadheads with my target points out to about 40 yds.

I'd say call HF and talk to them. I liked them.
 
Go to an archery shop, a good one will let let you test drive a few to see what your'e comfortable with. You don't need to spend a grand to get a good bow. But don't be too cheap either. I shoot a Parker Hunter Mag, good bow, medium price range.
 
To some extent I'd say a lot of the choices are along similar lines to asking for opinions as to which 4x4 truck to buy. The suggestion to go to a reputable shop or club and try a few would be good advice.
My buddy owns a shop and as part of a reasonable package to start with, I got a Darton.
He's been into the game and competition shooting for years and his preference is Hoyt. To reward myself for quitting smoking I bought a Hoyt Ultra tec for target shooting.;) For a retitrment 'gift' I bought a Hoyt Cyber tec for hunting & 3D.:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom