Carbon Bows

[treillw]

I'd like to get a new bow at some point. I've shot a pretty good handful of them and usually find myself leaning towards the carbon bows. I've shot the hoyt and a couple from PSE.

Are there any disadvantages to carbon bows? Advantages besides weight?

Any carbon bows that stand out above the rest?

Thanks!

 

[bignocks]

Honestly the biggest advantage Ive found is its really nice in cold weather. I had a hoyt defiant for a while and then last season got a bowtech sr6. I used lizard grip tape on the handle and it really helped with the cold on the aluminum. Carbons seem to be a touch louder since they are a bit lighter but nothing crazy. I heard bowtech might be coming out with a new carbon on these forums so I guess id wait for the ATA and see. But like everyone will probably say you just have to shoot a bunch. I was going to buy one bow and left with a different one after shooting them.

 

[treillw]

I like bowtech bows a lot and currently own one. Dunno if I wanna sign up for their first whack at it though.

Can't the carbon bows be a little finicky?

 

[Billy Goat]

Put a carbon bow in a press. Watch how much the riser deflects.

I really liked shooting them but I shoot way better now that I went back to aluminum.

 

[jmez]

Carbon risers are much more stiff than aluminum.

 

[W1bowo]

Honestly the biggest advantage Ive found is its really nice in cold weather. I had a hoyt defiant for a while and then last season got a bowtech sr6. I used lizard grip tape on the handle and it really helped with the cold on the aluminum. Carbons seem to be a touch louder since they are a bit lighter but nothing crazy. I heard bowtech might be coming out with a new carbon on these forums so I guess id wait for the ATA and see. But like everyone will probably say you just have to shoot a bunch. I was going to buy one bow and left with a different one after shooting them.

+1

 

[Billy Goat]

Carbon risers are much more stiff than aluminum.

This is not true. Not in my experience. Yes carbon is stronger than aluminum. I'm well versed in materials. I haven't touched a bowtech carbon bow, however all the others I have messed with have a bunch of lateral deflection.

I had a video of my carbon defiant in a press. The rest deflected a half an inch while in the press. In other words during the draw process the limbs and limb pockets would change position and go left of centerline of the bow. This would have been changing the center shot through the shot process. Once fired the riser would straighten again. So the limbs were moving in two directions. Makes tuning difficult.

Different aluminum bows will do it to some extent as well. But I haven't seen it nearly as much. Every carbon riser I have messed with does it more than it's aluminum counter part. I'm not saying you can't work around it but I didn't like it.

 

[ZDR]

If that’s correct that Carbon bows deflect, why are Hoyt’s easy to tune? It seems that deflection would make them impossible to be repeatable.

 

[bignocks]

I like bowtech bows a lot and currently own one. Dunno if I wanna sign up for their first whack at it though.

Can't the carbon bows be a little finicky?

They have been making carbon bows for a while now. Not their first crack.

 

[eltaco]

If that’s correct that Carbon bows deflect, why are Hoyt’s easy to tune? It seems that deflection would make them impossible to be repeatable.

Every bow deflects under load, it’s their repeatability of deflection and return to brace that makes them tunable. If a bow deflected differently each time, it then would be untunable.

That doesn’t detract from the fact that carbon bows do deflect more than their aluminum cousins. It’s measurable, there’s really no reason to dispute it. Regardless, the fact is that it’s definitely tunable even if it deflects more than aluminum.

IMO, the recent Hoyt carbons have a better weight and balance to them than the aluminum series. I shoot a RX-4 Ultra because I believe it to be the most well-balanced and stable shooting platform I’ve laid hands on. I shoot the Hoyt carbons extremely well, and attribute it to the confidence of hold they provide me. The warm to touch of carbon over aluminum is probably the 2nd most important aspect of a bow to me. I really don’t see owning another aluminum bow when the carbons are this good.

 

[treillw]

They have been making carbon bows for a while now. Not their first crack.

Oh, OK. The way that comment was phrased made me think it was their first. Somehow I have never seen one of their carbon bows either.

Have all the companies released their 2020 bows? Looks like bowtech released a few, but they are still holding out on some??

 

[treillw]

Are PSE carbon bows good? I don't see them advertised and used by as many people as some other brands. How do they compare to the Hoyt? Anything better than both of them?

 

[nphunter]

I love my Carbon Hoyt, if and when I replace my bow it will be with another Carbon. I would definitely purchase new not used if you keep bows for a long time because I feel like in the long term the carbon bows will not hold up as well as the aluminum bows. There are glued joints on all of them that are held by epoxy which starts to fail with age, unlike aluminum which is machined out of one solid piece of material.

The things I love about my carbon bow are; it feels great in the hand, is lighter than the aluminum version at least in 2014 they were, shooting in cold or wet weather they are awesome, I shoot with a wood grip and the bow does not freeze my hand at all. I shot my last buck at around 6 degrees and had zero issues packing my bow around that entire hunt with only thin merino liner gloves.

 

[Billy Goat]

Are PSE carbon bows good? I don't see them advertised and used by as many people as some other brands. How do they compare to the Hoyt? Anything better than both of them?

I have messed with one briefly. The riser is way simpler than the Hoyts. Don't know how the strength difference is between the two however the Hoyt design looks like it would be a little stronger. But looks aren't everything. Can't speak to the actual strength of them.

I think Hoyt just really pushes their carbon. That's why more of them are out there.