80 lb vs turbo hoyt

[brocksw]

Hopefully getting a new bow this year and I'm debating between an 80 lb defiant or a 70 lb defiant turbo. Only reason I ask on this forum is because I will not be able to shoot an 80 lb defiant before I make a decision. I understand there will be some differences in the draw cycle and I would expect that. I will be shooting at 27" with a 500+ gr arrow.

I would expect the 80 lb defiant to be a little bit faster than the turbo but maybe not as much as one might think.

I'd also expect the 80 lb bow to be a bit nicer to hold as the turbo cams want to take off a little easier.

However, 80 lbs is 80 lbs and if it only gives me 10 fps more than the turbo, I think I would lean towards the turbo.

I'm hoping someone in here has had the same type of scenario with hoyt bows of the past couple years and can weigh in on their decision. Any thing I haven't thought of? Regrets? Anyone shoot a 80 lb defiant and compare to a defiant turbo?

Thanks for the time and feedback

 

[kodiakfly]

I have a 29" draw, but my CSTZT launches a 500+ gr arrow with authority. I've never found myself wishing I had more power behind it. The cam is aggressive, but that's where practice comes in. You can get jumpy by pulling a mountain of weight just the same as if you've got a hard cam. And I'm a big dude, been bowhunting a long long time and have a couple 80 lb bows. So it's not that I can't or don't want to shoot 80....I just don't see the need to with the Turbo at 70.

 

[brocksw]

I'm guessing an 80 lb defiant will push my arrow somewhere around or short of 280 while the defiant turbo would be just short of or at 270...i may even try a 27.5 inch draw in the turbo to compensate...i know 28 inch was too long on my elite but I have tied long d loops on my 27" and felt fine so that may get me over the 270 mark which is where I'd like to be for speed. The predominant thoughts I keep mulling over are about draw cycle, ease of holding, and forgiveness.

 

[kodiakfly]

Personally, I wouldn't mess with your draw length to pursue speed. Your draw length is your draw length. And I don't think a half inch is going to make that big of a difference to offset being a half inch longer than what you're used to. But changing draw length is easy so if just out of curiosity you want to give it a shot and see how it feels, give it a shot. But only keep it if it actually fits and don't kid yourself. A DL too long can mess you up for all the things you mentioned same as an aggressive bow can.

And I guess if you're not going to max out the 80 lb bow, then shooting a slightly longer ATA bow at 73-75 lbs may not be bad. I'm a big dude, and I've hunted at 80 lbs and I could now...but I don't want to. That's a lot of weight in a real world, cold, wet, nervous environment.

I just gotta be honest, and I don't know now you from Adam, so I could be a thousand miles off base here. Please take this as friendly advice, and not me telling you how to do your thing. I've worked in a few archery shops, and I've seen guys come in and they're chasing numbers. Speed, pounds and draw length. And in doing that, they often end up shooting a bow too heavy or too long for them or an arrow so light or underspined that it won't shoot. Don't be that guy.

Whatever bow you shoot, a 500 gr arrow (which still may also be heavier than what you really need) is plenty to kill anything. If you're shooting it at 260 fps, who cares? It's just a number; it's not performance. You're talking about shooting two very high end, high performing bows at high poundage (there's a lot of guys that hunt big game at 60-65 lbs) with a heavy arrow. Why worry about hitting 270 fps or an extra half inch of draw? Get a Defiant, shoot it at a comfortable poundage and your appropriate draw length, with a decent size arrow and don't worry about where it comes out in numbers. Either of those bows will shoot and kill. Follow your own words and stick with your predominant thoughts...draw cycle, hold and forgiveness and let the bow do it's thing at whatever number it falls on. Then if you're all set up and comfortable and you're shooting 265 fps and that 270 is bugging you, drop your arrow weight some. At 500+ gr, you've got room to lighten up some and not have to draw 80 or shoot a bow too long for you.

Just my humble thoughts.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I am not an experienced archer but found something interesting this week listening to a podcast with Tim Burnett where he said he'd shot heavier bows but dialed it down to 63# because that irked best for him. I was also watching a video where Cameron Hanes, who shoots a heavy draw, talked about taking his draw length from 29 to 27.

I am a big guy and when I got into archery last year I thought I'd start at 65 and then crank it up on my next bow. After shooting a year and seeing what my bow - a carbon spyder turbo - will do to a furry animal or two I don't feel the need for more pounds of draw weight at all.

Lastly, as I was selecting bows it came down to a turbo spyder and a non turbo nitrum. The turbo was jumpier and I shot the the nitrum better. I went with the turbo because it was carbon, my buddy just bought one, it was more expensive and therefore cooler, it said turbo and I was/am an idiot. You sound like a much more experience archer than me but I guess I am saying in my very limited experience being on the edge of bow hype / tech is a lot less important than having a solid rig you can shoot comfortably when it counts.

 

[huntstrong2850]

I recently bought the Turbo defiant and I myself have a short draw length. 27.5", that defiant turbo is much faster than your estimates and not at all hard to shoot. I shoot 3D with mine on 70lbs, my fps came out to be 315fps at 27.5" draw with a hunting setup. 300 spine black eagle deep impacts with 100gr heads. Weight came out to be right at 430gr, the whole 500gr arrow weight is over rated and sounds good on the internet but it isn't truly needed. Set it up how it shoots best and sometimes that's lengthening or shortening arrows which obviously changes overall weight.

 

[S&S Archery (Rob)]

I have the Nitrum Turbo from last year. Its suited me really well this last year, but after shooting the carbon defiant 34, my turbo is up for sale. Say what you want about a jumpy turbo cam, yes you get used to it.. but at what cost? I dont nearly enjoy shooting my bow as much as I used to. I want that enjoyment back, and I'm confident shooting that buttery smooth defiant 34 is going to help that tremendously.

 

[Pramo]

I shoot a Hoyt CST at 64 pounds with a 29.5 draw and don't find it jumpy at all, bUt I know each cam and setting feels different

Regardless I can't imagine wanting an 80 pound bow with added wear and tear on my body. I shoot multiple times a week year round and want to stay that way

 

[RyanC]

I've never shot 80lbs but I currently shoot a Hoyt CST ZT @ 70lbs and it carries my arrows with plenty of speed. I am 28.5" draw shooting 425grain arrow at 298fps. If you haven't shot the turbo I would shoot one. For a turbo cam they have very little aggression out of the back wall like some other speed bows. If it was me I would get the turbo at 70lbs and be done with it. But you need to shoot it first to make that decision yourself.

Good Luck.

 

[MattB]

Shoot both cams at 70# and figure out which you like better. To me, they feel quite different (i don't like the turbo cam as well) but I had a friend shoot both this past weekend and they felt the same to him. Go figure.

The trajectory difference between the speeds you will get at 80# and 70# is just not that great, not sure I would worry much about it. Guys get into the mental masturbation of it, whereas the real life difference on game is pretty slim.

Don't try to stretch your DL for a bit more speed - especially with a cam like the turbo which isn't very forgiving of marginal form. Again, the difference in trajectory due to the speed doesn't amount to nearly as much guys on the internet lead you to believe, and the energy from either is overkill for the vast majority of NA hunting situations.

 

[Rick Leathley]

2014 was a sweet year for Hoyt bows. I have an 80# 2014 carbon Spyder turbo. I practically have to push it to get into let down and draws so smooth. I don't like he turbo cams on the newer bows at all. The messed up going away from the Z5 cams. My buddy had a 2015 and it was jumpy. His 2014 never creeped on him.

 

[VarmintSniper30]

Any one else ever figure out anything I'm about to be in this dilema now

 

[justin davis]

Any one else ever figure out anything I'm about to be in this dilema now

I have a 27" draw length and I've always been able to shoot short brace height bows well. I used to have a carbon Spyder turbo and I shot it really well. It was an awesome bow.

I think with an 80 lb 34 you have a smoother drawing bow. So it might be pretty close to the same feel of drawing the "turbo" cams.

In my mind this is a close call. The 34 will be a little more forgiving.

The turbo will be less poundage but still some good speed

 

[MattB]

A friend shot the 80# non-turbo and 70# turbo side by side this year. The speed was virtually identical but my friend preferred the 80# draw feel to the turbo cam. I'd shoot them both if possible to see which cam you prefer.

 

[roadrunner]

Go for the Defiant 34 with 80# limbs instead of the Turbo. The draw is better on the 34 and the longer brace height will be much more forgiving. I had 70# limbs on mine when I got it but switched to 80#. Set at 75, it draws like my Spyder 34 (with Z5 cam) set at 70.

 

[justin davis]

Yea essentially the 34 at 80 lbs is smoother drawing than turbo. So draws would feel equal or even better drawing for the higher poundage 34

 

[Beendare]

I totally agree with kodiak....

i shot 80# for decades...no reason to now......... unless you are going for Cape/Water buffalo

 

[Davebuech]

Kodiak offers some excellent advice and Beendare sums it up nicely.

I have no experience with either of these models and until now hesitated to comment. Other than I tested the Defiant this past year when I was shopping for a new bow, so take the following for what it is worth.

I shot for many years a Martin Cheetah 80lb at 29inch draw.....that was to get somewhere around 230 FPS in that day with a 420-430ish gr arrow.(if memory serves me). Killed several larger than average whitetails with it deader than dead. Every one were complete pass throughs. Never had the opportunity to hunt larger game in archery season, until I finally made the move here to CO.

This past year I decided it was time for a new bow and ended up with a BTX 31 shooting 74lb draw weight. With a 460 gr hunting arrow I am clocking speeds of 280 FPS! Wow what a difference technology has made! Fast enough and heavy enough to kill any big game in NA. In fact I probably could have dropped to 60 lbs draw weight and still have a plenty lethal weapon for NA big game, that is a little easier on the shoulder to shoot. I shoot a lot in the off season, 3D and TONS of target practice in my back yard or stump shooting. While 70 lbs is not hurting me nor too difficult to draw, 60 lbs would be easier and potentially could be shot more often with less fatigue, leading to longer practice sessions and more fun on the range.
One other consideration is that (IMO) once your arrows get above that 280-290 FPS mark, tuning them with fixed broad heads gets trickier, if not impossible.

Good luck with your decision and happy shooting!

 

[brocksw]

Ended up going with a 70 lb elite impulse and feel like I made the right decision to stick with 70 lbs.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Felix40]

Gotta do what works for you. Certainly don't need 80#. That said I picked up my 80# elite this weekend and I can't see ever shooting 70# again. I don't really shoot the compound for fun so it's not like I'm going to wear my shoulder out shooting 3D. I'd be surprised if I shoot it 30 shots a month.