Is the “Flagship” bow worth it?

[Strider]

I bought a used Hoyt Powermax about 5 years ago and have hunted hard with it. It’s been bomb proof, I shoot it decent, It’s killed most things I aim it at, it’s light and compact. But here is the catch.
My rest started to malfunction + I got a Christmas bonus = I need a whole new setup...
My main questions are
- will a higher end model help me shoot better?
- I’m looking at buying a used bow. So how do I try them out when the shops don’t have a bunch of used bows hanging on the wall?
- Any bow suggestions? I want a Prime, Mathews, or Elite. I’m at 30” DL, 70lbs +, and I’m 6’2”. So I would like a longer ATA than my current bow. Budget is in the $500 - $700 for bare bow.

Thanks.

 

[Wapiti1]

Reality is that a new bow won't make you shoot better. Flagship or not, the bow is a part of the equation, but you are the main factor. That said, some bows hold better than others, or fit your hand better and that will improve your shooting.

Now that we have that out of the way. Shoot the new bows. Most brands have a feel to them that carries through the lines of bows. Then look for used in that brand, or new old stock if you want to save some money.

I just picked up an Elite Enkore for a good price, and am very happy with it. Once the cams are timed (still need a press for that), the tuning is really simple and fast.

Elite just came out with the Omnia and ERA carbon with a new cam. The Enkore, Remedy and Envision should be dropping in price as their mid level bows, and a 2022 one could be a very good deal.

Jeremy

 

[rclouse79]

I bought the Elite Enkore and really like it. The lower model of Elite had the slides for the cable guard and the Enkore has the rollers. I really like those. The slides on my old bow used to chew up cables pretty bad. The Enkore has the SET tuning system. The shop was able to get it shooting bullet holes with the twist of an allen wrench. I am not sure what you gain from the next model up or if it is worth the extra cost. I feel like I shoot as good as my capabilities will allow with this bow.

 

[SummitsCalling]

You need a whole new setup, or want one

Higher end won't help you shoot better. Now a Walmart bow vs a top end brand is a different story. Tuning your setup and practice will help you shoot better. What I see is certain influencers pushing the latest and greatest then wound animals left and right, then cry on YouTube over it. Tinkering is fine but find a setup that works well, don't touch it. Now if it's your hobby and you could careless by all means, but consistentcy matters. Keeping up with the joneses doesn't kill animals.

Go-to several shops and ask to shoot the bows. Hopefully you have a good local bow shop that you have built a relationship with. Not try in store and go buy online type. Don't rush them in July before the season, try the first quarter when everyone is dumping their gear and business might be slow. Good shops are worth it to spend a little extra.

Bows don't improve enough year to year to justify it but 5+ year upgrades might be worth it, at least for me. I'm on year 5 I think of my Mathews and don't see any reason to get a new one. Shoots just fine if I do my part.

 

[TheTone]

At your budget I’d suggest checking for year old leftovers at shops. I just got IMO a really good deals on a v3x as the shop had 15 on the rack but is getting in 2023. Same shop has bowtechs and primes also at big discounts.

 

[MallardSX2]

I would buy something used if it was me. Save yourself a lot of money that way for sure.

 

[feanor]

I shoot my bow a lot and so I want a nice setup that is a pleasure to shoot often. I would be unsatisfied if it didn’t check all the boxes. But on the other hand, if I shot occasionally and wasn’t really too involved with the whole process, I wouldnt mind a cheaper bow.

 

[svivian]

Short answer is no

 

[willfrye027]

A new bow will probably “feel” much nicer. Quite a bit of small improvements over the years.

Just bought my wife last years flagship now for $600 used. I am shooting a 2015 flagship bow and will keep shooting it for a few more years.

I’d rather have a few years old flagship model than something middle of the road, new or otherwise.

 

[Long Cut]

Nah go buy a 1-2 year old “flagship” bow…

My Elite Kure will be with me for a while. Aside from my Prime Impact, the Kure is my favorite bow I’ve ever shot.

A ton of its based off what now fits you best. Elite, Bowtech, Prime, Hoyt.. all good

 

[Billy Goat]

I'd keep in mind warranties and the cost of new old stock versus used.

Elite seems to be going a different route with having parts inventory on hand then what they did. The Energy series won't have any more parts available after what they have on hand is gone, I suspect that will happen with their other bows. So a 2-3 year old bow might be without replacement parts in 3 years, hopefully not, but it's a consideration. PSE has been similar, they offer a decent discount on a newer model for a warranty claim rather than parts. A buddy just had issues getting parts for a Bowtech, but it was a 2010 model bow, so not as bad, but its a 10 yo bow that is now worthless.


Mathews still has lifetime warranty to the original purchaser, and they keep parts. Replacement parts can be steep if no warranty and for what I see few year old M sell for I'd be looking at old new inventory if I was going that route.

No help on Prime.

Higher end bow can help you shoot slightly better, but fit is the most important. Having the bow setup properly, tuned, and fitted to you are the highest priorities.

One thing in a "higher end" bow that I really like is a pretty solid backwall. That can come from cable or limb stops, but seems about all entry and a lot of mid tier bows have a horrible backwall with a lot of give. Not impossible to shoot well, but not forgiving either.

 

[JStol5]

If you can get a new flagship from last year on discount at a bow shop, that might be your best bet. Still get a warranty. IMO Mathews and hoyt didn’t change enough between last year and this year to even consider looking at them over a discounted V3X/Ventum Pro. Prime has made a lot of changes in the last couple years, maybe a different story there. Same with Elite with the Omnia and Era.

 

[fwafwow]

I bought a used Hoyt Powermax about 5 years ago and have hunted hard with it. It’s been bomb proof, I shoot it decent, It’s killed most things I aim it at, it’s light and compact. But here is the catch.
My rest started to malfunction + I got a Christmas bonus = I need a whole new setup...
My main questions are
- will a higher end model help me shoot better?
- I’m looking at buying a used bow. So how do I try them out when the shops don’t have a bunch of used bows hanging on the wall?
- Any bow suggestions? I want a Prime, Mathews, or Elite. I’m at 30” DL, 70lbs +, and I’m 6’2”. So I would like a longer ATA than my current bow. Budget is in the $500 - $700 for bare bow.

Thanks.

I had a similar start - the Powermax was my first bow and it was good for me. I also have similar DL, weight and height. I had a similar desire a few years later to test the waters and I went with the then-flagship for Hoyt, the RX-1 Ultra (which has a longer ATA). That bow seemed to be a big improvement to me over the PowerMax - in shooting and handling. A few years later - rinse and repeat - I purchased the RX-4 Ultra and love it better than the prior two. But newer isn't always better (so analogous to flagship may not always be best) - as I compared to the RX-5 and I still like the RX-4 better.

As for suggestions, my experience is limited to the above, so I'm useless. But you can search for a used one, or maybe find some old new flagship stock from someone for maybe not too much more than $700 - but I've never tested the market or looked very hard.

 

[sndmn11]

If you can get a new flagship from last year on discount at a bow shop, that might be your best bet. Still get a warranty. IMO Mathews and hoyt didn’t change enough between last year and this year to even consider looking at them over a discounted V3X/Ventum Pro. Prime has made a lot of changes in the last couple years, maybe a different story there. Same with Elite with the Omnia and Era.

I think this is some outstanding advice. If I were buying used, I'd want to be spending half of my bow budget so I have a replacement plan. I think buy new old stock with a warranty is well worth it. You will get a better bow, a warranty, and the backing of a shop should you need help. Even if it is a shop in another state.

While none of these fall in your budget, they give a good idea of what to search for. https://rmsgear.com/collections/discontinued-compound-bows
They did have a big sale off of those prices in Nov, they might still do that. If so, it would be a smart thing to consider the Bowtech Solution in that link since you can move the cams without disassembly and shimming.

 

[whoami-72]

Used bows usually aren't worth it. Maintenance on a used bow usually eats through the cost difference real fast. New strings =$180-200. A cam bearing breaks =$250. String stop wears out = $30. Long story short, I've never figured out how to make a used bow work financially. That being said, I shot almost as good on a diamond outlaw with a draw length 2" to short for me than I do my Mathews atlas. I definitely shoot better but practice is key either way.

 

[Geewhiz]

Used bows usually aren't worth it. Maintenance on a used bow usually eats through the cost difference real fast. New strings =$180-200. A cam bearing breaks =$250. String stop wears out = $30. Long story short, I've never figured out how to make a used bow work financially. That being said, I shot almost as good on a diamond outlaw with a draw length 2" to short for me than I do my Mathews atlas. I definitely shoot better but practice is key either way.

Interesting perspective. If you want a new bow then buy a new bow but your logic doesn’t hold up. I bought a 2013 Mathews bow in 2014 and have bought 1 set of strings for it since then. Not sure how that’s “not worth it”. Yes I shoot fairly regularly and have killed bulls with it every year since then.

 

[whoami-72]

Interesting perspective. If you want a new bow then buy a new bow but your logic doesn’t hold up. I bought a 2013 Mathews bow in 2014 and have bought 1 set of strings for it since then. Not sure how that’s “not worth it”. Yes I shoot fairly regularly and have killed bulls with it every year since then.

I'm not saying it's not possible which you've proven. However, most of the used bows I see at least need new strings and are questionable about needing maintenance. For examble, one of my bows actually costs more to repair than it does to replace with a brand new one so I just keep it around for complete newbies to use and if they blow it up then oh well.

My comment was more directed towards buying a new mid range bow compared to a flagship used. If they buy used bow has been ran hard they likely paid as much as a new mid level (if not more) and the maintenance costs will quickly eat the difference of a new flagship. Where as, if you buy a new mid-level the warranties usually take care of everything but strings. A great example would be that Mathews Traverse. Most people say the traverse is one of the best bows ever made. A similarly priced used flagship bow at the time was like 3-5 years old In my area. At that point I'd expect to need to do heavy maintenance soon.

Maybe I just run my stuff harder though cause I chew through new strings at least every other year if not every year.

 

[Zak406]

I don’t think that a more expensive “new flagship bow” would help any of us shoot better than a “new lower end intermediate or starter bow”. I killed deer with my diamond outlaw (I think that was the model) and my elite e32. I will say this. Hunting and fishing are my only real hobbies so I spend my money on hunting and fishing gear. So with that being said I do buy flag ship bows. However I buy one every 5-7 years and put the best accessories on them I feel are available.

 

[5MilesBack]

most of the used bows I see at least need new strings and are questionable about needing maintenance.

If you buy used you have to account for new strings and adjust the price you pay accordingly. But what exactly do you consider "maintenance" on a bow? I have three bows that are 16-17 years old, have been shot a ton, and had nothing but new strings and oiled steel bolts over the years and they still work great. I just bought a used Traverse with the 32.5" mods already on it, and I adjusted my price with the given that I would have to replace the strings. But I don't plan on doing any other "maintenance" to it. $250 for a set of bearings???? I bought a set of brand new cams for my PSE for less than $150.

 

[TheTone]

A lot to be said for just how people treat there stuff looking at used. I just pulled all the things off my old bow and am planning to sell it. I found a couple tiny scratches but honestly you have to look for them, otherwise it looks new. I hunted with it and shot it a bunch over the last five years but I also wasn’t reckless with it. A buddy of mine bought one same time, his looks rough. It has a chunk taken out of a limb, finish beat off the cams and limb pockets, etc.