Convince me to buy a bow

[Antler57]

you have to shoot and see what feels best in your hands, My brother in law is a Mathews guy. had me ready to buy one. my dealer sell all brands and indoor range so I could shoot and try before buying. shot the Hoyt carbon spyder was the best fit / balance for me. you need to find what works for you

 

[roadrunner]

Sounds like you have already convinced yourself to buy a bow, now the question is; which one? Only you can decide by shooting as many as you can to build that comfort and confidence needed to execute a good shot.

There is a reason I am still shooting a 2015 Carbon Spyder 34 ZT...

 

[TreestandMaineiac]

I'm also considering buying a new bow. Kind of hung up on ATA right now and trying to understand a little more. Generally speaking, is a longer ata more favorable to longer draw lengths in terms of stability and balance? For example, I'm a 30" draw...from what I'm reading and understanding, a 33 ata "should" allow me to shoot somewhat steadier than say a 28 ata. Is that an accurate assumption?

 

[Brendan]

Longer ATA should be more accurate and give better string angle for more flexibility in anchor.

With a 30" draw I'd personally be looking at 34-35" AtA bows. Lots of good options out there.

 

[TreestandMaineiac]

Longer ATA should be more accurate and give better string angle for more flexibility in anchor.

With a 30" draw I'd personally be looking at 34-35" AtA bows. Lots of good options out there.

Seems like most of the newer hunting bows (primarily purpose I'd use it for) are much shorter than that and are sub 30". I suppose that is due to an increased appetite for speed from consumers? For example, if you go to Mathews website and narrow search to hunting bows, the 33" ata Traverse or 33" Safari is the max you'll get w/o moving over to what they start to consider target bows.

Second question, considering a 30" draw...is it possible to shoot a bow set-up for 29 or 29.5" draw if release or D-loop is lengthened to gain back .5 or inch to the full 30"?

 

[Brendan]

Seems like most of the newer hunting bows (primarily purpose I'd use it for) are much shorter than that and are sub 30". I suppose that is due to an increased appetite for speed from consumers? For example, if you go to Mathews website and narrow search to hunting bows, the 33" ata Traverse or 33" Safari is the max you'll get w/o moving over to what they start to consider target bows.

Second question, considering a 30" draw...is it possible to shoot a bow set-up for 29 or 29.5" draw if release or D-loop is lengthened to gain back .5 or inch to the full 30"?

There are plenty of longer ATA hunting bows. I would look at bows like the Hoyt RX4 Ultra, Prime Black 5, PSE has a number of 35" bows, Bowtech Reckoning, and am sure I'm forgetting some.

Shorter ATA makes a bigger difference at long draw lengths where it's not as big a deal for guys with a shorter DL.

D Loop has nothing to do with your draw length. You set draw length to get good string position in relation to your nose and corner of your mouth with good front arm position, and then adjust D loop for the release you're using to get the anchor you want.

 

[Brent111368]

Short ATA for longer DL guys are awful!!!! I say get the longest ATA you can for a hunting bow you like. I have a 34" ATA bow and close to 31" DL. Would I like a longer ATA, you bet, but this was the bow I wanted and only available at 34" ATA. And forget about touching your nose to the string on short bows and long DL, puts you in a weak shooting position, stay upright, stay strong with your form. I feel that is an important point for us long draw folks.

 

[joe2687]

try some out and see what you like. i was the same and shoot a hoyt now...

 

[TreestandMaineiac]

Thanks fellas. Can't say I favor any particular bow mfg at this point but have kind of been window shopping the more heavily advertised stuff to narrow down what to try before committing to buying. My perspective is definitely changing on what to look for in a new bow. I'm fairly new to archery and first (current) bow is a Diamond Edge SB-1, which is 31" ata. I've shot more deer with it than a rifle so seem to shoot it well. It's served its purpose to get me into bow hunting so now at the point of wanting to graduate to something "nicer."

What about brace height on these longer ata bows? Am I still concerned with maximizing this here (i.e. 7") for hunting scenarios where I might need extra clearance to account for bulk in hunting clothes or have I misinterpreted BH?

 

[Brendan]

What about brace height on these longer ata bows? Am I still concerned with maximizing this here (i.e. 7") for hunting scenarios where I might need extra clearance to account for bulk in hunting clothes or have I misinterpreted BH?

I personally don't have an issue with 6" brace height bows in hunting scenarios, including when I'm wearing my late season whitetail stuff in a tree stand. My grip is with knuckles 45 degrees to vertical and I shoot with a slightly open stance which both help give a little clearance. I have one of those arm guards, but have never used it.

If you're looking at used bows: Prime Centergy Hybrid, Prime Logic CT5, Hoyt RX1 Ultra are all options I like. I still have my RX1 Ultra and may end up using it as my primary bow again this year. My DL is 29", and I shoot a 505gr arrow at 280 fps with bow set at around 72-73#.

I bet you could find an RX1 Ultra #3 cam with new strings for good money on the second hand market. Adjustable draw length (#3 cam is adjustable 28"-31"), 35" ATA, carbon, and very tunable.... And, I'd bet most people couldn't tell the difference between that bow and a brand new RX4 Ultra - especially as someone newer to archery. I like the Primes too, but I have a thing for carbon bows and past year primes have draw length specific cams.

 

[satchamo]

Longer ATA should be more accurate and give better string angle for more flexibility in anchor.

With a 30" draw I'd personally be looking at 34-35" AtA bows. Lots of good options out there.

This 100%


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[Red7006]

Go to your local shop and test them all. Pick the one that feels best for you. If you don't want to buy used. Most shops will give you a pretty good deal with an older model they have in stock.

 

[Chaseoz341]

I went into my local shop a few weeks ago fully ready to put down on a Traverse. I had shot a couple of them at other shops and loved everything aabout it. That being said my local guy had me try out the new Hoyt Axius ultra. Wound up buying one that day, imo it is the most underrated/overlooked bow of 2020. I wont go back to an ata less than 34, Ztr cams are phenomenal..and the .6lb of extra weight over the rx4 actually improves the hold.

 

[roosiebull]

we all have vastly different tastes, so you will be getting mostly bias answers stating what they shoot... everyone thinks they own the best bow, which it may or may not be for THEM.

I don't like the direction Mathews is going right now, they are just too heavy to consider to me (doesn't mean they are to you or anyone else, just my taste) for current Mathews, the Traverse is a really nice bow, and have a better draw cycle than the VXR's... if I was buying a Mathews today it would be from the Chill series, my Chill r was by far my favorite Mathews, all around great bow for my taste... they can be found for a good price.

I also bought a triax right when they came out, and the honeymoon phase was short. I kept it one year, and was bummed I sold my chill r after I got the triax, because if I would have kept it I would have hunted it.

after the triax I got an RX-1, and that was one of my favorite bows I have owned. I got rid of that bow when I went "all in" on trad bows and I bought a new Blacktail recurve.

I saw the Realm X mentioned above, if you cannot shoot bows prior to buying, the Realm X would be a safe bet, they seem like the most loved bow ever, I don't know I have heard anyone say they didn't like the Realm X.... that's gonna be a tough bow for Bowtech to top, that bow was a home run.

I hate recommending a bow for someone else, because I know my taste will likely not be the best bow for you, I have my own taste in bows like everyone else....

 

[qwerksc]

Go buy one! If ya got the Dough and you are in need. New archery gear gets ya shooting more, we need to shoot more. When you are excited about things, it causes a ripple effect, hopefully triggering more folks to want to get into the sport.

 

[Tbaxl]

It’s looks like the big three have been mentioned countless times already (Mathews, Hoyt, Bowtech). I would check out new breed archery, obsession archery, elite archery, or expedition archery. I currently shoot a obsession evolution, a 2015 model I think, there isn’t any bow out there that could make me think of replacing it. But to summarize, there are a bunch of great bows out there that just don’t have quite the marketing to be as well known, if you hunt around you will find a bow you love. Hope this helps.

edit, if you are looking for a just straight up smooth bow, doesn’t need to be super fast. I would look at elite, their claim to fame is how good the draw cycle is.

 

[Blockcaver]

Longer bows shoot better for me under mountain hunting conditions than shorter bows. Too bad it took a few years and a couple of shorter bows from Hoyt and Mathews to prove that to me. My 29" draw, 35" axle to axle with a 6.5" brace height bow certainly gets it done. And yes I can still shoot it out of a tree when I hunt Coues deer.

 

[Clandefeld]

Lots of good bows out there! I shot several and landed with an elite ritual. Been happy with it so far but had to shim cams to get it tuned. Not difficult but time consuming.

 

[jakelogsdon]

You need to go shoot all the brands right now. New cam designs have changed the game. What feels good for me might not be the same for you. But im not a brand loyal person so Im not going to tell you one way or another, but these new bows are the tits. get your hands on some of them.

 

[Fleetwood]

Loved my Hoyt for the past 3 years, but need something new and shiny to get me excited to shoot again. I prefer a longer ata as I primarily do spot and stalk in western CO but also do some tree stand hunting in AR and CO. Selling my 16' Hoyt CD 34 in favor of a Mach 1. For me, the Mach 1 is in a league of its own. Not only is it super light and stable, but the 32" ata is a nice middle ground for compact yet a forgiving size. The grip is simply amazing. It feels comfortable and holds on target solidly for such a light bow. One of the pro-staff at the shop recommended basing a lot of your decision on how the bow feels in your hand. So in a closed eye comparison, the Mach 1 took the cake for me. The runner up was easily the Mathews VXR 31.5. Very few bows are as vibration free, shoot as clean, and offer the customizability of the switch weight modules which transform your bow from 60 to 65 to 70 to 75 all with a simple mod swap, no bow press needed. So if you like to target shoot, you can run 60 or 65lbs, and come hunting season you can throw on the 70 or 75s. Pretty cool. The 28 and 31.5 VXRs might also be a great match for you since you are tree stand hunting. Only thing I'll say about the VXR is start with a lower poundage. The bow is super fast and those big cams can take a little elbow grease towards the end of the draw cycle.

Prime Black 3 - One of the best grips, great balance, too much vibration for me.
Hoyt Axius - Clean draw, great arrow release, typical Hoyt.
PSE 33 NXT - Easiest to draw, fast for a 33, easy to hold on target, and smooth release.
PSE Carbon Air Stealth Mach 1 (32") - Best everything.
Mathews 31.5 VXR - Smooth draw with a little hump at the back, fast, dead in the hand, great balance, fast.

Good luck!