I followed this thread earlier in the year when trying out new mods on a few of my bows (Mathews Halon 32, Mathews VXR 31.5, and Mathews Halon X Comp).
Lots of good information and feedback here, but wanted to add some of my experience in case anyone else stumbles on this thread and is trying to make a decision between high and low letoff.
So, I shot 85% letoff bows for 7 years, because that's what came on my bows and I didn't know any better. I hunt primarily and shoot some 3D but not in serious leagues or competition. No coach or friend pushed me toward anything different. I did catch an
Inside Out Precision video on letoff, which planted a seed...
Finally, this past two months, I engaged in a serious, exploratory trial period with two new bows (the VXR and Halon X Comp) with intentions of 1) really fine tuning my draw length for a solid, steady float and 2) fine tuning my release with a hinge, which I switched to last year and have been using exclusively for a number of reasons. Padgett's online articles from ArcheryTalk and his website were super instructive. The Jesse Broadwater online Vimeo course was good, too. It was like having virtual coaches. I bought two new bows, various mods, and started experimenting a lot (I have a press and full shop at home...).
RESULTS OF TWO MONTHS OF EXPERIMENTATION =====
The 75% (Halon X Comp) and 80% (VXR) mods are a REVELATION. Stunningly good for the kind of shooting I do. I would describe my style as:
- Slightly aggressive into the back wall, aiming for about 16-18# holding weight.
- Hinge release shooter who simultaneously rotates my rear elbow down while "relaxing" the release hand and keeping my front arm steady -- the feel is very similar to a recurve bow release. There is some motion in my shot compared to two years ago, when I shot a Wiseguy index release with a very stiff "command style." Now keep in mind, when I say "motion" I'm talking about barely perceptible micro movement. Not big sweeping movements or anything.
- Very focused on keeping my shot aligned -- push pull in a direct line to and from the target.
The low-letoff bows have fantastic feel and responsiveness. They feel like firearms with really fast lock times -- which I enjoy a lot.
This is big -- hold weight of low letoff bows was not an issue for me at all, as even with the 85% letoff bows I wanted to hold around 16-18 pounds anyway, so I was really yarding on the cables. With the 75% and 80% mods, I am holding near or right at the appropriate weight.
End of day, I can shoot either bow fine (it's what you get used to) but feel much more in control and consistent with the 75% and 80%. No more 85% for me -- hunting or target shooting. I can hold the 75% letoff bow at 65# draw for up to 30-45 seconds no issue. Do you really want to hold longer than that when taking a shot on an animal? I know guys do, but that's way down the list of qualities I want in my shot...
My draw is 31", preferred weight is in the 65-70 range, and I shoot a 470 grain arrow at about 280-300 fps. I don't need more speed, so am able to get away with the smooth 65# draw weight and resulting hold weight in that 16-18# range. If someone needed to pull 75# or 80# because they have a short draw length or want to shoot a really heavy arrow and still achieve okay speeds (275+), then I can see how 75% letoff would make them hold 20+ pounds -- which would be tough to manage.
Last thing -- the 75% and 80% mods shortened my draw length by about 1/8" or 3/16". To fine tune after the switch, I took out three twists in my string (this kept peep the same) to lengthen it by 3/16" and voila I was back to perfect draw length. Another option is to shoot off the riser, which I tried and liked with the VXR. But I did NOT like shooting off the riser with the Halon X Comp because in that era, Mathews had not profiled the riser edges so the riser was literally cutting and scraping up my hand. Tape and tennis grip and all... I might take a file to the bow if I ever want to shoot off the riser again.