Curious? What do you all look for in a bow?

[DMAG]

What do you all look for in a bow? Smoothness, Speed, forgiveness? Also, what has been your favorite bow and why?

 

[PinchPoint]

I look for an efficient bow that fits comfortably in my hand well, and that I can shoot well. For me thats a Mathews Heli-m! Everything else is appreciated in a bow also. And for me I havent found a downside to that bow

 

[TNDeerGuy]

I look for a relatively smooth draw-cycle, comfortable in hand, no vibration or hand-shock, forgiveness and tunability. Speed isn't near as important to me as overall shootability is.

 

[TNDeerGuy]

My main bow is a Mathews Reezen�at that time it was the best bow for me. However, if I was to buy a bow right now, I think it would be between the Z7, Heli-M, Carbon Matrix or the Strother Wrath, but there just isn't any bow out there, from anyone, that is leaps and bounds enough above what I have now to justify the expense to upgrade.

 

[deerhunter10]

hoyt all day everyday for me... but I look for smoothness, hand shock, no vibration, speed, forgiveness and the main thing I want is quietness. and that's the main reason I went with the hoyt for all of those reason.

 

[bowhunter163]

hoyt all day everyday for me... but I look for smoothness, hand shock, no vibration, speed, forgiveness and the main thing I want is quietness. and that's the main reason I went with the hoyt for all of those reason.

I agree the hoyts are really smooth but I think hoyts are the loudest out of all the mainstream bows right now

 

[PinchPoint]

hoyt all day everyday for me... but I look for smoothness, hand shock, no vibration, speed, forgiveness and the main thing I want is quietness. and that's the main reason I went with the hoyt for all of those reason.

I agree the hoyts are really smooth but I think hoyts are the loudest out of all the mainstream bows right now

Agreed. Dont believe I have shot a quiet Hoyt

 

[deerhunter10]

hoyt all day everyday for me... but I look for smoothness, hand shock, no vibration, speed, forgiveness and the main thing I want is quietness. and that's the main reason I went with the hoyt for all of those reason.

I agree the hoyts are really smooth but I think hoyts are the loudest out of all the mainstream bows right now

Agreed. Dont believe I have shot a quiet Hoyt

highly disagree.. I shot the z7,z7 extreme, and several other Matthews bow including some bow tech and several other bows. and they were all louder then the hoyt the other bow I really like is the bow tech. I have the ramapage xt. and it is one of the quietist bows ive ever shot. my uncle has the dxt and its the loudest bow ive ever shot or have heard. but like been said over and over every bow is different in everybodys hand. and if I may say I don't think there is a bow on the market that even compares to the sypder. but that's just me. It also makes a big difference what things you put on the bow. you can make just about any bow quit if you really want to. but when I shot all of them all it was, was a sight, rest and pep sight and the bow I got what the quietist one I shot.

 

[Rickym]

I look for a balance of all of things. Speed isn't huge on my list though. All todays bows are plenty fast enough.

The new Mathews Creed is one of my all time fav hunting bows.
The Mathews EZ7 is another.

 

[Crow Terminator]

I like them to draw smooth for starters. I like a solid backwall. I can't stand a bow with "smush" in the backwall. Therefore most of the time, I favor bows with limb stops on the cams instead of those that have cable stops. I don't like long valleys in a bow. I don't like them to want to take off if I creep a hair but I don't like them to feel like I am stuck at full draw and can't let down either lol. Some of the Elite bows have that super long valley and some people love that feeling of having to force your release hand forward to let down...but I personally don't like it. There's a certain feel in the valley of a bow that I like. I play with draw stops on the bows and get the valley just right to my liking.

What else...quiet is a BIG time thing if I'm picking a hunting bow. Not so much in target bow though. If picking a target bow I just want it to be easy to tune and stay in tune, and be forgiving. I can shoot just about any bow good that is in tune and when I'm on my game in form...but what I look for in a bow is the bow that is going to continue to make me shoot good when I'm NOT on my game in form...like when I'm a little sloppy or jittery from deer fever or the first few shot jitters of a big tournament. Those are the bows that win tournaments.

For what it's worth...I agree with the others. I made a special trip to see and shoot the 2013 Hoyt bows. After handling them and shooting them...I can honestly say I don't see why they are so expensive and why people like them so much. I wasn't crazy about the draw cycle on the ones I shot, and none of them were quiet by any means. It has to be a brand loyalty thing for the hunters lol. Their target bows rocked though...just way out of my price range. I have less $ in my entire setup than what they had on some of the target bows bare. But boy they sure shot accurate.

 

[Toxophilite Phil]

I guess for me is what the bow feels like in my hand and if I can find a repeatable grip every time. I want it to be smooth and no herky jerky movement during the draw cycle.

One of the biggest thing that effects a persons shooting ability with any bow is the angle of the grip. It has to fit your hand just right. To many people grab the bow like they are trying to choke it. And with that said most don't utilize the wrist strap for its main purpose.

It does irk me when a person is so dead set that only a certain bow is all they will shoot. I don't care what brand the bow is as long as it will FOR ME.

 

[Bowdacious]

It has to make me say "wow" when I shoot it.

 

[PinchPoint]

It has to make me say "wow" when I shoot it.

Yep!

 

[bowhunter163]

hoyt all day everyday for me... but I look for smoothness, hand shock, no vibration, speed, forgiveness and the main thing I want is quietness. and that's the main reason I went with the hoyt for all of those reason.

I agree the hoyts are really smooth but I think hoyts are the loudest out of all the mainstream bows right now

Agreed. Dont believe I have shot a quiet Hoyt

highly disagree.. I shot the z7,z7 extreme, and several other Matthews bow including some bow tech and several other bows. and they were all louder then the hoyt the other bow I really like is the bow tech. I have the ramapage xt. and it is one of the quietist bows ive ever shot. my uncle has the dxt and its the loudest bow ive ever shot or have heard. but like been said over and over every bow is different in everybodys hand. and if I may say I don't think there is a bow on the market that even compares to the sypder. but that's just me. It also makes a big difference what things you put on the bow. you can make just about any bow quit if you really want to. but when I shot all of them all it was, was a sight, rest and pep sight and the bow I got what the quietist one I shot.

Do you do your own tuning ? I like hoyts , but I will not have a spyder . I have watched 4 be set up this year already and to get them tuned to our standards it takes a tremendous amount of cam lean . And the guys that have bought them are having some troubles with serving wear on that end . But I have shot a lot of hoyts and really like the bows , just not my cup of tea.

 

[deerhunter10]

no I don't do my own tuning I can do a little bit but not to much im trying to learn more and more. I have not heard that at all. but ill take your word for it. not to many have been sold the archery shop I go to so they are still kinda learning them to. if that makes sense. and Toxophilite Phil I think everyone is dead set on a brand. i know very few people that aren't. i who doesn't really stick of for the things you own. you are proud of what you have and worked hard for so you are kinda dead set on that brand. as far as bow brands you will find very very very few that are not dead set on a bow. while they may switch after a little while most will not. its the same with vehicles and four wheelers and guns the list goes on and on. imo at least.

 

[bowhunter163]

no I don't do my own tuning I can do a little bit but not to much im trying to learn more and more. I have not heard that at all. but ill take your word for it. not to many have been sold the archery shop I go to so they are still kinda learning them to. if that makes sense. and Toxophilite Phil I think everyone is dead set on a brand. i know very few people that aren't. i who doesn't really stick of for the things you own. you are proud of what you have and worked hard for so you are kinda dead set on that brand. as far as bow brands you will find very very very few that are not dead set on a bow. while they may switch after a little while most will not. its the same with vehicles and four wheelers and guns the list goes on and on. imo at least.

Yes sir . Many people will stick with their brand untill they can't shoot anymore . I have shot Bear bows ,pse, Hoyt , Parker, bowtech, Matthews for the most time , and then last year I picked up the dream season Evo and couldn't make myself shoot anything else . It was just my bow that felt right . It's just like others have said it doesn't matter what other people say it's the bow that fits in your hand .

But sadly the majority of people buy a bow because there buddy has one and it's the baddest thing in the world . And then they wonder why they can't shoot it well .

 

[deerhunter10]

no I don't do my own tuning I can do a little bit but not to much im trying to learn more and more. I have not heard that at all. but ill take your word for it. not to many have been sold the archery shop I go to so they are still kinda learning them to. if that makes sense. and Toxophilite Phil I think everyone is dead set on a brand. i know very few people that aren't. i who doesn't really stick of for the things you own. you are proud of what you have and worked hard for so you are kinda dead set on that brand. as far as bow brands you will find very very very few that are not dead set on a bow. while they may switch after a little while most will not. its the same with vehicles and four wheelers and guns the list goes on and on. imo at least.

Yes sir . Many people will stick with their brand untill they can't shoot anymore . I have shot Bear bows ,pse, Hoyt , Parker, bowtech, Matthews for the most time , and then last year I picked up the dream season Evo and couldn't make myself shoot anything else . It was just my bow that felt right . It's just like others have said it doesn't matter what other people say it's the bow that fits in your hand .

But sadly the majority of people buy a bow because there buddy has one and it's the baddest thing in the world . And then they wonder why they can't shoot it well .

agree 110 percent happen all the time. and sadly how a lot of people decide a bow is who their favorite pro hunter is and go with that bow and I see that over and over again.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

The main things I look for are a smooth draw cycle, forgiveness, and quietness. I found all 3 (IMO) in a Hoyt Turbohawk.

 

[Boone 58]

hoyt all day everyday for me... but I look for smoothness, hand shock, no vibration, speed, forgiveness and the main thing I want is quietness. and that's the main reason I went with the hoyt for all of those reason.

I agree the hoyts are really smooth but I think hoyts are the loudest out of all the mainstream bows right now

Not according to the ratings for the 2012 models
Silencing Package
Hoyt comes equipped with Alpha Shox limb dampeners. They fit between the split limbs and help eliminate residual vibration caused after the shot. The rear-mounted stabilizer also comes equipped with a rubber dampener that helps the string come to rest after the arrow has been released. The bow is very quiet without string silencers although some shooters may choose to add them later.

 

[Ckirk4bama]

I shoot a Mathews monster mr-8 I don't know if I've met anyone else who shoots this particular model. I have only been shooting for about four years and have had three bows, the first two were both pse but after two years I decided it was time to step up past the entry level bows(stinger which was the first and I loved it and brute second which I didn't like). I went like many others to buy the bows that all the pros where shooting ie: Mathews heli-m and bowtech insanity. I shot both of them and decided on the heli-m until I found the monster, I shot it and that was all she wrote. It is plenty fast, very smooth, comforatable in the hand with no hand shock, and even my friend with the heli-m and another with a bowtech said mine is quiter. I honestly think the monster gets overlooked because Mathews is known for their solo-cams. I have been contemplating shooting the elites and the Hoyt if I can find the dealerships.

 

[JayMc]

Pretty much in this order...

* Geometry - ATA and BH need to fit me or it's a waste of time. For me that's 32-35" ATA with 7" or so of BH. That combo allows me to anchor the way I shoot best and provides a natural head position that works with the string angle.
* Cam design - want something that rolls over well with a good wall. Not too aggressive, with ability to customize holding weight.
* Tune-ability - is it a cam design with cable/string setup that I know I can tune.
* Noise / hand shock - you can quiet down almost any bow these days with the right accessories. I'm not worried about hand shock so much, but I want to get it quiet if I'm hunting with it.
* IBO rating - speed isn't super important, but no reason to not take advantage of it if the other stuff works

 

[jb3]

Quiet. Did not want a bow that would have to quieted down. My is quiet with not much added to it.

 

[Poleaxe]

U can get more outa dem bows and arrows as u thank. People talk bout getn new strangs but tha one on my bow will still a sleng um like it did when my grandpapy gave it to me 25yrs ago. I did notice alot of other little strings comin off the main strang for sum rezon. I noticed 2 bolts missing at the end of the stick that holds some round thangs. I found some others that kinda looked like em and the excess room in there I filled with loc tight. I customized the grip with tennessee chrome (that im waitin on the patent to come thru). I keep hearing this cracking sound in them straight pieces bove ur hand. Bout 5 yrs ago a small crack showed up in one of em and I used two bottles of gorilla glue to get er right. When I shoot tho some arrows go fast and some go slow. Ive been tryin to fig out why for yrs. Only thing I can figure is these different numbers on the sticks I guess means some are older than others and arnt as
sturdy. These cites I gots ar amazing. My cousin who doctors say needs more people to spend time with him got us a keggar sumbody hadnt finish and the lights went off as he wus just about to light a thag with a matcstick in a Larger matckbox. Dang that Moonshine really shines and opens ur mind. We cut a hole in that box zip tied and glued it to the side. We got a 1x5 horizontal inch of view with 6 small nails held onto the inside by big leauge chew . That away is was easier to make adjustments. Im thinkin about handing this down to someone who would appreciate such a killing maching. I just dont have the time anymore. Theres tons of screws and bolts that came with it but hey
If I cant be fixed with tennessee chrome or a hammer then it need to be scrap. Come to think of it I think those bolts and nuts were from my wifes front breaks im am deinhancing that lazy hogs car. Countin the days it falls right off. Well hellluva gettin late aint it. Gona grab this stick and and arrows and see if I can shoot one for supper tonight. Anybody want to use it in a local 3D let me know. Long as u take this old fat hag of a wife ive got to and accidently dump her off anywhere then please come by. Jet me a message if it may sound like sumptin u wud want. We gota sell quick. got us a good deals on some lithium bundles. Talk to uns later

 

[Poleaxe]

Bout forgot how stupid alcohol can make a person til I just read the above comment. For a moment I thot I had been hacked until I vaguley remember typing some of it.

 

[Poleaxe]

Oh and I even edited it. Lol. How do u edit idiocy?

 

[Boone 58]

hoyt all day everyday for me... but I look for smoothness, hand shock, no vibration, speed, forgiveness and the main thing I want is quietness. and that's the main reason I went with the hoyt for all of those reason.

X~2.....i have owned three now. My first was a 90's model Pro force extreme. then in 2003 i went with the Razor TEC, now this year i am holding a Hoyt Vector 32". Love it!!

 

[Bootlegger]

I only buy PSE...if not that, then Hoyt. I'm not much on Mathews...but they are good bows...just not for me. Their grips are way too big for my liking. For me, PSE fits me best and I like how they shoot. My favorite PSE's are the Revenge and for there single cam bows the Brute X.

 

[ghosthunter]

hoyt all day everyday for me... but I look for smoothness, hand shock, no vibration, speed, forgiveness and the main thing I want is quietness. and that's the main reason I went with the hoyt for all of those reason.

I agree the hoyts are really smooth but I think hoyts are the loudest out of all the mainstream bows right now

Agreed. Dont believe I have shot a quiet Hoyt

highly disagree.. I shot the z7,z7 extreme, and several other Matthews bow including some bow tech and several other bows. and they were all louder then the hoyt the other bow I really like is the bow tech. I have the ramapage xt. and it is one of the quietist bows ive ever shot. my uncle has the dxt and its the loudest bow ive ever shot or have heard. but like been said over and over every bow is different in everybodys hand. and if I may say I don't think there is a bow on the market that even compares to the sypder. but that's just me. It also makes a big difference what things you put on the bow. you can make just about any bow quit if you really want to. but when I shot all of them all it was, was a sight, rest and pep sight and the bow I got what the quietist one I shot.

Do you do your own tuning ? I like hoyts , but I will not have a spyder . I have watched 4 be set up this year already and to get them tuned to our standards it takes a tremendous amount of cam lean . And the guys that have bought them are having some troubles with serving wear on that end . But I have shot a lot of hoyts and really like the bows , just not my cup of tea.

I don't do a lot of in depth tuning, so what do you mean when you say cam lean? I know what cam lean is, but are you say that you have to induce cam lean? And how do you do that?